New to Shooting

Patrick Palmer

Patrick Palmer

Well-Known Fanatic
Joined
Aug 23, 2012
Messages
68
Location
Lake City, MN
Hello all,

I'm new to shooting (purchased and fired my first handgun last week) and firearms. I saw a placard for 3G a few weeks ago and started watching videos, searching sites, etc. I saw a link to this site on another 3G community site and checked it out. I have a lot of questions and am starting from scratch with regard to firearms in general. I have an old 12 Gauge pump I borrowed from my Father along with a 22 rifle and now my first 9MM handgun. I'm very excited about learning what I can about firearms in general and competition shooting in particular.

I look forward to reading your posts and learning from you all.

Thanks,

Medicius
 
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Welcome Medicius, I am new too, and hands down there is not a more informative board out there for learning.
 
the best thing you can do for youself is to take a class

Btw: Welcome aboard, ask away...we'll try to answer any questions you have but there's no substitute for a great class with quality instructors.
 
Tony, any classes you would recommend? I was thinking about the pistol course a TDSA. Are there better classes closer to okc?
 
Wildcat said:
Tony, any classes you would recommend? I was thinking about the pistol course a TDSA. Are there better classes closer to okc?
Click to expand...


TDSA's AP1 is a fantastic course, I highly recommend it.
USSA also has a highly recommended training program, although I've not personally taken the course there.
There are also several personal training options available in the area.

Just make sure whatever route you choose (wherever you are) to check the credentials of the course.
Any qualified instructor should not mind you checking to make sure you're getting quality instruction.
After all, this person will be teaching you to use a firearm, they should probably be proficient themself.
 
Thank you all, for the responses.

I've been looking around for courses specifically related to the safe handling of firearms, but as far as I can tell only the CCW course is offered within a 60 minute radius. There's a shooter's course coming to my area in September called the Appleseed Shoot. It's supposed to be very instructive with regard to rifle usage and history. I hope to attend that. Are there any other named courses or credential references that I can search for that would help me find courses geared toward new users/owners?

In the last few weeks, it's been one learning process after another. Applying for the permit to purchase (and getting it), folks telling me to do the CCW classes (I'd be too nervous to carry a piece just yet), almost learning the hard way that firearms need to be covered when travelling via motor vehicle, etc. I know there's still a lot to learn, even outside of firearm specific questions I seem to have, so you'll likely see a wide gamut of questions from me.

Anyway, thanks again for the responses. I appreciate the welcome.

Medicius
 
If this is your first gun, I'd highly recommend doing a shooter basic class and the carry/conceal class. Even if you don't plan to carry a concealed gun, you can still learn a lot of great things about handling a firearm and the laws in Oklahoma. Safety just isn't something you should assume you know. :)


Welcome to the forum, it's a great resource. What kind of 9mm did you get?
 
Not sure about MN, but here in Okla. the concealed carry course is no subsitute for a gun safety course, in fact it's far from it.
It does a good job of going over the laws of concealed carry but is lacking in the basic gun handling & safety dept. Being new to firearms, I'd advise you to look elsewhere for a gun safety class before pursuing a concealed carry license.
 
Wall said:
....Being new to firearms, I'd advise you to look elsewhere for a gun safety class before pursuing a concealed carry license.
Click to expand...

This is Great Advice,
Take a class at a range somewhere close to you. Start with the class that focuses on Safety and Handling of a firearm, basic marksmanship. Maybe check with your local USPSA group, they will probably have some connections to some instructors/Classes.
 
Sorry if I wasn't clear. I didn't mean to imply that a CCW course would be a good way to learn basic gun safety. I worded that poorly. I meant do the basic pistol course(s) to learn handling and safety and the CCW to learn about the gun laws of when it's OK to use one.
 
In terms of FIrearm Safety courses, are you thinking of something like this:
- http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/firearms_isa/procedures.html

That link details the requirements for the online course and there is an earlier link with a list of Firearms Safety "volunteers" in my state approved by the DNR. I may just call one in my area to see if the course is centered on Hunting, or if it appropriate for a new shooter.

When I went out to shoot last weekend, I was in a group of 6 people. Two of them have their CCW and one was an armed security guard by profession. They gave me some good info about safe firearm handling, but I still have so many questions about how DA handguns work in FTF/FTE scenarios, etc.

Medicius
 
I was talking about something more like this.
http://www.center-of-mass.com/Firearms_Training.htm
Here is an address that might lead you to a good class in MN.
American Association Of Certified Firearms Instructors
PO Box 131254
Saint Paul, MN 55113
(952) 935-2414

I know NOTHING about these classes or people, I just found them on the internet when searching for Firearms training in Minnesota.
 
NRA has classes for all entry levels of pistol, their website will even give you instructors and their schedules in you area.
http://www.nrainstructors.org/searchcourse.aspx

Even though I am an instructor I sent my ex girlfriend to someone else for NRA First Steps Pistol, she had a great time, learned a lot, and shot 3 different handguns in the class. She then went to the same instructor for NRA Basic Pistol, she learned even more and shot some more. After that she was confident in her own ability to shoot unsupervised.
I think you should go this route, then spend the money on a place like USSA or TDSA.
 
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