New Shooters: What Kind of Training Would You Want?

[Mark75H]

Guns are like shoes, the ones that fit you best don’t hurt you.

 

[Art3]

I appreciate your approach and experience but I see it a little differently. As a short intro, I have been a firearms and tactics instructor for my agency for about 22 years and have had the great fortune to attend a lot of training. While I agree recoil is something you have to deal with, I think there is huge value in starting with the .22. If the first 10 rounds scares the hell out of someone and makes them nervous about pulling the trigger I think you have created a bunch more battles you now have to fight that are not really necessary. I would prefer to start someone (particularly a new shooter) with a similar platform in .22 and work on the simple but important things. With a .22 you can work on hand position, sights, and trigger control and focus on the mechanics without all the movement. Think about baseball; how many kids would continue playing if the first pitcher they faced when they were 7 threw a wicked curveball and a 90+ fast ball? Everything you want to do well involves growing, and I would suggest that moving from .22 to 9mm or .38 is growth and rushing that may not be to your benefit. Once the person can draw, present, and press out a nice shot I would suggest a few hundred draws as slowly as you can with one shot at the end of each (then 2 and then 3), then a nice slow return to the holster and start again. In my experience a new shooter's biggest enemy is the holster (and draw stroke), so getting out clean can make everything that follows much easier. I find value in trigger pulls, whether they are 9mm, .45, .22, or laser; doing the right thing a few thousand times doesn't have to cost a ton of money or take valuable range time. Most new shooters can learn a lot from drawing a red gun from their holster in front of a mirror. When they are getting nice and comfortable with the .22 then the move to 9 is easier since recoil control comes more from technique than brute strength. Get out the 9 and start again nice and slowly, overwhelming people is a sure way to take the fun out of it. I have seen women at the range with their idiot boyfriend who thinks its fun to have her shoot the 44 mag as a first shot. Now she never wants to try that again and he at the very least ruined a shooting partner and perhaps turned someone off from shooting altogether.

Sorry for the soapbox, and not saying anyone else's approach is wrong, just sharing some of what I have been fortunate enough to take away from some of the great shooters I have worked with.

Take care all..

I do agree about the butthead boyfriends turning their girls against guns with recoil. I started out small too, but I was a little kid.

I think some of depends on the shooter's existing interest and dedication. Some who has already decided they want to be into guns can probably start out center fire. I don't think the police, etc start with. 22's.

But someone who is only maybe casually interested might be better off eased into it...at first. I'm glad that when I was 8 or 9 ish, Dad started me off with a .32 cal black powder and not a 12 ga.!

 

[Blaster229]

The issue is, you don't start them out having to aim and all the bullcrap.
Grip then shoot. Sight alignment,etc... Can come after about 100 rounds of just shooting, getting used to recoil.
That's too much to handle, about 5 or 6 things all at the same time.
It's all too intimidating at first.
Works wonders.
No police training I've ever been to, certainly my FAM initial training, no one started with. 22's. SIG 357 was it.
99.9% never had any issue.

 

[Sundazes]

Answer your first sentence, we just had sort of just that a couple weeks ago. It was a mish mash of holster carry options, use of force, awareness. Just a potpourri of everyone basically leading the whole day. I thought it was a great time.
I'd like to do it again for those who couldn't make it last time.

I missed the first one and would love to attend another session. I would also be up for some drawing, grip, etc training. I have been shooting for many years, but I can always learn more. Help me get rid on my flinch.

 

[Blaster229]

I missed the first one and would love to attend another session. I would also be up for some drawing, grip, etc training. I have been shooting for many years, but I can always learn more. Help me get rid on my flinch.

Well maybe we can try and start another if Welder would be up to it.
We had about 40 people and initially around 80 I think were interested. Of course we lost many on just the date.

 

[RFBfromDE]

Outdoor obstacle course.

 

[Blaster229]

Outdoor obstacle course.

No.

 

[E.Shell]

Outdoor obstacle course.

You must be a young fella...

 

[outrider58]

No.

Awe c'mon!

 

[RFBfromDE]

You must be a young fella...

Also no!

 

[RangerWillrett]

I have trained with Paramount Tactical Solutions twice so far. Both times I took the Defensive Pistol I & II (2nd time with my then 12 year old daughter). In those classes we worked on shooting on the move, transitions, one handed, cover, prone, ect. I want to take the Advanced Concealed Carry class at some point but I think the medical and long range are the next two on my list. https://paramounttactical.com/

 

[Blaster229]

I have trained with Paramount Tactical Solutions twice so far. Both times I took the Defensive Pistol I & II (2nd time with my then 12 year old daughter). In those classes we worked on shooting on the move, transitions, one handed, cover, prone, ect. I want to take the Advanced Concealed Carry class at some point but I think the medical and long range are the next two on my list. https://paramounttactical.com/

They let a 12 year old train?

 

[RangerWillrett]

They let a 12 year old train?

Yes, I'm not sure why they wouldn't as long as I felt she was ready and she was safe during class. She had been shooting regularly since she was 10. She shot 1000 rounds of 9mm in two days for class and the only issue she had was locking the slide back with no magazine. (Edited to note that she was 2 months from 13)