Introduction to Shooting

Introduction to Shooting Class

Class Level: Beginner

Class Type: Classroom/Live Fire

Class Length: 2 hours

Prerequisites: None

Student Provided Equipment: None (we provide everything)

This will be the first in a series of entries that will describe our new class layout for shooters looking to develop their skillset with a handgun.

First I want to highlight our most popular course, which happens to also be our most basic. Introduction to Shooting is a class for the true beginner. This class spends the first hour in the classroom where we discuss gun safety, the common reasons people seek training, and basic handgun shooting technique. We start at the beginning and work our way through how to handle a gun safely, how to hold it, how to load it, how to stand, and how to use the sights and trigger properly.

Spending this time in the classroom gives us a chance to demonstrate the techniques we are teaching to students who may have never held a gun before. We have students that are nervous starting out and we understand that. We strive to move slowly and help students gain the confidence needed to feel comfortable and safe when they first handle a firearm.

This isn’t to say that the class offers nothing for someone who has some experience. We often have couples take this class where one person is completely new and the other has been shooting for years or even decades. If the more experienced party has never had any formal training they invariably come away with new knowledge. Shooting is like any other physical skill, you don’t know what you don’t know. Our professional training staff can expose people who have been around guns their entire lives to techniques they have never encountered, even in a beginner class.

The Range

Once we finish in the classroom we move to the range. We conduct this portion of the class when the range is closed so that we are not distracted by other shooters. We start with some basic handling of the firearms used in this class. We teach students how to approach a firearm that is in an unknown condition and confirm it is unloaded and safe to handle. We then walk them through what is known as dry handling. We go through the motions of firing the handguns but without ammunition, which allows students to get a feel for the operation of the handgun without the noise and recoil of live fire.

After the dry handling we move on to live fire. In the live fire session we begin with loading and shooting one shot at a time under close supervision. As students become more comfortable and demonstrate they understand the safety principles of using the handgun we move on to longer stings.

What Does the Student Need?

One of the most common questions about a class is: what does a student need to take the course? For Introduction to Shooting the short answer is: nothing but a desire to learn.

For the Introduction to Shooting class we provide literally everything. We provide the gun, the ammo, the eye and ear protection, the targets, and most importantly the knowledge. We start shooters in this class with a handgun that is easy to use in the small .22LR caliber. We use this equipment because it is low noise, low recoil, and user friendly. It is a great way to start, using the lower powered .22LR round allows us to introduces a beginner with little or no experience to live fire without creating bad habits that can form with excessive recoil and noise. For this reason, students cannot bring their own guns for this class. Everyone starts with the same gun. If you want a class that teaches you to use your own gun, our Handgun Marksmanship Fundamentals class would be more appropriate.

Watch for more information on our additional classes coming soon!

Register For This Class Here

About the Author

Aaron coaches the Purdue University Pistol Team, is a former officer of the Lafayette Police Department, holds an Indiana Law Enforcement Academy certification as a firearms instructor, holds a Rangemaster Advanced Instructor certification, and is a court recognized expert witness that has testified in multiple cases and courts in Indiana regarding firearms. Aaron is the General Manager at Applied Ballistics and competes in multiple shooting disciplines including USPSA, IDPA, Steel Challenge, Rimfire Falling Steel, Indiana Multigun, and NRL22. Aaron is a USPSA Grand Master, a Steel Challenge Grand Master, and an IDPA Master class shooter. He has a National Championship title in Rimfire Falling Steel as well as several State Championship titles in IDPA and Steel Challenge. Aaron is the Match Director for USPSA at Applied Ballistics and for Steel Challenge and Rimfire Falling Steel at Wildcat Valley Rifle & Pistol Club.