If you’ve been shooting 20 years or more, what advice do you wish someone told you early on?

[Alan]

If you've been shooting for 20+ years, what tips would you give new shooters? Let’s hear the wisdom from the veterans of the range.

 

[AveragEd]

First and foremost, join the NRA. I certainly don't agree with everything they do but they are our first and most important line of defense against anti-Second Amendment legislative bodies.

Next would a warning that as much enjoyment as firearms can yield, they must be used safely. It's also helpful to know that a pistol and a revolver are not the same thing and referring to all handgun as "pistols" only illustrates your ignorance of firearms. My own gun club has signs reading "No rifle or pistol hunting" - accordingly, I could use a slug gun or a revolver?

Lastly, I might have wanted to know how deep a rabbit hole I was entering. But I'll never regret it.

Ed

 

[Alan]

Thanks, Ed. Great points about supporting advocacy and being safe...learning gun terms and being responsible early helps avoid confusion and problems later

 

[BThhr]

Wear hearing protection, I cannot express how important it is to your hearing. Hearing is something that you can lose and it does not come back after you lose it. Next is safety, safety, safety!!

 

[Alan]

Wear hearing protection, I cannot express how important it is to your hearing. Hearing is something that you can lose and it does not come back after you lose it. Next is safety, safety, safety!!

Yep, ear protection is a must

 

[AveragEd]

That is great advice and I should have mentioned it just because of my past experiences. Back in 1974, I bought my first handgun, a Smith & Wesson Model 19. I took delivery of it on a Friday evening and as my wife and I were going to her parents' farm for lunch that Saturday, I took it along. I shot six rounds of .38 Special ammunition without too much discomfort but the first .357 Magnum left me feeling like knives had been thrust into my ears. When I went in to the house for lunch, my mother-in-law's mouth was moving but she didn't seem to be saying anything. I was actually deaf for 15 or so minutes and my ears have not stopped ringing since.

It's actually amazing how much the felt recoil of a firearm seems to be lessened when its report is quieter. When I started shooting trap in 1989, my gun seemed to kick less when I had custom-molded ear protection made. Today, I wear those plugs plus a set of Walker Game Ears muffs when shooting anything more powerful than a 22LR - and even when those 22LR rounds are fired from a handgun I double up like that.

Today, a nice family of crickets resides in my ears and I have no choice but to tolerate them. Don't let that happen to you.

By the way, hearing aids were no help. I bought very costly ones - $4,700 after my $2,700 insurance contribution - and all they really did was amplify the sounds I could already hear without them. I remain convinced that to some degree, they are a scam market because when I researched the frequencies I was told I could not hear, I learned that they are so high that only animals typically can hear them. Fortunately, I was able to learn that early-on and was able to return them.

Ed

 

[Alan]

That is great advice and I should have mentioned it just because of my past experiences. Back in 1974, I bought my first handgun, a Smith & Wesson Model 19. I took delivery of it on a Friday evening and as my wife and I were going to her parents' farm for lunch that Saturday, I took it along. I shot six rounds of .38 Special ammunition without too much discomfort but the first .357 Magnum left me feeling like knives had been thrust into my ears. When I went in to the house for lunch, my mother-in-law's mouth was moving but she didn't seem to be saying anything. I was actually deaf for 15 or so minutes and my ears have not stopped ringing since.

It's actually amazing how much the felt recoil of a firearm seems to be lessened when its report is quieter. When I started shooting trap in 1989, my gun seemed to kick less when I had custom-molded ear protection made. Today, I wear those plugs plus a set of Walker Game Ears muffs when shooting anything more powerful than a 22LR - and even when those 22LR rounds are fired from a handgun I double up like that.

Today, a nice family of crickets resides in my ears and I have no choice but to tolerate them. Don't let that happen to you.

By the way, hearing aids were no help. I bought very costly ones - $4,700 after my $2,700 insurance contribution - and all they really did was amplify the sounds I could already hear without them. I remain convinced that to some degree, they are a scam market because when I researched the frequencies I was told I could not hear, I learned that they are so high that only animals typically can hear them. Fortunately, I was able to learn that early-on and was able to return them.

Ed

This story is a real eye-opener about hearing safety. Thanks for sharing this...hopefully, new shooters will pay attention

 

[Mzzlldrinpa]

Follow through. The shot is gonna be there whether you look up fast or slow. Over the years, follow through has done a lot for me to be a better shooter.

 

[Alan]

Follow through. The shot is gonna be there whether you look up fast or slow. Over the years, follow through has done a lot for me to be a better shooter.

Follow‑through is one of those fundamentals people overlook but it makes a huge difference

 

[Semper Fi]

Buy more guns and you will be able to marvel at what the same guns cost when you become a senior. But you will already own them.

 

[cu dubh]

Relax. Focus on that front sight and on your trigger pull.

Actually, my Dad taught me this when I was a youngster. I've occassionally have to re-learn it but it's my mantra when shooting.