New shooters!

[Trent]

So, my son had a get together tonight and I have 6 high school boys staying overnight. We all got to talking earlier about guns (hard not to do), and .. none of them have shot a gun before.

Tomorrow morning, most of them (all but one) are going to the range with me to learn how to shoot. Taking six handguns for the "pistol class", and a couple of long arms they should recognize from their video games. Should be enough to get them all hooked.

I was kind of shocked, living out here in the country, such a high percentage of kids haven't ever shot a gun before.

Be interesting, teaching a "class" - usually my first time range trips are one-on-one affairs. I don't expect to do any shooting myself tomorrow, I'll have my hands full being the designated RO.

I figure to go over it this way;

#1 teach them the golden rules of gun safety, make sure they know them through and through. (Also, since they're still technically 'kids', make sure that they understand if they find a gun somewhere, not to mess with it or handle it, but find an adult.)

#2 teach them how to check if a firearm is loaded, how to safely load and unload a firearm.

#3 go over range rules (long list, not typing them all here)
(also; basic range commands such as 'load and make ready', 'cease fire', and so on)

#4 teach them what to do if they have a malfunction

#5 live fire, controlled exercises (start with unloaded gun, call load and make ready, shooters ready, fire at will, cease fire, clear weapons, range cold & clear, check targets)

#6 live fire, basic points competition (10, 20 shot un-timed competitions at 7 yards and 25 yards on slow fire pistol target, for handguns; 10 shot at 50 and 100 yards on rifles. Maybe do a 200 yard and 300 yard competition if time permits)

#7 teach them how to clean the guns they shot. (Don't think I'm getting stuck doing THAT by myself, we're going to dirty up over a dozen tomorrow!!)

I'll be running a cold range, no handling of firearms period except during controlled fire exercises, no handling of loaded weapons except under direct supervision.

Anything you guys want to add, might not get it by the time I leave tomorrow morning, but I'll add it to the list for next time.

 

[Ignition Override]

They've probably been shooting guns in computer games, and might already rate themselves as experts.

If not, your job might be fairly easy when they realize that their egos must be switched off, and that you are the boss.

 

[Blackstone]

Yeah watch for those 360 no-scopes or dual wielding akimbos.

In all seriousness, they'll soon realise it's nothing like call of duty. Hope you all have a good day and stay safe

 

[dab102999]

Nope sounds like a pretty good plan. Just to add take a good "read" on the kids so you will know the mom that will be calling you on Monday...I found that out the hard way. I live in the country but a lot of my boys friends family's are out of town/country family's that live at a college in our town. I learner to ask if there parents would object to me showing the to shoot. Sometimes even get a parent who comes out to shoot to....but also have got the one who knew nothing about firearms that had the picture in thereheads I was just letting them go wild with guns.

 

[Jspy]

I agree with the previous post, in this day and age don't just assume there will be no problem with taking little " johnny " out and exposing him to the dangers of firearms. I don't think that way of course but the world ( especially over-protective moms ) just isn't what it was back in my younger days. Good luck, I like the idea of introducing younger people to the joy and world of shooting and shooting sports.

 

[OilyPablo]

Parents are informed, right?

You are lucky. I just have girls. None of them are at all interested in guns. I've tried all kinds of ways and trust me I'm good at getting kids interested in stuff. My youngest still doesn't know I "tricked" her into playing electric bass guitar and she is good.

 

[Curator]

Trent,

Great thoughts and intentions, some friendly advise:

1) Make sure each boy's parents are OK with this. It is illegal to allow someone under the age of 18 to handle a firearm no less actually shoot one without their parent's permission. I make them bring a notarized permission slip (they wouldn't forge one would they?)

2) Check out the NRA "basic" Rifle and Pistol handbooks and follow their procedures; Safety rules first, safe gun handling second, fundamentals of shooting third, shooting positions fourth, and shooting from the bench-rest fifth.

3) Become an NRA instructor in these disciplines and learn how to do it right. Beginning shooters who learn the NRA methods can become more proficient with practice. Beginning shooters won't have to "un-learn" what Bubba taught them in order to become successful. Following the NRA basic course outlines is proven to be the fastest way to become proficient with a firearm. To find an instructor course near you:
http://www.nrainstructors.org/searchcourse.aspx

 

[Trent]

What a group of indoor pansies... Spent all that time getting things ready for the range last night, and the boys, this morning, just want to sit around in the living room and play video games instead of going shooting.

Oh well, at least I'm all packed up for a range trip!

Maybe next time.

(I think my oldest boy does this sort of thing just to yank my chain, BTW.)

 

[Series 70]

I suggest having only two or three shoot at one time. Six, plus your own, are too many new shooters for one SO to watch properly.

 

[buck460XVR]

What a group of indoor pansies... Spent all that time getting things ready for the range last night, and the boys, this morning, just want to sit around in the living room and play video games instead of going shooting.

Oh well, at least I'm all packed up for a range trip!

Maybe next time.

(I think my oldest boy does this sort of thing just to yank my chain, BTW.)

Teenage boys have different priorities and agendas than grown men. You tried, and odds are they will take you up on your offer someday if the invitation is left open. I agree with Series-70 tho, more than one or two newbies, especially anxious impatient teenagers is hard for one person to instruct outside a classroom situation. One or two at a time gives more "hands on" and makes sure no one is sittin' waitin' to shoot for very long.

 

[Trent]

I suggest having only two or three shoot at one time. Six, plus your own, are too many new shooters for one SO to watch properly.

Thinking back to the one-on-one training I've done, yes, I do recall teaching new shooters is a "full time event" and on those days I did very little, if any, shooting on my own. New shooters don't know how to properly handle malfunctions and you have to watch them like a hawk, first jam or misfire, that muzzle tends to point everywhere it isn't supposed to, unless you're on top of them to remind them of proper immediate action drills.

I was going to have them actually shoot one by one, for other reasons as well; I have enough ears to go around, but I only have one spare pair of shooting glasses left. I've got a bad habit of lending those out to shooters at the range who are shooting without eye protection, and rarely get them back afterwards. (Having seen three kabooms, I won't shoot without them).

Eh, maybe one or two of them will change their minds after lunch. Who knows.

 

[Trent]

Trent,

Great thoughts and intentions, some friendly advise:

1) Make sure each boy's parents are OK with this. It is illegal to allow someone under the age of 18 to handle a firearm no less actually shoot one without their parent's permission. I make them bring a notarized permission slip (they wouldn't forge one would they?)

2) Check out the NRA "basic" Rifle and Pistol handbooks and follow their procedures; Safety rules first, safe gun handling second, fundamentals of shooting third, shooting positions fourth, and shooting from the bench-rest fifth.

3) Become an NRA instructor in these disciplines and learn how to do it right. Beginning shooters who learn the NRA methods can become more proficient with practice. Beginning shooters won't have to "un-learn" what Bubba taught them in order to become successful. Following the NRA basic course outlines is proven to be the fastest way to become proficient with a firearm. To find an instructor course near you:
http://www.nrainstructors.org/searchcourse.aspx

Excellent advice, thank you!

 

[Trent]

Unfortunately, it looks like next year is the earliest I can do the instructor courses. Pulled up all within 100 miles of me, and came up with this:

NRA Instructor Rifle Shooting Course Chilicothe 5/17/2013 37 Miles
NRA Instructor Pistol Shooting Course Chillicothe 7/19/2013 37 Miles
NRA Instructor Shotgun Shooting Course Chillicothe 10/18/2013 37 Miles

 

[Ehtereon11B]

Pulling RSO in the military covering 3 or 4 shooting lanes that are 50 meters apart makes me want to avoid group classes whenever possible. So I do 1 or 2 people at a time when I do firearm classes. Have fun and be safe to you though.

 

[mf-dif]

I'm not surprised none of them have shot. I didn't shoot my first gun until I was 25. My time and money was being taken up by cars, motorcycles and track time.

One of my car buddies introduced me to shooting and brought his goodies. A Python, Superhawk, Glock 17, Mini 14, AR15 and a .50 BMG. He also brought a good ol Ruger Mark II but we didn't spend much time on that. Shortly after I picked up my first, a SW 5906.

You would think I'd be hooked, but my interested fell out after a few months. I would sell my SW and not shoot again for 5 years.

It wouldn't be until last year that on an impulse buy I picked up a Sig 522. Yeah I'll admit it, I like COD and thought this was a tacticool rifle.

The Sig would be the gun I actually learned my basics on. How to shoot accurately, how to take down a gun, how to modify to meet your shooting style. With my SW5906 I just didn't put in the effort to learn because shooting handguns is a lot harder than a rifle.

Proof again that .22lr rifles are what a new gunner should start off on. Hooked me more than even a .50 BMG or Python.

 

[Trent]

Motorcycles.. and track time. This thread just derailed for a brief minute. You talking about motorcycle track days and amateur racing, by chance? If so, how long ago?

I've done a bit of that in my day.

All good things eventually come to an end though:

Anyway those Sig 522's are sweet frigging rifles, my friend has one and I fell in love with it when he brought it to the range. He says "here's my new toy", I kind of chuckled. Then I shot it. And said "bring me the case of ammo". And I shot it some more. And some more. And he finally said "hey can I have my rifle back?"

I said "shut up and go shoot my stuff for awhile, I'm having fun."

So he wandered over and picked up the FS2000 and started blasting.

After about the third mag he fired out of mine, I realized I was on the losing end of a very expensive ammo exchange, so I finally gave him his rifle back.