9 Holiday Gift Ideas for Beginner Shooters

Except for those few who just seem to love it, buying gifts is hard. Should you go with something they want or something they need? Should your gift idea be fun or functional? This is especially difficult when dealing with those of the shooting persuasion. 

Let’s just be honest, it’s really hard to find gifts for shooters. Or at least most shooters. You know what type of shooters for who aren’t that hard to buy? New shooters. Those folks don’t have boxes of shooting supplies hidden in storage to keep from getting in trouble with the spouse, not yet anyway. And that makes it much easier to figure out gift ideas for these people. 

Of course, many of these gift ideas also work for long-time gun owners, so just keep them in mind when planning the holiday shopping. I mean, can you really have too much shooting gear? No! The answer is no, even if my wife is asking. 

Holiday Gift Ideas for New (and old) Shooters

All-Around Rifle

Every shooter needs a .22 LR rifle. Beyond being fun and useful, a .22 rifle is a rite of passage. They can be used for plinking and hunting, as well as training of new and experienced shooters. Both the rifle and ammunition are quite affordable, allowing lots of trigger time without a huge cost. There is no better firearm for learning how to shoot. 

There are, of course, lots of models from which to choose. One of the most popular is the Ruger 10/22. This reliable and affordable little rifle comes in numerous models from basic to takedown and it can be accessorized easily with aftermarket parts. The Mossberg 702 Plinkster is another affordable semi-auto that shooters like. Those who don’t want a semi-auto might want to look at a Henry, such as the Classic Lever Action. 

Hitting the Target

Those who have the gift idea of a .22 rifle might also want to look at a riflescope. A scope makes shooting easier and more accurate for most. Scopes also range in prices, allowing shooters to spend as much or as little as desired. 

The Simmons Pro Rimfire is an excellent optic for plinking and hunting, and it is very reasonably priced. It comes with fully coated lens and is waterproof, fog proof and shockproof. And its 3-9×32 magnification allows for longer shots. 

Those wanting something a little bit better should look at the Leupold VX-Freedom. This 3-9×40 scope uses a MOA reticle with thinner hash marks for rimfire shooting. However, this gift idea isn’t caliper specific; it can handle more powerful chamberings. It even comes with scratch-resistant lens, along with Leupold quality, for less than $300. 

Plinking Handguns

Those looking at helping others get into shooting should also look at a .22 handgun. There is nothing better for learning the fundamentals of shooting. These handguns, whether semi-auto or revolver, are also a blast to shoot, with countless models from which to choose.

One of the easiest to shoot is the Heritage Rough Rider. Heritage makes these single-action revolvers in a wide variety of models and barrel lengths, from 16 inches down to 3.5 inches. It also provides different finishes and handles, and folks can even obtain a .22 WMR cylinder, if they want something just a little more powerful. 

On the semi-auto end, folks might want to look at the Browning Buck Mark. Shooters have been using the Buck Mark to plink and hunt for 40 years. The company has updated it many times, providing new features from the original, such as rails, sights, grips and barrel lengths. These pistols even come in optic and suppressor models. 

Secure Storage

New shooters don’t always understand the need for secure storage. Experienced shooters can help them out by gifting a trigger or chamber lock or a lockbox. There are all kinds of affordable secure storage options, with Hornady, STOPBOX and Vaultek being some of the more popular. 

STOPBOX is best known for its handgun lockbox. This completely mechanical design provides quick access without biometrics or batteries. However, the company also makes chamber locks for ARs and shotguns, as well as cables and padlocks, and a tamper alert system.

Hornady’s RAPid safes use a RFID access system with a keypad backup system. These safes can be mounted almost anywhere for safe but accessible storage for handguns. Hornady also makes larger safes for safely storing lots of guns, for when the collection grows. 

The Vaultek Lifepod uses biometrics to secure handguns while keeping access easy for authorized users. These can be mounted near beds or desks or used for travel. No one is going to gain unauthorized access to the pistol kept in this little safe. 

Keep ‘em Clean

Firearms, both long and short, need to be kept clean. However, new shooters don’t always have the proper gear; not everyone has boxes of patches, brushes and rods. Help them out with a gift idea of a cleaning kit. This can be a standard kit that comes with a three-piece rod, a few sizes of jags and brushes, and small bottles of solvent and oil. Or you can go a little more specialized with something from Otis or Bore-Snake. 

The Otis kits typically come with everything needed to maintain a specific caliber, though larger kits are available. The Bore-Snake is absolutely the fastest way to clean the inside of a barrel. They are especially great for shotguns, and they’re easy to drop in the range bag. 

Reducing the Racket

Most long-time shooters have at least some degree of hearing loss. So, a great gift idea is something to help newcomers keep their ears safe from damage. Walker’s Game Ear makes a variety of products for this purpose, all while allowing users to hear safe levels of sound.

In fact, Walker’s makes both electronic muffs and Bluetooth earbuds with which users can stream music and take calls, all while protecting hearing. At the very least, make sure they understand that foam ear plugs are cheap, especially in the long run. 

Load Them UP

There are few things more fun than a mag drop at the range. Unfortunately, those magazines have to be reloaded to keep shooting, and thumbs get sore after a few hours of shoving rounds. In fact, thumbs can get sore in minutes, depending on the magazine. For that reason, a great holiday gift idea that is quite affordable is a magazine loader. 

There are all kinds of magazine loaders for ARs, AKs and various pistols. Some are quite simple and very affordable, while some more expensive models load faster. It doesn’t really matter, as long it works. Maglula makes loaders for both rifles and pistols. These loaders are quite affordable, but many are firearm specific. 

Maintenance Starter

While new shooters probably shouldn’t work on their guns, they’re probably going anyway. For that reason, it might be a good idea to help them out with a tool kit designed for firearms. 

Weaver makes some excellent tool kits, providing a screwdriver with numerous swapable heads to fits most screws and bolts. Lyman also makes good starter tool kits, which is all most people really need. Shooters that keep heading down that road can pick up more advanced kits after becoming more proficient. 

Something to Shoot

While many things can be targets, it is usually better to use good targets. Paper is often required at public ranges, and paper is probably the best for most shooters. Targets are, unfortunately, consumable, meaning that they have to be purchased often. As such, targets are great gift ideas for shooters. 

Shooters really love reactive targets, such as Shoot-N-C, that show hits in color. Another type of target that announces hits is steel. These, of course, can be used many times, but they’re also significantly more expensive. 

It doesn’t really matter what one purchases, as targets are an important part of the shooting sports. They can also make training much more fun. Just think about the enjoyment of going against friends on dueling tree or Texas star targets.