What caliber for first time shooter?

[Gun Master]

I started my kids with .22s--single action revolver first, then a semiauto. Transitioned to centerfires shooting light .38 specials in a 4-inch GP100. Then on to a 9mm semiauto. By the time we were done, they understood the difference between a variety of firearms and had experience with a variety of different power cartridges.

You had a good, well thought out plan, and apparently, it worked out well.

 

[bergmen]

My wife learned how to shoot a handgun on a smith and wesson model 10 with cowboy .38 spl loads

I'll second this. I find new adult handgun shooters very much like my 15-4 K-38 Combat Masterpiece. This is heavy enough to soften recoil, accurate enough to be satisfying for new shooters and is a service sized weapon.

It's also my favorite .38 Special target shooter.

Dan

 

[DrBozack]

My girlfriend is 5'3" and maybe 100 pounds. The first time we went shooting, I thought she might have trouble with anything more recoilish than my 9mm CZ75B.

Turns out she loved shooting .44 Magnums from a Ruger Alaskan and was surprisingly accurate with it. She was even shooting .357s out of my MP340 and enjoying it.

Moral: Take your girlfriend shooting ahead of time and let her decide.

 

[Praxidike]

My girlfriend is 5'3" and maybe 100 pounds. The first time we went shooting, I thought she might have trouble with anything more recoilish than my 9mm CZ75B.

Turns out she loved shooting .44 Magnums from a Ruger Alaskan and was surprisingly accurate with it. She was even shooting .357s out of my MP340 and enjoying it.

Moral: Take your girlfriend shooting ahead of time and let her decide.

We have 2 children, and didn't have a babysitter at the time for me to take her. I ended up watching the kids while she went to the class. She ended up taking the Phoenix Arms hp22 (22lr). I just modified it to get rid off all the extra safeties.

She had fun, and was very excited. She brought home her certificate, her targets, and said she was "hooked" and seen a purple $600+ gun that she wanted... Now I got to work on her being conformable with our son learning to shoot when he gets a little older.

A few years ago before we lived together, she was admittedly exclaiming how she'd never allow a gun in her home, and how our child was going to shoot himself to death. Now she's registering for a CCW class on her own and stating that she wants to own a firearm herself...