New Shooterse Range Day

To contact us Click HERE

RIA tactical 1911 in 9mm and Ruger Mk II KMK512

Before hurricane Sandy took hold, I was able to get in a range day and introduce a pair of new shooters to the sport of handgunning. The day started off as all days do for me when new shooters are involved. A briefing is conducted prior to arrival at the range with safety rules, proper gun handling etiquette, and a brief Q&A period. It is paramount for people to have a firm grasp of basic concepts long before any guns are introduced.

explaining the safety features of a series 70 RIA 1911 in 9mm

For this particular range visit, I brought along my RIA Tac in 9mm, my American Classic II in 45acp, and my Ruger Mk II.

We were shooting at my Targetsfromus.com jack target. I'm not sure what happened to the company, but they are GONE from the internet. Their webstore, social networking, and forum sponsorships are all gone. No idea what happened there. It is a shame, as their targets are awesome.

I encourage all new shooters to start with a 22lr. It is my opinion that the best way to introduce a gun enthusiast to our sport is with the heaviest, largest, 22lr gun that they can reasonably hoist into a proper shooting stance. I think that instilling solid fundamentals is much easier with such a platform, and I encourage gun owners to keep at least 1 solid 22lr pistol in their stable that fits the above requirements.

3 inch shooting jack in 1/2 inch AR500 steel

Browning buckmarks, Ruger 22/45s, Mk series, or Sp101 series guns fit the bill very well. Even the  S&W22a or Beretta Neos series can be good in this category. The main thing is to get a full sized 22 with at least a 4inch barrel. With those characteristics met, any person who can follow reasonable instruction will reliably be able to hit a 3 inch disk at 10 yards in no time.

It was a fun an uneventful outing with nothing in particular to report. The RIA tac broke 800 rounds, and in general a great day was had.

When I finally did take the line, I tried some target transitions, getting off the X for the first shot, and a bit of longer range stuff. I find that if you orientate the shooting jack so the top face is turned 90 degrees away from the shooter, the two bottom feet are well squared up, and serve as a handy / reactive target that doesn't walk away from you as much, and allows you to work the targets quickly back and forth.

All in all, another great range day. Try to take a new shooter out with you next time you go. Nothing helps the learning process like teaching, and good company make for a much improved shooting experience.