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I will volunteer to school up any newbies in Northeast Wisconsin or the UP. Also it looks like I'm covering the middle of the UP.
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| # ? Oct 29, 2009 18:17 |
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| # ? May 24, 2013 11:56 |
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Allow me to add my own particular contribution. I think this is going to help a lot of newcomers out. Feel free to add this into the first big 'ol post if you want. Note, my frame of reference is definitely handgun shooting at typical indoor ranges, so while these skill sets definitely apply to rifles, I've found that they go doubly so with handguns. Why am I missing? 1: It's not the gun, OR "What kind of accuracy should I expect from ______?" If you're starting out at the typical distance of 7 yards and your shots are spread out at the size of a paper plate or larger, the lack of accuracy falls squarely on your shoulders. At this common indoor shooting distance, most every quality handgun will be able to shoot better than 2" groups. In layman's terms, this is about the size of your fist. Poke about in most gun magazines, and you'll see that just about every common, non-target grade handgun (Sigs, Glocks, Berettas, CZs, HKs) will average about 3" groups at 25 yards with factory ammo. Revolvers and .22s are generally regarded as a little more accurate. Back at 7 yards, any of the common "duty guns" are capable of printing sub 1-inch groups. 2: So, why am I not hitting what I aim at? Most of us don't recommend .22 caliber firearms or airguns because we think newcomers are abject girlymen who can't handle anything bigger. The body is not naturally conditioned to hold something still at arm's length and exercise fine motor control to slowly pull a trigger when we know that doing so will make the thing we're holding generate a small explosion. A gunshot is startling. As a result, the body has the tendency to "flinch," which carries a negative connotation. "Anticipating recoil" is probably a nicer way to say it. Subconsciously, as soon as you start to pull that trigger, your mind says, "Oh, poo poo. Hold onto the gun-- An explosion's coming!" Right as they know the gun's going to go off, most newcomers tighten their grip on the gun and pull it one way or another. If you ever watch someone shoot with a laser at a range, almost always you'll see the laser dart off-target in the instant before the shot breaks, giving the shooter a visual confirmation of a flinch. As an addendum to this section, lasers will probably not make you a better shot, but they can be slightly embarrassing in large crowds of shooters for exactly this reason. 3. Ways to get better 3.1. Shoot more As with anything, practice makes perfect. If you find that shooting is a rewarding hobby, go often. While the hobby gets pretty expensive if you burn through about 300 rounds of centerfire ammo every range trip, even at today's eye-gouge .22 prices, two boxes of rimfire ammo should run you about seven dollars, tops. Try to find a range that offers a yearly membership where you pay a flat yearly rate, and the hobby gets even more economical. 3.2. Step down to a smaller caliber Again, the 10/22, Ruger Mark II, Browning Buck Mark, and any quality .22 revolver are TFR newcomer recommendations for one reason: I believe they're the most encouraging purchases for recreational shooters. You'll be able to focus on the fundamentals (see the next blurb), it's far less costly to shoot, and the lack of flash and recoil will let your subconscious slowly adjust to the idea that shooting a gun isn't a big deal. When you become comfortable, you become relaxed. When you're relaxed, you shoot better. As a corollary to this idea, if you bought a USP compact in .40 because Jack Bauer has one on 24 or because it's your favorite handgun in Rainbow Six, I empathize. I bought a 1911 as soon as I turned 21 because I liked the way it looked and thought it was iconic. I now shoot that gun the least out of everything I own. Centerfire handguns are almost universally harder to shoot than rimfires. Some people like pulling the trigger on things that make a big boom, but I'm assuming you're reading this because you want to become a better shot. 3.3. Learning to "call" shots. Once you've pulled your man-sized target in from 7 yards and note that the holes are scattered across the thing with almost no rhyme or reason, it may seem baffling that there are people who know where the bullet has hit (approximately) before they see where it landed on the target. This skill, or "calling your shot" is a function of being able to self-diagnose your trigger pull. If your grip and stance is relatively consistent (in general, do what feels natural to you, and bring the pistol up to your line of sight rather than drooping your head), whether you hit or miss your target will be determined by your ability to pull the trigger straight through without disturbing the alignment of the sights. Easier said than done, which is why we often recommend "dry fire" practice. AFTER MAKING SURE THERE ARE NO GODDAMN BULLETS IN YOUR GODDAMN GUN, and DOUBLE CHECKING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO PUT A ROUND THROUGH SOMETHING LIKE A DUMB rear end in a top hat, aim at a spot in the house (lightbulb, cat, picture of your mother) and pull the trigger smoothly and evenly, watching the front sight the entire time. If the front sight moves at all during this process, that's where the bullet would have gone had the shot broke. Doing this enough builds muscle memory for what a "correct" trigger press feels like. Your sights might wobble a bit: that's fine. The slight imperfections in your sight picture don't dictate where the bullet goes nearly as much as you pushing the barrel in one direction or another. After enough time, these skills will begin to translate to the range. When you raise the gun and pull the trigger, you'll be relying on what comes naturally, so even if your adrenaline's going a little bit, you'll fall back on enough of the fundamentals to get progressively better shots off. There are other techniques like "trigger reset" and "follow-through," but now we're getting into what I'd call intermediate stuff, as these can determine whether your 3" groups at 7-yards settle back down to 2" groups. Final thoughts There are two quotes that I've heard about shooting that I share with people who are interested in getting better. "Only accurate guns are interesting." -Col. Townsend Whelen "Don't just practice your shooting. Get interested in your shooting." -Brian Enos Between the two, that pretty much describes my mindset when it comes to the hobby. I'm not an "every gun is a fighting gun" kind of person, and I'm not naturally gifted when it comes to shooting guns. Therefore, being able to shoot smiley faces at the range has come only from several years of weekly practice, lots of dry-fire, owning handguns and rifles that work for me, and being really interested in absorbing information about how to shoot better. Hopefully some of this will work for you guys.
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| # ? Oct 29, 2009 22:37 |
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Biggest piece of advice I can offer any newbie other than being safe: Stick with it, and HAVE FUN. Yes, the first few shots might make you jump a little, and you might not be very accurate right off the bat. Few are. This is one of those hobbies, like so many others, where once you get the basics down, and you become more consistent, you're going to find yourself enjoying the hell out of it. Go shoot some kind of reactive target, whether it's a Shoot-N-C sticker, steel, clay pigeon, spinner, or an egg or piece of ice outside, and watch how big of a goofy-rear end grin you will get. Every single one of us who have shot for years/decades might seem like we can pull off some wild Tom Knapp sharpshooting or something in our sleep, but we all still gently caress up and have our own flubs we keep working on, whether it's the grip on a handgun, or our breathing and relaxing on longer rifle shots. We're still learning just like you are. Heck, I've had some newer shooters teach me a thing or two. Ask all the questions you can think of. There is absolutely no such thing as a stupid question from anyone new. It's much better that you know what you want to know, and are more comfortable with things instead of unsure and confused.
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| # ? Oct 30, 2009 00:18 |
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ArcMage posted:There's pretty much dick in the area for rifle ranges, from what I've been finding. I usually shoot pistols at Sherwin or Atwell's, but those are over in Lake County. There's A&A in Garretsville, which is about 30 miles southeast of Cleveland. I've been there once before and it's a mixed bag. What makes it nice is that there are 100 and 300 yard ranges, pretty much no rules on target types and no clean up, so you can bring whatever junk you want to shoot and leave it. The downsides are that the firing lines are pretty lousy in terms of benches, there's no range officers on site and you've got the yahoo factor. They also post no full auto on their rules, but with no range officers or other shooters on the line I didn't get in trouble for it. Their trap and skeet facilites looked nice, didn't use them.
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| # ? Oct 30, 2009 01:21 |
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Schiavona posted:I'm a newbie, if anyone in WI or MA wants to take a newbie shootin', that'd be cool. When you're in MA let me know! Also I'm in MA/RI area and willing to take newbies shooting!
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| # ? Oct 30, 2009 02:02 |
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Another thing, if you are a noob guy bringing your noob wife/gf, expect her to be better. Women generally are for whatever reason.
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| # ? Oct 30, 2009 03:34 |
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1833Marine posted:I will volunteer to school up any newbies in Northeast Wisconsin or the UP. Also it looks like I'm covering the middle of the UP. Sounds like youre horning in on my territory son.  Whereabouts are you at? Im in Escanaba, Iron Mountain is an hour away and is right on the WI border.
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| # ? Oct 30, 2009 15:34 |
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TheStig posted:Another thing, if you are a noob guy bringing your noob wife/gf, expect her to be better. Women generally are for whatever reason.  I hope I get the chance to go shooting with my noob gf sometime. We can noob it up together, and she can totally own me. Nothin' wrong with that. Daddy like that.
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| # ? Oct 30, 2009 16:06 |
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Secret Ooze posted:Sounds like youre horning in on my territory son. I am in Marinette/Menominee area, which puts me about an hour south of you. The UP is well covered but it doesn't seem like we have any eager students.
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| # ? Oct 30, 2009 16:44 |
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I can do Clarke County, GA. Also feel free to take what you want from here : http://forums.somethingawful.com/sh...hreadid=2934865
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| # ? Oct 30, 2009 17:51 |
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Is this a good safe to keep under my bed to protect my new handgun from curious relatives from overseas who have no goddamn idea of any kind of firearm safety? http://www.amazon.com/HS10036683-2-...8&s=home-garden
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| # ? Oct 30, 2009 18:31 |
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Insane Totoro posted:Is this a good safe to keep under my bed to protect my new handgun from curious relatives from overseas who have no goddamn idea of any kind of firearm safety? Maybe, but I'd prefer something that opens with a key as well as a backup. Check into something like the Gunvault Mini.
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| # ? Oct 30, 2009 18:34 |
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Agreed - you forget to change the battery within the stated lifespan and, oops, embarrasing call to a locksmith/safe cracker, or an entertaining SA post.
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| # ? Oct 30, 2009 18:36 |
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I like turtles posted:Agreed - you forget to change the battery within the stated lifespan and, oops, embarrasing call to a locksmith/safe cracker, or an entertaining SA post. Wait, if I change the battery isn't that the same as the battery failing? I mean, there's no power in both cases!
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| # ? Oct 30, 2009 19:16 |
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Insane Totoro posted:Is this a good safe to keep under my bed to protect my new handgun from curious relatives from overseas who have no goddamn idea of any kind of firearm safety? Look into Harbor Freight if there's one near you, I got a small keypad safe with key backup for around $40
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| # ? Oct 30, 2009 19:43 |
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Insane Totoro posted:Wait, if I change the battery isn't that the same as the battery failing? I mean, there's no power in both cases! Are you only ever planning on owning, if that is even possible, one gun only? Buy something a bit bigger if you are buying a safe and not a lockbox for your pistol. If all you need is a lockbox and not will to pay for antitheft then http://www.center-of-mass.com/Store_InCarGunSafe.htm http://stack-on.com/securityplus/gu...oxes/index.html It might also be a good idea to go over the rules and safe handling (maybe take them shooting) because if not you, who else will?
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| # ? Oct 30, 2009 19:46 |
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Most handgun safes are flat out worthless. You can open them by bashing them on the floor or using a screwdriver or paper clip to open them. Easy solution to the nosy relatives, buy a padlock and lock it in your toolbox. Then just tell them, if they ask, you lock up your tools cause you have friends that like to borrow them without asking.  Stay away from anything labeled Sentry or Homak unless you're just getting them as fire safes.
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| # ? Oct 30, 2009 20:00 |
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The custom title really takes the wind out of your recommendations nowadays.
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| # ? Oct 30, 2009 20:06 |
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Insane Totoro posted:Wait, if I change the battery isn't that the same as the battery failing? I mean, there's no power in both cases! Well yeah, but in theory when you're changing the battery, the door is open so you can, you know, reinstall a battery and make sure it all works before closing it up.
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| # ? Oct 30, 2009 20:14 |
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Well, I was looking for something that I could easily open in case of emergency too. What should I be looking for then?
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| # ? Oct 30, 2009 21:12 |
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Biometric or a combo lock that you can easily code in the dark while half asleep. Like this sort of thing. Or this sort of thing. Please note I'm not necessarily endorsing those particular safes or brand, but they're the type of thing you want - lockable, easy access without light, and the ability to plug the drat thing in or use a physical key if the battery dies. These are *not* intended to stand up to a fire, or someone determined to get in to them, but keeps the curious but innocent out. Gunvaults like the ones I referenced are between $100-$250 on ebay, it looks like. The combination one may be a better idea for any SHTF situations, I don't like the idea of fumbling with a fingerprint reader for a few minutes should I need my gun. I like turtles fucked around with this message at Oct 30, 2009 around 21:55 |
| # ? Oct 30, 2009 21:52 |
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Insane Totoro posted:Well, I was looking for something that I could easily open in case of emergency too. What should I be looking for then? http://www.gunvault.com/minisafe.nxg I got the Gunvault Mini years ago and have loved it. 4 quick buttons to get it open, and if not, you have a good quality key to get in there and spring it open. You can find them on sale around $65-70 if you look. E: I like turtles posted:Biometric I really can't reccommend strongly enough against these. If you need to get into it in a hurry, you're going to be shaking and it's going to be really tough for the fingerprint scanner to get a good read.
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| # ? Oct 30, 2009 21:53 |
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Elendil004 posted:When you're in MA let me know! Where in RI are you? I grew up there and my friends dad and scout leader was Coast Guard (just recently retired).
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| # ? Oct 30, 2009 22:06 |
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Pitch posted:The custom title really takes the wind out of your recommendations nowadays. Don't really give a poo poo. I got it because people got worked up about their weak rear end RSCs. Apparently a smash and grab thief won't have any tools to smash into a 'safe a screw driver can get into,' or if they do they are a god damned McGyver. How they smashed into the house or car...  Heaven forbid someone doesn't want to waste money on worthless crap. Its like getting a custom title for not loving the poo poo out of hi-point firearms. Fat Ogre fucked around with this message at Oct 30, 2009 around 22:21 |
| # ? Oct 30, 2009 22:14 |
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Fat Ogre posted:Its like getting a custom title for not loving the poo poo out of hi-point firearms. No, you're telling people that unless they drive a Maserati, they shouldn't be on the road at all.
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| # ? Oct 30, 2009 22:31 |
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DJExile posted:No, you're telling people that unless they drive a Maserati, they shouldn't be on the road at all.
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| # ? Oct 30, 2009 22:32 |
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I went to the rifle range today and was very surprised. I figured it would be just like the pistol range at the same place. Just longer. Boy was I wrong. You go down in the basement, there's a small room, and there are like 4-5 long tunnels about 3-4 feet in diameter. You shoot down the tunnels! It also sounds really cool.
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| # ? Oct 30, 2009 23:49 |
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You can put me down for showing people the ropes in Philadelphia. We have a great pistol range here.
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| # ? Oct 31, 2009 01:29 |
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So I don't really consider myself a newbie to guns in general because I've had a Mossberg 12 gauge since I was 13 and have been hunting for about 7 years now, but I've recently gotten into hand guns. My friend decided to sell me a S&W 9mm Model 915 which I can't quite seem to find on the internet with any real information on the gun. Also my friend keeps telling me about it possibly being "zeroed out" which I have absolutely no clue what he is talking about. I would like to start taking it out and shooting it a bit and I know how a shotgun and a 30-06 feels when being shot, but I've never had the chance to shoot a handgun like the one I have. Any suggestions on what to expect? I don't believe the kick on a 9mm will compare to a 12 gauge with 3 1/2 in. birdshot in it, but I'm a little worried that I'll go to pull the trigger and freak because I'm not use to having something smaller than a deer rifle in my hands. I have a lot of land that I can shoot on since I live in the great state of Mississippi and have a wonderful 5 acres of land to do whatever on so "finding a range" is going to consist of me stepping onto my back porch, but what should I shoot at (paper plates, paper targets, small animals) to get a good feel and be able to hit things accurately with it? Thanks in advance for the advice.
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| # ? Oct 31, 2009 04:09 |
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SmashingNine posted:The 915 is an older model of their semi-autos. There's nothing super fancy about them but they're well built and will go bang every time. At first, just work on being consistent. Get used to the recoil of the gun (don't worry, it's not going to be much) and proper grip, then take out a sheet of target paper and just work on getting on the paper. A paper plate wouldn't be bad either. Start around 15-20 feet and work on that for a while. You don't need to practice at 50 feet or anything for a while. You might have some wide groups as you get used to it, and that's perfectly OK. Accuracy will come with practice and repetition.
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| # ? Oct 31, 2009 04:29 |
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St Louis Missouri noob patrol checking in. Also, is asking what a RC mouser and a mitchel mouser is a noob question? I hear these terms all the time but have no idea what they mean.
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| # ? Oct 31, 2009 04:40 |
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daskrolator posted:St Louis Missouri noob patrol checking in. Mitchell's Mausers is a racket that basically overcharges for "100% ALL MATCHING NAZI MAUSER", which is actually a mismatched mess of a rifle that they try to pass off as perfection. Don't ever send them your money. Ask Cyrano and G43 about them! 
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| # ? Oct 31, 2009 05:28 |
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daskrolator posted:St Louis Missouri noob patrol checking in. Mitchell's is awful, never buy anything from them. Cyrano has a rant about them in the OP of the milsurp thread that explains why they're so disliked. Edit: I should clarify my Mitchell's animosity. The guns have no historical/collector value because they've all been force-matched and sanded/refinished to hell and back, but I understand that they function fine. If you do buy one, do it to own a decent shooting gun as opposed to something historical. That said, you can buy a ridiculously accurate, well-preserved, and historically correct Swedish Mauser for less than the sticker price of a Mitchell's hump job. Monomer fucked around with this message at Oct 31, 2009 around 05:43 |
| # ? Oct 31, 2009 05:36 |
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Monomer posted:RC means "Russian capture." These are usually mismatched and covered in shellac, cosmoline, and terrible black paint. The receivers/barrels will normally be black due to some kind of coating the Russins put on there; the black paint easily comes off, but this stuff does not. Some of these rifles are marked with "X" stamps and some have the swastikas pinged out or otherwise defaced. They tend to be fairly decent shooters, if not great lookers. In addition, while it might be fine at shooting you can get one that is just as good for one hell of a lot less. TheStig fucked around with this message at Nov 3, 2009 around 04:20 |
| # ? Oct 31, 2009 06:25 |
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While we're talking about Mausers of the Nazi, Swedish or other variety, where in Canada are some good places to start looking for milsurp online? I've had a look around the sites linked in the op of the Canadian guns and shooters thread and found a few others on my own already. Mainly I'm wondering if there's any place I really want to avoid, either because they deal in Mitchell's style scam poo poo or just because they're jerks or unreliable or whatever.
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| # ? Oct 31, 2009 06:58 |
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Yellicopter posted:While we're talking about Mausers of the Nazi, Swedish or other variety, where in Canada are some good places to start looking for milsurp online? I've had a look around the sites linked in the op of the Canadian guns and shooters thread and found a few others on my own already. Go to the Equipent Exchange on CGN. You can find a lot of good stuff for sale on there. You'll need to register, but that's pretty easy and straightforward. ONLY go to the EE on CGN. All the other forums are so bad that just reading descriptions of the debates there makes you a little retarded.
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| # ? Oct 31, 2009 18:46 |
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Newbie patrol, mid-Willamette valley division, reporting for duty (Portland, Salem, Corvallis, Eugene).
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| # ? Oct 31, 2009 19:12 |
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Xiuhteuctli posted:You're the TFR goon that goes to WIU, right? I graduated in August, but my girlfriend is still there until December so I am down occasionally. I'm actually at WIU right now.
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| # ? Oct 31, 2009 19:15 |
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Cyrano4747 posted:Go to the Equipent Exchange on CGN. You can find a lot of good stuff for sale on there. You'll need to register, but that's pretty easy and straightforward. Yeah I've heard that suggested before, I'll have to give it a look. How does buying a gun from a private individual like that work in Canada anyway?
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| # ? Oct 31, 2009 22:16 |
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| # ? May 24, 2013 11:56 |
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Everyone in Maine already owns a gun, but on the off chance we have any new imports to the area, I'm located in the Greater Bangor area and would gladly assist a newbie. Well, when I get back from Wisconsin in 3 weeks. :/
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| # ? Oct 31, 2009 22:59 |
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