Introducing new shooters and reintroducing inactive shooters.

[M. Sage]

I reintroduced someone to handgun shooting today. I gather that she hadn't been all that into it before, but seems very interested in learning now. It's amazing what a world turning upside-down can do for a person's attitude about things...

Basically, I brought as wide a variety of handguns as I could manage (which isn't that wide, unfortunately) and took her through the basics of pistol shooting and the specifics of how each operated before letting her loose shooting whichever she wanted.

Right next to me, a guy spent a little time "teaching" his girlfriend how to shoot. He didn't know his limitations because he was a lousy instructor. I actually felt the need to step in and give a couple of quick tips because he wasn't doing anything to correct the flinch she had that was putting bullets into the ground at 5 yards. Just unsafe...

Let me start off with what to do right, and then I'll get into where this guy showed me you can go wrong.

The right way:

• Start with a student who wants to learn! If they're not interested or simply lukewarm, you're both going to go home unhappy and probably pissed at each other.
• Be patient. If you're having trouble with a point, both of you should take a break or do something else and come back to it later.
• Break it down. People learn better when you give them one thing at a time. Throwing ten things at them at once, they're probably not going to learn and will often feel like you're overwhelming them, which turns them off to learning.
• Positive reinforcement! "Good shot!" "Good form!" and statements like that go a looooong way to building confidence and more importantly toward reinforcing the good habits over the bad. Operant conditioning works just as well on people as it does dogs...
• Invest some time. This stuff is hard, and you've (hopefully) been shooting for quite some time. Remember how long you've been at it to get as good as you (hopefully) are - this stuff don't happen in a 30 minute "blast as much .40 at the paper as you can" session. Slow down, take your time and make sure the person you're introducing makes every shot count. Goofing off and just blasting once or twice can be a fun release, but if they want to learn, you need to let them know that this isn't the way to learn.
• Know what you're going to teach! If you aren't proficient, you probably shouldn't be teaching.
• Know your limitations. Know if you're proficient or not. Also, don't be afraid to admit that you don't know something.
• Be prepared to show someone that you can actually shoot. Today it was picking up my P220 and saying, "see that stick on the berm 25 yards away?" "Barely." *Boom* Stick goes spinning off to the side of the berm. Show them it's doable, and that your way can get them there. This also gives them a goal to work toward.

What should you teach? Start from the ground up. Literally. After safety, start with stance, then grip. Move on to sight picture and breathing. Finally, trigger control and follow-through. Notice something? This is the order you do these things in when you shoot! IMO, it makes it easier for a person to retain these things when you teach in order.

Just a note on follow-through: I think this is one of the most under-taught secrets to shooting well that exists. When I discovered it, my groups tightened up considerably and it helped keep me from developing bad habits that result from anticipating the pistol going off. I've shown it to a few other people and watched them cut their group size by half or better.

Now what not to do, thanks to macho big pec dude with arm tats and MMA t-shirt:

• Don't assume you're proficient when you're not. Even ignoring the girl's hits, his target looked like someone had taken potshots at it with buckshot at 50 yards. Dude. Learn to shoot before you play instructor.
• Teach proper technique! One of the huge reasons this girl was having trouble flinching was he hadn't taught her anything resembling a proper grip or stance, so recoil was kicking her ass. I didn't correct the stance (they were both kind of frustrated by then, and he was a little upset that I was correcting the mistakes he was training into this poor girl), but I did make a slight correction to the grip - she was consistently holding the pistol way too low, and I could see it from ten feet away. Not that he could have known, since his stance, grip and trigger control were all so fucked up I wanted to go over and offer to correct him.
• Give them a benchmark that's better than a target that looks like a blind man shot at it!
• Use the proper equipment! I was a little miffed that his girl wasn't wearing eye pro, and suspect that hear ears might not have been up to the task. Also, don't train a new shooter on a full-powered (9mm, .40, .45, I don't care which) compact - or any compact for that matter! The recoil and muzzle blast are a bit much! Start on a .22 or at least a full-size pistol. Leave the compact for later in the day or even next week.
• Last, and probably most important - lose the asshole macho attitude. You don't know everything, and it won't hurt you to admit it. If you have the attitude so bad that I can smell it rolling off you before I've even introduced myself or heard you talk, you have zero business training someone. Go home, jerk it to UFC and leave the world alone.

We need to introduce new shooters, and we need to bring inactive shooters back, but we need to do it the right way! Being like this moron I saw today is a great way to turn new shooters off. That girl is going to go tell all her friends that she went and it was "OK", but the gun was loud and kicked real hard and she couldn't hit fuckall, so it wasn't all that fun.

Meanwhile, at my side of the table, my "student" was handling a P220, 1911 and revolver safely and accurately enough to take the X out at 7 yards by the end of the day.

 

[Outbreak]

Nice article! You brought up some great points.

Now, of course that I've put the first slice of bread on the poop sandwich, I'm going to disagree with a few points.

First, you don't need to be an expert to take a new shooter to the range. As long as you know how to safely handle a gun, you are qualified to take a newbie shooting. If I had waited until I was a good shot (which arguably, I'm still not) I would have turned down at least half a dozen new shooters who asked to go to the range with me. I've taken my sister, mother, friends, girlfriends, and co-workers to the range for their first time. And the first time I took my sister to the range, we had a good 30min of discussion about safety and how the gun operates before we got in the car to go to the range. I also re-introduced my father, who was an Expert Marksman in the Marine Corps, and probably fired less than 200rds in the 30 years between his last qual and the time I took him to the range. I am at the point now where I can critique stance, grip, etc, but there are at least 5 gun owners in the country that likely wouldn't be if I hadn't taken them out when I knew nothing more than the basics.

Second, the right gun is a luxury, not a requirement. I took a girlfriend to the range when the only pistol I owned was a compact polymer 9mm. I started her out on my .22LR Savage rifle, then we moved up to the SKS and my lone pistol from there. End of the day, she liked shooting, even though she had preferences about which of my guns she liked. But hey, a new shooter = good, right?

By the time my folks came to visit, I had a better collection which included a .22 pistol. I started Mom out on that, since I don't think she had shot before. Dad started with that, too, because that was the gun that was out. I moved both up to the P6, and Dad got to shoot the P226 .40. Mom had had enough with the 9mm, so she passed on the .40. Dad had a perfect cup-n-saucer technique, but I didn't correct it. Wouldn't have accomplished anything since my folks don't own guns, and he was making a nice group and having a good time.

Then we went to rifles. Again, we started on the .22 rifle, then shot the AR-15, which Mom enjoyed, but stated was her limit. Dad shot the Garand and did quite well since he got his Expert badge on the M-14. Old man didn't lose much in 30 years. Again, they had a great time, and I didn't blow it by teaching or correcting. I only critiqued safety and let the "new" shooters enjoy themselves.

For a first range trip, I believe it's all about safety, confidence, and fun. I make sure the safety rules are understood, the target is close (7-10yd) and the newbie never has to wait for another loaded magazine. THAT is what will make them come to the range a second time.

Other than that, (which seems like a lot, I know) I like your technique. I'm going to take some of your ideas for my next new shooter outing. Last newbies I took out was a couple months ago, and you made some points that I didn't use on the last trip, but I will in the future.

Again, thanks for the write-up.

 

[Mikewood]

Yep, good read...
Start slow, explain each step and what the gun will do.
demonstrate each step.
Let the student dry fire many times.
Focus on a few things each range trip. "this trip sight alignment, trigger. Second trip build and add platform. 3rd trip add something else.

 

[M. Sage]

Nice article! You brought up some great points.

Now, of course that I've put the first slice of bread on the poop sandwich, I'm going to disagree with a few points.

First, you don't need to be an expert to take a new shooter to the range. As long as you know how to safely handle a gun, you are qualified to take a newbie shooting. If I had waited until I was a good shot (which arguably, I'm still not) I would have turned down at least half a dozen new shooters who asked to go to the range with me. I've taken my sister, mother, friends, girlfriends, and co-workers to the range for their first time. And the first time I took my sister to the range, we had a good 30min of discussion about safety and how the gun operates before we got in the car to go to the range. I also re-introduced my father, who was an Expert Marksman in the Marine Corps, and probably fired less than 200rds in the 30 years between his last qual and the time I took him to the range. I am at the point now where I can critique stance, grip, etc, but there are at least 5 gun owners in the country that likely wouldn't be if I hadn't taken them out when I knew nothing more than the basics.

Second, the right gun is a luxury, not a requirement. I took a girlfriend to the range when the only pistol I owned was a compact polymer 9mm. I started her out on my .22LR Savage rifle, then we moved up to the SKS and my lone pistol from there. End of the day, she liked shooting, even though she had preferences about which of my guns she liked. But hey, a new shooter = good, right?

By the time my folks came to visit, I had a better collection which included a .22 pistol. I started Mom out on that, since I don't think she had shot before. Dad started with that, too, because that was the gun that was out. I moved both up to the P6, and Dad got to shoot the P226 .40. Mom had had enough with the 9mm, so she passed on the .40. Dad had a perfect cup-n-saucer technique, but I didn't correct it. Wouldn't have accomplished anything since my folks don't own guns, and he was making a nice group and having a good time.

Then we went to rifles. Again, we started on the .22 rifle, then shot the AR-15, which Mom enjoyed, but stated was her limit. Dad shot the Garand and did quite well since he got his Expert badge on the M-14. Old man didn't lose much in 30 years. Again, they had a great time, and I didn't blow it by teaching or correcting. I only critiqued safety and let the "new" shooters enjoy themselves.

For a first range trip, I believe it's all about safety, confidence, and fun. I make sure the safety rules are understood, the target is close (7-10yd) and the newbie never has to wait for another loaded magazine. THAT is what will make them come to the range a second time.

Other than that, (which seems like a lot, I know) I like your technique. I'm going to take some of your ideas for my next new shooter outing. Last newbies I took out was a couple months ago, and you made some points that I didn't use on the last trip, but I will in the future.

Again, thanks for the write-up.

Ok, I agree with some of your points, provided that the person doesn't show serious interest. If they're hoping to progress into self-defense or competition, then proficiency and teaching proper technique should absolutely be requirements.

I'm not going to say you've got to be an amazingly good shooter. I'm not. I'm alright, but I'm not going to show up at IDPA and whoop ass, nor can I shoot High Power for shit (I actually disliked it when I tried it). I'm human - I flinch or yank a trigger now and then, there are holes in my knowledge and techniques that I know of but haven't been able to correct yet. But what I am is proficient enough in the basics to give someone a good foundation to build on if they're interested in moving further after a range day with me.

Did I need to teach my "student" that she should be inserting magazines with index finger straight and the pistol held with the mag well held at eye level? No. But she didn't mind doing it, and if she someday intends on going farther, possibly into competition, she's learned a good habit from day one. Beyond making it more comfortable and helping tame recoil, teaching with a proper stance and grip does the same thing - start with good habits, avoid teaching bad ones.

There's a method to my madness, and this woman just started buying guns for herself, so it seems like it's more than a passing interest.

I guess I should have pointed out too that this wasn't just "take me to go blast some of your ammo into the berm", the request specifically was to for a chance to learn something. And my offer to people who haven't shot isn't to take them out to shoot, it's to teach them how to shoot. Little do they know, my intent is to have them learn something deeper than the satisfaction of hearing a gun go bang, though they'll get their fill of that, too.

 

[kyletxria1911a1]

Ok, I agree with some of your points, provided that the person doesn't show serious interest. If they're hoping to progress into self-defense or competition, then proficiency and teaching proper technique should absolutely be requirements.

I'm not going to say you've got to be an amazingly good shooter. I'm not. I'm alright, but I'm not going to show up at IDPA and whoop ass, nor can I shoot High Power for shit (I actually disliked it when I tried it). I'm human - I flinch or yank a trigger now and then, there are holes in my knowledge and techniques that I know of but haven't been able to correct yet. But what I am is proficient enough in the basics to give someone a good foundation to build on if they're interested in moving further after a range day with me.

Did I need to teach my "student" that she should be inserting magazines with index finger straight and the pistol held with the mag well held at eye level? No. But she didn't mind doing it, and if she someday intends on going farther, possibly into competition, she's learned a good habit from day one. Beyond making it more comfortable and helping tame recoil, teaching with a proper stance and grip does the same thing - start with good habits, avoid teaching bad ones.

There's a method to my madness, and this woman just started buying guns for herself, so it seems like it's more than a passing interest.

I guess I should have pointed out too that this wasn't just "take me to go blast some of your ammo into the berm", the request specifically was to for a chance to learn something. And my offer to people who haven't shot isn't to take them out to shoot, it's to teach them how to shoot. Little do they know, my intent is to have them learn something deeper than the satisfaction of hearing a gun go bang, though they'll get their fill of that, too.

WHEN YOU GET THE NEW 1911 will you teach me plzzzzzzzzzzzzzz and if i hit the berm i will just take it home untill i do better

 

[Outbreak]

M.Sage,
That makes sense. Most people I take out just wanna go blast. If someone asked to be taught (I've had one or two of those, too) I'm capable and happy to do it, but those two who asked for advice were not first-timers. One is qualified on the M9, but didn't know that those mechanics translate to many other weapons. The other is my best friend's girlfriend. He's a good teacher, but not to her. They got lessons like you conducted.

The rest wanna blast, and I let'em!

 

[M. Sage]

LOL, yeah. Don't try teaching your wife or girlfriend to shoot. And never at the same time.