First shooter advice
I have long contended that you don’t teach a new shooter to shoot with a 22 or other small caliber. The reason for that is that if you shoot a small caliber, the recoil is almost non-existent and the subsequent upping of calibers can scare newbies. Conversely, after starting with a 45ACP, a 22 is quite pleasant to fire. Ask Rich, it seemed to work for him.
Benjamin points to another damn good reason not to start someone off with a plinker. I heartily concur.
January 19th, 2005 at 2:41 pm
That depends. Most of the people I have introduced to guns have been scared to death. (The types who would never shoot gun/handle a gun/have lunch with anybody who owned a gun.) Some were very surprised I was an NRA instructor, as the media paints a fairly unflattering picture of gun owners.
In an hour session at a local range. I would usually have them shoot a .22, a .380, a 9mm, a .357 – loaded with 38 special and then with .357 magnum…. Working my way up the recoil curve. Most find the .357 too much on the first go, but that is a point I make. Find something you are comfortable with (I wasn’t comfortable with .357 magnum at first either as far as that goes.) No, I don’t like .45
After shooting 10 or 20 rounds through a .22, they decide that the gun isn’t going to leap out their hands of its own accord. Then a few rounds through the other firearms. Alas, I no longer live in Cincinnati, so I can’t borrow all of those calibers from friends…
January 20th, 2005 at 3:04 am
Where to start? 22 LR or 45 ACP
Say Uncle has some questions on starting shooters:I have long contended that you don?t teach a new shooter to shoot with a 22 or other small caliber. The reason for that is that if you shoot a small caliber, the recoil is almost non-existent and th