John G
Member
I get a real sense of satisfaction from teaching someone how to shoot. New shooters, with their nervous but eager excitement, remind me of why I like shooting. It's fun.
Jennifer (my girlfriend) and Victoria (my friend Phil's gf) had never fired a gun before Saturday. We went over the Four Rules of Firearms Safety, some general terms concerning guns such as trigger, muzzle, manual safety, front sight, rear sight, stock, and magazine. I had them each hold my Ruger 10/22 (magazine removed and bolt locked back) and line up the sights on target. Next, I loaded up and fired a round into a hanging pie plate to demonstrate the sound and light recoil of the .22 rifle.
Jen went first. I watched her, not the target. She held the rifle correctly, lined up the front and rear sights, clicked the safety off, then moved her index finger to the trigger. Bang! No flinch, no safety violations. She clicked on the safety and handed the rifle to me. The pie plate had a .22 caliber hole 1/4 inch from mine. She smiled ear to ear. Victoria had similar results, so I loaded up two 10-round magazines and let the ladies perforate the target.
We looked at the Browning Buck Mark next, going over the sights, safety, and proper grip. They liked the pistol even better than the rifle, which I found interesting. They agreed the pistol was easier to hold. Two ruined pie plates later and they were hooked. We fired a variety of guns that day. Victoria tried a .357 wheelgun that was a little much for her, while Jen's absolute favorite was my Colt 1991a1 Compact .45.
We ended up shooting for five hours, on and off between brief rain, and finally wrapped it up before dusk. Steak and potato salad capped off the afternoon.
On the drive home Jen said "That was fun. I want to go again."
Jennifer (my girlfriend) and Victoria (my friend Phil's gf) had never fired a gun before Saturday. We went over the Four Rules of Firearms Safety, some general terms concerning guns such as trigger, muzzle, manual safety, front sight, rear sight, stock, and magazine. I had them each hold my Ruger 10/22 (magazine removed and bolt locked back) and line up the sights on target. Next, I loaded up and fired a round into a hanging pie plate to demonstrate the sound and light recoil of the .22 rifle.
Jen went first. I watched her, not the target. She held the rifle correctly, lined up the front and rear sights, clicked the safety off, then moved her index finger to the trigger. Bang! No flinch, no safety violations. She clicked on the safety and handed the rifle to me. The pie plate had a .22 caliber hole 1/4 inch from mine. She smiled ear to ear. Victoria had similar results, so I loaded up two 10-round magazines and let the ladies perforate the target.
We looked at the Browning Buck Mark next, going over the sights, safety, and proper grip. They liked the pistol even better than the rifle, which I found interesting. They agreed the pistol was easier to hold. Two ruined pie plates later and they were hooked. We fired a variety of guns that day. Victoria tried a .357 wheelgun that was a little much for her, while Jen's absolute favorite was my Colt 1991a1 Compact .45.
We ended up shooting for five hours, on and off between brief rain, and finally wrapped it up before dusk. Steak and potato salad capped off the afternoon.
On the drive home Jen said "That was fun. I want to go again."