Tips for getting people intersted in Shooting

[High Lord Gomer]

I'm really working on introducing our younger shooters to the practical pistol sports. Since I coach SCTP (shotgun sports), I have a pool of around twenty youth to work with. I let them all know that I am available to help with pistol shooting.

I took two of them, one boy and one girl, to the range last year and let them shoot a .22 and a 1911. They both enjoyed it and said they had fun. I told them to let me know anytime they wanted to shoot and learn more. So far they have not asked about it. Many of them have supportive parents and can afford it. I wish I new how to recruit them for good.

JD,

What part of SC are you in? My youngest has just started shooting his shotgun and would love to get more involved.

[SuperAWE]

Most new shooters or those who have never shot a match before seem to always say they don't want to get embarassed. A good segway up to the match would be an intro class at the range to get them used to what they should expect at the match: buzzer, loading, target acquistion, movement etc. Let them feed the berm with a few rounds in a non-competition setting to build up a bit of confidence and experience.

[McAllyn]

Man, I'm right there with you. The big joke where I work is ,"When the robots come to take over, FIND MAC!" Everyone knows I shoot, lots ask me about it, several have asked about taking them to the range, and a couple have shown interest in competition.

Everyone at my office knows, if you want to shoot guns, go see Mac. My standing offer is, I'll bring the guns, rigs, ammo, and targets. You bring open eyes and open ears. Out of 120+ people at my office, I've had 2 come to the range and no one come to the competitions. I did get one of my best friends and his wife to come to a local match, and he's come back twice, but I'm afraid I'm going to lose him to IDPA. He almost crapped himself the first time he saw a mag drop on the ground with bullets still in it.

I've pretty much had to give up actively trying to recruit. I can't even get family members to come to the comps, even though they are hunters/shooters etc.

[Fullauto_Shooter]

I think the heart of the issue is that MOST folks simply ARE NOT competitors. I believe the vast majority of American gun owners are content to be dirt shooters. We've all seen them - they're the guys with the SKS, AK, or AR and they're emptying mags as fast as they can pull the trigger - you look closer and see they have no target - they are simply shooting dirt.

Several have mentioned the intimidation factor and I agree - most guys who own guns like to think they know how to use them. I've had new shooters show up at matches and express UTTER DISBELIEF at the skill of some of our better shooters - honestly, the newbies seemed almost scared that a person could fire a pistol so quickly and so accurately. This sudden realization that they aren't all that good can easily damage a fragile ego. It takes a confident person to step up, put their ego on the line, and COMPETE - most folks don't have what it takes. That's why I enjoy hanging out with our competition crowd - it's a fairly elite group of "Doers".

Edited May 28, 2009 by Fullauto_Shooter

[Paul Burtchell]

I think the heart of the issue is that MOST folks simply ARE NOT competitors. I believe the vast majority of American gun owners are content to be dirt shooters. We've all seen them - they're the guys with the SKS, AK, or AR and they're emptying mags as fast as they can pull the trigger - you look closer and see they have no target - they are simply shooting dirt.

Several have mentioned the intimidation factor and I agree - most guys who own guns like to think they know how to use them. I've had new shooters show up at matches and express UTTER DISBELIEF at the skill of some of our better shooters - honestly, the newbies seemed almost scared that a person could fire a pistol so quickly and so accurately. This sudden realization that they aren't all that good can easily damage a fragile ego. It takes a confident person to step up, put their ego on the line, and COMPETE - most folks don't have what it takes. That's why I enjoy hanging out with our competition crowd - it's a fairly elite group of "Doers".

BINGO !! I think you nailed it, Doug.

After an newbie is exposed to their first match, I think one of two things happens.

One group sees how far they have to go to be competitive and the fire starts to rage and they keep coming back and doing whatever it takes to get better. ( The Competitors/Doers) The other group sees how far they have to go to be competitive and never come back.

I think "SuperAWE" has a good idea for having an Intro Class and may a "Beginners Only" match.

Edited May 28, 2009 by baerburtchell

[oldemagics]

many many good points!

i think the a big part of it all is most today have been raised and believe in the "me" attitude

anything that does not give instant gratification, that they can claim to be "good at" after one try, or the chance they might not do as well as "everybody else" gives them the willies, let alone perform physical activity!

You mean exert myself?

have had a few folks give me an odd look when they hear i am going to give this a try coming up on 50 yrs old

after nearly 30 yrs of doing everything to raising kids, being a good husband and all that, it is time i get back to what i have always loved and got put on a back burner for everyone else!

first match isnt till June, so that gives me time to get the sights i need for the smith, mag holders and stock on ammo and range time in prep... and of course constantly reading more here and going over the rulebook...

and it will probably be like the bullseye and bench rest shooting, each cof i will be asking myself "is that the best you can do?" and "what can i do to make the next one better?"

especially after a 28 yr vacation from the shooting sports

X or A, it takes WANTING to do it

edit: the only concern from the wife is, am i going to spend as much time at the range / money on ammo as when we fist met? will try not to, but who knows

Edited May 29, 2009 by oldemagics

[mlmiller1]

many many good points!

i think the a big part of it all is most today have been raised and believe in the "me" attitude

anything that does not give instant gratification, that they can claim to be "good at" after one try, or the chance they might not do as well as "everybody else" gives them the willies, let alone perform physical activity!

You mean exert myself?

have had a few folks give me an odd look when they hear i am going to give this a try coming up on 50 yrs old

after nearly 30 yrs of doing everything to raising kids, being a good husband and all that, it is time i get back to what i have always loved and got put on a back burner for everyone else!

first match isnt till June, so that gives me time to get the sights i need for the smith, mag holders and stock on ammo and range time in prep... and of course constantly reading more here and going over the rulebook...

and it will probably be like the bullseye and bench rest shooting, each cof i will be asking myself "is that the best you can do?" and "what can i do to make the next one better?"

especially after a 28 yr vacation from the shooting sports

X or A, it takes WANTING to do it

edit: the only concern from the wife is, am i going to spend as much time at the range / money on ammo as when we fist met? will try not to, but who knows

I talked my older brother into trying this game a few years ago. He was 58 the first match he ever shot. He shot the entire Florida Open as his very first match having never seen a match anywhere except on video. He has since bought a nice pistol, rifle, & shotguns so he can also shoot 3-gun. Now he is doing "He-Man" matches & next year, we hope to shoot a team match in Montana together. He is going to handle the long range rifle, I'll do the carbine, & we'll both shoot pistols. I believe he will be 62 then. Never give up! Oh, by the way, I'll be 50 this year. It is not too late to start!

MLM

[steveyacht]

I have been very fortunate in getting folks interested in shooting sports in general. From Trap, Skeet, Sporting Clays to Steel Challenge, USPSA and just general informal "Shooting Sundays". Let me tell you how I/we have been successful.

#1) Make it safe, and explain the safety procedures to all the new people before they even think about going. Many folks that have never held or been around guns only have the press to rely on for whatever they know, and that ain't all good. Some are down right scared! Make them comfortable by familiarizing them with guns before hand.

#2) Make new people feel comfortable when you take them with you by introducing them to those you are with and never let them fend for themselves or feel left out. Make them part of the process if only by asking them to participate in picking up brass or painting steel plate. Make darned sure that they have all the prerequisite safety gear.

#3) When asking them to join you on a "shooting Sunday" at the farm, back lot or a range, don't start out a newbie with the Desert Eagle or some other horrible recoiling gun! I am sick and tired of jerks that seem to get a kick out of putting a huge magnum of some sort into (particularly a woman's) somone's h and just for a laugh when the thing recoils so bad it splits her/his forehead open. Just watch YouTube if you don't believe me. Work with the new shooter, start with a very quiet and soft shooting 22 RIFLE and work your way up. Make sure that they HIT what they are aiming at! I tend to use clay birds hung on cardboard with pushpins. They love it when they see them break!! It is a sort of visual feedback that makes them happy.

#4) Make it FUN!!!! After informal shoots we all hang out at a predesignated location with some eats and beverages. Telling jokes, kibitzing, AND giving lessons on gun cleaning!! This is when I usually teach how to disassemble, clean and reassemble the guns we just shot. Sometimes we bring eats with us, order a pizza or I fire up the grill and have an informal cookout. Needless to say we all have a ball. This is also when the spousal units or significant others show up to participate in the fun. We make it a social event for the whole family, not just "The Guys". Matter of fact, of all those that I shoot and compete with on a regular basis, 5 are women and only one is a man, and, FYI the husbands have absolutely NO interest in shooting but they all enjoy coming to the "After Shoots" for the socializing. We also try to get on the same squad when shooting USPSA or Steel Challenge so we can lend each other support and bust each other's chops.

It is amazing how easy I have found getting people involved when it is FUN, a social experience and SAFE. A couple Sundays ago we had an informal shoot out on the farm where we had 18 shooters show up, at least half of which had never even handled a live firearm before! From the 5 year old, with his cap pistol (yes My CED7000 timer will pick up the sound of caps!!) to a 70 year old retired man...... two 14 year old girls with Dad and another family, Mom, Dad and the Son. It was great! Spent alot of time afterwards answering questions, giving advise on what to buy first, where to shoot, etc. I found to be a supremely satisfying day.

Just my opinions.

Steve

[CHA-LEE]

If you want to get people involved in Practical shooting sports I think you have to start off by finding people that compete in one fashion or another already. Practical shooting is about competition and that is what drives all of us to do it in the end. Whether we are competing against others during a match or our own goals we are still competing and striving to win. People that are not competitive will find the whole situation overwhelming and not satisfying, thus will not come back after their first match. Its just not their “Thing”. The best recruiting source isn’t a local gun store or public range. Its other sporting events where people are participating in the events such as Softball, football, soccer, auto racing, or whatever. And I am not talking about the people that like to watch sports. These people need to have the drive to participate with the goal of winning in mind.

I am new to the shooting world as I have only been doing this for 9 months. I come from a 20 year competitive racing background. So the competitive basis of Practical Shooting fits my competition needs perfectly. I often wondered why all firearm owners wouldn’t want to participate in Practical shooting sports. But I have come to the conclusion that there are really two main groups of Gun people. Gun Owners, and Gun Shooters. The Gun Owners are the people that own or collect guns but shoot them very infrequently. When they do shoot, its maybe 100 rounds at a public range standing and plinking at targets. From what I have seen the vast majority of people that own firearms fit into the “Gun Owners” group. The second group are Gun Shooters who are people that may or may not own a bunch of firearms but it will be guaranteed that one of the firearms will be getting a work out on a regular basis. These are the people that champion their craft and enjoy shooting. Even then only a small subset of the “Gun Shooters” will be competition driven. So really you can’t expect many existing firearm owners to jump onto the competition Practical Shooting band wagon and stick with it.

Keep an eye out for people that currently participate in competitive sports, these are the new Practical Shooters who only need to be introduced to the sport in order to be hooked on it. You can’t take a once a year tin can plinking Gun Owner and expect them to embrace practical shooting sports. As said by many others in this thread, when they do go to their first match and see that their current skill level of shooting is very poor when compared to the average C Class shooter that is usually too much of a humbling experience to overcome. Gun Owners who witness a proficient Practical Shooter navigate a stage find it too sobering of an experience. It’s a lot easier for them to quietly slip back into their “master of the tin can plinkers” world of shooting.

[sfchorn]

Howdy all.

I am having a problem getting people interested in shooting sports, more specifically going to some of the more mainstream matches. There are local events, sure, but there are limits on how far the local competitions go and don't offer anywhere near the experience that a larger event does.

I live in the Texas panhandle and just graduated college. I have more time to pursue my hobbies but the geographic location limits where I can go for larger events. Regardless I have a good job and am not married or have any kids so time is on my side. Cost of the events is not a factor either.

I am trying to look for people to split the cost of gas/lodging and share in the fun of the events. I have posted on the local forums and talked to people at the events and it seems to me a lot of people are flakes. Of the few threads I have posted on one local forum all anyone talks about in the threads is complaining about the cost and the physical activity involved.

Can you all offer any tips on getting others involved? Anything will help.

I've joined the forum, found lots of great info, but first time posting. Please forgive me for any inadvertent faux pas...

I live in San Antonio, Texas. My local range (Bullet Hole) conducts several pistol leagues throughout the year. I'm sure many other ranges across the country do the same. It is a simple format.

Each league is 7 weeks. Shooting can be done on Firday evenings, Saturday afternoons or Sunday afternoons. That allows for competitor's differing work schedules.

Each week, league participants shoot a different USPSA-style field course. It is 2 runs at the same course, shot back-to back, and scored between runs. This allows folks to analyze their first run, make any adjustments, and maybe try a different approach during their 2nd run. Hits and times from both runs are added together for the hit factor. Each course is set up so that both runs can be done on a single box of ammo.

The range personnel are very patient and helpful with people who have never shot this style before. They will coach the shooters through the courses, encouraging them to WALK through it the first few times, focusing on accuracy and safe gun handling.

Cost is $8.50 a week. Folks can shoot all 7 weeks, or they can miss a couple of weeks if their schedule is busy, step back in at the current week course. You can also make up the previous week. If you wanted, you could show up every other weekend and shoot 2 courses (last week and this week).

Scores are posted weekly via their web site, and at the end of each league, trophies are awarded just like a sponsored match. HOA, best Open, best Limited, best Production, etc.

Although we use USPSA rules, divisions, targets, etc. (and most importatntly, USPSA safety procedures!), it is not a USPSA sponsored match. We allow .22 rimfire pistols in their own division. We use it as a stepping-stone to get people interested in being more proficient with their handgun, and hopefully, more interested in USPSA. People who have never considered going to a match will come out for the league. Some go on to join USPSA, some don't.

By the time you have finished a couple of leagues, you will have been exposed to most USPSA style courses. You will know standard RO commands ("Make Ready", "Are you ready", "Stand by", etc.). You will have drawn from the holster. You will have picked up your gun from a barrel or table. You will have seen a swinger, drop turner, clamshell, plate rack and texas star. You will have seen no-shoots, hard cover, large and small pepper poppers, walls, barracades, fault lines and ports. They will even throw in a night shoot once in a while so you can see what it is like to shoot after dark (folks love to watch the open guns flame away).

You will also have learned that safety and good sportsmanship are critical. We don't like to DQ shooters, and will try to prevent situations (watch your muzzle, or finger reminders) but will absolutley do so if necessary. We enforce cold ranges and safe areas. We also have participants set steel, tape targets, etc.

We have a very diverse group of people shoot the league. We have a 9 year old (he shoots an XD in 9mm), a father/son, a person with physical challenges, several ladies, and just about anyone you can think of come out. It takes about an hour a week (depending on the number of shooters ahead of you, it can be much less), so it is not an investment of 5 or 6 hours on a single day. We make everyone feel welcome, and thank them for shooting with us. We encourage folks to bring a friend. If you do, you shoot that week for free. Bring 3 or more new shooters, and all 7 weeks are free.

I'm sure other ranges do something very similiar. I wish this was a "silver bullet" or magic cure, but it isn't. They are other things you can try. Maybe a league where ladies or juniors shoot for free. A league where part of the proceeds go to a local charity. Maybe your local law enforcement groups can form some sort of partnership. There are much smarter people than me on this forum, and I'm sure they have other great ideas.

Anyway, enough rambling from me. Love the forums, thanks to all who post. And a special thanks to be for hosting this.