unexperienced firing a shotgun
 

So i've never fired a gun in my entire life, however, I know where my dad keeps his shotgun and how to load it. If the event presents itself where I need to fire it off for my protection and have never done so before, will the recoil of the gun cause damage to my arm/shoulder area?


randomly curious question

I'm a firm believer in "If there is a gun in the house, you need to know how to load it and fire it safely."

There's a good chance you could hurt yourself as I've seen grown men with bruises on their shoulder from not firing the shotgun properly braced on their shoulder.

If you get the chance, ask your father or friend to take you to a range to practice firing the weapon.

I'd totally recommend taking an NRA basic firearm safety course first and then a course that deals specifically with using a shotgun as a defensive tool.

Seeing that you live in the People's Republic of Maryland, this should be relatively easy to find. Until you receive such training and are familiar with the function and comfortable with the recoil, don't play with the shotgun. It'll only end in a Dick Cheney disaster or worse.

... But if you do play with it, get someone to record it so we can watch it on youtube later.

Also, what Plan9 says.

yes, I didn't consider that P9. That's the best solution.

I didn't take official training, well maybe I did back in boyscout days barely remember. My father used to take me to the range when I was a kid, picking up shells so that he could reload them when we got home.

Formal instruction is incredibly important as many adults (parents) have serious safety issues that result from complacency.

One of the biggest offenses is leaving a firearm and ammunition in the same accessible area in a house with modern teenagers.

Also: A competent firearms instructor is not your parent / buddy and offers no leeway for screw ups. They won't baby you.

I've found that people often pay more attention to authority figures because they're unfamiliar and demanding.

The military often uses this approach when training guys on something new for the first time. Prevents complacency.

hahaha, I definitely will do so.




and I will also find out when & where I can receive proper training. Perhaps afterwards take said shotgun to a firing range? I bet it's great for relieving pent-up aggression :thumbsup:

There is little more legally satisfying than blowing away water-filled milk jugs with 12 gauge buckshot.

...

As one of the resident gun nerds, I demand that you describe the make and model of shotgun you have.

I wish I could accommodate you right now, however my dad is fast asleep and the gun is located not far from the bed in which he resides at this moment, and I would hate to wake him up. I will go check it out for you tomorrow and post back :)

I can't begin to describe how sketchy I feel that we are encouraging someone with no gun safety knowledge to handle a firearm behind the actual owner's back.

I know how to handle it and not make it go off, and I also acknowledge that I need some sort of instruction before I go off shooting the damn thing. So please, let you sketchy feelings just melt away....ahhhh..... how nice does that feel?:thumbsup:

Tele,

Say what, hoss? How is receiving training from a 3rd party using the 3rd party's firearm sketchy?

GIANT IDIOT DISCLAIMER: Please do not handle your father's shotgun without permission. It is potentially dangerous if you do not know what you're doing with it. If you are interested in learning about the shotgun, ask your father for instruction and permission to handle the firearm.

refer to my post above. He doesn't care if I handle it, just probably wouldn't appreciate it much while he's sleeping. As for instruction, my cousins are some good ole' country boys who would probably find enjoyment in teaching a novice girly girl like myself how to fire off a shotgun.

The disclaimer is not for you, it's for me.

ah, I see. carry on then.

Your father's not thinking things through if he keeps a loaded gun in the house with easy access and hasn't taught you basic gun safety or how to properly handle it. That spells "recipe for disaster" to me, and that's how people get accidentially shot.

That said, you need your dad's express permission to handle the gun. As in "Dad, can I?" followed by "Yes". No exceptions.

Well, the OP does have older brothers and they're not dead yet. So something is working... blind luck or common sense.

I mean... look at Eden.

Hey, I grew up with guns in the house that I didn't know how to fire because when people started shooting guns, I went back in the house to shoot BFG9000s at demons from outer space.

I'm a crack shot with a gun that blows up everything living in a room without even burning a spot into the wall.

Yeah, you couldn't hit dick with #5 because the projectiles were too slow.

Hah, I remember that one time I chased you through the hallway with a chainsaw while you fumbled with your #4.

ehh i once bruised my shoulder with a shotgun while dove hunting.

i mean, i easily put over 200 rounds through it and was around 11 years old...so the bruise wasnt from not holding it against my shoulder snugly enough. just all that recoil on my tiny little frame over the course of the day.

just hold it firmly.

I've ended up with bruises after shouldering it properly, it might be time to be a wuss and get the recoil reducer mechanism if I'm going to keep going to the range that only allows slugs.
Good Ole Country Boys are going to either instill in you terrible habits that will infuriate and frustrate anyone who attempts to teach you to use it properly, or they're going to load three reduced recoil shells then a max load slug and laugh when you fall on your ass.

Also, almost every girl makes the mistake of leaning back when starts shooting, be aware of it and make sure you lean into the gun for proper form.

KirStang lives close by. He knows a little something-something about shotguns. He's painfully single, too.

Shotgun + some good training = great combo.

Always surprises me how few people are practicing with shotguns at the range.

Practice makes perfect....

You might think about shooting something with a lot less recoil your first trip to the range. Hopefully if you do get some professional instruction your instructor or if you talk your cousins into it they will put something in your hands with a lot less recoil the first couple of times. Trying to harness that much energy without ever firing a gun before can cause you to develop some nasty trigger and flinching habits right out of the gate. And remember the two most important things is to be safe and to have fun! Good Luck!

Continental Arms in Timmonium Maryland allows you to shoot 00buck in their indoor range. I went up there not too long ago to get myself used to the recoil, incase I ever had to shoot the gun in defense.