Frequently Asked Questions
Can anyone take your classes? Students have to be at least 18 years of age and not prohibited from possession of a firearm by federal or state law. This generally means you must not be a convicted felon, not have been adjudicated mentally incompetent or be under a court protective order. I welcome students younger than 18 if, in my judgment, they have the maturity to handle firearms and the attention span to learn from my classes, though students under 18 must be accompanied for the duration of the class by a parent or legal guardian.
What kind of firearm will I use in your class? I provide firearms from my own small collection so there is not a lot of variety although it does include semi-automatic pistols and revolvers. I often assign new shooters something in .22 caliber, but can make special arrangements to have a particular type or caliber available if a student requests it.
If I bring a firearm to your class, does it have to be registered? In a word, NO! Thankfully there is still no registration of firearms in most states. Only the citizens of New York, New Jersey and Illinois allow their governments to impose this unconstitutional nonsense on them. When you bring a firearm to my classes, my only concern is that it is unloaded and in a case or holster when you bring it into the classroom. I'll also check it to be sure it's safe to fire.
FOR MORE INFO ON SHOOTING, CHECK OUT MY BLOG www.shootsharp.blogspot.com. YOUR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS WELCOME!
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...new to shooting?
Get a rifle in .22LR (Walmart has them for $150 or less) and get 1000 rounds of ammunition. Find a safe place to shoot and work on the fundamentals. You'll have a lot of fun and learn good habits.
...new to hunting?
An all purpose shotgun (say a Remington 870, Winchester 1300 or a Mossberg 500) is suitable for most hunting applications and can be had for under $400. As side benefit, the shotgun is argueably the best home defense firearm. A good rifle or even a rifle and scope combination can be bought for under $500, but large caliber rifles are generally suited only to big game hunting, and their use is restricted in some regions and states. Realize there's a lot more to hunting than just shooting, but to make a quick humane kill, good shooting skills are essential.
...new to handguns?
I recommend revolver or semi-automatic pistol in .22LR as a great place to start, although if you are only going to buy one pistol, it's probably best to get one in a larger caliber so it will be suitable for home or personal defense. For home defense, I generally recommend a double-action revolver with a 4" barrel in .38 Special or .357 Magnum, although semi-automatics by quality manufacturers are also suitable. Reliability is the most important factor in selection of a home defense firearm. Once again, get several hundred rounds of ammunition and practice a lot.
...selecting a gun for concealed carry?
The choices here are many and varied. I generally recommend a small-frame 5-shot revolver since these are easy to conceal and quite suitable for self-defense. However they are not always easy to shoot well so my recommendation is again: get some good training and PRACTICE!
...what kind of practice is most useful?
You'll develop and maintain shooting skills best not by shooting a lot one time, but by shooting regularly and often. I recommend short frequent shooting sessions (e.g. firing 18-35 rounds from your pistol once a week for three months to develop proficiency, and then firing a few magazines or cylinders-full once a month to maintain your skill level.) Use big targets close enough to identify all of your bullet strikes so you will know how you are doing and can work on shot placement. Practice skills you're weak in first (e.g. firing in double-action instead of single-action.) And remember, accuracy first -- then speed.
If you have other questions or concerns, I'll be glad to provide you with the best information I have or can find out. Drop me an email! blackjack@shootsharp.com.