Interest in firearms

Question
Dave,
I recently moved to rural acreage and have never owned or fired a gun (I'm in early 50's).  I'm moderately interested in hunting deer or elk -- but just in my immediate area -- as they are fairly abundant where I live.  I am also very concerned about personal and family security, both at home and elsewhere.  I have often thought about purchasing a pistol and getting a carry permit in my state.

As an expert in your field, what advice would you give me about "starter" weapons, training, practice, and concealed carry?

Thanks

Answer
In order to obtain a hunting license, most states require that you take a hunter safety course.  In order to obtain a CC permit, most states require you to take a CC course. In order for you be safe and sufficiently proficient for either hunting or CC, you need some training and practice on a range.  After that, you would be in a position to knowledgeably purchase one or more guns as needed.

So, your first step is to locate a local gun club and check out their availability of classes and range use.  You can also check with the NRA for any local trainers offering classes in your area.  Alternatively, you can make some visits to a local gun shop that has a range.  They usually will help you to select a gun that you can rent and fire on their range, with some help from their instructor.

Once you are familiar with firearm safety and somewhat proficient in operating one type of gun, you can purchase the types needed for your intended uses.  For CC, you'll want to try a few that you can rent at a range. 9mm semi-autos are probably the most popular, but I use a 1911 style .45ACP pistol for cc.  When my clothing can't cover a large gun, I carry a .380ACP semi-auto, like the Walther PPK, or the newer and lighter Sig P238.

For hunting deer, the most popular rifles are a 30-30 lever action or a 30-06 bolt operated gun. There are also a few 30-06 autoloaders.  For Elk, you'll want something like 30-06, 300 Win magnum, .300 WSM, or .338 Win Magnum (and there are others).  You might want to check at the gun club about what guns local people use for various types of hunting.  Archery is also fun.

Hope this helps!

Dave