While there may be some material things new shooters would appreciate, what the millions of first-time gun owners really need is invaluable instruction, tips and mentorship from safe and seasoned shooters. If you can offer advice and guidance for your new-to-firearms friend on how to pick the best products, spot good advice and determine if a brand has their best interests at heart, you’ll be giving a valuable free gift.
New Hotness
Everyone loves new things. It’s part of human nature to want. It’s part of what drives us to learn, grow and get better. All that we do is part of the human drive to achieve more. However, new shooters may struggle to know what is more junk and what is worth the effort.
Whether a new shooter is seeking more firearms or more accessories to support their firearm, they need one other critical thing in order to acquire any of it: guidance from a gun guru.
How does someone new to firearm ownership know what is good information? What is a useful accessory, versus over-hyped marketing? Determining if something really is “the new hotness” or just aggressive advertising is where first-timers could use your free advice!
Spot Good Advice
While new gun owners might receive all kinds of advice from social media, gun shops and classes, they may need help picking out the nuggets of wisdom from outdated intel. Advise new shooters to weight new information carefully. Explain that genuine people with good information share it freely, and are able to clearly articulate what concepts or skills they are trying to disseminate. Many experienced mentors encapsulate their information in bite-sized servings and use words that can be understood by a lay person. Things to be wary of are those who can’t explain clearly what a concept or skill is, or how to apply it, or who can’t break things down into terms anyone can understand.
Another way to help new shooters gain a clear picture of whether someone has good information is to compare it to what known experts have to say. For example, if I were to tell someone new to firearms that ammunition should be stored in a cool, dry place, they can compare that to what manufacturers suggest. A fresh firearm owner can also make a common-sense assumption based on the information they already know. It seems extremely plausible, even to a lay person, that ammunition containing gunpowder and primers (tiny bits of explosive) should stay dry and away from heat.
Best Brands
Show new gun owners how to pay attention to which brands help their customers to not just consume, but understand, learn and grow. A great example of this is any brand that sets out to create a space for first-timers and help them find useful information.
For example, Winchester offers information on everything from basic skills you should understand to use your firearm to the storage of firearms.
Winchester isn’t the only brand making efforts to this end; they are just one I know has put in a lot of sincere work to see that the brand-new gun owner is understood and considered, and has a source of information they can trust.
So, before you run out to the store for accessories or the new, hot product, consider giving the gift of mentorship. It’s free and perfect for any new firearm owner.
