Did you know that 30% of Americans own a firearm?
Whether you own a gun for self-defense, sport, or recreation, time spent at the range is time spent honing your skills. Each year, the best shooters rack up hundreds of hours in drill and range time.
If you’re heading to the shooting range for the first time, it pays to familiarize yourself with a few fundamentals of gun handling and control beforehand. That way, you have the best possible start as a gun owner.
Read on to for our top 5 shooting range tips.
1. Practice Safe Gun Handling
Safe and effective gun handling is essential at any registered range. Once you know how to shoot safely, you will be prepared to practice.
When practicing at the range, you must always:
- Treat every gun as if it is loaded
- Keep your finger off the trigger unless firing
- Point your firearm in a safe direction
- Check your backstop
- Be sure of your target
By following these basic principles, you will be equipped to hone your skills at any good gun range.
2. Buddy Up
Even after passing a fundamentals course, your basic knowledge will be well supplemented by an experienced shooter.
As such, you should seek out a buddy with better firearms training than yourself. While you may have basic gun safety and handling mastered, an experienced shooter can help by guiding you in the right direction at the range.
Choose a buddy who is both experienced and disciplined, and watch as you pick up myriad good habits.
3. Choose the Best Range
Depending on your skill level, there are many different ranges available.
If you are unconfident and need a little extra support, why not join a beginner’s course? That way, you will have all the guidance you need to become a trained shooter.
4. Start Small
In order to perfect accuracy and form, you’re advised to start with a smaller and more manageable firearm.
Learning how to shoot takes time and patience. Therefore, a weapon with a lower recoil and ammo class is better for first-time shooters. 22. caliber, 9mm, and 38. caliber rounds are ideal for your first trip to the range.
Maximize control and manageability by using a large weapon with low-caliber ammunition. That way, you’ll be able to put shots on target without excessive kickback getting in the way of your first bullseye.
5. Practice Makes Perfect
The key to accurately shooting a gun is methodical practice. The more time you spend at the range, the after your draw, acquisition, and shot will become.
If you want to accelerate your prowess as a marksman, you should consider investing in a short saddle monomount. The feedback from digital scopes will help you hone your skills and record more accurate hit rates.
New to the Shooting Range?
So, that’s the 101 on how to approach your first trio to the shooting range.
By following our helpful guide, your first trip to the range will prove a gateway into proficient and accurate marksmanship.
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