Congratulations! For me the best way to get with the shooting program was to find a place to shoot some competitions. First, safety will be ingrained into you. Second, shooting competitions will teach you to deal with stress of the competition. When I shot informally I did great, put me in front of a group, it all went to heck! But I overcame that. When you shoot with other people you find out just how good you are with speed and accuracy. I’m glad that 40 years ago I found out I wasn’t as good as I thought I was. Best to find out on the range than in a real life scenario. So I practiced and improved. It took 3 years but went from novice to master. It took work. Take the classes, learn the laws, but take the time to see all USCCA has to offer. But if you really want to excel, you need to go against other competitors. They’re the only litmus test that I trust. Good luck and enjoy. PS: my EDC is a Glock.
You’ll love the Uscca and the online training and education. I know I did as a new gun owner.
Welcome Kathy 25, The only advice I have is be wise, learn all you can. For this is a learning process the rest of your life. And speaking for myself. I’m have served in the USMC, been around with guns for a long time. and i still learning. This is a process that we never think we know it all. Guess ??? We are all still learning every day . Things change, laws change in States all the time. And the ones out there that is out there to harm others, they are coning up with new ways to do that is well. Best of everything to you, welcome. And stay safe out there.
Welcome Kathy!! Another good place to see USCCA podcasts is UTube. Subscribe to it and you’ll see them just about every day with a new one. They also bring in a great attorney to explain how this might go in court if you ever end up there. God forbid!!
Proud to have you apart of the family!
Sounds like you are off to a good start Kathy25. Most of it is common sense, common courteosy, and the humility to accept instruction. Sounds like you got those three in spades.
Hello Kathy25 welcoming to the community, the classes are a great start and practice is always the regimen to be a daily routine. Practice doesn’t always mean going to the range.My carry tools are Glock 19 a day M&P c ompact
Thank you so much for all the welcomes!! And yes, I figured as far as practicing goes, I can do dry practicing at home. Go to the range as much as I can when i’ve got some extra cash. And i’m glad I have a place I can go and ask questions and for advice when I need it. And again, Thanks a bunch for all the welcomes!
Is this going thru the community or as a private message?
Public post.
Ok cool! Thx
And remember - it is VERY public. People don’t need to be a Forum member to SEE and READ posts, so be careful if you don’t want to be very popular outside this Community 
Gotcha! Thx
You can significantly stretch your range/ammo budget, especially if your range charges by the hour, by doing one simple thing: Train with a plan!! I journal my training by writing down what I want to accomplish at the range (I do this at home), then I stick to the plan once I am there. After my training session I update the journal, assessing if I accomplished my goals and then start my plan for the next session. By doing this I can learn more in 30 minutes with 10 rounds of ammo than just blasting thorough a couple of 50-round boxes over the space of a couple of hours (make the gun cleaning faster and easier also). Couple this with your dry firing and you will quickly make great progress.
Welcome Kathy! USCCA is a great community and most people will offer helpful suggestions and friendly comments. So if you have something on your mind, feel free to ask about it. If you ask for recommendations on firearms, holsters, belts, cleaning, training, you name it - you will get plenty of suggestions. A lot of carrying a firearm comes down to personal preference in terms of gear. Plenty of good research on ballistics for self-defense ammunition. By and large, the 2A community can be welcoming and helpful.
Welcome to the group, Donnie20!!!
Just 15? Lol,. I wish that’s all I had but I’ve been buying them for 44 yrs now. Heck bought two a week or so ago, diff holster for diff gun Even got one for my Mares Leg in .44 mag .
Good for you Kathy. I alternate between a Beretta and a Glock as EDC.
To reduce accident, when I go Glock, I currently go Condition 3, never zero. But that’s just me, I feel more peace of mind yet safe and ready at the same time. I just gotta remember, in an emergency draw, I gotta remember to “rack”.
There’s debate on what condition to carry, lots of specific posts in the topic; I know where I now stand, I went from Condition 0, to 3 now. Some folks get heated. But I know what I want and like.
If you’ve not seen this vid yet, I hope you enjoy it. Mr. Magill discuuses 5 different carrying Conditions.
