Quick Tip: Taking First-Time Shooters to the Range

Brownells Gun Techs Caleb Savant and Steve Ostrem talk about a few DO's and DON'Ts of taking a first-time shooter to the range to introduce him or her to the shooting sports. Caleb kicks it off with a story of what NOT to do - pair a young, new shooter with way too much gun. You want to ease that new shooter into the sport GENTLY. When somebody isn't accustomed to recoil and the sheer noise of a muzzle blast, even a .243 or a .30-30 can feel like a lot of rifle. The best gun for anybody squeezing the trigger for the first time, especially kids, is probably the venerable .22. A .22 is fun to shoot, not too loud, and a great tool for learning the fundamentals of marksmanship - sight alignment, trigger control, follow-through, etc. Once they've gotten comfortable with the .22, you can EASE them into something with a little more oomph, a .243 or a 7mm-08 or even a 6.5 Creedmoor. What about handguns? Leave that Desert Eagle at home! Find a gun that fits the new shooter's hand. With the present limited availability of new guns (early 2021), new shooters don't have a lot of choice. But it's important that first gun is the right fit so they don't have a bad shooting experience that scares them away from the sport. The ergonomics and simplicity of modern polymer pistols, like a Glock® or a Smith & Wesson M&P®, make them excellent choices for many new shooters. But even with a handgun, it's still best to start 'em off with a .22.