7 Tips for Building Confidence with Your Firearm

It's perfectly normal to feel nervous when you first start shooting. Building confidence with your firearm takes time, practice, and the right mindset - it's a gradual process.

Whether you're just starting out or looking to sharpen your skills, feeling confident is fundamental for safe and effective firearm use. Here are some straightforward tips to help you build that confidence, from mastering the basics to overcoming your fears.

Start with the Basics

To build confidence, you need to start with a strong foundation. This means getting to know how your firearm works, how to load and unload it safely, and how to clean and maintain it. When you understand the mechanics of your firearm, it helps reduce the fear or uncertainty you might feel. The more familiar you are with your firearm, the more comfortable you'll be when using it.

Practice Regularly

Confidence comes with practice. Start with dry firing at home. This means practicing aiming and trigger control without using live ammo. Dry fire practice helps you get used to how your gun feels and operates. It’s also a great way to work on your grip, stance, and aiming without worrying about recoil. If you're not sure how to get started, read our tips on getting started with dry fire.

When you're ready, spend as much time as you can at the shooting range. Consistent practice helps build muscle memory, making your movements more natural and boosting your confidence. Set specific goals for each visit, like improving your accuracy, practicing quick target acquisition, or trying out different shooting positions. 

Get Professional Training

Even if you're comfortable with the basics, training with a respected professional can take your skills and confidence to the next level. Professional training not only sharpens your technical skills but also deepens your understanding of your firearm’s capabilities. The better you get, the more confident you’ll feel in handling different situations.

Don't limit yourself to taking only basic courses, expand your horizions into other areas like defensive shooting, tactical skills, or shooting under stress. These courses often simulate real-life situations, helping you prepare for scenarios where you might need to use your firearm in self-defense.

Understand and Overcome Your Fears

It’s normal to feel some fear when learning to use a firearm, but the reality is you need to get over those fears as quickly as possible. Start by figuring out what exactly makes you nervous - is it the noise, the recoil, or just the responsibility of handling a weapon? Once you nail down what worries you, you can start addressing it.

For example, if the noise bothers you, you can try using more advanced ear protection or double plugging (using foam earplugs along with earmuffs). If recoil is an issue, start with a smaller caliber gun and work your way up.

Boost Your Mental Preparedness

Confidence with a firearm isn’t just about physical skills - mental preparation is a huge factor. Knowing when and how to use your firearm in a defensive situation requires a strong mindset. This means understanding the legal aspects of using a firearm and being ready to make quick (and difficult) decisions under pressure.

Visualization can be a powerful tool here. Spend time imagining different situations where you might need to use your firearm. Think about how you’d react, what steps you’d take, and how you’d ensure everyone’s safety. Mentally rehearsing these scenarios can help you act more decisively in a real situation.

Join a Community

Building confidence is often easier when you’re part of a supportive community. Joining a shooting club in your area (like A Girl and A Gun Shooting League or Armed Women of America) or finding a group of people who are also working on their skills can give you motivation and encouragement. Being around others with similar goals lets you learn from their experiences, share tips, and even practice together.

You can also explore the world of shooting competitions. Competing is an excellent way to challenge yourself, apply your skills, and build confidence through experience. Practical shooting organizations like IDPA and USPSA have matches all over the world, and newcomers are always welcome to watch.

Celebrate Your Progress

Don't forget to acknowledge and celebrate your progress! Building confidence with a firearm is a journey, and recognizing your improvements (no matter how small) can go a long way toward improving your confidence. Keep track of your practice sessions, make notes on where you've improved, and set new goals to keep growing.

When you take the time to focus on your achievements, it helps you maintain a positive mindset. This positivity is not just important for boosting your confidence in the moment, but also for sustaining it over the long term. By recognizing your progress, you create a strong foundation for continued growth.