PJR and I have not shared anything via PM or Email that I can recall in regard to teaching new shooters.
I have sensed from his postings and replies - and his latest post seems to indicate we are very similar in attitude and approach.
Applies to some other members here. All that said to set up the fact -
New shooter , one that has never shot a shotgun, and in my case, having chosen to assist with ladies that have been traumatized in some way by a firearm
BB Gun.
IF one has read, or reads Brister's Book, That is how I start out.
My Mentors and Elders did this before Brister had written and his work published.
I'm also a Fuddy-Duddy on preferring to instruct handguns with a Revolver, and for Rifles - a .22 single shot.
Even Seasoned Shooters that have had detached retinas, or surgeries.
Scary, flat scary even a for "big old guy" to shoulder a firearm after having a detached retina repaired, and doctor confirms healed.
Overwhelming.
I mean there is a bunch of stuff one must do to fire a firearm - just the safety portion alone, then we add the correct basic fundamentals on how to shoot "that platform".
Don't buy a gun.
I get fussed at often when I suggest this. Reason being I do not want someone buying a gun:
1. NOT getting the correct basic Safety down pat ,
2. Getting a gun that does NOT fit them, therefore leading to being uncomfortable from:
(a) not being able to reach controls ,
(b) gun hurts due to recoil and as a result gets turned off on shooting , low self esteem or anything.
3. Too much of their "senses" invested in the material firearm and "senses" not being available to learn safety and correct basic fundamentals.
I have seen seasoned shooters, take a O/U someone has gotten, come out to the range and folks want to shoot it. They load 2 , called for a bird...
And Flinch, Jerk, get bumfuzzled and could NOT get the gun to fire.
Automatic Safety.
Yep, seasoned shooters, and they "know" all this gun stuff, they even a own a O/U, may be the same exact gun ...closed the gun, automatic safety kicked on and as I said, jerk, flinch,
Seen them miss once they "Oh yeah, this one has the automatic safety" and having to "add" one more thing to do, messed up concentration.
Heck I've seasoned shooters not be able to shoot a single shot shotgun. Call for bird and the hammer still down.
To ME - part of assisting/ instructing a student is to
Allow the Student to Teach ME.
Example: Too many years ago a lady wanted to shoot My Citori just to get a feel of a O/U. She had been attacked, and beaten up, and we were still taking easy steps to digest all this gun stuff. Started her a Red Ryder BB Gun, one all she did was uses safety and slap trigger, I cocked the gun, I did not want to add anything else - I mean I keep this simple and baby steps- and fun.
I let her shoot a primer only .410 downrange [not going to try to hit anything, just work the gun and slap trigger]. Bottom barrel explained why shell inserted into bottom barrel.
Fine.
Live shell, bottom barrel and shoot downrange.
Explained how recoil reset the trigger for second barrel. She "Instructed ME".
"Okay, let me have live shell for bottom barrel and a primer only for top. That way the gun will fire, I can feel "recoil reset" and pop off the primer for top barrel".
Great Idea! Exactly what I did. I did not have automatic safeties on my guns.
She ended up shooting live .410 shell just downrange. Confidence level very high, she had fun, she had learned, had "instructed me" on how to assist her.
"Your gun stock is too long, and while a nice [Pretty] gun, I cannot shoot it because it does not fit me...".
Great! All this stuff we had worked on up to this point had been built upon, instilled, and part of her human computer. She did not want to try and hit a target, not even a stationary one - she KNEW the gun did not fit her, was not going to shoot where she pointed and did not want her brain seeing a miss and having that in the brain.
She was hitting targets with a gun that fit her, familar with, and comfortable with.
She just wanted to shoot a Pretty Gun with Gold trigger and "cute shells".
Heck a lot of my instructing was done with borrowed guns. Folks I hung with did this. I loaned out used guns, the extra stocks, recoil pads and whatnot for them to assist family, friends or for someone to hunt with.
On some of the "kids" days or "Stuff and Shoot" [Read : Invite family friends , kids and we gonna eat, and shoot for fun].
We had .410 single shot shotguns out the wa-zoo. I mean some brought as many as 10. Buckets of .410 shells. All we shot for fun.
Stick play money or "business cards" in balloons, tin cans...and kids, adults having a ball.
Funny, we got the ladies back on something they had pulled with us.
One card in a tin can suspended on a string said " New Shoes"
"I won a pair of shoes! "
She sure did - we had a bunch of plastic doll shoes [about 1" - 1 1/2" ] this meant they won.
I mean funny- ladies wearing these shoes on a string around necks , talking shoes, wanting to "try on" other ladies shoes...
"Boy we can get a bunch of these shoes in a closet..."
Daughters running around in "Mom's" or "Sister's " shoes....
Oh yeah we guys snuck up and started snagged these doll shoes off from around necks and put them on and ran out to shoot...
Ya know - I always thought shooting in "heels" would be a problem - didn't bother me none.
