How many new shooters have you trained?

[scotty99]

As I'm getting ready to take two new shooters to the range today, I wondered how many of you out there have done the same over the past year or so? Both my friends today are new AR owners, and both bought an AR as their first gun. Both are self-employed professionals in their early 50s.

The last new shooter I trained was my boss, who became a new gun owner at 59 years old last year. I have two women from my office, one in her 50s and one in her 40s waiting for me to teach them. The younger of the two has been an avid anti-gunner all her life, and completely changed her mind in the aftermath of Sandy Hook.

I taught many of my son's friends to shoot, which seemed completely normal. Given the fairly small number of people I know, it surprised me that so many of them are becoming gun owners relatively late in life. Are many of you seeing the same thing?

[desertexplore]

About 5.

[Supertac916]

In the last year probably 15. Going to the range today with 5 guys I've taken out over the last few years, but recently started buying guns. I've probably gotten literally hundreds into the hobby over the last decade.

[vliberatore]

3, all under the age of 22, and one is a liberal

[TeddyBallgame]

I won't actually say I've "trained" them, but, i've been known to take some of my son's friends along on some of our range visits...they have little or no prior gun experience...before I let them shoot, usually in the car on the way, I'll go over every aspect of gun safety, what I expect while they are handling the firearm, plus, whatever gun range rules they are going to need to be aware of

I'll go over the correct way to check the firearm, using the 4 basic firearm rules..I'm more concerned with them learning from the start about gun safety and respecting how they handle the firearm in the presence of others

I don't care how well they shoot, might offer a few tips, but, for the most part I think that will come in due time...so, i've probably done that with about 4 kids, and, I know for sure that 3 or them never had prior gun experience...the other one is the son of a deputy sheriff

He says that I tell him the same things his dad already talked to him about, so, I guess we're all on the same page

[diveRN]

As above, I can't say that I "trained" them per se, but if you count teaching the 4 rules, gun familiarization, and basic marksmanship, then I've trained exactly 5. Four out of the five were family members.

[Czsp-01-9mm]

Just started my 5 year old nephew on a BB gun

[Fritz265]

About 4000. I was a Marine Corps PMI : ). Does that count?

[den888]

3-4 old friends, who now love guns!

[nrvnqsrxk]

Training requires an innate desire to improve and the drive to continually strive for perfection. Unfortunately, this desire is very rare. But I have taken a couple of people who have never shot before and got them hooked.

[Capybara]

Since I received my NRA Shotgun Instructor Certification last month, I have trained 36 new shooters, most had never even shot a gun. My goal is to hit 200 by the end of the year ;-)

[maddoggie13]

This year...4.

[bob7122]

7 friends, but all libertarian.

[cmichini]

Two this year so far.
One from Jersey.
I too focus on safety and never use silhouette targets during their introduction sessions.

[Full Clip]

Over the years, I've taken about 18-20 new shooters to the range. Most recently, a friend from England (resident alien) and a friend visiting from across the pond. The friend turned out to be a pretty good shot, too.

[S470FM]

I have taken 2, one is my cousin who I refuse to take to the range anymore bc he thinks he's "gangsta" and it's embarrassing. the other feller was a guy from work who was into RC cars and had been the victim of a senseless shooting, he's been shot 3 times with a 38.

[TheThousands]

I would say about 11 people so far. This isn't counting my family members.

[voiceofreason]

I've turned almost 30 antis.

red dot on a .22 rifle...

a 30 minute safety briefing BEFORE hitting the range

I pay for a brick for them to play with...

even if they're not pro-gun, they aren't anti-gun after as they realize that guns are just inanimate objects that don't go off by themselves

[joea]

One, my son.

[RangemasterP226]

100s

But I am a police academy firearms instructor.

Love teaching new shooters, especially the ones who have never pulled a trigger.

[cpatbay]

I brought 10 to the range ...

[BIGDJG]

2 last year and 2 so far this year, I wouldn't call myself a trainer, but all the people I have taken have had a great experience.

[j411701]

100s
I am involved with junior program, Woman on Target and other out reach programs.

[prometa]

Guess I'm the contrarian.

Zero for me. Why? Because I don't have any formal training on how to instruct. Studies have shown that motorcyclists who are 'trained' by friends are more likely to injure themselves than motorcyclists who get no training at all! Of course, those with formal training are much less likely to get hurt.

I see no reason why a similar principle wouldn't apply to shooting. I happily bring someone to the range and get them in a new shooters class, after which they can join me at the range, but I don't train new shooters.

[Divernhunter]

More than I can remember.
The one I do remember most is my daughter who started shooting at 4.5 years old. She still shoots and hunts now and she is 21 years old.

[scotty99]

Originally Posted by voiceofreason

I've turned almost 30 antis.

red dot on a .22 rifle...

a 30 minute safety briefing BEFORE hitting the range

I pay for a brick for them to play with...

even if they're not pro-gun, they aren't anti-gun after as they realize that guns are just inanimate objects that don't go off by themselves

We need more like you. Well done.

[scotty99]

Originally Posted by prometa

Guess I'm the contrarian.

Zero for me. Why? Because I don't have any formal training on how to instruct. Studies have shown that motorcyclists who are 'trained' by friends are more likely to injure themselves than motorcyclists who get no training at all! Of course, those with formal training are much less likely to get hurt.

I see no reason why a similar principle wouldn't apply to shooting. I happily bring someone to the range and get them in a new shooters class, after which they can join me at the range, but I don't train new shooters.

Some of you may be using the word "train" more literally than I intended. Perhaps let's say "introduced" to shooting as a more accurate description of what I was thinking.

[bslaney]

I've trained around 10, with 7 of them being in an NRA basic safety class. The other 3 were friends of mine I went through a full overview of the basic safety rules and safe handling before taking them to the range.

[ar15barrels]

Probably over 100.
I do help run a precision rifle club that puts on new shooter clinics though.
Do I get to count those?

[IntoForever]

Started with 4 today on pistols and will continue with rifle and shotgun in the next couple of weeks, and have 5 more earlier this year. I'm only counting new shooters who've never fired a shot before.
I've worked with at least 30 friends to improve their skills.
I'm volunteering with WOT and can't wait to start!!!

[Mullins]

So far just my brother in-law and a close friend.

[vonderplatz]

Training would be a bit of a stretch unless you are talking about my kids and wife. In that case it would be 5.

[Twystd1]

100s. On my dime.

I do it just to watch the epiphany they get at the end of the day.

I carry that smile with me everywhere I go.

T

[Arondos]

Had three of us take a whole group form work to the range. About 10.
Finally got my wife to go shoot and now she wants her own 1911...

[Merc1138]

Trained? 0

Introduced, reintroduced, or converted antis? Dozen maybe?

I'm not going to claim to have trained anyone. I'm not an instructor. Now teaching safety, operation, some basics that I've learned from here or there? Sure.

[TeddyBallgame]

Originally Posted by RangemasterP226

100s

But I am a police academy firearms instructor.

Love teaching new shooters, especially the ones who have never pulled a trigger.

I have a question for you...as a police academy instructor, how does it make you feel when you read about some of the police actions, like during the Dorner search, shooting at innocent people, without real cause

As an instructor, would you have any insight on how or why that could happen, based on the training? It would be great to hear a view from someone who is actually teaching cadets the purview of law enforcement

not trying to hijack the thread, but, when I read your post it was the first thing I thought of

[GREASY357]

5 and counting