Welcome back to another edition of Concealed Carry Corner. Last week, we talked about the risks of drinking when carrying a concealed handgun. If you happened to miss that article, be sure to click the link here to check it out. This week, I wanted to look at another topic I get more questions on than expected. With current events around the country, there has been an uptick not only in new concealed carriers but also in women who want to carry concealed firearms. There have been a fair number of people interested in getting their concealed carry license but get anxious about taking a class for the first time. Many have said it’s best to go out and shoot on your own first while others preach to get training first so you learn to shoot correctly. Let’s take a closer look at self-taught vs professional training.

Concealed Carry Corner @ TFB:

• Concealed Carry Corner: Risks of Carrying and Drinking
• Concealed Carry Corner: Top 3 Carrying Stereotypes in 2023
• Concealed Carry Corner: How To Fly With Your Carry Gun
• Concealed Carry Corner: Training Like You Fight

Teaching Yourself How To Shoot

I can’t tell you how many times I hear stories about how people taught themselves how to shoot growing up or learned to shoot over years of just going in their backyard and shooting at cans. For the vast majority of older readers that was their only choice since there weren’t a ton of available training courses set up like there are today. One of the greatest freedoms we have in America is the ability to shoot without restriction (in most places) just by going to public land or a gun range.

There are countless citizens in society who purchase a firearm and decide they want to learn how to shoot on their own. The best part of all this is the fact it’s legal because of our laws or at least most of us (sorry California). With most new shooters, the biggest argument for teaching yourself how to shoot is the fact there’s no stress or anxiety about being embarrassed in front of other people. I especially hear this from younger people who don’t want to be singled out for incorrectly operating the firearm and would rather learn at their own pace. At surface level, this may seem reasonable but let’s take a closer look at how professional training can help in the long run.

Getting Professional Training

When it comes to learning how to shoot, I will often times compare it to learning how to drive a car. You can learn the basics of driving on back dirt roads but there’s only so much you can learn on your own before having to take a class to learn the rules and laws of the road. Shooting a handgun is oftentimes the same way and CPL classes are great examples of this. Sure some states have constitutional carry which is fantastic but it only allows you to carry in your state. If you decide to travel out of state, that’s when you are unable to keep carrying concealed legally at least.

Getting professional training not only allows you to learn the fundamentals of shooting from a trained professional but also allows you certain advantages like carrying concealed across state lines if you have a beginner CPL course. Now I know there are certainly the bad apples out there who give trainers a bad name. Things like cramming as many students into a class for maximum profit are unethical and don’t necessarily benefit new shooters. If you can find a really well-known trainer who does small group settings in your area, that’s by far the best option to truly learn the correct way to shoot a carry gun. Having professional training from the start allows you to develop and reinforce positive habits while avoiding bad ones like flinching and snapping your wrists.

What’s The Best Route?

So after seeing both sides of the argument, what’s the best way to start your journey into carrying? I would bring it back to the driving analogy where you’re learning to drive for the first time. You always want someone there to help you out and guide you. Although training on your own can be less stressful since no one else is watching you and allows you to learn at your own speed, it can be extremely dangerous. It’s always important to have someone trained or at least knowledgeable present whether that’s a trainer, family member or spouse there to make sure you are learning to shoot in a safe and effective way. Having someone to instill positive behaviors and shooting fundamentals will not only help you progress in shooting quickly but will also save time trying to get rid of bad habits down the road.

Overall Thoughts

I can totally understand the appeal of wanting to learn at your own rate when it comes to shooting. I was one of those kids growing up in a rural area learning at my own pace. The simple fact is in today’s world, there’s no reason to try and teach shooting to yourself when there’s an overwhelming amount of qualified trainers out there who want to expand the community and help people learn how to shoot. Training will not only speed up your shooting progression but it would also allow you to avoid some of the common pitfalls of learning how to shoot.

What do you guys think about learning how to shoot? Is it best to learn in your own time or is it better to go get training even though you are inexperienced? This is a much more common issue than some may realize and it’s never a bad thing to discuss, so be sure to hop down in the comments below to let me know your thoughts. If you have questions about carrying concealed or firearms in general, feel free to shoot me a message on Instagram @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there and we will see you next week for another edition of Concealed Carry Corner.

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