Thread: New to hunting/shooting

Originally Posted by Pete_D

Listen to the guys on here, grab a .22 and practice lots. Its fun and you have everything to gain.

'Dunning-Kruger effect' you should be able to pin point yourself on this graph.

Looking at that, I think I'm somewhere near the bottom of the curve.

Originally Posted by ipv

Ok makes sense. I’ll take that advice on board and look out for a .22. Any good cheap models that someone can surgest?

Have a nosey at a JW 15. (Norinco, I think)

Hey mate , im in the Hawkes Bay also , feel free to flick me a p.m and i can take you out to the range at some stage
Cheers

Originally Posted by Max Headroom

Looking at that, I think I'm somewhere near the bottom of the curve.

Thats a good position - experienced but with a heathy respect and not over confident.

Also in hastings, regularly go to the range on highway 50 if you wanted to come along at some point.

You're off to a decent start. Old british or american single shot .22's can be found quite affordably and if the bore is good will usually shoot beautifully. They often have very long barrels which really helps.

Some observations are that many people still point, or wave/sweep their guns around without much care for muzzle direction. They often check the gun is unloaded, but then proceed to point it at you or turn around and sweep the whole room in the process. Learn to check your gun any time you handle it, and control your muzzle direction at all times. Can't accidentally shoot someone if the muzzle is pointed at the dirt or sky ( situation dependent).

The other one is trigger safety - pretty basic but needs to be practiced from the start. It's not a guarantee that a gun won't discharge, but it definitely reduces user error.

Good call on reading and understanding the law. Lots of misinformation, misunderstandings, outdated knowledge and half truths floating around. Having a firm knowledge of the law helps you follow it, and may just save you in the event someone else decides to try to make your life difficult.

Took @ipv tp the range before and had a few good few hours shooting. Mike is green but keen to learn and does listen. Has a .243 that we got him used to shooting and bought a JW15a .22 which took a bit of sighting it in but worked it out in the end.

Will defiantly keep in contact and will try and organise a goat shoot in the near future.

Originally Posted by NZ32

Took @ipv tp the range before and had a few good few hours shooting. Mike is green but keen to learn and does listen. Has a .243 that we got him used to shooting and bought a JW15a .22 which took a bit of sighting it in but worked it out in the end.

Will defiantly keep in contact and will try and organise a goat shoot in the near future.

Good one.

Originally Posted by NZ32

Took @ipv tp the range before and had a few good few hours shooting. Mike is green but keen to learn and does listen. Has a .243 that we got him used to shooting and bought a JW15a .22 which took a bit of sighting it in but worked it out in the end.

Will defiantly keep in contact and will try and organise a goat shoot in the near future.

Had a good time thanks mate, was great to learn a few things and meet someone keen to help me learn.

Looking forward to a hunt in the future.

Young generation, doing things arse about face. It was the hunting that came first when starting out and the tools second (firearms). In my early days. Father would have us boys tag along on overnight (up to a week in tents) bush hunting, walking in that took all day with packs almost as big as I was then, learning the art of hunting way before we where old enough to get an FAL. Times change for sure.

Originally Posted by Slug

Young generation, doing things arse about face. It was the hunting that came first when starting out and the tools second (firearms). In my early days. Father would have us boys tag along on overnight (up to a week in tents) bush hunting, walking in that took all day with packs almost as big as I was then, learning the art of hunting way before we where old enough to get an FAL. Times change for sure.

Too right mate !
You've got to learn a base of bushcraft first but you have to be able to shoot too; not everyone has their dad along to take the first shots for them nowdays. Back then we were were less critical of our shooting ability and now we hunters pay more attention to formal skills develolpment.
I say all power to new hunters who do the preparation on range before letting strip on animals.

Originally Posted by Slug

Young generation, doing things arse about face. It was the hunting that came first when starting out and the tools second (firearms). In my early days. Father would have us boys tag along on overnight (up to a week in tents) bush hunting, walking in that took all day with packs almost as big as I was then, learning the art of hunting way before we where old enough to get an FAL. Times change for sure.

Keep in mind most new hunters these days don't know anyone who hunts or has firearms, so learning from opportunities as you grow up isn't possible. We forget it once we're in, but the hunting and shooting communities are pretty insular and either don't make their presence public, or solely advertise their activities to other people in the hunting/shooting community, so when you're new it's tough to figure out.

I started a lot like ipv, had to teach myself about hunting and it worked out ok in the end and made some good friends, but it's also understandable that new hunters often get into hunting via firearms ownership. Gun stores will talk to them, ranges provide contacts and learning opportunities, and teach safe, accurate firearm handling, while typically hunters just avoid new hunters or tell them "to just get out and do it". For young people who want to do things right and don't want to accidentally injure/waste an animal, or break a law accidentally because they didn't understand or find one, they usually won't risk going out on their own rather than go out and accidentally trespass, or injure an animal because of inexperience.

Deerstalkers is a fantastic resource in respect to providing mentorship, but as long as everyone is respectful, safe, and upstanding it doesn't really affect my opinion of how they are involved in the shooting/hunting community.