In this article, we will explore how to choose the best gun for your first-time shooting experience.
The options these days are seemingly endless with a variety of styles and brands available on the market. We’ll break it down into three categories: handguns, shotguns, and rifles.
We’ll also touch on some basics that you should know about how to buy a firearm from a licensed dealer as well as how to store firearms in your home so they’re out of reach of children and unauthorized individuals. All this information is crucial if you want to be responsible when it comes to owning firearms in America today.
Let’s get started!
Choosing a Shooting Range
There are gun ranges and gun shops in nearly every part of the country so finding a gun range closest to you won’t be too much trouble.
Before going to a shooting range, we recommend that you check out their website for more information on how they run their business. Some questions you should ask yourself before choosing a gun range are:
- How much is the shooting range fee?
- What gun types do they allow?
- Do I need to make a reservation before entering the shooting range? Some shooting ranges require that you purchase shooting range time or a day pass to use their facilities.
- Are there any safety rules posted on the range website? If not, you should consider finding another shooting range.
- What’s the range manager’s name? After you’ve contacted them by email or on their business phone number, this will allow you to ask questions about their range policies in person when you arrive at their gun range.
- When choosing a range, make sure that everyone that’s entering the range is safe. Visit the gun range in person to get a feel for its environment so you know if it’s the right range for your first-time shooting experience.
Choosing Your Firearm Type & Style
There are three main types of firearms: handguns, shotguns, and rifles.
A handgun is any gun that you can hold in one hand with an extension on the barrel that you place against your target.
A shotgun is a gun that fires pellets or rounds at targets. Shotguns are usually used for hunting, but some gun ranges allow shotguns if their firing distance is under 25 yards.
Rifles are gun types that have long barrels and shoot single bullets at their target.
You should pick the gun type that best suits your first-time gun experience. If you’ve never used a gun before but are familiar with gun safety, then we recommend starting with a low-caliber gun like a .22 rifle or handgun.
When it comes to gun styles, there are too many options to count!
Some gun styles to consider are:
- Revolvers
- Semi-automatic pistols
- Bolt action rifles
- Pump-action shotguns
- Assault rifles
If you’re still not sure about gun types, don’t worry. You can always change your gun later on when you gain more gun experience. If this is your first gun, just remember to read gun safety guidelines before firing it.
Guns need to be treated with care and respect at all times.
It’s up to you to keep gun-handling etiquette in mind when choosing a gun for your first time shooting. Make sure that everyone around you is being safe so they don’t get hurt.
Every gun range will have different gun safety rules that they follow, so make sure to ask the gun manager for more information on their gun-handling etiquette.
Choosing Your Firearm Ammunition
When you’re choosing your gun for your first-time shooting experience, it’s important to think about what type of ammunition you’ll need.
Three basic gun types require different kinds of gun ammunition:
Handguns use gun cartridges, which are small metal cylinders that contain gunpowder and a bullet.
Rifles use gun cartridges as well but they’re much larger than handgun gun cartridges. Rifle gun carts hold more gunpowder and a bigger bullet so you can shoot at targets from a greater distance.
Shotguns use gun shells, which are larger than gun cartridges and gun carts. They hold gunpowder and gun pellets or rounds.
Depending on what type of gun you choose to shoot, make sure to bring the right ammo with you to the range.
If you’re new to gun ranges and gun types, you’ll probably want to choose a gun that uses gun cartridges like a handgun or rifle.
Going to the Gun Shop
There are gun shops everywhere, so it’s important to narrow down your gun search criteria before choosing one.
If you’re new to gun shopping, then we recommend looking for gun shops that have gun ranges attached. These types of gun shops are more likely to have the gun type you want on hand so you can use it at their range.
When gun shopping, don’t forget that gun shops have gun sales reps that can help you choose a gun type and style for your first-time shooting experience! If you’re looking to buy a gun but don’t know where to start, just ask a gun sales rep to talk about the different types of guns they carry so you can choose the gun that’s right for you.
Do Your Homework
Doing your homework before buying your first gun is very important.
First, do your research into what type of guns are available on the market, especially if you’re trying to choose a gun that’s best for your first-time shooting experience.
Second, look up gun safety guidelines and etiquette so you know how to properly handle a gun once you get to the gun range.
Third, learn about where your nearest gun shops and shooting ranges are in case you need a reminder of how to get there when going for your first-time shooting experience!
Finally, think about what type of gun would best benefit you if this is your first time buying a gun. For example, if you’re a beginner, then we recommend getting a rifle or handgun for your first gun.
Once you have all of this information at hand, your next step is to visit the gun range and do some shooting!
Try Before You Buy
As a first-time gun owner, doing your due diligence is the best way to prepare for your first-time shooting experience.
But wouldn’t it be easier if you could just try out a gun before buying one?
Well, you can! Just visit the firing range of your chosen gun shop so you can fire off some rounds with different guns to see what type of gun feels most comfortable to shoot, and go from there.
Not only will it help you choose a gun, but it will also give you practice for your first-time shooting experience before going into the real range where everyone does target shooting!
Your first time shooting can be a little nerve-wracking if you don’t know what to expect, so practicing with a target beforehand is a great way to get familiar with target shooting.
After you’ve had your first experience shooting, you’ll know exactly what type of gun best suits your needs and will be ready to buy your very own firearm!
Just because you think you want to buy a gun doesn’t mean that it’s the right one for you, so always remember to do some target practice with different guns before buying them.
Background Check & Gun Safety
When buying a gun, one of the most important things to remember is that guns are very dangerous weapons, so it’s crucial that gun owners know how to handle them safely.
When you go target shooting with friends at the gun range, there are some rules you must follow in order to stay safe when handling your target pistols or target rifles.
For example, never use a gun if you’re under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and always keep your target pistols or target rifles pointed away from other people.
If you’re going to learn how to target shoot for the first time, then it’s important that you follow gun safety protocols so you don’t mistakenly hurt anyone with just target pistols or target rifles.
When you buy your gun, the shop will run a background check to make sure you don’t have any violent crimes on your record. If you have a felony, then it’s illegal for you to buy target pistols or target rifles, so always remember to do background checks before buying target pistols or target rifles!
Even if you are just target shooting with friends at the gun range, knowing gun safety protocols is crucial because target pistols and target rifles can be very dangerous.
Features to Look For In Your First Gun
As your first target pistol or target rifle, it’s important that you find a gun that has features that are perfect for both your needs and for target shooting.
First, decide how much you’re willing to spend on a gun because the price range of handguns and guns is very broad. If you want to buy a cheaper gun, then it’s best that you get your first target pistol or rifle at a low cost so the experience isn’t too expensive!
If you want to buy a more expensive gun, then try cost-saving measures so you can get the best possible price on your new target pistols or target rifles!
Next, think about what type of gun you want. For example, if it’s your first time buying a firearm, then you should probably start out with some easy-to-use target pistols or target rifles.
You might also want to consider guns that aren’t too heavy because a gun can be very tiring to carry around for a prolonged period of time if it’s big and bulky.
After you’ve decided what type of gun you want, then think about the specific features you’re looking for in your gun. If you’re looking for a small and light gun that’s easy to carry, then consider target pistols or rifles that have detachable handles.
If you frequently go hunting and want a target pistol or rifle with scopes for increased accuracy, then make sure the gun has those types of features as well!
In addition to these tips, always remember to do some target practice with your type of gun before buying it, so you can get familiar with what you’re working with.
After all, when you go target shooting the first time, the reason is to have fun and learn about firearms in a safe environment!
Conclusion
So, as you can see, there are many things to consider before buying your very first target pistols or target rifles.
Most importantly, remember that guns are dangerous weapons and should always be handled with the utmost care! If you keep these safety protocols in mind and follow gun safety procedures when learning how to target shoot for the first time, then you will likely have a lot of fun learning about these types of firearms!
Now that you know how to buy your first pistols or rifles, check out our variety of firearm accessories and gun holsters to get started!
