Embarrassing question
- Thread starter dmclone
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Might try contacting one of the Issac(?) Walton leagues around Des Moines and they might be able to hook you up. There is a firing range North of Indianola located by Somerset Park. Or you could make the ultimate sacrifice and join that Army, they are looking for a few good men.
There used to be a gun club in Waukee but I don't know if it is still open. Also Banner Pits south of Des Moines is a great place to go if you bring your own weapon.
I've never been to one in Iowa, but there is one in Sioux Falls if you're ever that way. I'm not sure if this one provides the guns or not, but you could call and find out:
Luxergy - Indoor Range near Des Moines, Iowa
Luxergy - Indoor Range near Des Moines, Iowa
There's one on the North Side of Ames Actually
I believe its a little west of the Pizza ranch. I've got a gun enthusiast friend that's told me about it. You can pay a pretty low rate and use whatever gun you want. Anything from rifles to pistols. He noted that quite a few of the ROTC guys go up there for some target practice. I don't know if you need a membership or anything though.
I believe its a little west of the Pizza ranch. I've got a gun enthusiast friend that's told me about it. You can pay a pretty low rate and use whatever gun you want. Anything from rifles to pistols. He noted that quite a few of the ROTC guys go up there for some target practice. I don't know if you need a membership or anything though.
That's not embarrassing at all and for some reason I've been wanting to shoot lately too. The only real gun I've ever fired was a .22 and that was more like a pellet gun.
It must be all the FPS games...
I'd be surprised if there wasn't more than a few "gun freak" friends right here on CF. Maybe see if someone can organize a weekend to do some shooting. Some bring the weapons, some bring the ammo (probably those without weapons).
Sounds like fun!
Sounds like fun!
That acts as a very good basis to begin with! If you start with that kind of respect for a weapon, you'll do fine. There is also shooting range south of Indianola at the Izaak Walton League.
Do you think he's planning on committing a felony soon?
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If you haven't got this done by late May, I'm up for some range time.
I wouldn't go to a rental place by myself, personally. I'd find someone who is professional, and has coached new shooters, before.
It's safer, you will have a much more enjoyable experience, and won't feel pushed or pressured in the process. Let me know if you haven't been shooting by then.
I wouldn't go to a rental place by myself, personally. I'd find someone who is professional, and has coached new shooters, before.
It's safer, you will have a much more enjoyable experience, and won't feel pushed or pressured in the process. Let me know if you haven't been shooting by then.
Hey that's not so embarrassing. I'm 40 and have been thinking it is time to buy that first gun.
Same here...except I'm not that old. :wink:
The gun would be mainly for home protection. Any suggestions/recommendations?
Honestly, I usually recommend that people get a 16" barrelled AR15 with a light mounted on it. However, because of the current hysteria, they are just too expensive. Think $2000 for a gun that cost $800 just a few months ago, expensive, if you can find one at all.
So what I now recommend is a lever-action carbine in either 30-30 or .357/.44 magnum. You know, the kind that cowboys in the movies have?
Which goes counter to most conventional wisdom concerning home defense guns. While I don't recommend against pistols, most people who buy them for defense don't get the training/practice that they really need to be proficient.
And shotguns? Probably one of the worst choices for home defense, despite the conventional wisdom that says that they are best.
Without going into too much detail, the current thinking is that short rifles firing the smaller rounds are safer, more lethal, and easier to employ than shotguns.
Myth #1 - Criminals will be scared off by the racking of the slide.
Not true. The racking of the slide just reveals your location, and that you are mentally unprepared to use the gun. Not really that effective.
Myth #2 - Shotguns don't need to be aimed as precisely as rifles
Not true. At in home ranges, shotguns don't pattern, the shot doesn't have time to expand enough. So the shot all hits in the exact same place. Just like a rifle round, only less effective.
Myth #3 - Shotguns don't overpenetrate
Not true. Any shotgun that won't penetrate your walls, will not effectively disable a bad guy. I have a friend who walked away from three rounds of 12 ga #7 shot at point blank range to the chest. He called the ambulance and sat down at the kitchen table and waited for them to come. He was at his kids' band concert the next night.
Any shotgun round capable of penetrating a person, such as slugs or buckshot, will overpenetrate worse than high speed rifle rounds, such as the 5.56mm AR15 round, which is one of the better non-overpenetrating rounds. (They are light and fast, and tend to bleed off energy quickly.) The worst overpenetrating rounds are pistol rounds and shotgun slugs, believe it or not.
Myth - Shotguns are easy to use.
Not true - When under stress, it is very easy to short-stroke a shotgun. That means the gun is now completely jammed, and unjamming a short-stroked shotgun usually requires a full takedown of the gun. It is less difficult and a much more positive action to take the safety off an AR15 or lever in a .30-30 round.
Fact - The sights and ergonomics on the typical carbine are superior to the typical shotgun, making precision shots easier, which lessens the chances of hitting someone you don't want.
There is more, but that's it, in a nutshell.
One of the things I love about my M4 carbine, is that I can clear it, take the magazine out and it is totally safe, should God forbid, someone unwanted handle it. I don't have to secure the gun as much as I need to secure the loaded magazines.
One more thing: If you buy a gun, put a light on it. They sell the lights and the mounts at all the sporting goods store. You will use the light much more than you'll probably ever use the gun.
And, please, could we keep the political comments out of this thread? If you'd like to debate technique, great! I'm not the be all, end all of defense, but this could be a useful thread for those with honest questions about home defense.
Thanks!
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