Shot a gun for the first time ever in my life yesterday.

silverunicorn

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
327
OK, so here's the deal. I turned 42 yesterday, and until that day, I had never shot any gun of any kind other than a BB gun, and that does not count.

We went to a picnic at a friend's house. He has 7 acres of land backing up to power lines that gives him a total of 370 acres.

Anyway, we go every year, and there is always a shooting range set up away from the picnic (obviously). In past years, I have always watched, feelign that I did not need to shoot. This year, the guy that set everything up asked me if I wanted to shoot. I figured I would give it a shot (pun intended).

Started off with a Ruger P95 9mm handgun. For never having shot, I did okay, hitting in the outer circle of the target 9 of the 11 shots, and 4 of those were within the middle circle, which I guess was okay.

Anyway, from there moved to a Sig Sauer .45 cal handgun. More kick but still manageable, and I liked the weight and feel of that pistol.

After that the real fun started. Went to a .45 cal carbine rifle, then to an AK rifle.

So after all this, I am toying with the idea of a handgun for sport shooting. Just for fun. I am guessing 9mm will be less expensive (ammo wise) than larger caliber rounds.

Having never though about this before, what else should I consider? I don't plan on carrying a weapon, just ging shooting with friends.

This is all new teritory for me, LOL

Thanks,
Chris
 

Bartonmd

Member
Nov 20, 2011
545
Wait... You're 42, and you live in PA, and you just NOW shot a gun?? :biggrin:

Congrats!

Yes, 9mm is about the cheapest, most easily available handgun round going, except .22LR, that is...

Mike
 

ItsOnVoy

Member
Nov 21, 2011
2,401
Look into getting a ccw and then see what you like to get! My uncle had .38 cal, .40 cal and .45 cal if those are correct. Also two different kinds of bullets for each kind defense ones and then the ones to use in the firing range.
 

Uncle Blazer

Member
Dec 8, 2011
263
Congrats on taking the first step. Shooting can be really fun if done responsibly. handling different calibers/sizes/styles will help you decide what you feel comfortable with. I would love to shoot a hand cannon and ask people if they "feel lucky", but alas my small carny hands wont let me. Shoot what feels natural. It's more fun to hit something than look like a badass and miss.
 

Boricua SS

Member
Nov 20, 2011
3,080
Ohio
definetly can relate to how youre feeling... i just shot my first gun this year on my 31rst birthday... my brother took me to the local range, and i fired off a 9mm Baretta, a little 6 round revolver type gun that i think was a 22 cal??? (forgive the newb terms as i am not familiar at all with guns lol) and a 9mm rifle... to say it was fun is an understatment... you sure do go through that amo FAST!!! lol.. i loved it, and cant wait to get out there again...
 

HARDTRAILZ

Moderator
Nov 18, 2011
49,665
I would really look into a .22LR pistol if you want to do some target shooting. My much older cousin has a league with an indoor .22 range in a barn. Super cheap ammo and still a bunch or fun. Cheap to add a rifle to target shoot with as well. Could be the cheapest way to try both styles of shooting and have solid basic weapons without breaking the bank. Not the macho caliber, but great for starting and being able to burn through 1,000s of rounds and get comfy while checking out and shooting your buddies weapons to find what your next step is.

A 9mm is larger and more expensive. Better if you were to carry at some point. A nice common round that can be easily found. I shoot alot of this because I had access to cheap ammo.

You might look into shotgun and trap shooting. Alot of fun and a shotgun and shells are pretty cheap, but can easily be expensive. I have a few basic shotguns and they are as much fun as my buddy's Benelli m4 that costs more than all my shotguns. Although the M4 is on my to buy list now.
 

Phantom

Member
Jun 17, 2012
277
I have to agree with Hardtrailz, a 22LR would be the best bet. Ammo is less expensive and you can get a gun that is designed for sport shooting which is very well balanced. I have been an avid hunter and shooter since I was almost 10, with my first gun being a 410 that my dad gave me. as far as pistols go, I have always liked Ruger. I had a P94 DAO. I usually buy two sets of bullets, ! pack of hollow points for defense, and then the standard target round.
 

Chickenhawk

Member
Dec 6, 2011
779
Fun, eh?

When I was 24, I shot my first gun. (I missed an entire 4-litre jug of water sitting on a fence post from 10 feet away.)

I bought my first pistol when I was 28. (I bought a Colt 1911 in .45 Auto and missed every shot on my first target.)

I started practical pistol handgun competition when I was 30. By 35, I had traveled the country, shot a lot of matches, met some great folks and started coaching pistol and shotgun shooting for a living.

By 38, I turned that into a career as a professional firearms trainer.

I have worked with a lot of police and government agencies and military units and managed to fool a few people into thinking I knew what I was talking about. (This is the era after the FBI shootout in Dade County Florida in 1986 where there was a sudden recognition that police handgun and shotgun training was woefully inadequate, and I just happened to be the right person with the right training skills at the right time.)

I have been invited to appear before the House of Commons (similar to your U.S. Congress) to discuss my thoughts on arming and training our border patrol officers with handguns.

In addition to all this training, I have worked with many of the actors in Hollywood about how to look like they knew what they were doing with a gun in their hand. I have now traveled across North America teaching workshops on how to keep people safe on film sets when using firearms. On the 19th anniversary of the death of Brandon Lee, I appeared in an episode on the Discovery Channel to talk about firearms safety in film.

All this because someone put a gun in my hand over 30 years ago and said, "Here. Try this!"

To this day, there is no greater pleasure than seeing the look on someone's face who, hours previously been so fearful of guns that they didn't want to touch them, shoot them with such skill and enjoyment like they had been doing it their whole lives.

To this day, I will take every opportunity to show people some safety and marksmanship skills, put a gun in their hand and say, "Here. Try this!"
 

strat81

Member
Dec 29, 2011
399
For something purely for fun, go with a .22LR. The Ruger Mark III, Ruger 22/45, and Browning Buckmark are probably the most popular pistols for that, and rightly so. Lots of accessories, accurate, durable, and reliable. 500 rounds of ammo will run less than $20 for bulk stuff. Virtually no recoil and relatively quiet, but you'll still need eye and ear protection. Should run under $400, depending on what variant you choose.

If you want something that can stand in as protection from two-legged goblins, a 9mm auto or .38 Special revolver are the way to go. They are the least expensive in terms of ammo for their respective gun types but will both meet the FBI-minimum of 12" of penetration in bare gelatin for defensive use. Both will poke holes in paper and knock over cans just fine.

For a revolver, a Ruger GP100 or used Ruger Security Six or Speed Six are excellent choices. S&W makes nice revolvers too, but for a casual shooter, you may not want to pay the premium. S&W Model 10, Model 19, Model 65, Model 66, and Model 686 are good choices.

For a 9mm auto, there are tons of great choices out there. Smith & Wesson M&P, Glock 17 or 19, and CZ-75 or CZ SP-01 would be the first places I'd look. Other nice choices are Sig Sauer P226 and P229, Ruger SR9, Springfield XD-9 or XDM-9, and Beretta 92 or PX4.

Do NOT buy a small gun. Smaller guns are harder to shoot more accurately and have more recoil than their larger brethren. Great for concealed carry, but not for casual use.

At the risk of hurting someone's feelings, avoid Taurus and Hi-Point. The Taurus lifetime warranty is BS. They frequently take several months to return defective pistols, often without fixing the problem.

Take an NRA Basic Pistol class to learn the basics. Well worth the $$$. While firearms are generally safe and can make for an enjoyable hobby, they are potentially deadly. Knowing the basics can prevent injury as well as enhance your satisfaction from engaging in shooting sports.

Do not forget to budget for eye protection, ear protection, and a storage device (safe, lockbox, gun lock, etc.).


If you have any questions you want addressed via PM, don't hesitate to contact me. I'm an NRA certified pistol instructor and range safety officer and would be happy to help.

ETA: Always follow the four rules:
1) Treat all firearms as if they are loaded.
2) Never point a gun at anything you are not willing to destroy.
3) Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on target and you are ready to fire.
4) Know your target and what is beyond it.
 

jbones

Member
Dec 5, 2011
658
Be safe and have fun.

"Firearms stand next in importance to the constitution itself. They are the American people's liberty teeth and keystone under independence … from the hour the Pilgrims landed to the present day, events, occurences and tendencies prove that to ensure peace security and happiness, the rifle and pistol are equally indispensable … the very atmosphere of firearms anywhere restrains evil interference — they deserve a place of honor with all that's good."
~George Washington~

^This hasn't changed, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
 

jbones

Member
Dec 5, 2011
658
Have fun, be safe, and teach them when they're young.


I failed to mention the madness the other side still believes in after all these years, and murders of the disarmed.

"This year will go down in history. For the first time, a civilized nation has full gun registration. Our streets will be safer, our police more efficient, and the world will follow our lead into the future!"
Adolph Hitler
Chancellor, Germany, 1933
 

jimmyjam

Member
Nov 18, 2011
1,634
heres another vote for shotgun sports: trap, skeet, five stand, sporting clays. lots of fun. the pistol range is ok but gets boring IMO
 

silverunicorn

Original poster
Member
Dec 4, 2011
327
I would like to thank everyone for their thoughts and input.

I have been reading alot today, but I think that the best bet would be to go to a dealer and actually hold the firearms to see what would be the best fit.

Thanks again! Looking forward to the new hobby!

Chris
 

Irishboy02

Member
Apr 1, 2012
222
Love my Glock23. its a .40 handgun, but like everyone says, its great size if down the line you want to start carrying. Also, I have a barrel conversion made by a company called LoneWolf, converts my .40 into a 9mm. Basically turned one gun into too. Gives me the option to shoot smaller 9mm rounds for target fun or can switch it up to a bigger .40cal - best of both worlds.
 

DucatiSS

Member
Nov 19, 2011
369
silverunicorn said:
I think that the best bet would be to go to a dealer and actually hold the firearms to see what would be the best fit.

Thanks again! Looking forward to the new hobby!

Chris

Chris,

Step away from the gunpowder. :rotfl:



I was introduced to guns around the age of 11. I will warn you now; this hobby is the most addicting hobby that you could possibly pick up.
It has so many different disciplines with so many similarities. Black powder, or Combat Handgun, Target Handgun, small bore rifle, large bore rifle, long distance, all of the shotgun areas just to name a few. One thing that you will notice is that unlike automotive where it is lowered vs. lifted, ford vs. chevy, etc., Gun owners all find a common ground and love to talk guns. Whether I am trying to group 10 rounds into the size of a nickel at 100 yds with my AR-15, or turning clay pigeons into dust with my 12 ga., it doesn't matter. I still appreciate the guy that brings an old Springfield 1903 out and shows us how well it, and he still shoots.

Hang around the gun shop, read several magazines, and talk to other friends that shoot. Each discipline will have different guns that will work.
We do have a firearms sub-forum, so dont be afraid to ask questions. I have found that most gun owners are very willing to talk (sometimes for hours) about their hobby.

Stay safe, and keep your powder dry.
 

strat81

Member
Dec 29, 2011
399
jimmyjam said:
heres another vote for shotgun sports: trap, skeet, five stand, sporting clays. lots of fun. the pistol range is ok but gets boring IMO

Sounds like you need to get to a USPSA or IDPA match! :biggrin:
Lots of variety and movement with those games. A good club will change things up quite a bit too.


silverunicorn said:
I have been reading alot today, but I think that the best bet would be to go to a dealer and actually hold the firearms to see what would be the best fit.

Definitely! Guns are like shoes - different brands fit differently. A gun that doesn't feel good generally won't allow the shooter to reach their full potential. Try some on to see how they feel for you. For example, a Beretta 92 is way too big for my hand, but it's still an excellent pistol. CZ pistols fit my hand much better. YMMV.
 

TollKeeper

Supporting Donor
Member
Dec 3, 2011
8,047
Brighton, CO
I make a vote for the S&W MP22. Great pistol to start with, 22LR, but its the same size as its bigger cousins, just a bit lighter. S&W did a awesome job on this pistol. They are selling for about 370 dollars, new. A box of 525 hollow point rounds runs about 18 bucks.

I also agree about the 9mm. Lots of choices out there.. Althou I am very partial to Steyr. The sights on those things are better than any 3 dot set I have ever used.

A good CCW is a Bersa Thunder 380. Reliable, and tough.

Also, I would make a suggestion for a good Rifle. I dont have any recomendations here. I got lucky and bought a fully funtional bolt action Mauser on the cheap. Mounted a scope on it, and it shoots like no ones business. Rifles will teach you about your heart rate, and breathing, and how they can affect your shot.

I love my pistols and rifles..

Steyr M9A1 9mm Pistol (paid 350 new)
Ruger SR22 22LR Pistol <-- The Plinker (Paid 370 new)
Bersa Thunder 380 (paid 250 new)
1891 Argentine Mauser 7.65x54 (Paid 100 used)
 

drkhead

Member
Jun 26, 2012
45
jbones said:
Be safe and have fun.



^This hasn't changed, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Oh, I thought they replaced the word "firearms" with "cell phone" now! lol


My first experience ever shooting was an AK-74 (thats 74, NOT a typo) with no muzzle flash suppressor on full auto. 30-round clip went through within seconds. A little scary since I'd never fired a thing before, but what a thrill. This was done at a firing range for my bachelor party. They only bring out that bad boy for special parties :wink:
 

Short Bus

Member
Dec 2, 2011
1,906
If you want a lower priced option for a 9mm check out Hi-Point. They are a good range/ nightstand gun for the money. I had 1 and got my boy 1 for his first handgun bigger than a .22. The only bad thing I can say about Hi-Point is if you're left handed (my wife is) you may have problems hitting the mag release while firing causing jams (she did) You should be able to pick up a new Hi-Point C-9 for about $150 or less.

Welcome to Hi-Point Firearms!
 

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