Learning how to shoot is about firearms safety, becoming familiar with operating the firearm (Manual of Arms), and learning the correct technique for stance, grip, aiming, trigger control and follow-thorough. There are a number of things working against the first time shooter. These include the anxiety of handling a lethal weapon, putting together all the different elements of shooting technique, the sound and flash of the shoot and the recoil. While training can help with safety, manual of arms and technique, the best solution for the mitigating the sound, flash and recoil is to pick the correct gun for the new shooter.
The most common misstep for new shooters is to pick a gun based on where their interest lies. Someone interested in concealed carry might pick a sub-compact single stack 9mm pistol, while an aspiring deer hunter might select a .308 bolt action rifle. The budding clay shooter might select a 12 gauge. While these are all great choices for the activity they are designed for, they are not the best guns for learning how to shoot.
In learning to shoot with a handgun, the first decision is the caliber of the handgun. Since we are trying to minimize recoil, noise and flash, a small caliber round with a light load makes the most sense. A common choice is the .22 Long Rifle cartridge. It is cheap, available, and has a large number of guns available.
Handguns
In choosing a .22 LR handgun to learn how to shoot, you should look for a full-size gun. Typically, this means the gun will have a 4″ to 6″ barrel. Revolvers or semi-automatic pistols are both good choices. Revolvers have a simple manual of arms and are a good choice for new shooters. They are easy to load and unload and simple to fire. If a round does not fire, the shooter can simply pull the trigger again. Double action revolvers also have the option of shooting the safe long double action trigger press or by cocking the hammer a short and light single action trigger press.
Semi-automatic .22 LR pistols are a very common firearm in many shooter’s gun collections. Easy to shoot, affordable, and fun, they work well for beginners and provide a great target and plinking pistol for more experienced shooters.
Rifles
Rifles are also available in .22 LR and for all the same reasons as handguns, a .22 LR rifle is a great choice for a first time shooter. There are .22 rifles available in bolt action, lever action. pump, and semi-automatic actions. The easiest rifle to learn how to shoot is a bolt action .22 LR rifle. Bolt action rifles have the advantage of single shot mode by opening the bolt and feeding a round by hand and then closing the action. This action makes it simple and safe for new shooters.
Shotgun
Since shotguns shoot shells instead of cartridges, a .22 LR is not an option, but we can use the same principle to choose the best shotgun to learn to shoot. The most common shotguns are 12 gauge, 20 gauge, 28 gauge and .410. While the .410 shotgun is the smallest shell with the lightest recoil, it is not the best choice to learn to shoot. Because the .410 has the fewest pellets, it is difficult to hit a clay pigeon or a bird, making the .410 more of an expert’s gun.
The best choice for new shooters is either the 20 gauge or 28 gauge. Both have significantly less recoil than the 12 gauge and enough pellets that breaking clay pigeons is not too difficult for the beginner shooter. While semi-automatic, pump, and break action shotguns can all be used to learn to shoot, a break action has the advantages of simple to understand action which can be used as a single shot.