text: i wish to be come a pistol shoter i will be joining a club but i was wondering if any one had some goods tips? i won't be using the gun as self defence because there is some one that i may just do self defence on. allso which hand gun is best for a novice? since you're a beginner and not interested in self defense i would recommend the ruger mkii or mkiii for a variety of reasons.  1.) it takes .22 lr rounds which are extremely cheap.  approximately $90 for 2500 rounds in the u.s.  2.) it has low recoil which is good for a novice.  3.) it has safety features that are not found on other guns.  such as not allowing the gun to go off when the magazine has been removed; an internal locking device; and a round chambered indicator.  which is good for a novice.  4) it's an accurate gun good for competition shooting.  5.) it has adjustable sights which is good for competition shooting.  6.) it already comes which a weaver style mount so you can mount a scope on it if you'd like.  which is good for competition shooting.  7.) this gun is affordable anywhere from $229-310  reviews for the ruger mkii:   http://www.chuckhawks.com/dktaylor.htm http://mywebpages.comcast.net/shooter2_indy/mk2.html  reviews for the mk iii  http://www.gunblast.com/ruger_markiii-hunter.htm   so in conclusion i think that the ruger mk ii or mk iii would make a good target gun for a novice shooter.