Being a mentor to someone learning how to shoot is an important responsibility. Your role is to instill a strong sense of safety, proper technique, and confidence in your mentee while fostering a positive learning environment. Whether you’re helping a beginner get started or coaching someone to refine their skills, there will always be a number of essential elements to consider.
Not to overstate the obvious, but teaching any activity that involves a high level of potential risk, must be taken seriously by both parties. With firearms, it’s important to ensure that all aspects of handling and the shooting process are well covered, with no assumptions being made. Be sure to employ the three fundamental learning types (visual / auditory / kinesthetic), as everyone tends to learn and retain information differently. Essentially, this method follows a ‘show me / tell me / let me try’ approach that has been proven to be most effective. A healthy reality check of real-world gun use vs. the Hollywood depictions we’re all used to is also helpful.
Mentoring Tips
Communicate Effectively
For a new shooter, handling a firearm can feel intimidating, and your role as a mentor is to create an environment that promotes focused learning in a safe, positive and supportive environment. This might include:
- Understand the pace & teaching methods that will be of most benefit to your mentee
- Be patient & adaptable
- Provide constructive feedback & ongoing encouragement
- Encourage questions & promote dialogue
- Be mindful of overwhelming your student with too much information too quickly
- Strategically layer-on new details & skills like building blocks (walk before you run)
- Celebrate success
- Make the process fun & engaging
Prioritize Safety
Safety is the cornerstone of firearm education. Before the first shot is fired, ensure the new shooter understands all of
the fundamentals. From safe handling and muzzle discipline to trigger control and target awareness, it is critical to lead by example and emphasize the importance of these rules repeatedly.
Get Familiar with the (Right) Equipment
Choosing the right firearm and gear for a new shooter is an important step in the process, and it falls to the mentor to ensure that the equipment matches the student’s skill level, size, strength and comfort. For training, starting out with smaller caliber, low recoil firearms is a good idea as this helps to develop confidence from the outset. Be sure to fully cover all parts, features and functions of the gun including proper fit, correct ammunition, magazines, loading & unloading, potential malfunctions and how to safely clear them.
Start with the Basics
When it comes to shooting technique, ensure that the fundamentals are all in-place before you move on to more advanced instruction. Breaking the process into manageable steps can also help to build a solid foundation of skill while keeping the new shooter from feeling overwhelmed. The basic elements would include:
- Determining which eye is dominant
- Proper stance
- Hold or grip
- Trigger finger placement, squeeze & follow-through
- Sight picture & alignment
- Aim
- Breath control
Emphasize Repetition & Practice
Repetition is key to developing muscle memory and confidence with a firearm. Encourage the new shooter to practice foundational skills consistently until they become second nature. Once you get your shooter on target (pun intended) with their new-found technique, consider using metal reactive targets during practice, as they offer immediate feedback to help understand the principles and to build confidence. Dry-fire exercises can also be an excellent way to practice these skills without the pressure of using live ammunition.
Being a firearms mentor is about much more than simply teaching someone how to shoot. It’s about imparting lifelong skills, fostering a respect for firearms, and creating a positive, safe environment for learning.
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