Doc, my best advice is to practice as often as you can. Shoot at least a hundred rounds a week. As a range officer, I would be looking at how safe you shoot and your ability to just hit paper and not the posts, dirt, etc. If you can't hit paper, we could have a serious accident.
BASIC RULES. Remember: cement floor, muzzle up to pass it to your neighbor, otherwise muzzle down. When the range is called cold, make sure the slide on your pistol is open. If you can't keep it open, insert a spent cartridge to keep it open. And pop the magazine out. If it's a revolver, keep the cylinder open and empty. I want to be able to walk down the runway quickly and see safe guns -- openly exposed and empty. And remember, when its cold, you need to be standing behind the line and away from your guns.
EVALUATE YOUR SHOOTING. When you're finished for the day and the range is cold again, retrieve your target and evaluate your shooting. Out of 50 rounds how many were outside the second circle? Mark it as ___/50. I suggest you change targets every 50 rounds to keep track clearly. Write the name of the gun (if you own more than one), the distance to the target, the number sequence of each target, and anything else you want to keep track of. Review the targets and your progress. Ask your RO for help, they're always willing to help, especially a new shooter.
BE ALERT, REACT QUICKLY. If you carry a concealed weapon, remember that most serious altercations occur within three to six feet from you and your attacker and the whole incident will be over usually within two to three seconds. You need to be alert and react quickly. If you carry a revolver (most dependable), have all cylinders full. If you carry a pistol (all pistols can jam), fill the mag to capacity and add one in the pipe. And leave the safety off! You don't want to have to remember whether the safety's on or off. It could mean your life!
SHOT PLACEMENT. Whether you have five rounds in your revolver or a double-stack of 17 in your pistol mag -- it's shot placement that counts. If you get off one or two shots in an altercation, that'll be a lot. Learn to shoot straight and aim for the chest preferably in the upper chest. All it takes is one well placed round to incapacitate your adversary.
THE RIGHT GUN FOR YOU. Buy the right gun, the one that feels comfortable for you. I carry a Bersa .380 CC with a S&W .38 snub nose (old reliable) as my back up piece. If the pistol jams, the revolver won't. If you make friends with people at the range or in the CC class, ask them if they own several guns. Ask them to let you try them out at the range. So many men and women of all ages show up at the range with guns that are too powerful, too intimidating for them to handle properly. These guns wind up in a box in the garage, never to be used again.
Most of all Doc, have fun! And remember: We were all nervous when we started. Look forward to reading about your progress.
2 bazookas
1 P-51 Mustang
3 Sherman tanks
1 Tiger tank
3 Howitzers
1 ICBM
2 Halftracks
20 Molotovs
36 grenades
3 mailboxes
1 Hopalong Cassidy lunchbox
1 Dale Evans poster
3 burkas (one size fits all)
1 Afgan rug (will fly, pass key missing)
1 Racoon cap (Kramden's size XL)