Got my first gun!

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Congratulations!

Indoor and outdoor ranges have good and bad points. Outdoor ranges are generally longer, though there are a few 100+ YD indoor facilities around.

The biggest advantage to indoor ranges is lack of wind when sighting in optics- and of course climate control. The greatest disadvantage is greater exposure to lead and smoke, especially if the range is poorly ventilated.

My advice is to assemble a "range bag," to carry with you for such things as ammo, targets, and ear and eye protection. Many ranges will sell or rent you these things, but it is MUCH cheaper to bring your own. A bag with a shoulder strap will free up a hand for carrying guns and opening doors.

I also pack a hi-density foam block for use as a rest, a piece of carpet to set my guns on, a staple gun, a Sharpie, lense cleaning wipes, and a basic gunsmithing toolkit for adjusting sights and clearing jams, etc.

Good luck and have fun!
 
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My advice would be to read as much as you can about shooting accurately. First you must learn to squeeze the trigger rather than jerk it. Next, your breathing also greatly influences where the shot will end up. When you are ready and aiming take a breath, then let about half out and hold it. In the next few seconds you should squeeze the trigger if your sight alignment is good. Practice aligning the sights without shooting. When you are ready, go for it. These are some basics which should get you on track. Have fun.
 
I got my first gun over the weekend. And decided on the 1022 Take-down model. And want to go to the range sometime. And wondering what is a good type of range outdoor vs indoor ranges? And what are good tips for a beginner for range plinking?

Good choice for a fun gun. I find the biggest advantage to an indoor range is not having to stop periodically for others to check/change out their target. Indoor or outdoor, I usually have my spotting scope along to quickly check my groups. As Badkarma said, consistent group shooting is important. Once you have consistent groups you can confidently move, via sight adjustment or point of aim adjustment, that shot group to where it's supposed to be on the target. Have fun!
 
pricelessppp

I got my first gun over the weekend. And decided on the 1022 Take-down model.

Great choice! My first rifle was a Ruger 10/22 and I tried just about every brand of ammunition that I could find. Found I got great accuracy with CCI MiniMags and pretty much settled on that til I got something it liked even better: Wolf Match Target! I also figured out that this rifle was much more accurate than I could shoot it with the iron sights so one of the next things I did was get a nice scope for it.

Started out shooting at an outdoor range and really liked it. Besides using paper targets there's lots of fun plinking at cans and plastic bottles (just remember to clean up after you're done shooting). I save shooting at indoor ranges for those rainy days and cold winter months!

Enjoy your new rifle and let us know how things go with it at the range!

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I hope you enjoy shooting very much. Generally speaking, the best kind of range is the one available to you. Outdoor ranges are not as loud and the air is probably healthier to breathe. Indoor ranges have retractable target holders so you don't have to walk the range or wait for others, and indoor ranges are the only thing practical within a large urban area. By exceedingly far, the best place to shoot is simply some open space where it's lawful. There is a lot of public land, especially in the western US where you can just find a place on your own with a good backstop and shoot. This can include National Forest, BLM, State and County lands. You'll want to make sure it's lawful and that you're sufficient distance from dwellings and roadways and that you follow safe practices, but you'll find it's far more enjoyable than any shooting range. You can shoot all kinds of targets like soda cans, water jugs, steel, ice blocks, potatoes, pumpkins, watermelons, and on and on (there's whole threads on fun target ideas). Do be sure to clean up your mess and take all your trash before leaving. In a place like this, you'll also avoid having a bunch of strangers of questionable skill and judgment shooting guns in close proximity to you. I only ever go to a range to rent guns (to try them if I'm considering buying) and for training (classes).

That's the other thing I want to recommend. Get training. A good idea for starting would be an Appleseed class. I don't see how you could possibly regret doing one of those. Beyond that, "tactical" style carbine classes are pretty popular and being offered in most places nowadays. You should also consider learning handgun skills. If you're not 21, you'll have to acquire a handgun through a legal private sale since FFL's are prohibited from selling to those under 21, but you are not prohibited from buying. A handgun also chambered in .22LR is a good place to start.
 
Congratulations.
Read a little on how to properly shoulder and align the sights.
Practice getting the sights on target while remaining stable.
This will help you start out ahead of the load and shoot crowd.
 
Congratulations!

Indoor and outdoor ranges have good and bad points. Outdoor ranges are generally longer, though there are a few 100+ YD indoor facilities around.

The biggest advantage to indoor ranges is lack of wind when sighting in optics- and of course climate control. The greatest disadvantage is greater exposure to lead and smoke, especially if the range is poorly ventilated.

My advice is to assemble a "range bag," to carry with you for such things as ammo, targets, and ear and eye protection. Many ranges will sell or rent you these things, but it is MUCH cheaper to bring your own. A bag with a shoulder strap will free up a hand for carrying guns and opening doors.

I also pack a hi-density foam block for use as a rest, a piece of carpet to set my guns on, a staple gun, a Sharpie, lense cleaning wipes, and a basic gunsmithing toolkit for adjusting sights and clearing jams, etc.

Good luck and have fun!
Thanks. We have a few indoor ranges close to where I live. But only outdoor range is 33 minutes away. Also got a basic range bag for my Take-down rifle. To carry basic cleaning supplies & extra mags. And good to know about the pro's & con's of both types of ranges.
 
pricelessppp

Great choice! My first rifle was a Ruger 10/22 and I tried just about every brand of ammunition that I could find. Found I got great accuracy with CCI MiniMags and pretty much settled on that til I got something it liked even better: Wolf Match Target! I also figured out that this rifle was much more accurate than I could shoot it with the iron sights so one of the next things I did was get a nice scope for it.

My Dad had a pre-WWII Mauser .22 that supposedly was used for training in between the wars. It was a single shot bolt action target rifle that was used for training back when Germany couldn't make military weapons. At any rate, it was missing the rear sight so someone had drilled and tapped the receiver for a scope. That was the gun I cut my teeth on shooting. Hauled it to Scout camp and enjoyed shooting it as well as the camp owned .22 bolt actions with the open iron sights. Always liked open iron sights.

Started out shooting at an outdoor range and really liked it. Besides using paper targets there's lots of fun plinking at cans and plastic bottles (just remember to clean up after you're done shooting). I save shooting at indoor ranges for those rainy days and cold winter months!
Enjoy your new rifle and let us know how things go with it at the range!

Plinking is fun and, although against the rules at the gun club, the club range officer would turn a blind eye as long as we policed up our shredded targets. Plastic milk jugs with colored water in them are fun! For best results, topfill them with no air to absorb the energy. Whee!

Safe shooting!
 
I hope you enjoy shooting very much. Generally speaking, the best kind of range is the one available to you. Outdoor ranges are not as loud and the air is probably healthier to breathe. Indoor ranges have retractable target holders so you don't have to walk the range or wait for others, and indoor ranges are the only thing practical within a large urban area. By exceedingly far, the best place to shoot is simply some open space where it's lawful. There is a lot of public land, especially in the western US where you can just find a place on your own with a good backstop and shoot. This can include National Forest, BLM, State and County lands. You'll want to make sure it's lawful and that you're sufficient distance from dwellings and roadways and that you follow safe practices, but you'll find it's far more enjoyable than any shooting range. You can shoot all kinds of targets like soda cans, water jugs, steel, ice blocks, potatoes, pumpkins, watermelons, and on and on (there's whole threads on fun target ideas). Do be sure to clean up your mess and take all your trash before leaving. In a place like this, you'll also avoid having a bunch of strangers of questionable skill and judgment shooting guns in close proximity to you. I only ever go to a range to rent guns (to try them if I'm considering buying) and for training (classes).

That's the other thing I want to recommend. Get training. A good idea for starting would be an Appleseed class. I don't see how you could possibly regret doing one of those. Beyond that, "tactical" style carbine classes are pretty popular and being offered in most places nowadays. You should also consider learning handgun skills. If you're not 21, you'll have to acquire a handgun through a legal private sale since FFL's are prohibited from selling to those under 21, but you are not prohibited from buying. A handgun also chambered in .22LR is a good place to start.
Good information to know. Though I'm not interested in handguns or shooting classes. But pretty much most ranges have someone their that could help out some.
 
People were not born with an innate knowledge of firearms... despite what some might have you believe!!!. Embrace that you are new to the world of shooting and ask for help / guidance! I don't know about the rest of the world but in my circles helping someone new familiarize themselves with guns, safety, proper handling and good technique is an honor and we will bend over backwards to help you out and share our passion with you!

The people that really bother us are the ones that buy a gun and think they know everything... they are just accidents waiting to happen and nobody want to be around them when they are shooting.

If you are able to go to the range at a slow time and tell the range officer you just bought your first gun, a 10/22 take down and you are eager to learn how to shoot properly and safely I can't imagine you will not receive all the guidance you need. Someone intelligent enough and man enough to ask for guidance might be so rare that they might be shocked at first but in the brotherhood (+sisterhood) of responsible gun owners they will almost feel a duty to help you in any way they can.

Great choice for a first firearm! It will serve you well and be not only an excellent tool for learning but a firearm you will be able to cherish for the rest of your life. I have been shooting for quite a while and I still thoroughly enjoy shooting my 10/22.

Where are you located?
 
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My advice would be to read as much as you can about shooting accurately. First you must learn to squeeze the trigger rather than jerk it. Next, your breathing also greatly influences where the shot will end up. When you are ready and aiming take a breath, then let about half out and hold it. In the next few seconds you should squeeze the trigger if your sight alignment is good. Practice aligning the sights without shooting. When you are ready, go for it. These are some basics which should get you on track. Have fun.
Good advice thanks.
 
Thanks. We have a few indoor ranges close to where I live. But only outdoor range is 33 minutes away. Also got a basic range bag for my Take-down rifle. To carry basic cleaning supplies & extra mags. And good to know about the pro's & con's of both types of ranges.
I used to put cleaning supplies in my range bag, patches, rods and the like, but have found that guns are best cleaned at home and now leave these items out to make room for tools and more targets and ammo. Ounces count when your lugging around guns and bullets!

Also, gun cleaning and lubing chemicals will leak and make a mess of your range bag....

I do have a microfiber rag in my range bag for wiping off corrosive fingerprints.

I keep my gun cleaning supplies in a tacklebox at the house.
 
I keep my gun cleaning supplies in a tacklebox at the house.

Tacklebox didn't work for me, only ones big enough for the cleaning rods were too big in general. I grabbed an old toolbox for a couple of bucks at the pawnshop and just use emptied pill bottles for the jags, brushes, etc. Labels removed, of course. Incidentally, the plastic they make those pill bottles out of will stand up to oils, solvents, even acetone!
 
Tacklebox didn't work for me, only ones big enough for the cleaning rods were too big in general. I grabbed an old toolbox for a couple of bucks at the pawnshop and just use emptied pill bottles for the jags, brushes, etc. Labels removed, of course. Incidentally, the plastic they make those pill bottles out of will stand up to oils, solvents, even acetone!
It a pretty big tacklebox.:)

Big enough, in fact, that the lower compartment is filled with spare scope mounts, spring kits, extractors, firing pins, grips, and mazgazine parts.....
 
I also figured out that this rifle was much more accurate than I could shoot it with the iron sights so one of the next things I did was get a nice scope for it.
I went to a rifle class a couple of years ago and actually couldn't see the "gold dot". After the 10/22's we shot AR-15's, which had a scope. MUCH better. :)
 
Congratulations on your first firearm! That's very very cool.

I'll add my $.02 to the above pieces of great advice:

In my opinion there are *two* skills you must develop:
1. How to shoot well. (This includes not only trigger control as already mentioned, but sight picture, etc. These are all the things necessary to get the bullet to where you want it to go.)
2. How to *handle* the firearm well.

Both of these require concentration and the development of muscle memory. You said you weren't interested in classes but I would encourage you to find some sort of basic firearm course. There are various habits, especially for #2 above, that IMHO are absolutely essential to being safe always....because it's necessary to think a certain way when handling any firearm whether you're at the range or not. Muscle memory requires practice and concentration. It's easier to establish a new good habit than to have to break a bad one. For example I (like many others) can't pick up a firearm without checking to ensure it's empty.....even if we know with total certainty we were the last one to handle it. It's something that was ingrained in me early on and I can't not do it. The same thing with ensuring the muzzle NEVER EVER gets pointed at someone. I'm just using these as examples that, if you learn from someone what some of those things are and practice them deliberately then, when you get into more complex situations like shooting with friends or something like that an accident is less likely to occur. (And having the first gun be a 10/22 (any semi-auto) makes the above even more important as it's easy to miss or not realize a round is in the chamber as compared to a bolt action.)

Have fun!

OR

D'Oh! I didn't answer your question: I VASTLY prefer outdoor ranges. I find indoor ranges somewhat claustorphobic (I'm not claustorphobic). The concussion of the noise, even with great hearing protection, I find somewhat oppressive. But, as someone else stated, an indoor range you end up going to is better than an outdoor range you don't.
 
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pricelessppp:

First of all, congratulations and enjoy your purchase in good health! :)

I second the recommendation to get some instruction but personally I have not had good luck with classes, one on one is much better. If you go when the range is slow (during the day during the week) a range officer will probably be happy to mentor you. You can also ask questions here, people are very friendly and happy to mentor long-distance. I actually got better information here than even from the one-on-one instruction I took.

Please report back after your first range trip and let us know how it goes! :)
 
pricelesppp....I recommend that you initially leave your rifle in the car and go to the range without your gun in hand. Tell the range personnel that you are new to shooting and what you intend to shoot and they will give you some advice/rules on how to get set up to shoot. For example, some ranges won't let you carry the rifle to the range in the bag or case, may need to be out, assembled and flagged unloaded. The range personnel will instruct you. I would hate for you to get flustered before you ever get to the shooting bay. You will get very familiar with these types of rules after a visit or two so take it slow and understand the 'system'.

Also, remember to wash your hands, preferably with lead removing soap after shooting. Many ranges have this soap on site for your convenience.

Congrats on the 10/22 takedown, a fine rifle that you'll likely have and shoot for a very long time. Enjoy!
 
I got my first gun over the weekend. And decided on the 1022 Take-down model. And want to go to the range sometime. And wondering what is a good type of range outdoor vs indoor ranges? And what are good tips for a beginner for range plinking?

Great first choice! Lots of accessories and help for the 10/22.

Outdoor range, for sure. On second thought, that’s depending on your location, but I prefer an outdoor, unsupervised range over any other type.

Tips? YouTube.

1. General safety - 4 rules of gun safety.
2. Marksmanship: position, aiming, breathing, trigger press
3. Manual of arms for your specific arm. That’s easy. The 10/22 is very popular and I bet there’s many good video tutorials to go over safety, loading, shooting, unloading.
4. Care and cleaning of a 10/22. They’re not tricky, but there are things that help to know about assembly/disassembly.
5. Ammo selection - 1,000s of pages of interweb discussion on various ammo for various purposes.

Where are you located? There are lots of people here that would probably be more than happy to donate 30 to 60 minutes of time to familiarize you with your new rifle and then leave you to it.
 
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