teaching neighbor to shoot need help

[kimporter]

sooo my next door neighbor wants to learn too shoot, she's never been around any firearms till she met my wife and i,she wants to buy the gun she learns with and i was thinking about starting her off with a 10/22,you think starting off with a semi-auto is a good idea? or should i go the single shot route,like maybe an old 514 remington or the like,opinions welcome and appreciated

 

[Old_Cop]

A 10/22 is a good choice, you maintain control of the magazine until she is ready to shoot. It isn't necessary to load more than one round to start.

 

[forindooruseonly]

I think this is more individual oriented. If they are good listeners and follow directions, a 10/22 would be a fine gun to start with.

If you think they need the discipline, start them with a bolt or single shot. Ruger American comes to mind, or a Henry lever gun.

I've found that women tend to pay better attention and are less likely to just blast away with a semi-auto, so the 10/22 may be a fine option for developing both safety and shooting skills. I wouldn't start an excitable person with a short attention span on one, though.

 

[hobby-gunsmith]

teaching neighbor to shoot

I would definitely seek a NRA certified Firearms Instructor and have her start with NRA Blended learning course on line, Phase one, which is about eight hours of the Basic Pistol Course and the instructor will complete administer the Phase Two for the review and firearm qualification after she completes that phase with a certificate. Also, if she does not want to go that route, have her take the Instructor Led Training from start to finish with a NRA Firearms Instructor which is about 8 hours. The instructor should advise her what would be the best firearm for her in the beginning stages. The Basic Pistol Course is excellent and the range time will be in excess of 100 rounds. Learning the basics is the pyramid of a building block in the world of education. She would learn from a qualified instructor.

Nick

 

[Muley Gil]

Make sure your wife is present!

The NRA should have some instructor info on line.

When I was the firearms instructor at a regional police academy in Afghanistan, first I had to teach my Afghan instructors. The first thing I taught was SAFETY. Each and every lesson started out with them repeating to me Safety, Safety, Safety!

I boiled the rules down to: 1) Finger off of the trigger and 2) Muzzle direction. We taught hundreds of Afghan police officers over the 1 1/2 years I was in charge of firearms and later all training and we never had an accident.

 

[4barrel]

I take a pistol and tell them to stand to the side and watch what I do for a while. I start by drawing a picture of the sights and where to aim after a short safety course of where not to point. A low charge revolver in 22 or 38 or a Ruger 22 simi auto pistol or anything that doesnt jam has always worked for me. 19 out of 20 find something better to do after a few lessons.

 

[Targets Guy]

Start with a K-22.

 

[Mack_C85]

Ruger American Rimfire.

Bolt Action, uses the same mags as the 10/22. Interchangeable stock modules to adjust for length of pull.

Great starter gun.

 

[forindooruseonly]

Start with a rifle. She wants to move forward to pistols from there, then go about an NRA course maybe.

Starting with a rifle makes things easier for teaching fundamentals of safety and marksmanship.

Having your wife present is also a good idea.

 

[kimporter]

thanks for all the replys, have already told her to look online at the nra's website (told her i would be asking questions),im not letting her handle anything till im sure shes safe,

 

[SC_Mike]

I would go to the NRA site myself and printout gun safety and handling rules and go over them with her line by line, make her initial each rule or page so she will take it more serious. Demonstrate with a blue, or toy, gun over and over. Go over finger placement muzzle direction, knowing what's behind your target etc. Treat all guns as if they are loaded all the time.

The second class go over the rules a second time, including the use of eye and ear protection. I would bring out the weapon in a controlled environment, perhaps a very slow day at the range to keep distractions down; or on some private property if available. Then let her get used to holding and handling the unloaded weapon exactly how she did the blue gun. Next, you load and fire one round off the target into the berm or back wall so she can hear the noise and see exactly what happens when the trigger is pulled. If you are able, set up a small sheet of plywood, or a cinder block for her to shoot. In my experience when people see the force and destruction the bullet can cause to a material object instead of a little hole in a piece of paper, they realize the power and responsibility for safety they now hold. Go slow and methodical always emphasizing safety.

Just my .02.

 

[Realrez]

Need pics of neighbor before I offer help

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Depends on the person. If she's a mature intelligent adult I wouldn't sweat it too much.

60 y/o neighbor of twenty years all of a sudden got the idea into her head that she wanted a gun for protection and wanted a Ruger LCR 38. Who knows.. maybe one of her friends has one. Anyway, her husband asked if I would take them to the club. She had never shot a gun before and I happened to have an LCR. Took a couple minutes to show how to load, hold, aim and fire, and special emphasis to keep the muzzle pointed down range or set it down on the bench with the muzzle pointed down range if she had a question... don't turn around to ask a question with gun in hand! I started her with my target reloads that shoot soft and then she went to standard .38s. She did fine.

I don't like autoloaders for a first-timer. The idea is to keep the complications and possible malfunctions to a minimum. They got enough running through their head the first time. I also don't like being around other shooting like a crowded indoor range. Best to be the only one on the range with no distractions.

Remember to make it fun. Enjoy.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

This reminds me of the time YEARS ago when my father decided that his mother who lived in the country needed a firearm for protection. She was probably well into her 70's by then and weighed around 90 pounds soaking wet. He buys a Model 37 and a box of Super Vels and I'm there as she squeezes off her first (and only) shot! Well this little old lady's eyes get as big as saucers and she lets out a JEEEZUS CHRIST and hands the gun back to my father. He reloads it and tells her to "keep it in the drawer" just in case and walks off. I think my uncle later sniped it when we moved her to New Orleans. But in retrospect it was pretty funny as that was the first and only time I or anyone else for that matter ever heard her swear.

FOr a furst timer I would think that a steel framed 38 would be the upper limit and I would rather start her on a .22 first if for nothing more than to get her used to the "bang"

 

[H Richard]

My thoughts are a J Frame .22. Mod 63 or Mod 34. Light weight, use single action or double action, accurate, not too big or heavy for a female. But I would have her do the on line NRA basic pistol. There are several chapters with tests at each chapter, and you can't progress to the next chapter if you don't pass the test. You can be there to help and answer any questions and with the hands on part. This way you won't skip over any area's of safety, and the NRA certificate can mean a lot to the recipient.

 

[arjay]

Taught one of my sisters (she's tiny) to shoot with a Ruger Mark III about 10 years ago.After an hour or so she was hitting water bottles at 25 yards one after another.I didn't have a 38 so I handed her a 45.One shot "I'm done"

 

[peyton]

When I taught my four children to shoot I used a watermelon as an example of what happens when a bullet hits something. I had already gone over the safe handling and stuff. You should of seen their eyes when the watermelon exploded!!
Then I said, that is what happens when you decide to play with any of daddy's guns!
So my take is having a visual example of a bullets impact is more impressive and instructional than shooting a piece of paper.

 

[crazyphil]

hobby-gunsmith gave the best recommendation. Find a certified
NRA instructor. There are a lot of them around, and they are listed
on NRA website. Basic Pistol is a great start. Then progress to the
protection courses.

 

[halvenut]

When people ask me about getting a gun for the first time and learning to shoot I advise them to do two things.
1.) Get training from a qualified instructor .
2.) Go to one of the local ranges that rent guns to shoot. Rent several and then decide which is best for you, before you purchase something that you may not like or doesn't work for you.
Trying to pick out a gun whether a long gun or handgun for someone else can be very tricky. It's best to let them decide on what type of gun to purchase if they choose to do so. I've seen people that think they want to shoot until they actually try it and find that it's not for them. Then if they have purchased a gun they'll end up selling it at a loss.

 

[hittman77]

I'd start her off with something like the NRA Basic Pistol Safety Course or a local hunter safety course or concealed carry class.

Then, once she's enrolled, decide on maybe a 10/22 or small revolver, etc.