Resources

Learning Progressive-Position Air Pistol

Looking for a sport for a budding young pistol shooter? Check out Progressive-Position Pistol (PPP), designed to take a new youth shooters from beginner to competitor. With no minimum age restrictions and with the allowance of some supportive shooting aids during competition, PPP caters to air pistol sports, with minimal investment in equipment.

Dry-Fire for Handgun Shooting Success

If I told you there is one technique that, once mastered, will allow you to hit your target every single time, you’d probably write me off as one of those infomercial con guys. But, believe it or not, I speak the truth, and there’s no trick, no gimmick to it.
What is the technique? Perfect trigger press. A bad trigger press is the top reason shots go off target when shooting a handgun. Why? Most handguns require between four and 12 pounds of trigger pressure to fire. Most handguns also weigh less than three pounds; some these days weigh less than one. Now, if I remember my high school physics correctly, when you apply 10 pounds of pressure to a two-pound object, that object is going to move. Therein lies the problem. For you to hit your target every time, you have to press the trigger, with its four to 12 pounds of required pressure, without allowing your handgun to move at all.

Shotgun Shells Explained

The shotgun is designed to throw a group or “pattern” of many small pellets called “shot,” which makes hitting a flying or moving target much more feasible than using a single projectile, as fired by a rifle or pistol. Because it utilizes numerous pellets instead of a single bullet, a shotshell is constructed differently than a cartridge for rifles or pistols. So, instead of the rifle or pistol cartridge’s brass case that contains primer, powder and bullet, the shotgun’s shotshell consists of a hull that contains the primer, powder, shot wad and an amount of shot. There are many different shotgun bore sizes or “gauges” (much like rifle and pistol caliber size), and gauges of differing shell length, and all can be loaded with a wide variety of shot sizes. Let’s break down some of these terms so you can better understand your shotgun or make a well-informed and safe purchase the next time you head to your favorite gun store or range.

Hooray for Hollywood

I grew up with guns, but they were always the two-dimensional type. I still laugh every time I see Bugs Bunny put his finger in the barrel of Elmer Fudd’s shotgun and it blows up in Elmer’s face. Also, I never understood why Sgt. York licked his finger to wet his front sight, but it still made me giggle. From cops and robbers to absurd car chases and unrealistic explosions, I am a fan of it all. I thought Cowboys & Aliens was the best combination since peanut butter and jelly.

Cartridge Parts—The New Shooter’s Dictionary

Welcome to the First Shots New Shooter’s Dictionary!

As a new shooter, you might feel overwhelmed by all the terminology surrounding guns and ammunition. Believe it or not, knowing many of these terms and their definitions isn’t just a matter of trivia, but actually a matter of safety. To help you learn the ropes and safely buy and use your firearms and ammunition, we’re introducing “First Shots Firearms Dictionary” by Philip Massaro. Philip is a custom handloader and avid hunter who has written two books on reloading and ammunition. This month’s subject is …

Shooting Sports to Try: Metallic Silhouette Shooting

Have a gun? Almost any gun? Pistol, revolver, smallbore rifle, hunting rifle, lever-action, blackpowder rifle or even an airgun? Then you might find metallic silhouette competition is the game for you.

A Conversation with Kenn Blanchard, “Black Man With A Gun”

Kenn Blanchard tells the story of having an edgy name. While in a men’s room, someone noticed him and called out loudly, “Hey! Black man with a gun!” The other occupants of that room immediately went on red alert, looking around for someone with a firearm. “Nah, it’s cool,” said Blanchard. “I am known internationally because of my gun activism, website, podcast (“Black Man With A Gun”) and books.”

Conversations with New Shooters:Lucretia Free

She says she wears a “publisher’s hat.” Meet Lucretia Free, founder and publisher of The American Woman Shooter.

Free isn’t new to the publishing business, having already launched the successful community newspaper in southeast Tucson, The Vail Voice, and its sister paper in northeast Tucson, The Tanque Verde Voice. She is, however, new to the shooting sports.

“Early last year, a friend invited me to the range. I was expecting it to be a very long morning. Instead, I was very surprised to find that I enjoyed shooting,” recalled Free.

First Hunts—Everyone Starts at the Beginning

The decision to hunt can come before or after you learn how to shoot. Regardless of when that decision takes place, once you’ve made it—and before you step foot into the pheasant field or take a seat in the duck blind or whitetail stand—you need to become extremely accurate with the particular firearm you intend to take along with you. The NSSF’s website, www.nssf.org, is the perfect place to help you find ranges where you can practice, and it also lists dozens of training programs, all so that you can be assured your shot will fall where intended. But aside from practice, what else do you need to get out there and hunting as soon as possible? Let’s take a look at five things that should be at the top of your preparation list.