Learning to shoot a rifle for the first time might sound intimidating, especially if you’re starting as an adult. But it doesn’t have to be. With the right guidance, a calm environment, and a safe, simple setup, anyone can learn to handle a rifle confidently – even in just a single day. It’s not about being perfect right away. It’s about laying the foundation for control, safety, and confidence. That’s exactly what this crash course in rifle shooting aims to deliver: a simple path for complete beginners to become capable riflemen.
1. Safety Before Anything Else
Before touching a rifle, the first step is safety. Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction and check that the action is open to confirm the gun is unloaded. Learn how the rifle operates: how to open and close the action, where the safety is located, and how to handle it responsibly. When someone hands you a firearm, the action should always be open – that’s a universal sign of safety. Practicing this habit makes safety automatic and builds trust with others on the range or in the field.
2. Begin with the .22 Rimfire
Starting out with a powerful centerfire rifle is a recipe for developing bad habits. Instead, it’s smart to train with a .22 rimfire rifle. It’s quiet, has virtually no recoil, and helps you focus on technique instead of flinching at the bang. Even though a .22 won’t be your hunting rifle, it teaches trigger control, breathing, and sight alignment – the fundamentals of shooting. It’s like learning how to ride a bike with training wheels before going downhill on a mountain trail.
3. Finding a Natural Hold
Once you’ve confirmed the rifle is unloaded and safe, practice mounting it to your shoulder and getting into a natural shooting stance. Avoid awkward head tilts. Keep your head upright – you’ll see more clearly and shoot more accurately. It’s not unlike how a chicken keeps its head steady even if its body moves. Bring the rifle to your face, not the other way around. The more comfortable and repeatable your position is, the more consistent your shooting becomes.
4. Trigger Control and Dry Firing
Dry firing – pulling the trigger on an unloaded gun – is one of the best ways to develop good habits. It teaches you how the trigger breaks, how the rifle reacts, and how to hold steady without the distraction of recoil. With modern .22 rimfires, dry firing is perfectly safe and incredibly useful. Practice running the bolt, shouldering the rifle, and slowly squeezing the trigger. Don’t jab it. Let it break like a soap bubble. That smooth press is the heartbeat of good marksmanship.
5. The Right Stance and Footwork
Your feet matter. If you’re standing straight on with no foot behind you, you might get rocked back by recoil. A good shooting stance is stable and slightly angled toward the target. One foot back for balance. Knees bent. Shoulders forward. This isn’t just for show – it allows your body to absorb movement and stay on target. It’s amazing how much steadier you’ll feel once your base is set right.
6. Learn to Use the Scope
Scopes are powerful tools, but they come with quirks. One of the first surprises for beginners is how magnification changes everything. On low power, the scope is more forgiving. A wide field of view and large exit pupil make it easy to see your target, even if your head isn’t perfectly aligned. Crank the scope to higher magnification, and suddenly, every tiny wiggle matters. You see black shadows if your eye isn’t centered. Focus can blur. But this teaches an important lesson: precision demands discipline.
7. Understanding Parallax and Focus
If your scope looks blurry, don’t blame your eyes just yet. It might be parallax – a small misalignment between your eye and the scope’s reticle. Most scopes have an adjustable objective or side focus knob to fix this. Set it to the correct distance, and the image sharpens right up. It’s a small detail, but one that makes a big difference. Once you see your hits clearly, confidence grows. You begin to trust what you see and learn how to dial things in for longer shots.
8. Shooting from Multiple Positions
Most people start by shooting standing up. That’s fine for practice, but not always practical in the field. Shooting from a sitting or prone position adds stability through extra points of contact. Less wobble, more control. Sitting allows your elbows to rest on your knees or thighs – just not right on the kneecaps, which are too bony and unstable. Tuck your elbows inside your legs, lean into the rifle, and you’ll feel the difference right away. Each position has its advantages. Learn them all.
9. Using Shooting Sticks for Support
Shooting sticks are one of the best tools for field shooting. They’re portable, fast to set up, and give solid support in awkward terrain. Whether kneeling, sitting, or standing, sticks let you rest the rifle while keeping the muzzle steady. They can be adjusted for height or angle, and with practice, they feel like a natural extension of your body. For new shooters, they’re a game-changer. You’ll instantly shoot tighter groups and learn faster.
10. Breathing and Breaking the Shot
One of the most overlooked aspects of shooting is breathing. Your breath moves your chest, which moves the rifle. The trick is to exhale, pause at the bottom of the breath – when everything’s still – and then squeeze the trigger. That small window, just a few seconds long, is your chance to make the perfect shot. Get oxygenated, stay calm, and let the rifle surprise you when it fires. The difference is subtle but powerful.
11. Add Some Fun to the Process
Training doesn’t have to be boring. Reactive targets – like spinners or tin cans – make practice exciting. When a new shooter sees a target spin or jump, it lights a spark. Paper targets are great for sighting in, but movement adds motivation. Hitting something that reacts builds confidence, especially when transitioning between positions or ranges. It’s easy to forget you’re training when you’re having fun. And that’s the point: keep it light, keep it safe, and make it memorable.
12. Progress Happens Fast
It’s surprising how much progress a new shooter can make in a single day with the right approach. Start with dry fire, build up to live fire at short ranges, and gradually work your way to longer distances and varied shooting positions. You don’t need a fancy gun or elite gear. Just a rimfire rifle, a good scope, and a smart, safe approach. Once you’ve got the basics, everything else builds on that foundation.
Shooting Is a Skill Anyone Can Learn
The most interesting thing about this isn’t the technical side – though that is always great – but the reminder that shooting is a learnable, approachable skill. You don’t have to be young, military-trained, or naturally gifted. You just need a bit of patience, a safe setup, and someone to show you the way. Whether you’re prepping for a big game hunt or just trying something new, rifle shooting can be both empowering and deeply satisfying.
If you’re new to rifles or thinking about teaching someone else, just remember: keep it simple, keep it safe, and keep it fun. That’s how shooters are made.
Mark grew up in the heart of Texas, where tornadoes and extreme weather were a part of life. His early experiences sparked a fascination with emergency preparedness and homesteading. A father of three, Mark is dedicated to teaching families how to be self-sufficient, with a focus on food storage, DIY projects, and energy independence. His writing empowers everyday people to take small steps toward greater self-reliance without feeling overwhelmed.