Tips

  • The best firearm to have when you need it is the one you have with you.
  • You’ll get as many suggestions as there are firearms if you ask people which firearm you should get. The best thing to do is to find one that you’re comfortable with, will practice with frequently, and that you enjoy shooting.
  • While a larger caliber can be more effective at stopping someone intent on inflicting serious bodily injury or death upon you, if you don’t shoot that caliber well and can’t hit the assailant, the biggest gun in the world can’t save you. Choose a gun and caliber based on your ability to shoot it accurately and well.
  • Shoot before you buy! By experiencing shooting, you’ll quickly learn what you like and don’t like and can make a more informed decision. You’ll also have a chance to see many different guns at the range and can get a better idea of what is out there.
    • Find some friends that shoot and ask them if they’ll take you to the range with them. Make sure they properly brief you on safety and operation of the guns you’ll be firing.
    • Call around to local shooting ranges and ask if they have rental guns. Some ranges have firearms you can rent while at the range.
    • Ask those same ranges if they have shooting classes for beginners. Some classes allow you to experience a number of different firearms, and teach you important safety procedures.
  • If there is a Concealed Handgun Permit available in your state, take the course, even if you plan on never leaving the house with your gun. The Concealed Weapon course will often teach you about the laws in your state regarding the use of deadly force and will make you a more informed gun owner.
  • List of common handgun models (or just make): Glock (very popular and reliable), 1911 (traditional and hard hitting), Heckler and Koch (AKA H&K; very reliable and well made), Smith and Wesson (popular for revolvers, but semi-autos are available too), Ruger (very popular and good quality revolvers), SIG Sauer (comfortable, accurate, and well made), Beretta (popular semi-automatics, currently in use with the U.S. Military), Khar (very compact and light, but may be a bit expensive), there are many others, look and shop around!
  • Common rifle companies: Remington, Winchester, Savage, CZ, Browning, Ruger, Sako, Weatherby, and many others. Rifle action and caliber are extremely important to the purpose of the rifle.
  • Common Shotgun companies: Remington (very common), Benelli (common high-end, great auto-loaders), Browning, Mossberg (inexpensive, reasonable quality self-defense shotguns), Winchester. Pump-action shotguns can be some of the cheapest firearms purchasable, but auto-loading shotguns can be very expensive as well.
  • Practice with the firearm. In an emergency, you will not have time to pull out the manual and figure out how it works! Having muscle-memory knowledge of how to load, use, and clear malfunctions with your firearm could save your life.
    • Practice how you will fight. Don’t slowly aim, squeeze off a single shot, and then stop and look to see where it went. Practice quickly acquiring the target and placing a fast, well aimed shot (or two or three). Have a trusted friend tell you when to start and stop firing randomly, to help simulate needed follow up shots. Practice clearing malfunctions, or reloading on the fly. (Do all of this with safety in mind.)
  • There is nothing more useless than an unloaded firearm. Utilize locks and gun safes where necessary (or required by law), but keep your firearm in as close to a ready state as youlegally and safely can. The home invader that just kicked down your door won’t sit down for tea and wait while you find your box of ammunition and load your gun!

Hunting Tips

When hunting season rolls around, it is important to have the right gear. Here is a compilation of key hunting accessories, no matter what type of game you are hunting.

1) The right clothes: Obviously, hunting climates vary across the country, but it is always important to stay warm. You can always takes a jacket off, but if you are cold, you are stuck shivering for your entire trip.

2) Good backpack: Camelbak makes some really great backpacks of various sizes, all of extreme durability.

3) Maps: If you are taking a larger backpack, you should probably throw a few maps in there. Safety is the most important thing when you are hunting, and plenty of people have gotten themselves in dangerous situations by getting lost, so make sure you have a map if that happens.

4) Compass: for the same reason as the map, a compass is vital. You can often choose one or the other. Both are only really necessary when taking a longer trip.

5) Scent control: before leaving the house, it is important to mask the human scent. Animals have a much better sense of smell than humans, so even after masking the human scent, you will want to cover it with another smell from the wildlife.

6) Gun: Your gun is one of your most important hunting accessories. The type of game you plan on hunting is going to tell you what type of gun to bring.

7) Binoculars: It’s always better to have increased eyesight when hunting, so binoculars are extremely useful.

8) Knife: of all the accessories you will need, your knife will be the most handy. Whether you are headed out for an early morning hunt, or a weekend adventure, your knife will be needed. For large game, I suggest the Buck Alpha Hunter Gut hook. It is ergonomically designed, its durability is unmatched, and it is small enough to carry around, but large enough for big game.

9) Flashlight: if you are headed out overnight, make sure you carry a flashlight. I definitely suggest something really durable, such as an LED flashlight. The batteries will last longer, and LED is more resistant to cold and heat.

10) Extra ammunition: nobody wants to cut a hunting trip short because they ran out of ammo, right? Always bring a few extra cartridges along.