learning to shoot pistol

darkvesperia

if a 357 wheelgun is all that is available will a factory 38 special load bring down recoil enough to be a managable self teacher.

bingeebob

Depends on a few things...

how heavy is the gun?
how long is the barrel?
how well does the gun fit the student?
how strong is the student?

dcs shooters

Yes, the recoil will be less. But the question is, can the person handle it? Some people can't handle even a 38spl.
Try some 38spl. target wad-cutters for the least recoil [;)]

beantownshootah

quote:Originally posted by darkvesperia
if a 357 wheelgun is all that is available will a factory 38 special load bring down recoil enough to be a managable self teacher.



Sure.

.38 special with wadcutter loads is usually considered to be a good teaching tool, if fired from an all steel full sized (ie 4" bbl) gun.

For beginners, that's probably the second best common caliber compared to a .22, and unlike a .22, the gun itself can then be used as a "real" defense gun with better loads.

Yeah, there are probably some adults who can't handle the recoil of a .38 wadcutter, but really, is teaching your 98 year old Grandma to shoot such a good idea? [;)]

nmyers

I'm a little worried about the term "self teacher". I infer that means that you don't really know what you are doing, but, you will fire a couple of boxes of ammo & figure it out as you go along.

It might work out OK. The problem is, there are a lot of little things about safe shooting that aren't readily apparent to the novice. That's why it's always best to have someone with experience do the teaching. If I were a new shooter, I'd look for a gun shop with their own range; most of them offer an inexpensive orientation course that may just give you enough information to avoid a lethal mistake.

Neal

RCrosby

A book, more "targeted" to match shooting than self defense and recreation, that covers a wide range topics, used to be sold by Gil Hebard. You might want to see if it's still available. Email me if interested and I'll get more info to you. Lots of reading and a good mentor will really help.
Have fun, be safe, and good luck.