"If you maybe see a lot of what's called 'muzzle flip,' they maybe are not holding the gun up as high so it balances and receives that energy correctly," he said Friday night, March 23, his voice drowned out at times by gunfire at the range behind him.
He also noted the direction of the muzzle because, with the compact shape of a pistol, it's easy to accidentally point the gun in an unsafe direction with a small wrist movement, such as during reloading.
Friday was ladies' night at the Red River Regional Marksmanship Center and Kersting was here with his wife, Sue, as instructors. They're both members of the National Rifle Association and certified by the organization as range safety officers.
The NRA, known for its uncompromising stance on the Second Amendment, has been in the news a lot lately, as it often is after a mass shooting. Polls taken after the Parkland, Fla., school shooting that killed 17 on Valentine's Day show a growing number of Americans view the NRA in a negative light, especially after its rhetoric about the student survivors calling for gun control.
But the Kerstings and many NRA members remain supportive. They say they agree wholeheartedly with the organization's mission of training responsible gun owners and protecting owners' rights.
Erik Clemenson, a Glyndon Rod & Gun Club member and conceal-carry instructor, said NRA members are the ones getting background checks and licenses, while criminals don't.
"That's the biggest frustration to me, is why are you fighting against those who are trying to do things right?" he said.
Benign view
For many who aren't owners, guns have a fearsome reputation built by news stories about mass shootings such as the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival shooting that killed 59 in Las Vegas last October and the recent Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Florida. Neither of the shooters had prior criminal records and were able to obtain their guns legally.
To NRA members like the Kerstings, those events have little to do with their weapons experience.
Darrell Kersting said he grew up hunting around his parents' dairy farm in Waubun, Minn, and it was as much a part of the rhythm of rural life as milking cows and baling hay.
Sue Kersting said she just enjoys shooting. She said she finds it very relaxing to focus on hitting a target and, with muzzleloaders, on loading powder and shots. "Each gun gives you a challenge and a different way of shooting."
Clemenson, who owns an AR-15 rifle, said he uses it for "plinking around" and deer hunting. It makes him proud to be able to put meat on his family's table and he's teaching his boys self-sufficiency, though they're too young for his rifle.
The AR-15 and those styled after it are frequently called "assault weapons" in news reports. These guns have become notorious for use in mass shootings, including the ones in Las Vegas and Parkland. Mass shootings in earlier years, some with high
