How did you learn to shoot?

[Gunslingergirl]

Although I've grown up around hunters and hunting most of my life, I was never really interested in hunting or shooting until recently. I'm still not sure if hunting is for me, but I really want to learn to shoot.

I'm wondering how people here learned to shoot. I've heard you shouldn't have a friend or family member teach you and that it is best to hire an instructor. I've also heard that women learn better from other women.

I do have a friend who has been hunting and shooting for years who has offered to teach me to shoot. I'm comfortable with him, and I think he would be a good teacher.

I'd love to hear how everyone else learned and would also appreciate any tips you can give me.

Thanks,

GSG

[BILLY D.]

Simple. My Grandfather. Patient to a point and a stickler on safety.

Get a copy of the 10 rules of gun safety and follow it to the letter. I'm on the old a crusty side and I read it quite frequently.

It never hurts to review important info like that.

As far as shooting per se, breath control, proper sight alignment and trigger squeeze. Firearm familiarity is important to. Know your firearm, eat, sleep and dine with it. It's your best friend, know it well. Unless you are extremely gifted don't try shootimg a bunch of firearms. Shoot just one and practice to do it very well. Shoot from different field positions. You are not always going to be able to shoot prone. Practice offhand, sitting and kneeling. I'm a bit of an oddball, I like kneeling.

Find what you like best and as Paul Horning says, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.

Ok folks now jump in here and CMA.

[Dan Morris]

My dad kinda taught me on a 22....early life I was kinda self tought. A Highway Patrolman took the kid under wing at about 16
and got him into combat pistol n target shooting. Shotgun n rifle
hunting just came along. I've taught my two kids all of the above.
Get with some you are comfortable with and get started. Fine tuning will naturally happen.......just takes practice.
Dan

[fabsroman]

I learned from my dad. We started in the backyard with a pellet gun. He held the gun, but let me aim and pull the trigger. For the most part, he was in control of the gun, but I got to do the fine tuning of it. Same thing happened with the shotgun a couple of year later.

The frustrating part came when I was allowed to use the .410 shotgun on my own. He really didn't teach me about lead or any of that stuff. He just told me I had to shoot in front of the bird, so I tried. I finally killed my first dove after a couple of years of frustration and that was only because it was coming into a wire to land. By the time I graduated to the 12 gauge, I had a pretty good idea about wing shooting, but I have gotten better over the years by reading a lot about it and practicing a lot on clays.

Rifle shooting I did on my own. My dad isn't into shooting rifles and doesn't like to deer hunt either. So, I taught myself. Same goes for reloading. I learned the basics from my dad, but all he ever did was load the same type of shell for trap shooting. He had no idea about powder charges and using different components.

Learned the basics about hunting from my dad, but learned the rest from reading.

Women make better learners when it comes to shooting because they are willing to listen. Most men think they know everything about shooting, me included.

Good luck, be patient, and have a good time. However, remember that nothing good comes easy.

[Gunslingergirl]

Thanks for the replies and the advice.

Much as I would like to think I will be a natural, I know there will be a lot of practice involved.

I also know I should start working on my upper body strength. Those guns are heavy!:)

It sounds like most everyone here learned from family or friends. I'm thinking that's the best way to do it for me, because I'll be more comfortable with someone I know.

GSG

[GoodOlBoy]

Not all guns are heavy. You can start with a nice H&R single shot rifle or shotgun, or even a TC single shot rifle and they are MUCH lighter than conventional bolt action guns. I like single shots and lever actions myself.

Anyway I learned to shoot from my grandfather who was a marine corp DI. He can still light a match on a fence post with a 22. . . . something I only managed twice in ALOT of trying.

GoodOlBoy (Wheres all the gals at lately? None of them replied.)

[Gunslingergirl]

GOB,

Thanks for the advice. I will probably be guided in my gun choice by the man who is going to teach me. I agree, at least to start out with, that a lighter gun might be best.

GSG

[GoodOlBoy]

By all means. If you have a competent teacher who is more familiar with a specific type brand whathaveyou then yes purchase whatever they can most effectively teach you with. Keep in mind you can also get VERY light in some of the new all synthetic stock ultralight rifles with carbon fiber barrels, etc etc.

GoodOlBoy

[skeet]

I learned a little from my father..but the person who really taught me to shoot was a farmer friend who I worked for as a kid. He was a good shooter and a fairly good teacher...but his father was better at both. Today many years later I teach shotgun shooting...mostly to women. Teaching two women now..mother and daughter and they are coming along really well. Women are so much easier to teach than men!! I have also taken a shooting course or two..mainly to see the teachers techniques. My serious suggeation to you is get the basics from a friend or family member...especially the safety aspects as Billy D said...then go to an instructor. You may have to pay a bit but the things you learn will be invaluable. BTW most instructors get paid from 25 to 50 bucks an hour...not cheap but worth every penny:cool:

[Gunslingergirl]

Skeet,

I'm thinking that is what I will probably do.

I want to start out in a low pressure situation learning from someone I know and with whom I feel comfortable. Once I get some practice under my belt though, I will most likely hook up with a professional who can "fine tune" my skills.

Thanks for the advice.

GSG

[fabsroman]

Okay, light guns have their pluses and minuses. They are great for carrying in the field. However, while hunting you only take a couple of shots.

Light guns are terrible for target shooting because they do not help with recoil. A heavy gun tends to absorb recoil because the recoil energy has to be used to move the gun before it can move the shooter's shoulder.

If I were teaching you, you would either start with a .22 rifle or a .410 shotgun, two of the smallest guns around. Then, you could use a light gun and not have to worry about much. The .410 I used as a kid was a single shot, so there wasn't much mechanics to the shooting of it. Open barrel, put shell in barrel, close barrel, pull back hammer, and pull trigger. My dad still has that gun and he is looking forward to teaching my kids with it. Problem is that I will probably be doing the teaching.

Start small and work your way up through the calibers. The .410 and .22 have very little recoil, and there are other rifles (e.g., .17's and .22 centerfires) that have very little recoil with slightly more power. The same goes for shotguns. Once you use the .410, move up to the 28 gauge, then the 20 gauge, and finally the 12 gauge.

Good luck and I truly hope you enjoy it. It is always nice to hear about somebody taking up the shooting hobby, even if it doesn't involve hunting.

[Gunslingergirl]

Fabsroman,

Good advice, and thanks. I have to confess I'm a bit worried about the recoil. I've heard horror stories (hasn't everybody) about someone who shot a gun and got knocked on their behind. I don't think I would enjoy that. :)

I do trust the man who is going to teach me, so I'm sure he'll make certain I start out shooting with a gun that feels comfortable.

GSG

[rubicon]

Take a hunters safety course. I think most states sponser them, or at least here in the east they do. In Maryland and WV you are required to have the course before you can buy a hunting license. Although I am old enough that it isnt required for my license I just spent three evenings and $5.00 for the book and took the course with a friends son who I am going to take hunting. The course and his grades in school were the two stipulations he had to meet before he could go with me. Anyway, in the course they covered everything from long bows, modern bows, flintlocks, modern muzzleloaders, rifles, shotguns, and handguns. treestand safety, and more. All given in a friendly atmosphere with many new hunters and kids. At the end of the course everybody carried a firearm (not loaded) through a course with many hypothetical situations and then went to the range to shoot shotguns and 22 rifles. this is just a start but really gives you the basics.

[BILLY D.]

Originally posted by Gunslingergirl
Fabsroman,

Good advice, and thanks. I have to confess I'm a bit worried about the recoil. I've heard horror stories (hasn't everybody) about someone who shot a gun and got knocked on their behind. I don't think I would enjoy that. :)

I do trust the man who is going to teach me, so I'm sure he'll make certain I start out shooting with a gun that feels comfortable.

GSG

About recoil. All guns recoil, it's a matter of physics. If you get a chance start small and work your way up the calibers. Don't start with the ultra mags and develop a sensitivity you won't be able to overcome.

Always be aware of recoil and it becomes a matter of how much you can stand to enjoy. This isn't the time to exert macho into the picture. Guys love beating the crap out of themselves. Especially prevalent among pistol shooters who have to own the biggest hand cannon on the planet. A few years later they develop arthritis and can no longer shoot anything without pain.

There are recoil pads that you can wear that offer some protection. They help with recoil. Think of recoil like a boxer thinks. How long can you absorb that constant pounding before you start to suffer from the medical effects?

For your edification there are also recoil reducers you can have a smith install in your firearm, and also good stock pads. The main thing, find something you like and are comfortable with.

Personally I don't care if Joe Schmuck did shoot a whitetail with a 700 Nitro Express. I'm not impressed.

Now what impresses me is when Petunia Fudrucker shoots a whitetail at 90 yards with a 7mm08 in a blinding snow storm and it is a bang flop. Especially afer she stalked it for a ways.

shooting a 105 Howitzer shouldered Doesn't make you a man or a hunter. It just shows your lack of hunting skills and lack of common sense.

[Tater]

My Grandfather bought me a Savage/Stevens .22 for my 7th birthday and took me out to shoot it the following weekend. After a couple hundred rounds he figured I was ready so he stuck a Springfield 1903-A3 in my hands. Even while I was dusting myself off, I was hooked and we went out as often as we could. Now, I'm taking my boys out and teaching them. My Grandpa was like Billy's: patient and a stickler on safety. He dealt with safety issues harshly but they stuck so now it's just 2nd nature. Those are also some of my fondest memories.

[Gunslingergirl]

Billy,

Thanks for the explanation of recoil and how to reduce it. I do want to be comfortable with whatever fun I use, and I don't want to be black and blue. I trust the man who will be my teacher, and I'm getting a lot of good advice here, so I'm sure I'll make the right choice.

Tater,

I'm also a stickler about safety, so I will learn all I can about the best way to be safe. I'm glad that you are now passing the lessons your grandfather taught you on to your boys.

GSG

[Lilred]

My Pop taught me how to shoot. The fellas got it pegged just bout..start out with a 22 rifle and/or a 410.
Bein lil has it's aggravations but once you get used to shootin...you can graduate to a bigger/heavier gun. I was kinda thrown into a 12ga. but once you learn how to handle em..aint nuthin.
The first and foremost advice I'll give on recoil: dont be afraid of it. If yer afraid of the recoil and/or afraid of the gun...yer doomed. Respect it...but dont be afraid of it. As my Pop used to tell me..."unless you got the gun turned around and yer pointin it at yerself, it caint hurt you."
That helped me alot as a 6yr old and on up till i was a teenager shootin a 12ga. I had the confidence to pay more attention to the target than i did the pain on my shoulder. Once yer concentrated on that..you dont notice the kick. (unless yer shootin a 10 ga er somethin)
Start out plinkin with a 22...you would enjoy that.

[Gunslingergirl]

Starting out with a .22 is the advice I get a lot. I'm also working really hard not to anticipate the gun having a kick. I know if I start thinking that way I'll be tentative when the time comes to actually shoot and I don't want to do that.

I guess, at this point, I'm really working not to have any expectations at all. I just want to go into it ready to learn and gain a new skill. I figure that's the best way to be relaxed about it.

GSG

[Dan Morris]

Kid, don't psyc yourself out on recoil...my 120lb daughter shoots a 270 and a 3006 well, both have original steel buttplates. It just takes a lot of practice.
Dan

[Gunslingergirl]

That seems to be a theme, that learning to shoot well will take a lot of practice.

Guess the best things always do. :)

GSG

[fortune]

There are many facets to shooting that don’t necessarily need you to kill something. Some people get a lot of pleasure from competitive shooting whether it is clays or target rifle shooting on a range. Others find their pleasure in being out with a dog and the company of other hunters and feeling the sun and the wind. I’m sure that a lot of people who may read this will know exactly what I mean. I love the chill of the autumn wind and the sun going down ant the end of the day. Some enjoy the club members set.
Well you’ve given us a bit of a jigsaw, but a few of the pieces are missing.
We know that you have a desire to shoot but you haven’t said WHY and WHAT you want to shoot. Rifle or shotgun? And you haven’t said what sort of STATURE you are. You’ve had a lot of good advice from those who have posted here already. Some I agree with and some I don’t. I speak with having four daughters that I have taught to shoot.
I just picked up a gun and started shooting targets. It may take a bit of time to build the right muscles and the hand eye coordination but if you stick at it, it will click into place.
I don’t think it makes any sense that a Woman should get on better with a woman teaching her any more than a man. If the teacher is any good and the pupil has some ability and the will to achieve, then it will be ok.

If you want to shoot a rifle, a 22 rimfire is a good start. Small bang >> no recoil.
Once you’ve got the hang of it you can then go up in size and power.
Now if you want to shoot a shotgun, that’s a different ball game. I disagree with the 410 advocates because although it is a small gun it’s more difficult for a beginner to hit a moving target with because it doesn’t throw as good a pattern of shot as the larger gauges. All of my daughters have been in their teens and have started with a light 20 gauge with 7/8 oz of shot. Life is full of compromises and shooting is no different. Ask your friend whom you trust if you can have a set up WELL AWAY from others. Firstly because you will end up with an audience of MEN who will all give you differing advice. Second, when you miss (and you will, >> loads of times) you may feel a bit silly and just want to put it down and get away.
I could write tons on this for you but I feel that I’m being a MAN advising you. Like you will get at any gathering of shooters. (I’ve seen it happen)
Hold the gun tight into your shoulder and take control of it. You’re the BOSS.
:cool:

[Gunslingergirl]

As far as why and what I want to shoot, the why is primarily because it is something I have never tried and it looks like it could be challenging and fun. The what would be primarily targets at first then eventually clays, again mostly to see if I could do it and because it looks challenging and like it would be fun.

As to stature, I am 5 ft 6 inches tall and carrying a bit more weight than I would like to be at the moment. I am working on getting more fit, and am also working at developing my upper body strength, which I imagine would be important for shooting.

As to rifle or shotgun, I'm not really sure. I thought I would be guided by my friend who will teach me. He knows I want to shoot target and clays and, as he has done, both, I expect he will have good recommendations for me.

I also understand that I will miss, probably a lot more than I hit at first. I've accepted that. What I have going for me is the fact that I don't give up easily. :)

[fortune]

I am sure that you will be ok with it all because you have got the want for it.
Weight is not a bad thing because it just isn't.
I will not advise you more because that's down to the person who is teaching you.
When you bust that first clay you will feel the buzz.
Good luck

[Gunslingergirl]

Thanks.

As to the weight, it is coming off slowly and that's what I want. I only mentioned it because I know I'm not in as good a shape as I want to be. I imagine stronger muscles would help me shoot better.

Guess I need to get away from my desk more often.
:D

GSG

[Hunting_Gal]

I asked questions on what gun to get from a friend, then i bought my 243, took it out taught myself then taught my son :)

[GOLD-PAN]

I learned from my grand-mother who learned from her brother who was a WW2 sniper and since then Uncle Sam has tought me the same princibles of my great uncle... Irontic aint it.....

[Wolfwoman]

I learned when I was 19 and in the Military, so I guess I'm not much help to you ... lol

[YukonGirl]

I was about 10 (or maybe 12) when a friend in my neighborhood let me try out his air rifle and air pistol. I loved it-- but the pistol took more strength to pull the trigger than I could manage. Then another friend who had a BB gun let me take shots at the Evil Knievel doll he had swinging from a string his basement. (Of course, when his mom saw the damage in her wall from all the BBs it ended that little game.) Years later, another friend often took me with him to the firing range and since he was a gun collector, I got to shoot all kinds of fun stuff. And being the only woman at the range meant guys practically lined up to let me shoot their guns-- LOL.

I'm not sure I answered the question. Nobody ever really taught me how to shoot-- it was just a matter of figuring it out by trying and getting tips along the way from those kind enough to share them. I also spent a lot of time poring over my Red Ryder BB Gun catalog, dreaming of the day I'd own my very own BB lever action rifle. I never did buy it, but looking at my gun cabinet now, I've got nothing to complain about. :)

Oh, and, I'm still learning how to shoot... (Just ask all the grouse that got away last season.)

[GOLD-PAN]

Yukongirl sound's like your doing pretty good to me....go get them bird's this fall...

[YukonGirl]

I'm going with practice makes perfect. Then I have an excuse to keep trying...

[VaRedneck]

I wasn't allowed a firearm of any kind as a child. Uncle Sam taught me how to shoot...not that I hadn't already figured it out with games and all...The US did teach me how to shoot better, though.

An M-16 or AR-15...is the way to go for learning, imo. Easy to maintain a sight picture....nose against the charging handle...and regarding recoil?....when you can place the butt of an automatic weapon against your privates and launch a few down range while still remaining virile....or go ahead and put it on the end of your nose and squeeze off a few. Any "fear of recoil" is gone...nada...zilch.