What do you take to teach new shooters?

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CBS220

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Some of us take our friends who don't have any gun experience to the range, and I was wondering what you took.

My thinking is that I want people to have a good time at the range, and not bore them to death with paper targets and a single shot .22. Much as I enjoy plinking with a .22, it's not so viscerally exciting as something a wee bit larger.

In my view, marksmanship can be learned later, but to really gain a new pro-gunner, you just need to make them enjoy it, and burn some serious powder.

I always take some EBRs, generally of the AK/AR stripe. Those are a kick for those who have never seen one in person ("is that legal?") and some WWII rifles, like Enfields and Mausers, like they may have seen in the movies.

I always take a .22 pistol, which is easy to shoot and fun when your shoulder is still sore from unleashing some hot 8mm from a short-barreled mauser ;)
 
I took a couple of teenage nephews for the first time last week.

semi-auto .22lr rifle
9mm semi-auto pistol
.380 semi-auto pistol
AR
.308 bolt gun

They were excited to shoot the pistols and the AR. When it was all said and done there was ammo left over for all the centerfire guns. They wanted to shoot the .22 more. Clay pigeons on the backstop don't stand a chance.
 
I always start true newbies off with the .22 rifle, but then after seeing them show me that they are getting it I usually pull out the little 9MM hi-point carbine.
 
Start with a.22 rifle, a bolt with scope. They like seeing those holes.
Move to .22 hand gun.
Then .223 semi-auto.
Then 9mm Hi-Power.
By then their hand is tired.
And, I never shoot.

Now you get to clean ALL of them.

AFS
 
For their safety I like to start with a 22LR revolver or 10/22. After that I'll explain how a 22LR semi pistol functions. Move to the 1911. I will stand with the person the entire session.
 
In my view, marksmanship can be learned later, but to really gain a new pro-gunner, you just need to make them enjoy it, and burn some serious powder.
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Right on the money. I make sure first time shooters are safe, follow the rules, dont have fingers behind the slide or near the cylinder gap, and let them just have fun. Correcting form and stance and all that can come later if they want. I usually start them with a .22 and then whatever they want with 1 round only to start with just be sure it isn't too much for them. I want an empty gun if they drop it. 9mm, 10mm, 7.62x39, 12ga... new shooters love everything.
 
Chocolate, and Beef Jerky.

I tend to assist kids and ladies , and ladies like chocolate.
Beef Jerky comes from how I come up, and Mentors sharing - Beef Jerky makes one a better shooter. so I continue to pass forward as passed to me.

Safety of course, still fun is high on the list of what I/we want to accomplish.
We want to earn the respect and confidence of new shooters we are going to keep them safe.

.22 rifles, in single shot, and in kids sizes are important.
Simple guns, easy to see that are safe, not only for them, also those of us assisting them.

.22 Revolvers are something I believe in anyway, and many folks really appreciate the simple manual of arms, and being able to make safe.

.22 Semis, and again, simple guns, that are not heavy or set up with optics.

Ruger Standard , Ruger 22/45 MKII, Buckmark, High Standard Duramatic, S&W 422/622 for example.

New folks do not have the hand and grip strength developed yet, so a lighter, simpler gun is more fun.
Fatigue leads to missing and not having fun.

One sees chocolate wrappers in trash, and back pockets with a stick of beef jerky.

"Tell you what darlin', you hit all 5 tin cans, and you win chocolate" - me
"Gimme another stick of beef jerky, I am going to win that chocolate!" lady

"MoOm! You need to put some jerky in the other back pocket, only one side of your butt looks big, we need to fix that! " - kid.

Yes I stay in trouble, how did you guess? *wink*
 
If the person is serious about learning to shoot they don't fire the first shot for an hour or two, until they can explain safety, slight alignment/sight picture and trigger squeeze to me.

If we're just going to blast some ammo I just give them the minimum safety talk and usually start them off with a 22 pistol and we blast clay pigeons, fired shotgun shells or whatever.

I've found that the more the new shooter understands what he's doing the better shot he is right off and the more he enjoys himself. Also he's more likely to want to continue learning to shoot.

My young friend here loves to shoot my Bearcat. I recently bought a Western holster for him to use.
At almost every shooting session I'll have him "teach" me the safety rules or sight picture or some such.
It pays off.:)
ScottRugerBearcat.gif
 
I start with .22s. Revolvers and bolt action rifles. No semi-autos until they get some experience and learn safety. The safety lecture is the first thing and going over it each time until they have learned proper gun safety.
 
Always start with a .22. They can focus more on the shooting and not be scared off by the recoil and muzzle blast.

Then, if they want, they can shoot something larger. Some people want to go up to a larger caliber quicker then others.

At the end, I usually have them fire a mag or so through that first .22 again. After they've fired the bigger guns they'll now have something to compare the .22 with and realize how downright pleasant it is to shoot.
 
and not bore them to death with paper targets and a single shot .22.
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I have yet to see anyone get bored dancing a tin can around.Or old golf balls,empty shotgun shells etc.
I have a couple spinners also. Many enjoy shooting old produce, charcoal briquettes ,balloons etc.
Unless you're limited to an indoor range use the paper to get them started then bring out something reactive!
 
Until they can quote the 4 Rules they dont get a weapon. Then we start with a .22. If they are good we move on to .38/.357 then 9mm. If they are too cocky I whip out 7.62x54r with steel but plate and 50 rds.
 
Usually:

-Beretta NEOS .22
-Ruger SP101 .32 H&R mag
-Baby Eagle 9mm/S&W 5906
-Colt 1911

-Remington model 552/Marlin model 39
-Scoped NEF Handi Rifle .22 Hornet (to teach optics use)
-Armalite M-15 Carbine

-Remignton 11/87 Police 12 Gauge

I've found that teaching with these 8 firearms can take most people from completely inexperienced to being comfortable using most any firearm from that point forward.
 
I'd bring along the.22s, of course, both rifle and handgun. Also, everyone seems to have a lot of fun with the SKS.

From personal experience, I've found that it's not good to go from a Marlin 60 to anything in 8MM Mauser.

Handgun-wise, something in .32 Long is good. It makes a noise & is accurate but it doesn't jolt them. My 9X18 Makarov seems to go over well with a beginner, too.
 
Almost always start off with .22's
Generally just start 'em with handguns. Kids have a hard time shouldering my .22 long guns.
From .22's, I like to move up to .38's, and then .45 Colt with puppy loads. Once they get an idea about recoil, we can switch to .357, or hotter .45 Colt.
I do like reactive targets, but can only do that "down on the farm":)
 
If possible, bring at least one revolver and one autoloader in similar calibers. For whatever reason, some people have a very definite preference for one over the other.

If you've got something really cool, like an NFA weapon of some kind, you may consider bringing it, too.
 
I always start with safety. I stress keeping the gun pointed in a safe direction and keeping one's finger off of the trigger until being ready to shoot.

As a matter of fact, I teach the same thing to experienced shooters lest they forget or may have gotten lazy and careless. It's too important not to be taught correctly to start, and sometimes older shooters require a polite reminder with some real-life examples of momentary carelessness.

After being taught, safety needs to be practiced every time that we shoot so that we practice safety and have guns for our kids and grandkids.
 
Always start with a .22. They can focus more on the shooting and not be scared off by the recoil and muzzle blast.
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I never start with a .22 for one simple reason. I don't have one. I take what I own and out of a dozen or so virgin shooters that I have introduced to shooting, none of them were scared of the recoil or muzzle blast. All of them have asked to go again.

This "start em off with the rules and a .22" mantra is tiresome. I know its a good idea to be overcautious with a new shooter but reading some of these posts, it sounds as if some like the feeling of being the authority a little too much.

Until they can quote the 4 Rules they dont get a weapon.
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I'm glad my father didn't try this with me. I mean I go over the rules but come on, this is just a tad overboard.
 
Two young ladies at my job wanted to learn to shoot. I got my Daisey 717 pellet gun. We went over the safty rules, sight alignment, finger position, trigger control, breathing...and their questions. Then we went outside. After about two weeks of lunch hour practice they both shot well. Mary was hitting coke caps at thirty feet! Not every shot...maybe 75%. She really surprised me. We never went to the range with the real guns. They said the husbands could take care of that. I don't know if that ever happened.

Mark.
 
My Erma EM-1 .22 rifle. Peep sights and a generally M-1 carbineish appearance works well for, plus it's light and handy.

I also have a Destroyer Carbine, which generally is popular.

Second time out I typically bring the Marlin 39A, SKS, and FAL.

Here's a pic of dragging the cousins out shooting, their first time:

quigarms.jpg
 
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