A couple people had expressed interest in this topic, and I have a bit of extra time for a couple days, so here goes:
Bona fides: I am a former infantry NCO and sniper, hunter, competitive shooter, reloader, hobby gunsmith, sometimes firearms trainer and currently work in a gun shop, mostly on the paperwork/compliance side. Back in the day, was a qualified expert with every standard small arm in the US inventory circa 2003 (M2, 4, 9, 16, 19, 249, 240B, 21, 24, 82 etc.), and today hang around the 75th percentile of USPSA classifications. I've shot Cap-and-Ball, Trap and Sporting Clays badly; Bullseye and PRS somewhat better and IDPA/USPSA/UML/Two-gun with some local success. Been active in the 2A community since the mid-90s, got my first instructor cert in high school, and have held a CPL for almost twenty years now.
I certainly don't claim to be an expert in every aspect of firearms, there's huge areas that escape my knowledge base, but if you've got questions I'll do my best to answer.
Technical questions
Gun control proposals for feasibility
Industry
Training
Wacky opinions
General geekery
Some competition links (not my own) just for the interested.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=U5IhsWamaLY&t=173
https://youtube.com/watch?v=93nEEINflXE
https://youtube.com/watch?v=utcky0zq10E
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
Notes -
That's a lot of questions! I'll break this up a bit and start with the first ones.
There's lots of resources out there, I'll recommend HumbleMarksman's youtube channel, especially his early technique videos before he started getting free guns all the time (lucky bitch!). There's any number of books and programs, I've used five or six, but I think the best currently is Ben Stoeger's Practical Shooting Training. It has different sections with clear standards based on how deep down the rabbit hole you want to go.
One big thing: Training pistol is 90% dry fire. For every minute you spend on the range burning expensive ammunition, you should be spending nine at home, with a carefully cleared and safe firearm, dry firing. It's free, it's easy, it's pretty boring, sometimes frustrating. It's also how you get gud.
As to the ethics of your LGS, I couldn't possibly say. Can you hold a group the size of your spread hand at ten yards? If so, you're doing well for a newb.
More options
Context Copy link