What would you suggest?

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Mayo

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Luckily I was raised in a family that used guns. I learned how to shoot, clean, hunt etc...from my father first hand. That said, I have a nephew(17) that lives in another state whos family has NO idea about guns. Long story short, he is very interested in learning about guns. Since there is no way for me to give him first hand(hands on) guidance, where would you suggest he start?
 
Hook him up with this website! He's the internet generation, and this website is the best for knowledge, and balance of fun.
That way he can check out stuff he's interested in at any moment, and he has some idea/concept behind what he's doing before he grabs a pistol.
Other than that?
Primer on gun safety, 4 rules.
 
Talk to mom and dad before doing anything to make sure they're cool with it then send him a link to THR and get him sighed up where he can read what responsable gun owners are talking about. Not much, but it's a start. Keep us posted.

Dave,
 
He needs to learn about guns themselves before he gets into the politics surrounding guns. The first thing he should do is go shooting, preferably with some organized group such as the Boy Scouts, the NRA, etc. Then he should study about guns by reading books (of which there is no shortage). Send him a copy of the Gun Digest.
 
Mayo said:
Luckily I was raised in a family that used guns. I learned how to shoot, clean, hunt etc...from my father first hand. That said, I have a nephew(17) that lives in another state whos family has NO idea about guns. Long story short, he is very interested in learning about guns. Since there is no way for me to give him first hand(hands on) guidance, where would you suggest he start?
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With the consent of his parents....

Turn him onto this forum.
Turn him onto the NRA
Have him seek out local NRA affiliated clubs.
Have him look into Appleseed shoots.

Keeping in mind a few of those suggestions may require the presence of an adult with him. However, far as I know, reading about the shooting sports does not require adult supervision. :)

Just keep in mind his parents views and thoughts on the subject as at 17 he isn't quite there yet.

Ron
 
With his parent's permission, find a gun club near him and turn him loose. A good one can set him up with proper safety instruction and give him a chance to try his luck on the range.
 
Most all of the trap/sporting clays clubs/organizations around here have mentoring programs, as do the local NWTF and Whitetails Unlimited. Check out his state's Hunter/Firearm safety program. Many of those have volunteers that offer to mentor first time hunters. If at seventeen, he cannot get his parent's participation with him or permission for him to participate, he doesn't have long to wait till he will not need it. Even most folks those that don't own guns themselves agree that education about firearms from those with knowledge and experience is better than allowing someone to figure it out for themselves.
 
Keeping in mind a few of those suggestions may require the presence of an adult with him. However, far as I know, reading about the shooting sports does not require adult supervision
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Never know these days
 
The good news is that his parents are fine with him learning but neither has any idea about guns whatsoever. I will absolutely turn him on to THR. I'm sure there is a range where he can go and learn at least about hanguns and how to learn safety and shoot. If he wants to learn about rifles then it could be a different animal. I learned by going out and shooting with Dad....home to break down the rifle and clean...so very hands on. I guess that would be his biggest obstacle of having to learn without any hands on help.
 
Wait until he turns 18, then give him a $400 Wal-Mart gift card and tell him about the 4 rules.


ETA: Also, suggested movies include Red Dawn (80's verison), Dawn of the Dead (80's version), and anything with "Delta Force" in the title.
 
Mayo said:
Luckily I was raised in a family that used guns. I learned how to shoot, clean, hunt etc...from my father first hand. That said, I have a nephew(17) that lives in another state whos family has NO idea about guns. Long story short, he is very interested in learning about guns. Since there is no way for me to give him first hand(hands on) guidance, where would you suggest he start?
Click to expand...

http://home.nra.org/

http://www.appleseedinfo.org/
 
After you have discussed this with his parents, and find out that they are in agreement that he should be exposed to guns and shooting, help them find someone in their area that can provide hands on mentoring. I do not support the idea that you can give him some literature and a couple of movies and say "Go Get'em Tiger!" His training and education will require the same hands on knowledge that you got at the hands of your father. Once he gets into his education with his mentor, then you can supplement that with sharing with him the fun of learning about the aspectics of gun useage, be it hunting, collecting, range shooting, etc.
 
Where's he located? You may even find a board member that would give him an introduction to safety and a trip to the range.

I'll make that offer to anyone in SE Wisconsin or the Chicago area. Come on over, we'll do a 30-60 minute safety briefing and go shoot at the club.

I think that's the best way to recruit new shooters. Show 'em it's safe and fun.
 
First step? Send him or tell him to go to an Appleseed. Not only will he learn the fundamentals of marksmanship and firearms safety but he will learn the heritage and history of how and why firearms are important in this country. It is a powerful message and a great way to start him off.

www.appleseedinfo.org.

BTW, Appleseed is also a lot of fun and is like joining a family.
 
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