path to success

Novice Shooters

“Times, they are a changing” that is one of the expressions that reminds me of what I hear from new students all the time.  They never felt fearful enough to have a gun in the house let alone carry one until recently.  Unfortunately many people don’t understand the level of commitment needed to obtain the skills necessary to safely and proficiently use a gun in self-defense. 

In this article I am going to lay out a simple “road map” on how I would help someone get to the point of being skilled enough with a firearm to defend themselves.   There are many paths people can choose and this is by no means a one size fits all plan, but it is a general description of how a person could achieve that proficiency.  

If you are getting a gun for self-defense then I am assuming that you have come to the realization that there is some threat that makes you want to have a gun.  So the question becomes “how serious do you consider the threat?” and “how serious are you about winning the deadly conflict?”     

Having a gun for self-defense it not a trivial matter.  You have a responsibility to use that gun safely.  If you are using it to defend your family then you have a responsibility to be proficient.  Too many people I believe take a caviler attitude when deciding to buy a gun for self-defense. They buy the gun and never touch it again and falsely believe that they will be able to use the gun in an emergency.  

The approach that I am laying out is a combination of training, practice and competition that I believe will help a brand new shooter develop and maintain many of the needed skills to come out on top of a bad situation.   A quick overview is: 

  • Take a Basic Pistol Class - gives a great foundation 

  • Complete the NRA Marksmanship Program - This gives a comfort level and a proficiency  

  • Complete the Gun selection class - Helps you select your gun after you understand how to shoot 

  • Complete the USCCA Concealed Carry Fundamentals Class - learn legal and mechanics 

  • Complete a Refuse To Be  Victim Class - learn how to better avoid conflicts (can be taken any time) 

NRA Basic pistol class

Training!  Again assuming that you have had no formal training, I recommend that you start off with an NRA Basic Pistol class.  These are classes that assume you have never seen a firearm before and help you with the fundamentals.   

I can offer the class for you or you can go to the NRA Course Finder web site and search for a course in your area. On this web site you can search for the class you want within a particular distance from your home. 

NRA marksmanship program

Just because you complete the training, doesn’t give you the experience needed to be comfortable and proficient.  To give an example, if you have ever gotten your driver’s license, remember how uncomfortable/nervous you were when you first got your license?  Now after years of driving it is second nature.   Do you think that you could have been successful in a NASCAR race just after getting your license?  Probably not!  It takes practice and experience! 

You can go to the range and practice which is an excellent idea, but your practice should have some structure to it.  I cannot overstate the benefit of the NRA Marksmanship program to help you in this area.  The Marksmanship program walks you through increasing levels of difficulty, each with its own certification requirements.  The average person may take about 8 hours of shooting or so to complete the qualification. The program is a self-paced program and only requires a NRA member as a witness for the final level, Distinguished Expert. 

The program requires a fair amount of repetition which is exactly what a new shooter needs.  The new shooter needs to start to develop their skills they learned in class and gain “muscle memory”.  This program allows you to do that in a structured way.  It then forces you to do things like shoot with your weak hand.   I would recommend completing the NRA Handgun qualification and earning your Distinguished Expert before going to the Personal Protection Inside the home course.   

You can do this on your own or I can provide personal coaching lessons going over the details.  The qualification will have you shooting two hands both strong and weak side, as well as shooting one handed strong and weak side for time and accuracy. 

Gun selection class

Looking for a new gun but don’t know where to being?  Overwhelmed when you walk into a gun store or gun show?  This course is for you. It is like a wine tasting but we review guns vs wine! This walks you through over 20 firearms to included shooting them and then I help you chose your ideal firearm.  

United States concealed carry association (USCCA) - Concealed carry fundamentals

USCCA Concealed Course is a course to focus on personal protection while carrying a firearm.  The course is a guide to understanding how to develop a personal and home protection plan; self-defense firearm basics; defensive shooting fundamentals; the legal use of force; violent encounters and their aftermath; gear and gadgets; and basic and advance skills.  This is completed typically in one day. 

The hands-on practical session will teach you to draw from the holster (concealed), reloads, malfunction clearing and more.  This class will evaluate your concealed carry gear and provide recommends if needed. Specific training modules of a state-of-the-art simulator will be utilized that to improve your skills to include point shooting.  Simulation also involves Video Scenario Trainer which uses real video and will covers scenarios involving automobiles, walking into businesses, using ATMs and more!  It is interactive and records shots for analysis afterward.  Simulations will reinforce the information learned in the USCCA Concealed Carry Fundamentals Course.  

NRA refuse to be a victim

This is a non-firearm related class that focuses on personal strategy to avoiding bad situations or if you can’t avoid them and how to increase your chances of survival. Discussion centers around how to make your home a harder target, how to improve your safety when out walking, driving, or flying as well as how to reduce your cyber vulnerability etc.  Also covered are non-firearm related self-defense options.  This is a fantastic class!  There is a new College Student version as well. 

summary

There are many options that you can explore to help you get started on your journey.  Every person and their situation are different and there is no right or wrong answer.  I look forward to answering questions and being your guide to achieving whatever it is you would like to do!