I had the chance to interduce a couple young men to handgun shooting.

Having a limited amount of time.

I started them shooting a Ruger single six 22lr worked them up to firing a single round of 460S@W.

In between we shot 38spl, 40S@W and some 1000fps 44mags.

They both had a great time.

That's great. Getting new shooters interested in the sport is very important. And I have noticed over the years that EVERY new shooter has discovered that they really love it once introduced.

I just did the same thing with a lady at the office that recently lost her husband. But I left the .44's and .500 at home for that class....
She's excited to buy her own gun and take some more classes now.

That's good + you're right to start her off on something with low recoil. Too many guys try to be macho + bring out the bigger stuff + all that really is achieved is scaring off a new shooter. That was not the point.

These were young men 18 and 20.

After many rounds of 22 38 and light 44mags.

They were talking about hand cannons.

I said I had something that comes close.

After proper instruction They fired one round each.

After having instructed many over 40 years I think I am a fairly good judge of students.

I am a firm believer in not over whelming a new shooter.

It is far to easy to destroy a new shooter desires by to much to soon.

They left wanting more.

You're right + that's what we want to see. Over the years I have brought folks into the fraternity that had been indoctrinated their whole lives on the EVIL of guns + once they actually experienced the shooting sports couldn't believe how much fun it really was. Keep up the good work.

I've had many guy's sons, daughters and friends over to my range for their first crack at firearms. Lots of fun. Safety is the primary focus, but shooting gongs and spinners sure gets them fired up :-)

I start with revolvers and single-loaded rifles just for safety safe.

I totally agree. I always started my boys on a single shot 22 rifle.

P dog, congratulations on "doing the Lord's work" on behalf of handgunners.

Bill, along the same lines; I always had a problem with Hillary's idea of it takes a village to raise a child. NO village will raise my children, WE don't want their ideals. However, I do find great solice when elder shooters take new ones under their wing. Perhaps it's the same thing from opposites, but I don't think so. We are giving them hope through a grand experience of fun shooting while the socialists are only asking (sorry, demanding their way) Sounds like a 3 year old in a tantrum, doesn't it?Sorry, got off base for a moment but it really is a public service + a Christian duty to pass along what you know. I debated deleting the "Christian" part but it is true + I don't deny my beliefes.

Amen

Back about 25 years ago I was spending 3 or 4 evenings a week burning up 300-500 plinker loads in my 6" k-38 at he indoor 50' range each evening.

At the time I was sitting in the lobby visiting as the range was full.

Larry, a good buddy RO brought a crying lovely young lady to me. "George she needs help, got scared from her first shot, I'm too busy with young kids now".

She had joined the Peace Corp and was headed to Bosnia in 3 weeks and needed to learn how to shoot.
She'd bought a snubby hammer type Taurus I think it was. The A/H salesman sold her a box of heavy slug 357 mags and sent her on the way. She had never fired a gun before.

We talked, then I got hers and my K-38 out to compare. I hadn't shot a snubby much then. Told her I wouldn't want to shoot those hot loads in that tiny gun either.

Got her to dry firing and working with both. Explained most of training was supposed to start off with light loads which I had several hundred with me.

Once she felt comfortable with them and me. We went in with things. She didn't want to shoot. "show me" "fine, come up here and watch".

I fired a dozen in the K, she felt ok seeing it was just a popgun load: 3.5gr Red Dot and 147gr SWC cast. Started with the bigger gun and liked it, got over being scared of it. After about 50 shots she was ready for her snubby.
Again: "show me". I shot a cyl full to show it wasn't going to hurt her either. I had a 3# coffee can mostly full to start with so we had lots of ammo for her to burn up at no cost. She couldn't believe I'd let her shoot all that and not charge for them.

We stayed til the place just about closed up with her shooting. She must have fired close to 300 rounds and was hitting the target even at 50 feet quite well. All I fired that night was those to show her. Otherwise I sat on a stool watching and giving assistance as she asked for it.

I gave her the rest of the ammo I had along and just asked for the empty brass to come back. We met again the next week for more. Something came up that I didn't get back with her again.
Have never seen her since.

About two months later I was there and her dad came in with the brass and just a few shells left. He was all over me with appreciation for helping the girl and she was doing just fine already in Bosnia. He'd gone with her to the gun store to chew ass and made them trade the 49 mag shells for 2 boxes of common .38's as I'd told her to do.

That's one of my proudest shooting sessions ever. Another, I taught my first wife to shoot and bought her a brit 303. we both shot our deer at the same time. Her's was one shot kill, I had to finish mine up as it jumped the shot when I delayed a half second. Later she did the same on 6 more deer. One shot each.

George