Shooting

[caudio51]

So I'm a complete noob when it comes to shooting. I have shot guns before through scouting and going to ranges but want to make the step to own my own gun.

Give me some guidance. Any good clubs, organizations, books, classes/courses?

 

[smokinghole]

I started at age 12 with a hunter safety course so I could get a hunting license. Then I joined the military and got to play with real guns like Barret .50s and M4s. I eventually bought my first hand gun which was a Glock 23. While in the military I attended a tactical breaching course that taught small group tactics and room clearing techniques. Not to mention how to blow someone's door down whilst making them shit their pants!

I would just start out with a basic firearms safety course and work up from there. There has got to be some classes in the area for beginner gun owners. Plus our very on BOTL Mitch can probably steer you in the right direction.

 

[Mitch]

Big question is are you looking to get a hand gun or long gun and what is availible in your area. My strong recomendation if your looking for a handgun is to see if you can get in volved with an IPSC Club in your area.

http://www.uspsa.org/

Tell them you don't know much, haven't picked your first gun yet and watch them salavate going out of their way to get you started out in the right direction. Let then take you under their wings, I'm sure you will not be sorry. This is a group pasionate about shooting well and wanting to pass on their knoledge for free. Don't be suprised if you find people willing to let you borrow a spare pistol of theirs to get started. This is the best all around start I can recomend. Only draw back is that because of the way the matches are set up they don't teach the best use of cover and concealment, but the pistol craft is cutting edge. Check UTube.com for "IPSC" and you'll get some examples of the kind of matches they run. Everyone is broken into divisions, with standard productions guns being the one where most people start out.

If you can't find them in your area, find out what is, but in short try to shoot as many guns as you can before you buy one and the only way to buy accuracy is by getting trained, and spending time at practice.

 

[derfatdutchman]

A firearms safety course is always a good idea, many ranges hold them through out the year. I'd also advise not to go nuts and buy a big caliber gun in either a long rifle or a pistol to start with. Start with somthing that has mild recoil so that you can learn to shoot accurately. This way you are less likely to pick up bad habits like flinching, pulling, etc. Another plus is smaller calibers are usally cheaper to shoot which means more trigger time!

 

[Jwrussell]

Yeah, I gots a recommendation for you. MOVE!

In all seriousness, your gun-owning life is much more difficult living in Jersey. I'll second Mitch's suggestion, though I'm more partial to IDPA (International Defensive Pistol Association) as it's more based on realism than most of the other shooting sports. Depends on what you are looking for. IPSC has the benefit of involving more than just Pistols.

As he also mentioned, make sure you handle and shoot as many options as possible before making a decision.

Best of luck!

 

[Wagz]

Definitely do your research before you buy a gun, and like others have said, you should probably start with a small caliber handgun or rifle. Take a safety course and study up on both the gun you are going to purchase and the _laws_ in your state... if NJ is anything like California when it comes to excessive gun regulations, get yourself some knowledge. And have fun!

 

[caudio51]

Thanks for the info guys

 

[tazbigdog]

Hi Tom,

Having grown up in NJ and had firearms, best to check out local gun shops. Ray's on 22 in Plainfield has some courses time to time. Unless you want to travel, I would suggest joining a gun club. Outside Jersey, NRA, H&K, Gunsite, etc. are good.

Good luck,

Jeff

 

[caudio51]

Did you hear Ray's is actually closing

 

[tazbigdog]

No, hadn't heard that, but then again, it's been a couple of years since I was there.