IHEA's Online Firearm Fundamentals Course Aims to Support New Shooters

by Jodi Stemler

If the last two years have proven anything, it’s that many Americans want to take personal responsibility for the safety of themselves and their families. But with 5.4 million first-time firearm owners in 2021, there is also a critical need to ensure that they learn how to safely handle, store, and use their new purchase. Partners within the shooting sports industry are working together to provide ranges and retailers the tools they need to ensure that their customers get off on the right foot.

The International Hunter Education Association-USA (IHEA-USA) has long served a role in supporting new hunters, but their current president Alex Baer wants to fulfill their mission as a resource of learning to the industry for all shooting and hunting education opportunities. With this in mind, the organization has launched a new Firearm Fundamentals curriculum that offers three online courses in handgun, shotgun, and rifle safety.

As a leader in online learning IHEA-USA worked with Kalkomey Enterprises, the top provider of online hunter education courses, to develop the Firearm Fundamentals courses. Each class is carefully designed to ensure that new gun owners have a safe and positive experience as they develop competency. For brand-new shooters, buying the firearm is only the first step; many need guidance in the most basic aspects of safe gun ownership.

“We’ve learned through teaching hunter education that a strong safety training foundation is the key to preventing firearm incidents,” reads the Firearm Fundamentals website. “No matter how you plan to use your gun, whether it’s for self-defense or target shooting, proper training that develops solid knowledge of operation, safe storage techniques at home, and correct use on the range will give you the confidence to use your firearm in a variety of situations.”

Firearm Fundamentals teaches firearm safety rules and ownership responsibilities, including safety in the home, proper storage with locks and safes, and safe transportation. Each course path then builds specific handling information for each category of firearm as well as care and cleaning. Importantly, the courses then walk the new shooters through range safety and etiquette and describe opportunities to use their firearms in fun environments. The goal is to help these new shooters get beyond the initial purchase to feel confident as they move out to their local shooting range. The course costs a nominal $12.

Leaha Thomas is a marketing expert at BOLT Strategies working with IHEA-USA to share the course with the public. She notes that the organization is offering downloadable collateral materials for retailers to print and share or to direct to the site using QR codes.

“If gun shops want to help with safe firearms handling at the local level, they will have the materials they can download and give to new firearms owners,” Thomas says. “We are also working with digital industry partners to help share the curriculum and offering manufacturing partners the opportunity to get their brand in front of new customers through the materials.”

The Firearm Fundamentals courses build on IHEA-USA’s existing platforms for hunter education, and the organization will continue to support the industry and state fish and wildlife agencies on their R3 (recruitment, retention, and reactivation) efforts. Beyond basic knowledge and firearms safety in the field, new hunters and shooters need mentors to support them along their path.

Another new IHEA-USA project, LearnHunting.org, is designed to address some of the thousands of people every year who take hunter education but don’t buy a license. The mentoring platform is designed to connect mentees with someone who can help them as they proceed out to the field.

Thomas notes that IHEA-USA is also building an innovative campaign to push out into the mainstream media to target new gun owners and direct them to their suite of services. The tools are available for use, and partnerships will ensure that new hunters and shooters take advantage of the online learning opportunities.

“IHEA-USA is interested in partnering with retailers and ranges to ensure that they have safe firearms handlers in their stores by being a supplier of safe gun handling and safe hunting for all Americans,” Thomas says. “We are leading the charge to ensure that everyone has the tools to protect themselves and their families in a safe manner.”

For more information and to check out the Firearm Fundamentals curriculum, go to ffcourse.org. To learn more about IHEA-USA, go to ihea-usa.org.