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I'm going to my first shooting range

D

dbot

Senior member
So I'm about to go to my first shooting range in a couple hours. What gun should I try out?

My friend was saying a 9mm barretta is a good beginners gun. I want to try one that is smooth with very little kickback. I was thinking desert eagle .50 :laugh:

UPDATE

So I just got back. The place we were going to go, "shooters paradise" had a fire and was shut down. So we went to Gilbert's instead. They had a decent selection.

First I shot a Barretta 92. I was pretty accurate with it, not much kickback and felt pretty comfortable.

Then I shot a 45 and there definatly was a difference. It felt a lot more sturdy, and although I was still pretty good with it, I wasn't as consistent.

Last, I got a 357 Magnum and boy was that fun. Shot out flames which caught me off guard and definatly was the hardest to control. But I still did decent with it.

Can't wait to go again and try some other ones. They didn't have a Sig otherwise I would have tried that.
 
Your gun says 'replica' on the side. My gun says 'Desert Eagle point-five-oh'.

No, don't try a Desert Eagle right off the bat. It's mostly a novelty anyway. And don't call it a deagle or you'll look like a tool 😉
 
lol, no i was just kidding about the deagle. most likely im going to use the 9mm. From what i heard, they have a pretty big selection there so we'll see what they have.
 
.50 Desert Eagle. Get 2 and go akimbo (you seriously don't want to look like a n00b and stick out like a sore thumb).
 
If you have never fired a pistol go with something easy. .38 Revolver. Simple design, simple to load. No flying shells. It has recoil from the bullet, but you won't feel the recoil from the slide because it doesn't have one.

Then try a 9mm/.40 semi-auto like a glock before you try the desert eagle.
 
Hey you are a Marylander! Which range are you going to? I was at Continental Arms in Timonium last weekend.
 
Most any 9mm semi-auto with target loads should do.

Small caliber revolvers aren't a bad choice either.
 
Originally posted by: KB
Hey you are a Marylander! Which range are you going to? I was at Continental Arms in Timonium last weekend.
Click to expand...

I live in Columbia but I think we're going to one in Alexandria, VA. The one in Silver Spring is closer but my friend said the virginia one has more of a selection
 
9mm Beretta is a good choice. A .38 revolver would also be a good choice.

I have a S&W .44 Magnum that's actually fairly pleasant to shoot but that's because it has an 8" barrel. Man does it make a loud boom though. 😀

Be prepared for some really loud booming cannons. Try to relax and have a good time. Breathe slowly and pull smoothly on the trigger instead of jerking it.

Oh, and of course there are the usual gun safety rules. Always treat every gun as if it is loaded and never ever point a gun at anything you don't intend to shoot.
 
Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
9mm Beretta is a good choice. A .38 revolver would also be a good choice.

I have a S&W .44 Magnum that's actually fairly pleasant to shoot but that's because it has an 8" barrel. Man does it make a loud boom though. 😀

Be prepared for some really loud booming cannons. Try to relax and have a good time. Breathe slowly and pull smoothly on the trigger instead of jerking it.

Oh, and of course there are the usual gun safety rules. Always treat every gun as if it is loaded and never ever point a gun at anything you don't intend to shoot.
Click to expand...

Yea, the Beretta 92s are so big and heavy they tame a lot of the recoil.

Easy to shoot but I wouldn't want to own one.
 
Originally posted by: K1052
Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
9mm Beretta is a good choice. A .38 revolver would also be a good choice.

I have a S&W .44 Magnum that's actually fairly pleasant to shoot but that's because it has an 8" barrel. Man does it make a loud boom though. 😀

Be prepared for some really loud booming cannons. Try to relax and have a good time. Breathe slowly and pull smoothly on the trigger instead of jerking it.

Oh, and of course there are the usual gun safety rules. Always treat every gun as if it is loaded and never ever point a gun at anything you don't intend to shoot.
Click to expand...

Yea, the Beretta 92s are so big and heavy they tame a lot of the recoil.

Easy to shoot but I wouldn't want to own one.
Click to expand...

9mm isn't exactly a powerhouse caliber, it's got a lot of muzzle velocity but it's a small round so it doesn't kick much. Any fullsize semi-auto chambered in 9mm will be pretty tame to shoot...unless you're a girl. 😛

I wouldn't say the Beretta 92 is much heavier than any other fullsize semi-auto though.
 
HK USP of some kind.

Then ask for the 4" .500 S&W - this will make the pussified .50 AE that is in the Desert Eagle show its true form - a weak, POS weapon.

 
Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Originally posted by: K1052
Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
9mm Beretta is a good choice. A .38 revolver would also be a good choice.

I have a S&W .44 Magnum that's actually fairly pleasant to shoot but that's because it has an 8" barrel. Man does it make a loud boom though. 😀

Be prepared for some really loud booming cannons. Try to relax and have a good time. Breathe slowly and pull smoothly on the trigger instead of jerking it.

Oh, and of course there are the usual gun safety rules. Always treat every gun as if it is loaded and never ever point a gun at anything you don't intend to shoot.
Click to expand...

Yea, the Beretta 92s are so big and heavy they tame a lot of the recoil.

Easy to shoot but I wouldn't want to own one.
Click to expand...

9mm isn't exactly a powerhouse caliber, it's got a lot of muzzle velocity but it's a small round so it doesn't kick much. Any fullsize semi-auto chambered in 9mm will be pretty tame to shoot...unless you're a girl. 😛

I wouldn't say the Beretta 92 is much heavier than any other fullsize semi-auto though.
Click to expand...

Last time I looked at it the 92 is almost a half lb heavier than most of its peers.
 
but I think we're going to one in Alexandria, VA
Click to expand...

That would be Gilbert's Guns, just south of the Mixing Bowl. I took my concealed carry class there, nice folks and a decent range I still visit occasionally.

As for the gun, what do you have access to? Gilberts used to rent guns for range use, pretty cheap as I remember - you should call and see if they still do. Personally, and even though I own two semi-auto pistols, were I you I would start with a wheel gun and go from there. The big guy who runs the range will be a big help for you if you ask him for some instruction.
 
Originally posted by: dbot
what about a p225 or p226?
Click to expand...

P226

you don't need to be shooting a compact right off the bat

Careful though, once you have SIG you don't want to go back.😛
 
Originally posted by: K1052
Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Originally posted by: K1052
Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
9mm Beretta is a good choice. A .38 revolver would also be a good choice.

I have a S&W .44 Magnum that's actually fairly pleasant to shoot but that's because it has an 8" barrel. Man does it make a loud boom though. 😀

Be prepared for some really loud booming cannons. Try to relax and have a good time. Breathe slowly and pull smoothly on the trigger instead of jerking it.

Oh, and of course there are the usual gun safety rules. Always treat every gun as if it is loaded and never ever point a gun at anything you don't intend to shoot.
Click to expand...

Yea, the Beretta 92s are so big and heavy they tame a lot of the recoil.

Easy to shoot but I wouldn't want to own one.
Click to expand...

9mm isn't exactly a powerhouse caliber, it's got a lot of muzzle velocity but it's a small round so it doesn't kick much. Any fullsize semi-auto chambered in 9mm will be pretty tame to shoot...unless you're a girl. 😛

I wouldn't say the Beretta 92 is much heavier than any other fullsize semi-auto though.
Click to expand...

Last time I looked at it the 92 is almost a half lb heavier than most of its peers.
Click to expand...

Well, I guess if you were carrying it on your hip all day it would be a noticeable difference but at the range it isn't going to be a huge difference. Might be a tad more pleasant to shoot I guess. It's been years since I shot a Beretta 92. I have a Glock 17 that's pretty mild to shoot though.
 
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