Bringing A New Shooter Into the Fold

by Tom Gaylord
Reprinted from the July 1995 The Airgun Letter
Copyright A91995 GAPP, Inc.

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Many readers say they would do more airgunning, but it disturbs someone in the family. This is not just a simple case of one person not being interested in the hobby of another. It's really a form of fear.

I can relate to the fear of firearms because I was born with particularly sensitive ears. Loud sounds don't frighten me-they actually hurt! When I was a boy, all my friends enjoyed setting off firecrackers when they could get them; but I didn't. I loathed our family outings to July 4th celebrations.

Besides the noise problem, you'll encounter cases where firearms have been demonized. This is the most difficult problem to overcome with a non-shooter. Drop any attitude you may have toward the other person. You're there to help-not "correct." Don't use social pressure on them. "Come on, honey, try it! Your sister did."

My approach is to be open and available, should anyone express an interest. I never argue about the "correctness" of shooting, but neither do I let their unreasoning statements pass unchallenged. Instead, I try to engage them in conversation during which I express my own fears and weaknesses regarding firearms. I try to show them that I'm open-minded.

The most startling shooting convert I ever won was my former farther-in-law. He had been raised to be neutral about shooting, but his wife was violently opposed to any gun-related activity. I never brought the subject up in her presence, and I tried to remain as open-minded as I could when she launched into an anti-gun tirade.

Then, my parents-in-law visited us in Germany. Upon entering our apartment, they noticed the RWS pellet trap fastened to the inside of our front door. This re-kindled the debate about the inherent evil of guns. "Don't your neighbors complain about the noise?"
"They can't hear it."
"What if you miss and shoot through the door?"
"The pellet can't even dent the metal on the door. I could just use the door, itself, as a backstop, but I'd have to re-paint when we move. Besides, how can I miss? The trap is five inches square, and I can't get back any farther than 22 feet in this apartment."
"I could miss it," said my father-in-law confidently.
"I bet you couldn't," I responded.
"You don't think I can miss that tiny little opening from way back there?" he pointed to the end of the hall, the farthest point in the apartment.
"No, I don't. Furthermore, I don't think you could miss a quarter, if I were to tape one to the center of the target." He obviously wanted to try this thing he didn't think he could do; so I set it up so he couldn't lose.
"You'll have to paint the door if I miss."
"The only way you can miss is if you deliberately aim for the door."
I showed him the Diana model 10 match pistol we were going to use; he was a bit surprised. It didn't look at all like a gun for holding up a liquor store. When he held it in his hand, he remarked that the pistol seemed to be holding him. I had him stand just six feet from the trap while I explained the six o'clock sight picture.
"You don't mean I'm going to shoot from here?"
"Just for the first few shots," I answered.
"Well, I agree-I can't possibly miss from this distance. I thought I was going to stand back there."
"You will-just humor me for a few minutes."
He then commenced shooting at the target from six feet away. His shots were all just beneath the black-exactly where I wanted them to be. I watched him for proper procedure and safety, ready to stop things if he committed an unsafe act but seeming to be relaxed at the same time. It's a learned posture that comes from many hours of firearms instructing.
"Don't worry about where the pellets are going; just concentrate on the sight picture and your trigger control."
"This gun is really quiet. I thought it was going to make a lot more noise than this."
"I can't stand loud noises-they hurt my ears."
"You? Can't stand loud noises? Then why do you shoot?"
"I like to see whether I can hit the target-you know, like darts."
"I like darts."
"Now that you have the hang of it, let's back up to 10 feet and try it."
"It looks easy from here, too."
"Just remember that sight picture and the trigger."
"I don't think I'll miss from here, either. HEY! I got one in the bullseye!"
"You're doing fine. Don't get cocky."
"This is fun! It's like darts."
"Let's back up to 15 feet."
"Now, this looks harder."
"It would be, if you weren't such a good shot."
"I've never done this before in my life."
"Look at where your shots are hitting. You're tearing the center out of the bull."
Just then, my mother-in-law stepped out of the back bedroom and saw us in the hallway. "Are you two going to start shooting?"
"We've been shooting for five minutes."
"You're kidding-I didn't hear a thing! Is he any good?"
"Good enough that we have to change the target. He shot the center out of the first one." As I changed the target, the whispered conversation told me they were both impressed.
"I want to back up to the end of the hall, now."
"I think you're ready."
"Wow! It really looks hard from here."
"You won't miss. In fact, you're going to do a real number on the target, because this is the distance at which the gun is sighted."

Half an hour and ten targets later, he was satisfied that he couldn't miss the trap. His wife had stopped all critical remarks and was actually encouraging him. When he finally stopped, he asked me dozens of questions about airguns-where could he get one like mine. How much do they cost? Are they legal in the U.S.? It turned out they had a problem with pesky gray squirrels harvesting their apricots just as they ripened, and he was thinking of getting an airgun to discourage them. I think they expected me to tell them which gun to buy to kill squirrels, but I knew they really just wanted to chase them into someone else's yard. I ended up recommending a Daisy BB gun for the job and advising my father-in-law to test it for penetration on cardboard at varying distances. When he found the distance where the BB would only dent the cardboard without tearing the paper, that was his engagement distance for the squirrels.

The upshot of this tale is that he now owns several Daisy airguns for yard patrol. His wife still won't shoot them, but she is the appointed scout to guard the crops. And two more people have learned that guns are not inherently evil.

Over the years, I've trained many new shooters and broken down the barriers of unreasoned hatred. There was the mom who hated shooting but loved her sons enough to let them learn. When the 10-year-old presented her with his first one-hole group from 10 meters, it was displayed for months on the refrigerator alongside the pictures from school. And, dad got to get "the boys" a Sheridan pellet rifle, which they now shoot at regular supervised outings.

There was the single woman who wanted to learn to shoot, but was afraid, ever since her boyfriend had "instructed" her with a full-house .357 magnum, shooting at cinder blocks. We used a Crosman 38C to learn the basics and erase that traumatic first lesson. My wife and I use this same gun to keep fresh between visits to the range with our .357.

Whenever you find an opportunity to win a new convert, think about how you can make it fun for them. Start small and build confidence-let the trainee set the pace. Watch for signs of fear, and remember that a good short session is better than a painful long one. Always leave them wanting more.

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