# A few thoughts from personal experience for new shooters



## Handgun World (Oct 28, 2009)

Many people who send me emails are new shooters. That makes me smile, because you're obviously open minded and willing to learn and you're taking advantage of decent podcasts and forums geared towards shooting and self defense. So I like it when a new shooter contacts me. So I thought I would put together a few thoughts for you to consider, because just like you, I was a new handgun shooter less than 6 years ago. So here's how it all started for me.

I was (and still am) primarily in the business of home security and home automation. So needless to say, home invasions and burglaries were at the top of my list of worries. So this was a natural thing for me to be concerned about, so that's what I wanted to improve upon first. So my choice of starting with home security seemed to make the most sense area in which I live, is part of the 8th largest metropolitan area in America! So the scenario of living in the large city where I live (Dallas/Ft. Worth) got me motivated. Now, what I'm about to tell you right now, I've said quite a few times in previous shows, but I continually get emails about this. That's OK, because few people listen to every show I do. So this is what I did, because this is what the home security industry has taught me. I began by inspecting and performing routine maintenance on the locks of both my doors and windows. My home has an alarm system, so I called my monitoring company and tested my system about 5 different ways to make sure it worked like I wanted it too. I also check into how the system actually functioned.

*Now for the gun stuff...*

In addition to preparing my house for the break-in or home invasion scenario I also recognized I might need something more than a rusty old 20 gauge shotgun which was all I owned at that time. So I obtained my first handgun, a Sig P226 9mm. I kept that gun on the nightstand in a push button safe bolted to the top of the nightstand. In the house we lived in at that time, we had a HUGE walk in closet and it was easy for me and my wife and my son to hole up in there if necessary. I also purchased 200 rounds of 9mm ammo and another 50 rounds of 00Buck shotgun shells. Enough to get by until I could afford more so I could start practicing more.

I also recognized that having guns didn't mean I knew how to use them, and so I signed up for an IDPA defensive pistol match and a new shooter instruction course before the match started. I also bartered with the shooting instructor for some private lessons because I couldn't afford to pay his fee. He didn't have a home alarm system, so guess what? We made a trade. See&#8230;bartering works very well ---even these days. From that I learned some basic gun handling skills, enough to get me through a few pistol competition matches. It was IDPA, so it taught me good basic guns skill, but the class taught me about moving and shooting, shooting indoors including tactical movement, and shooting from different positions like the driver's position in a vehicle, kneeling, sitting, etc. The cost of each match was only $15 and that was something I could afford at that point. It gave me my first boost of confidence that I could actually use the gun to protect myself and my family if I had too. With one scenario off the list I could already sleep better at night, and despite the distance still to go on my road to preparedness, the first step was done.

Then I had to build my confidence, so my next step was a Defensive Pistol Course by Suarez International. This introduced me to the combatives and the more realistic self defense scenarios.

The more I got into self defense with a gun, the more I realized that my mind was also going to play a huge role in my ability to use my gun. So I did something stupid...I bought another gun. Yeah, it was stupid, I should have used that money to take another course and buy more ammo, but I didn't. Anyway, the Kimber 1911 I bought at that time was FUN. So, I connected with the FUN side of shooting again. And new shoooters, please keep this fun! Don't take it too seriously. What I mean is practice hard, train hard and become a student but remember to have fun along the way or you'll quit doing it.

Then I added another expensive Kimber to the collection, then an AK, then another shotgun, then a mousegun, then....I don't even want to talk about the rest.

Now I've come full circle, buying guns is not as important to me anymore as it once was, now I'm committed to training my mind, and using the gun as effectively as I can if I need too.

And that brings up my next point...I don't ever WANT to use it.

So for you new shooters out there, get enrolled in your first course as soon as you can, stock up on ammo, don't buy another gun...please! Listen to my shows on survival and on guns and turn your ipod or .mp3 player into a portable classroom. Frequent forums like this one and turn your computer into a College Level Firearms Classroom. Also set up a "range schedule." That's a schedule where you carve time out of your life to go the "range." Book a date with the shooting range and don't stand them up. Get out there and shoot!

Hope this helps some of you just getting started.
Shoot straight and shoot safe,

Bob


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## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

Sound Advice for all.


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## recoilguy (Apr 30, 2009)

Intersesting progression and one I am sure others are either in the midst of or can relate to. The have fun advice is parimount, or as you said without it one will loose interest. Having a lot of guns is not as important as mastering the one or ones you have. Thanks for the recap

RCG


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## cougartex (Jan 2, 2010)

Great advice. :smt023


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## twomode (Jun 7, 2009)

Looks like you posted links that were then removed. You said "listen to my shows". How and where? Thanks


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