Novice shooter: Is it better to start with a rifle or a handgun?

[ATLDave]

Learn the basics of open sights, scopes and red dots can come later.

That used to be my view, but I now think the opposite. The truth is that there is no need to ever learn iron sights... they're optional.

It's like learning to drive a car. 60 years ago, almost everyone started by learning a stick shift, because all cheap cars that were likely to be their first car were manuals. Now very few new drivers ever learn to drive stick at all, much less as a first step. I think it's easier to add the older, more difficult method back after learning the basics.

To be clear, I love stick shifts and I love iron sights. But I no longer think either of those are the best ways to learn the basics.

 

[tarosean]

I would first start by getting some professional training. Look up a NRA Basic course near you.. they offer them in Pistol and Rifle. Typically the instructor will have guns for you to try out.

https://firearmtraining.nra.org/student-courses/


Like others I started with a 22lr Rifle... As someone else noted.. It depends on where you live for rifle shoot ability.. If you live in the city options might be limited.. Rural might be very different.

When I was a kid we would walk out the back door and be in the San Juans with nothing around as far as you could see... So it was a playground of sorts.

 

[Flintshooter]

Old school here. Single shot 22. Learn to make the first shot count. Learn the basics of open sights, scopes and red dots can come later. I see new shooters at the range empty their new ar or hi cap 9, can't hit a bucket at 25 yards.

Since 1968, my preferred firearm has been a muzzleloader. Since 1974 it has been flintlock. Making the first shot count is part of the game, and while I’ve had a few muzzleloaders with peep sights, most have had open sights and not one has had glass.
Years ago the local club started a league that required military semi-auto capable of ten shots. Targets were clay birds on plywood at fifty yards, one minute to break ten birds. Most of the other shooters shot semi-auto almost exclusively and a few shot a lot of class III. The first few weeks I cleaned house because I had spent years concentrating on making the one shot I had count instead of seeing how fast I could empty a magazine.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Start with whatever interests the shooter most.

 

[labnoti]

Ok.... I ask this forum.... did any of you reload before shooting your first round? Best way to say “forget this”.

Before cartridges, everyone did. Personally, I do not have an experience of shooting without loading the cartridges. While I have shot factory ammo, I also reloaded from the very beginning. I reloaded for a Mauser and a 12 gauge from the time I was 18 which was the earliest I could acquire a gun. I was not introduced as a child. My involvement in firearms was interrupted for about 25 years but when I was able to take it back up again, I immediately started reloading. I introduced my children to reloading from the beginning, though I do most of the reloading for them. They have, under my supervision, reloaded the cartridges they shoot.

To me, it is a matter of opportunity. I would also introduce a new shooter by building the gun first if it were more practical. Building a muzzleloader kit or assembling an AR aren't quite the same as making a gun, but they are quite practical and reasonable introductions to firearms. But reloading is even more practical than building a muzzleloader kit and offers greater freedom of choice in firearm than either the muzzleloader or AR build. Not many of us have an opportunity to actually machine a 1911 or revolver or injection mold the polymer frame of a Glock, to bore the barrels or form the rifling, but the opportunity for us to reload for all of these guns is easily within our reach.

Reloading before shooting the first round isn't important. But buying a gun for which there will never be an opportunity to reload comes at the cost of a great opportunity. That opportunity can only be regained by buying a different gun.

 

[Demi-human]

?

Anyone here assemble their pistol as a first firearm?

How about build their first car?

Refine their own gas for their first car? That they don't have yet?

I'm sure it's happened.
I hope that it's obvious that isn't the norm...

It is normal to start with a rimfire, even if it is short lived.

 

[MistWolf]

The majority of the good firearms trainers will tell you that if you really want to learn how to shoot, spend the majority of the time shooting a handgun. If a shooter can master good trigger control on a handgun, that skill will transfer directly to shooting a long gun. If you really want learn how to shoot and you can only have one firearm, get a handgun.

If you can have only one handgun, get a 9mm. It's a good caliber for for self defense, competition and small game. If there is a situation where the 9mm isn't adequate, it's time to get something else.

Get a reliable self loading 9mm. There are good ones to choose from, the most often recommended being the Glock. Myself, if I were to get a Glock, it would be a Glock 45 which is basically a Glock 19 slide on a Glock 17 frame. There are other choices- HK VP9, S&W MP9 2.0 and my personal favorite, the Walther PPQ Classic. There are others, but these are the models I have first hand experience with that I trust. Find a good handgun instructor and learn how to shoot a handgun properly, shoot a variety of handguns and choose one that works for you. It will be easier to transition to a long arm after learning to shoot a pistol than the other way around.

 

[Walkalong]

I agree with MistWolf except for one caveat, which is that some people shoot handguns terribly and may get discouraged from continuing to shoot or get more guns. A rifle is much easier to shoot fairly well and success breeds confidence and enjoyment which encourages them to stick with it.

A .22 rifle is a great way to start if you know nothing about their skill level. If you have had the chance to take them shooting you will have a much better idea of what they could handle successfully at first.

 

[Legionnaire]

Different strokes for different folks.

My general practice is to start kids off with a bolt action .22 rifle. It is an easy tool with which to learn the fundamentals. All my kids started this way.

However, once they understood firearm safety, my kids' interests quickly diverged. My oldest son moved on to a center fire rifle. One daughter promptly demonstrated a preference for a youth-stocked 20 gauge shotgun. Another daughter preferred shooting .38 specials in a 4-inch barreled .357.

So while a bolt action .22 is a good way to learn the fundamentals, it isn't the only way. Let your interests influence the decision.

 

[Dudedog]

Welcome to THR lots of great people here.

I would say start with a .22 rifle.
Easy to learn with, inexpensive to shoot,
An argument can be made for a bolt action, but also for a semi auto.
For that matter if you like the Western theme a lever action would work also.

I would favor the Semi auto, Ruger10/22s are a good choice there are others as well.
In the Semi-auto if you load one round in the mag you have a single shot rifle.
When starting out load one round. Adopt the attitude that you only have one round and you have to make it count.
..
Once you can hit what your are aiming at most of the time with that one (we all miss on occasion, I have more "occasions" the older I get) then you can load up the mag.
Lots of goodies/ accessories for 10/22s.

Once you have the .22 rifle down then the next step is up to you.
Larger caliber rifle, a handgun, maybe a shotgun, (warning the first one can lead to wanting all of these and multiple flavors of each)

 

[Crunchy Frog]

Thanks for editing your post to give your thoughts after reading the responses. It was helpful.

Starting with a .22 rifle is sort of the time honored approach and it’s generally a good approach. Your choice of a Marlin lever action is good. I’m of the opinion that you never “outgrow” a good quality .22 rifle or pistol. Lever action rifles don’t “upset” people like a semiauto might but they are efficient repeaters.

 

[CapnMac]

I've always found that my pistol shooting improves if I shoot a rifle beforehand.
Starting out, as above, a .22lr is an excellent choice. Ammo is cheap, recoil is mild--which lets you work on skill development.
You can get into a .22 at a nice low price point, which lets you do things like (potentially) improve the trigger, or improve the sights, add glass or the like.
And, .22s are fun--and that can be most important of all.

 

[Dudedog]

You might also check out
https://www.henryusa.com/henry-rifles-and-shotguns/

They have some nice lever action .22s as well.
https://www.henryusa.com/rifles/lever-action-22-rifle/

I know a person that has a couple different Henry rifles and is quite happy with both.

You might want to start a thread in Rifle Country to see what lever action .22s people like, and what they like/don't like about any given model.

Every now and then members advice is worth more than you payed for it. (zilch) of course sometimes it is worth exactly what you paid for it.

 

[TeaCoffee.Guy]

History tells me that the .22 caliber rifle has been the most popular firearm for many people to learn how to shoot accurately.
Also remember that there are some types of shooting that only the .22 can do. No other gun can do it.
And I think that most shooters will tell you that their best shots have been with a .22 .
I would also like to recommend that you try shooting the .22 short from a single shot .22 rifle.
The .22 short has a proud history. It was the bullet of the Coney Island shooting galleries.
I have killed over 100 crows with the .22 short. And just recently I killed two rats with the .22 short. The .22 short is a very useful little cartridge.

 

[Obturation]

History tells me that the .22 caliber rifle has been the most popular firearm for many people to learn how to shoot accurately.
Also remember that there are some types of shooting that only the .22 can do. No other gun can do it.
And I think that most shooters will tell you that their best shots have been with a .22 .
I would also like to recommend that you try shooting the .22 short from a single shot .22 rifle.
The .22 short has a proud history. It was the bullet of the Coney Island shooting galleries.
I have killed over 100 crows with the .22 short. And just recently I killed two rats with the .22 short. The .22 short is a very useful little cartridge.

I love the 22 short. I have a winchester rifle that will hold almost 30 of them, i prefer cci cb shorts, almost no noise, zero recoil or blast and they can put down vermin easily. No telling how many critters ive eliminated with that cartridge.

 

[TikkaShooter]

IMO, a 22 RF, pure and simple is a lot of fun..

 

[fireside44]

The .22 is the best suggestion overall suggestion especially if you have money because once you get a .22 you are going to want something bigger and bigger means more money. If money was tight I'd look for an AR or carbine in 9mm or a lever in .357 right from the get go. Low recoil for training plus it still serves as a defensive or hunting weapon.

I can't get on board with choosing a pistol over a rifle if you can't have both.

I suggest that a novice shooter begin by reloading.

Aw heck no. I know guys who have been shooting for years who have no business at a reloading bench. It's not for ADD types or people who have to have an i-phone handy at every moment. It demands an individual with a longer attention span and more attention to detail or you will be demanding a doctor with a long attention span and more attention to detail when you need parts and pieces stitched back on in a multi hour reconstructive surgery!

 

[Ralph III]

Hello Cole,
If you have a limited budget then I'd suggest you get a good DA/SA .22 revolver. You stated that self defense was one of your priorities and that would be more applicable for you whereas a rifle would not.

1. The DA/SA has two different triggers pulls (long, short). The long pull can help you develop good trigger skills while the short pull will help with accuracy and make transitioning to striker fired guns or other semi auto's easier.

2. The revolver offers a lot of safety for a beginner.

3. Becoming proficient with a rifle doesn't necessarily mean that it will help you be proficient with a pistol. Whereas, becoming proficient with a pistol will most likely make it easier to become proficient with a rifle. Learning on a rifle will help some but you will have to learn more once you do switch to a pistol.

4. Shooting a pistol and becoming acceptably accurate with it doesn't take a significant amount of effort. The main thing is to develop a solid stance and proper grip in order to steady the gun. You then work on sight alignment and proper trigger pull. Just like everything else, it just takes practice.

I am teaching my wife and daughter at the moment who are absolute beginners as well. They are learning on a DA/SA Bersa Thunder 380 semi auto, so a little different than what I'd normally recommend to a newbie. However, I am there to instruct them but especially to make sure they observe safety procedures. Anyhow, both are immediately showing excellent consistency with both peppering the bullseye. It's mainly about establishing a solid platform first. You then build upon that by improving trigger control and focus, etc.

BTW. I started with a bb gun 47yrs ago, then a shotgun the following year, then rifles (age of 12). I first learned to become highly proficient with pistols in my mid teens. We hunted though so if I were just interested in pistols that is what I would have started with.

Good luck,
Ralph

 

[1911 guy]

I'm going to chime in and repeat the recommendation of buying a .22 rifle. If lever guns appeal to you, Marlin makes lever .22's. This will allow you to shoot more for less money, initial cost is lower and it will be easier to afford both a rifle and handgun. Move on to larger calibers as your interest and bank account increase.

 

[Rivenoak]

Although you said mostly for target shooting and home defense it does depend mainly on what you plan on using it for long term. I too am fairly new to hunting and shooting (about 6 years as an adult). For practice and target shooting a 22lr firearm is extremely cost effective and doesn't have recoil to cause you to develop bad habits such as a recoil anticipation and a flinch. You can pick up a Ruger Mark 4 handgun for under $400 in most places. You can purchase rail from Ruger for like $15 if later you decide to add an optic to it. For a carbine/rifle I purchased a Rossi 22 from academy sports for like $110. Ammo for these two is very cheap and you can use the same box for both. They aren't great for home defense however. A 12 gauge pump shotgun can be used for shooting skeet, hunting just about anything and home defense. Although you don't have the range of a rifle you can still put a round on target out to 50 yards without much difficulty. A Remington 870 is an awesome pump action that won't break the bank. Also the Maverick 88 is an offbrand Mossberg that is on sale at Dick's for like $190 most of the time with 3 different barrel lengths available. You can shoot anything from birdshot to slugs depending on your choke options. Research chokes and which one to use for each particular load bc some can damage the gun or cause you harm if used inappropriately. If 12 gauge has too much recoil you can drop down to a 20 but it has never been an issue for me. All things considered you have to decide what works best for you. Just remember that you are responsible for every round fired and you have to know what lies beyond your target. I.E. if you shoot through a wall in a home defense situation you are responsible for where the round(s)end up. Never shoot at anything that is sky-lined with nothing behind it bc the round can go for miles. That's a big no no that I was not taught until later in life. Good luck with everything and be safe.

 

[film495]

.22 or .38 Special revolver, or a lever or pump action .22 rifle, for a first firearm I'd steer away from anything semi-auto until you are well versed in handling and safety. You'll see where you have bad habits and can correct them. Mine was always picking up a firearm and putting my finger in the trigger guard - mostly fixed that, but not as risky with a double action revolver as with a semi-auto IMHO. I took the revolver route and eventually it took me a while, but I got some semi-auto pistols - but, I'm glad I went with a revolver first to start with. It depends where you are going to shoot. If you have an outdoor range and lots of space, a .22 rifle can be fun shooting pop bottles and cans and such. If you are going to be at a pistol range, get a revolver. If you want to jump into something you could use for self defense - well a .22 will work, but a .38 Special in a 3 or 4 inch barrel has a little more punch, but with target loads is pretty tame range practice. I find a .22 a little more fun to shoot as there is almost no recoil, and the ammo is so cheap comparatively, you can shoot a lot - and well, shooting a lot is a good way to learn and improve. I just picked up a .22 pistol for this very reason.

 

[herrwalther]

I am of the mindset that WHAT you start on is fairly irrelevant. Granted I would not start someone on a 500 S&W, but the difference between a 22 pistol and rifle is splitting hairs. One of my students years ago started her firearm education on a Glock 22 and full auto MP5s. And she became very successful in the firearms world. It would boil down to this, do you plan to do more hunting or is self defense your primary goal of learning? If you are inclined to hunt I would say a rimfire rifle of some sort. Self defense, pistol.

 

[John Joseph]

You can have a lot of fun with a good .22, a box of CCI, and a roll of Necco Wafers.
Just sayin'

 

[IlikeSA]

I don't know your age, thus your income, but when I first started shooting I bought a 1911 in 45 acp. It was expensive to feed, so my next purchase was a Ruger 22/45 pistol. I didn't read all the posts past the first page but i recommend the 22 to start, as either a rifle or pistol from an expense standpoint.

 

[Labguy47]

Another vote with the .22lr crowd. My first was a Ruger Standard .22lr pistol but I would have loved a Marlin mod 60. Hard to go wrong either way. Just remember to keep the booger picker off the bang switch. Good luck and be safe.