I am interested in purchasing a gun and learning to shoot....?

Start with a good .22 caliber pistol. A semi-automatic pistol is a lot of fun to shoot, and the recoil is very minimal. If you've never fired a gun before, they are excellent for learning the fundamentals of marksmanship and more importantly, gun safety. Check at local gun shops and take a look at as many different guns so you can find one that you're comfortable with that is within the amount of money you wish to spend. Then find a local range where you can fire it safely. I highly recommend that you take a gun safety course also and check your local and state laws regarding the purchase, ownership and use of handguns.

Nicky, you did get some crazy answers today....ignore them and listen to the good advice you have received so far.

While hunter safety courses do cover firearms, you really want a basic firearms safety course instead. Check local ranges, gun shops and even some community colleges.....ask who has the best basic firearms and handgun classes.

The ideal "first gun" has been the ideal first gun for many generations...the .22LR.

Either in a pistol or rifle, it is easy to handle for beginners, the guns are smaller and more affordable and ammo is so cheap that you can shoot a few hundred rounds and hardly spend $10.....and shooting a lot means good practice.

Now, I'd recommend a .22 rifle for a novice, but if a handgun is what you want, there are plenty of .22 revolvers and pistols that fit the bill.

For a .22 revolver, the Ruger Bearcat and Taurus M. 94 would be good choices and affordable.

For .22 pistols, the Ruger Mark is the king of this group, but also look at the Brownings and the S&W Mod 22A are good choices.

All of these have a price tag of around $300, some less, and that's why I picked them. Not a dog in the lot and any one will serve you well.

Good luck, be safe and happy shooting!

For target shooting, I would probably start with something simple, like a .22 revolver, unless you'd like a semiauto. Those are nice too. Almost no recoil, and extremely fun to shoot. You can poke holes in paper all day for just a little cash, as .22 is the least expensive loaded ammo you'll find.

If you'd like something that might be put into use as a home defense pistol, my wife is quite pleased with her Ruger GP100, in .357 Magnum. The lovely thing about that, the pistol will happily shoot the lower recoil (and less expensive) .38 Special just fine.

Again, as noted by many folks before me: get an experienced shooter (not just a weekend warrior wannabe... and I've known "expert" instructors who I wouldn't trust with a pea shooter) and learn the safety rules. In a nutshell, always treat the firearm as if it were loaded; never point it (loaded or empty) at anything you don't want to shoot; Keep your finger off the trigger (just hold it straight, next to the trigger guard) until you're ready to fire; and alway be sure of what's behind your target, and that your backstop is able to safely stop the bullet without ricocheting back to you. (that could really spoil your day. Rarely lethal, but not a good thing anyway).

Above all, and right up there with the most important rules: Have Fun!

Ignore the idiots.... Good place to start would be your local shooting range, often they have beginner classes, some catered especially towards women. Often you can rent a firearm for these classes so you can get in idea if you like the sport or not. If you wish to purchase a gun first, I would recommend a .357 revolver with a 4" barrel. A 357 will shoot 38 specials which are low in noise and recoil. As you progress, you can work up towards .357 loads. A revolver will have few controls to learn and the grip shape works well for most shooters.

As an aside, despite the comments from the peanut gallery (most of them probably have been to a range once in the past 5 years), you will find that you will be welcomed and encouraged.

John

Shooting is a lot of fun and a great way to bond.

Before you start shooting, you need to know which eye is dominat. The dominant eye side will be the side you shoot with. To do this, hold your palms in front of you, facing out. lay one thumb on top of the other with index fingers crossed. This makes a triangle about the size of a closed cell phone. Smaller is better. Find an object on a wall at least 30 feet away. Look at the object then put your hands in front of you at arms length, looking at the object through the hole you made with your hands. Pull your hands back to your face never losing sight of the object. Your hands will come to the dominate eye. The other will be covered up. That is the side to shoot with. Regardless of if you are right or left handed.

I started all of my kids and my wife the way I started, with a BB gun. A Red Ryder Rifle will help with hand eye coordination, and there are cheap BB/dart pistol set that you can shoot indoors.

Next step is to go to a gun range and get instruction. You can also shoot a variety of gun

Good lucks there.

Well, it may not be as simple as you would like it to be.

1 - open a phone book and see if there is a shooting range in the area

2 - talk to gun shop owners to see if there is a range nearby (or if they have one)

3 - Find a range that will allow you to rent a weapon

4 - Once you find a range, and can rent a weapon, tell them that you are a novice, and that you will require assistance. I'm sure that they will help you.

some on-line resources might be available for searching

If having no experience with a weapon. you need to determine what type of shooting you would want to do

paper targets

clay pigeons

self defense

From your responses earlier, you don't want to hunt, so I did not include that

I would start out with a small caliber pistol and work from there.

Probably between a .22 cal and .38 if for target. If looking for a more versatile weapon (self defense) go in to the 9mm range...sporting clays .. need a shotgun

good luck and welcome to the sport

Hi Nicky. Try a .22 first. The Walter P-22 is an excellent first choice. What I really liked about it is that it comes with adjustable grips for small and larger hands. This Walther is about $300. new. The .22 is an easy learner pistol but indoor ranges may not let you shoot it because of the lead content of .22 bullets. Then you might want to rent one of their nines. Glock is a good choice, just keep your finger out of the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot.

Congratulations on deciding to learn to shoot. If you are able to take the gun safety course and if you learn you like shooting consider getting your CCW.

Best.

H

Your first objective is to educate yourself. I enjoyed a hunter safety course. In OK it's free. You learn a little about firearms and safety as well as basics about hunting laws and ethics.

From there you can start to make choices based upon both your physical ability and intended targets. Different weapons/guns are better suited to some targets. Will you be shooting at moving targets? Will it be at close range or at a distance? Do you want a rifle or hand-gun? Would you consider primitive firearms? Black-powder weapons are a real option.

Some good sources of information are the local wild-life/game departments, local police and gun-smiths. Do your homework BEFORE you buy. See if you can borrow one from a friend first.

Good luck! Happy and safe shooting. By the way, hunting is a legitimate activity. Research that as well. It's a great way to learn about the environment. It's also not for everyone.

Just about every state in the union requires that hunters pass a hunter's safety course before they can purchase a hunting license. The vast majority of these hunter's safety courses are free (or charge a very small fee to cover the costs) and are taught by certified hunter's safety instructors. Look on the internet, at local gun clubs, and in the newspapers for when these courses will be taught in your area. They are generally a two day course and are held during a weekend.

Nicky,

Why not arrange some quality time with your step dad. If he is already familiar with firearms and he is someone you trust I think he would be an excellent resource, especially if he belongs to a local club or range.

Introductions there will get you all of the help you need before deciding if firearms ownership is a responsibility that you are willing to accept.

What ever you decide Nicky good luck with it.