Which pistols etc should I select to shoot at the range?

[jstert]

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offers a useful introduction to shooting. at some events 22lr firearms are provided.

proper training is essential. once upon a time many young people received firearms training in the scouts, 4h, ffa, youth or school rifle clubs.

a 22lr rifle or handgun is the way to start.

 

[Hall]

I mentioned it above about gun rentals at ranges and that someone by themself aren't allowed. Is this common for others ? I know from just two nearby ranges that this is their policy.

First time visitors are not allowed to rent a firearm if shooting alone.

To rent any firearm from Midwest Shooting Center, a shooter must be accompanied by another person. No Midwest Shooting Center rentals will be given to someone shooting alone.

 

[DuckRyder]

You better check Illinois ranges too. They may require an FOID there.

Per their FAQ at least one person shooting must have one.

 

[OVERKILL]

Personally, I recommend a revolver to new shooters. They are easier to learn on and less hazardous to everyone involved. Furthermore, they are less expensive to purchase and shoot. Once a new shooter gets plenty of experience with a revolver, then "move up" to an automatic.

I generally prefer a revolver overall, I just like the ergonomics.
I've rented several times at the range in Dallas and really like the .44 and .357 mag revolvers. If it made sense in Canada, I'd own a couple stainless Colt's in those calibres.

I think a decent sized revolver shooting .38spl would probably be a good "intro" cartridge if somebody wanted to start larger than .22LR. Big frame is easy to handle, lots of weight, so minimal recoil, and that's a pretty tame cartridge. JMHO.

I also agree with the sentiments expressed by others about lots of prep work on safety and handling WAY before a gun, with ammo, enters the picture.

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

I generally prefer a revolver overall, I just like the ergonomics.
I've rented several times at the range in Dallas and really like the .44 and .357 mag revolvers. If it made sense in Canada, I'd own a couple stainless Colt's in those calibres.

I think a decent sized revolver shooting .38spl would probably be a good "intro" cartridge if somebody wanted to start larger than .22LR. Big frame is easy to handle, lots of weight, so minimal recoil, and that's a pretty tame cartridge. JMHO.

I also agree with the sentiments expressed by others about lots of prep work on safety and handling WAY before a gun, with ammo, enters the picture.

View attachment 156079

@OVERKILL is that a S&W 686?

Also. Hmmm...

• IndyArms Company
• 2550 East 55th Street
  Indianapolis 46220

That is @dnewton3 neck of the woods, I believe. ....

From what I'm reading, I can sign - maybe even e-sign - this, and perhaps this is the place. https://waiver.smartwaiver.com/w/5589b9a32270a/web/

@Astro14 I'm waiting on a reply back from Right On Target but based on what I'm reading, I already know the answer. I'll check out this place IndyArms hour of operation (you know I love me some Indiana.) and maybe that's the move. Friday morning.......

As an aside, this thread has been GREAT and much appreciated how the focus is on safety. I've pulled the trigger... heh. Well. Okay yeah even then, let's just say I've fired a live round exactly twice, once in my teens and once in my 20s, the first was likely from this (on the bottom. I don't like to talk about it so I won't.. there's your .22 right there..)

..and the second time was some random Smith and Wesson 9mm. That one had a "long trigger pull" as well. I really don't remember the details, except that that particular shot and situation was 100% illegal. And it was probably newer than a 1955 model. lol.

But now.. Being a little older, and a little wiser, and about to enter into a new chapter in my life, namely Chapter 41... this is something I would like to do, and respecting a firearm has never been an issue with me. Ruminations aside, a Lee Greenwood song comes to mind and I don't think there has been any bad info in this thread.

I'll check out the hours on that range and see if this will work. I appreciate all of the information. And yes, I have always known to treat every firearm like it is loaded. I will NOT be the one to be at a place like this and act like a jackals. Never. That's just not what I'm about. I'm not an active shooter or anything like that but I know how fortunate I am to even be talking about anything like this at all.. and I've also never been "afraid" of firearms. Some find that weird but. Hey.

Alright that's all I have for now. Maybe the Indy place will work.

The four rules to memorize. I can paraphrase two instantly:

1. Treat every weapon as if it is "hot" and loaded.

2. Keep it pointed it in a neutral direction, never at anyone. I read some range rules... says you are never supposed to hand or attempt to hand anyone a weapon, you put it on the table unloaded and let the other person walk up to it. I did not know that. I'll continue reading.

And to keep finger out of trigger guard. That to me is something always present in my mind.. people look for that.

4 Primary Rules of Firearm Safety

• Always Keep Firearm Pointed in a Safe direction. Never point your gun at anything you do not intend to shoot. ...
• Treat All Guns as Though They are Loaded. ...
• Keep Your Finger Off the Trigger until You are Ready to Shoot. ...
• Always Be Sure of Your Target and What's Beyond It.

 

[Hall]

As an aside, this thread has been GREAT and much appreciated

Who is going with you ?

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

Who is going with you ?

This time around, it looks like it won't be possible to go "with someone."

I may be able to do an hour of a one on one private lesson/instruction at one of the ranges. I received a response back yesterday. I may get an answer on that today. That could work. I should know today.

 

[JHZR2]

This time around, it looks like it won't be possible to go "with someone."

I may be able to do an hour of a one on one private lesson/instruction at one of the ranges. I received a response back yesterday. I may get an answer on that today. That could work. I should know today.

Glad to see you’re trying to take advice to take a starter course. That’s the right move. Hope it works out.

IME different ranges have different rules. The purchase of ammo may be a consideration but if you’re taking a class I guess you’re not really buying ammo, it’s being provided. I’ve seen ranges even in NJ that advertise that you can shoot even if you never have before. Generally the ranges that try to get more folks interested instead of turning folks away.

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

Glad to see you’re trying to take advice to take a starter course. That’s the right move. Hope it works out.

IME different ranges have different rules. The purchase of ammo may be a consideration but if you’re taking a class I guess you’re not really buying ammo, it’s being provided. I’ve seen ranges even in NJ that advertise that you can shoot even if you never have before. Generally the ranges that try to get more folks interested instead of turning folks away.

I'm hoping I can continue the e-mail communication with the range that is literally willing to do a two-hour one on one with me and put my ETA at the Manteno event right in the middle of the Meet And Greet. I think that will carry over into dinner, anyways. If I can get them to push their suggested and offered time frame of 12-2 back even one hour.. I should be good on time.

And. Sure enough.. I'm in there! 11am-1pm.

I will be shooting Friday morning!!!! I hope everyone knows, I'm listening. I'll be receiving one on one instruction... the Right On Target just might not work out. And they are only open until 8 and our dinner concludes at 7.. Yes, safety first and I'll talk about the shooting with the instructor, ask them to show me good grip etc, and they only want 45 bucks.

 

[Jim K]

Try this one , it`s not very expensive .

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

Oh man.

Glock 44....

@jstert I had a 1 on 1 2 hour course with the instructor and it lasted for almost 3 hours because we had such a good connection. He shared the trick about angling the front down and cutting off the front site on a clock I know I might not be explaining it correctly but when I started angling it down slightly to focus on the front sight I started key holding shots near the end it was amazing.

We talked about all the bad habits you see on TV like the CSI Miami hold... I learned in depth what limp resting was.. He basically said I was key holding shots within 60 rounds. If I had more time and probably more money I would have stayed longer.

This is going down as one of the most excellent weekends of my life and I don't want to talk too much off topic butI really like the experience I'm going to give that particular business a glowing 5 star review once things settle down. I'm not even a 100% sure about what to leave in and what to leave out except that The Choice of glock 44 was made for me andEverything went very smoothly and honestly I'm not really sure any way that it could have possibly gone any better except for more rounds and more time even though he gave me extra rounds because I did so well and we got along so well. Right thumb over left, web of hand up to beaver tail, left gripping trigger guard....

 

[jstert]

Oh man.

Glock 44....

View attachment 156814

excellent start…and with a 22lr firearm. was this fine result on your own or did you receive some instruction?

stay with it. don’t let anyone dissuade you from shooting 22lr awhile. try several then purchase a 22lr semiauto pistol. i don’t have any glocks but a g44 is certainly a fine choice and is a low-impact entry into glock-world. get some instruction, the nra basic pistol course is a decent starter, and “become one” with your firearm. put a couple thousand rounds through it (relatively cheap and easy with 22lr), fieldstrip and clean it often. finally, please support our precious 2a.

 

[SaberOne]

I’m advocate for .22 in order to learn the basics. In fact, I recommend a revolver because they’re easy to learn and hard to forget. Most any reputable gun shop offers a variety of classes, and some have an indoor range. The person assigned as the range master can help you out.
—Random sample, although I wouldn’t recommend using a laser in the beginning.

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

Well done. Shooting for the first time should NOT be done alone and no one should expect the range staff to show them how to do it properly. My range requires any guest shooters to sit through a safety course before they are allowed to rent and shoot anything. But the distinction is that it's a safety course, not a 'how to shoot' course. You did well to have one-on-one instruction.

The Glock 44 was a good choice because it's a small caliber in a VERY popular handgun like a Glock. In the 44's case it's exactly the same size and functions the same as the popular Glock 19 in 9mm.

People shoot for different reasons. Personally, I just enjoy the process. I also find 9mm a lot more satisfying to shoot than 22lr.

 

[JHZR2]

excellent start…and with a 22lr firearm. was this fine result on your own or did you receive some instruction?

stay with it. don’t let anyone dissuade you from shooting 22lr awhile. try several then purchase a 22lr semiauto pistol. i don’t have any glocks but a g44 is certainly a fine choice and is a low-impact entry into glock-world. get some instruction, the nra basic pistol course is a decent starter, and “become one” with your firearm. put a couple thousand rounds through it (relatively cheap and easy with 22lr), fieldstrip and clean it often. finally, please support our precious 2a.

He said he had 2+ hours of instruction. Sounds like this range was a good place and good choice.

I’m glad he listened to advice. And it worked out well.

 

[jstert]

He said he had 2+ hours of instruction. Sounds like this range was a good place and good choice.

I’m glad he listened to advice. And it worked out well.

i believe that he edited his post, after i posted mine, to add the instruction bit. or i’m more senile than i guessed. whatever. as you wrote, this is a happy story. slow car sport mode did really well!

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

i believe that he edited his post, after i posted mine, to add the instruction bit. or i’m more senile than i guessed. whatever. as you wrote, this is a happy story. slow car sport mode did really well!

I really had a GREAT time shooting. I can tell you, I've never seen .22 bullets (rounds) like that before. (I am aware they are extremely common. I am demonstrating that I could say Ive never quite seen those and not be pulling anyones leg. Maybe .22 Magnum in a magazine.. first time seeing .22 that small. But I repeat myself.) I could have went off on a tangent about .22s and how the ones I've "dealt with" (once) before was (probably) a .22 Magnum as they were definitely larger than those shot out of the Glock 44.. but, I had a great time and all was OK.

Some notes:

1. I got better shots when the gun was "slightly tilted down." About mid-way through my 60 shots.... I stopped, I told my instructor, "I focus on the front sight, everything else gets blurry, that's good, I take the shots, then I lose the focus and I don't really know what I'm shooting at so I didn't take the shot." He then gave me the advice of "cut the front sight down some" or basically said to tilt the gun down a little so the front sight is lower or something to that effect, I may not be explaining it the best but.. even with not perfect focusing (my eyes not yet trained. He said that is normal,) I got really good shots the last half. The first half is where you saw my shot grouping in the 9. I still never put a shot outside of the 9 even on my worst shots, however I was really starting to get comfortable with it near the end. Even operating the trigger a little faster. Instructor mentioned something about the barrel "on these" before he gave me that tip.

So it doesn't appear I was shooting "high and left," I had a span of 60 rounds to get a good technique and again, for a first tike shooter, yes I am pleased with my performance... I might be a naturally good shot. Now. Moving on...

2. I sure could have spent an hour or two there......

3. So. That was a Glock 44. How much different does a 9mm feel? And is Glock 44 frame really a Glock 19 frame chambered in .22? I rather liked it.

4. Stance. Not 100% but. It was as you'd expect, all you experienced shooters.. Feet shoulder width apart which means spread them a little further apart than normal, lean forward, arms in an Isosceles triangle.. Head down, raise them and eyes up to the sights..

5. Grip. Three fingers right hand over the grip. Trigger finger outside trigger guard. Thumb up to the beaver tail. Left hand: four fingers down, over the right hand, up to the bottom of trigger guard (now I know why it is there) thumb on left of frame.

I might be forgetting some (they are LOUD!!!! I don't think I jumped though. Active noise canceling headphones work well but sometimes make it impossible to hear words in a sentence from instructor...) .. cleared some jams, no stovepipes thankfully...

I would absolutely do that again.

My friend in Illinois thinks I should have no problem shooting out there either.. some say you need FOID card and I'm not sure if they would even offer single person the waiver... Indiana range in Carmel said they don't let those with an Illinois ID shoot.. is that "don't" or "can't" (as in, by law, Illinois ID holders can't shoot in Indiana?)
Thanks for letting me bring the end result to fruition, and not reaching a premature conclusion that I was just making a thread for things I would never do. You can clearly see from some of my replies I've never shot at a range before.. never shot before, really, but now back on point. I was not offered a chance of gun to shoot. You all know I thought I would be. It was not a revolver though I learned the basics.. "Hammer down" is normal double-action and puts pressure on trigger for "normal" shooting.. "Hammer back" is dingle action and gives it a hare trigger. Did not shoot revolver. So "Hammer down" is the hammer "up" or "forward"... I just hope I'm not offending the seasoned and professional shooters too bad.

@Astro14 let's chat sometime

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

3. So. That was a Glock 44. How much different does a 9mm feel? And is Glock 44 frame really a Glock 19 frame chambered in .22? I rather liked it.

More or less. The slides and some guts are different but I believe the point of the G44 is just to have a G19 companion that shoots 22lr. 22lr pistols are generally range plinkers so they have longer barrels, different ergos, etc, different that what a compact 9mm like the G19 has. It could be seen as a training pistol for someone wanting to carry someday.

GLOCK 44

The G44 is the ideal pistol to start or enhance your shooting experience.

us.glock.com

G19 Gen5 FS - The next generation

The GLOCK 19 Gen5 FS pistol in 9 mm Luger is ideal for a more versatile role due to its reduced dimensions.

us.glock.com

9mm will obviously have a bit more snap to it but it's by no means uncomfortable to shoot or difficult to control. That's why it's so popular.

 

[Hall]

How much different does a 9mm feel?

It will feel different. Stick with a full-size (at first) because a compact or sub-compact will have more of a thump (less mass to absorb the recoil). Took our teen daughter last Friday for the first time (she's never shot anything) and she tried our compact 9mm but didn't like it, at least compared to the full-size. It even sounds different with the same bullets.

Grip

Once our daughter adjusted her grip properly (she was holding too loosely), her accuracy improved a lot. She texted my wife on the way home "I was shooting as good as Dad and I've never shot a gun before!".

 

[nomas]

Personally, I recommend a revolver to new shooters. They are easier to learn on and less hazardous to everyone involved. Furthermore, they are less expensive to purchase and shoot. Once a new shooter gets plenty of experience with a revolver, then "move up" to an automatic.

Less expensive to purchase and shoot ? Maybe if you buy a Wrangler or a Heritage . Centerfire revolvers are pricey .