Author Topic: Should I be proud or scared? (Read 2266 times)

guzzijohn · « **on:** January 14, 2008, 03:57:40 AM »

Have to brag a bit. I finally had a good chance yesterday to introduce a wonderful young lady (22) who is my recent stepdaughter to handguns. She has had a small amount of rifle experience but no handgun experience. After reviewing safety basics, firearms operations, sighting procedures, etc. she impressed me. I started her on a Ruger Mk II target pistol. After about 30 rounds she was printing an average of seven out of ten in a three inch bull at 50 feet with a two hand hold! I then moved her to a Blackhawk with 38spl. She did about as well. I then asked her if she wanted to try the Blackhawk with .357s. I fired a couple to expose her to the noise and observe the recoil then she tried it and loved it. She was not a bit intimidated by the .357. After yesterday I just hope I never make her real mad at me!
John

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #1 on:** January 14, 2008, 04:33:07 AM »

sounds like your son got a keeper !

myronman3 · « **Reply #2 on:** January 14, 2008, 09:22:07 AM »

the new wife is the same way with me. it raises hell with the shooting buddies to be outshot by a woman. lol. once in a while she starts getting big for her britches, and i have to law down the law. she has been a little to fond of my 44 magnum, and just this weekend called it "my 44", claiming she shoots it better than me, so i told her come spring it may be time to shoot a few groups and pins to see exactly where the bear poops in the briar patch. that should quite her down, but she does great especially when you consider how much shooting i have done and how new she is to it. she definately does very well.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #3 on:** January 14, 2008, 09:37:49 AM »

ya can write it off as beginners luck till spring !

longwinters · « **Reply #4 on:** January 14, 2008, 12:26:19 PM »

I think you boys better buy those women their own pistols or you may find yours missing

Long

MS Hitman · « **Reply #5 on:** January 14, 2008, 12:52:24 PM »

That's kind of what I'm reading between the lines as well.

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #6 on:** January 14, 2008, 11:11:21 PM »

ive had much better luck coaching women as beginning shooters then men. they seem more open minded and even seem to be more recoil tolerarnt. One young women about the same age as yours that i started out handgun shooting a couple years ago has gotten so good with a 1911 that they dont let her shoot the local ppc league in womens diviision anymore. She dominated it so badly that the other women complained that they had no chance to win. She now shoots mens division and has beaten me on several occasions.

Mikey · « **Reply #7 on:** January 15, 2008, 12:46:22 AM »

myronman3 - I've had similar experiences but I think ya'll have to be careful, 'cause I really agree with longwinters - ya'll better get that gal her own gun or she is liable to make off with yours (lololol).....

Lloyd - we have a couple of gals like that at our club and the still clean the Men's Division - and make us cook and clean up afterward, too. Mikey.

myronman3 · « **Reply #8 on:** January 15, 2008, 02:46:21 AM »

i gave her my smith 586, and bought her a ruger red label 28 gauge as part of the wedding present. the deal was, either a REALLY nice ring, or a reasonable ring and a nice gun. smart girl. she also has her own recurve and we shoot with the kids in the yard alot in the summer. but now she is getting a little greedy, and eyeing up my other guns. she wants her own 1911, her own 44 and her own rifle. i think i created a monster!!!!
i took her to a shoot and the guys there were guff-fawing when i was showing her how to safely handle the gun and work the action. it was a timed event, and they were all snickering as she prepared to fire. after the last round was shot, she had set the pace for the match and only me and my pal beat her, and not by much. there was no more snickers; in fact, they all warmed up to her really nice like. lol.
but it is great that more women are getting into shooting, and i dont really mind if they outshoot me; if they can. it is really nice to keep the tradition of shooting with the family alive, well, and growing. i am glad to hear that others out there are experiencing the same thing.

Glanceblamm · « **Reply #9 on:** January 15, 2008, 05:28:36 AM »

guzzijohn
I would encourage that young lady to the point of patronizing her. The benefits of this could mean that she will take over a large share of your
Cleaning and reloading chores

Guys, Those Women are capable of beating us like a drum. My personal advantage is to do a lot of dryfiring and honestly call the shots after the trigger breaks.
Dryfiring, IMO, is pretty much as good as the real thing as far as getting a hit.
I think that the overall advantage of men shooting better than women is that a larger number of men have the enthusiasm for shooting. If you like to do it, you can usually do well at it.

It doesn't really matter though. Once that the Woman has beaten you, she may quit shooting completely and look down her nose at you Forever and claim that she is the better shot!
This banter is great fun and is no strain on your ego once you get to be in your 50's. I cannot get the wife to go anymore but in her own mind she had beat me fair and square with my own
Nylon 66 and will not let me live that down when ever she sees that gun. She is unconvinced that I threw a few shots in order to keep her enthusiasm up.
I cannot get her to go out anymore but have a daughter that likes to go now and again.

guzzijohn · « **Reply #10 on:** January 15, 2008, 06:17:17 AM »

Insert Quote
guzzijohn
I would encourage that young lady to the point of patronizing her. The benefits of this could mean that she will take over a large share of your
Cleaning and reloading chores

I don't mind cleaning guns and I am just getting into the reloading thing. Now if I could just get her to clean my vehicles instead that would be great!
John

zasxcd · « **Reply #11 on:** January 15, 2008, 01:03:40 PM »

Here is a secret that I have kept lo these many years. When I was young, I liked to shoot benchrest, and became good enough at it to win more than a few matches, formal and informal. I never told anyone that on those occasions when I took my girlfriend to the range, so as to get her interested in shooting, she out shot me every time!! I'm talking about 100 yard groups less than 1/8 inch with a heavy barreled 40x Remington in .22-250! She would look at me sort of funny and ask me just what was so hard about it...

30-06man · « **Reply #12 on:** January 15, 2008, 01:15:09 PM »

Quote from: myronman3 on January 15, 2008, 02:46:21 AM

i gave her my smith 586, and bought her a ruger red label 28 gauge as part of the wedding present. the deal was, either a REALLY nice ring, or a reasonable ring and a nice gun.   smart girl. she also has her own recurve and we shoot with the kids in the yard alot in the summer.   but now she is getting a little greedy, and eyeing up my other guns. she wants her own 1911, her own 44 and her own rifle. i think i created a monster!!!!
   i took her to a shoot and the guys there were guff-fawing when i was showing her how to safely handle the gun and work the action. it was a timed event, and they were all snickering as she prepared to fire. after the last round was shot, she had set the pace for the match and only me and my pal beat her, and not by much.   there was no more snickers; in fact, they all warmed up to her really nice like. lol.
but it is great that more women are getting into shooting, and i dont really mind if they outshoot me; if they can.   it is really nice to keep the tradition of shooting with the family alive, well, and growing. i am glad to hear that others out there are experiencing the same thing.

Don't give her your keys to your safe. She might go start trading them for her a 1911 and a rifle.

And take some optics off of yours while shes at it.

Glanceblamm · « **Reply #13 on:** January 16, 2008, 03:00:25 AM »

Quote from: zasxcd on January 15, 2008, 01:03:40 PM

she out shot me every time!! I'm talking about 100 yard groups less than 1/8 inch with a heavy barreled 40x Remington in .22-250! She would look at me sort of funny and ask me just what was so hard about it...

While it is very possible that she is a natural competitor, she had the advantage of having nothing to lose and calmly followed your instruction and did great.
If it would have been myself with you that day, the nervous anticipation of providing a good showing of my skills may have made me tense enough to produce a less than tidy group.
Practice usually keeps us at the top of the game though as we can be as cool & calculating as a sniper.

myronman3 · « **Reply #14 on:** January 16, 2008, 03:03:13 AM »

Quote

Don't give her your keys to your safe. She might go start trading them for her a 1911 and a rifle. And take some optics off of yours while shes at it.

you dont know how close to reality that statement is. traded off one of my bikes yesterday and she has already laid claim to that as well. making herself right at home.....

blackbear · « **Reply #15 on:** January 16, 2008, 05:18:47 AM »

My experience as a firearms instructor has been that women are generally better shots than men. My wife out fishes me every time I take her fishing. Maybe this makes up for their driving?

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #16 on:** January 16, 2008, 07:26:37 AM »

i don't think women are better shots , they are better learners !

30-06man · « **Reply #17 on:** January 16, 2008, 10:46:37 AM »

Quote from: myronman3 on January 16, 2008, 03:03:13 AM

Quote
Don't give her your keys to your safe. She might go start trading them for her a 1911 and a rifle. And take some optics off of yours while shes at it.
you dont know how close to reality that statement is. traded off one of my bikes yesterday and she has already laid claim to that as well. making herself right at home.....

Yeah hide the keys in your pocket. She probably could find it easy. Another thing they are good at.

Dand · « **Reply #18 on:** January 16, 2008, 10:59:24 PM »

I think Shootall said a lot. I too have seen girls and women shoot very very well. As long as they aren't intimidated by the noise or recoil. They pay attention and if the coach is halfway decent, the girls do what they're told instead of thinking they are the Lone Ranger or Dick Tracy. Guess I'm showing my age.

zasxcd · « **Reply #19 on:** January 17, 2008, 11:48:03 AM »

I'm sure that there is more to it than this, but what I have noticed about those women that shoot very well is that they are calm, cool and collected. I have long thought that shooting is a game of steady nerves, and good eyes. Women come with half of that already installed.

SHOOTALL · « **Reply #20 on:** January 18, 2008, 02:01:08 AM »

lets face facts every red blooded American male that lives a mans lifestyle , is born convinced he can drive anything , build anything , get to anyplace with out directions and shoot anything !
Its the few that can't that gives the rest of us a bad name !

skit · « **Reply #21 on:** January 18, 2008, 09:32:32 PM »

she shoots good, because you are a good teacher.

S.B. · « **Reply #22 on:** February 17, 2008, 03:11:35 AM »

Quote from: Lloyd Smale on January 14, 2008, 11:11:21 PM

ive had much better luck coaching women as beginning shooters then men. they seem more open minded and even seem to be more recoil tolerarnt. One young women about the same age as yours that i started out handgun shooting a couple years ago has gotten so good with a 1911 that they dont let her shoot the local ppc league in womens diviision anymore. She dominated it so badly that the other women complained that they had no chance to win. She now shoots mens division and has beaten me on several occasions.

I agree, I think they start out with fewer bad habits and preconceived notions?

SharonAnne · « **Reply #23 on:** April 29, 2008, 03:29:34 PM »

i am disabled now. but i used to shoot at the thursday night paper and steel match at Ben Avery. some old timers may know it as Black Canyon. I was always near the top and won overall twice. i really threw everyone for a loop the night i shot in a skin tight top and red mini skirt and black stockings.

blackbear · « **Reply #24 on:** April 29, 2008, 05:13:02 PM »

SharonAnne · « **Reply #25 on:** April 29, 2008, 05:20:33 PM »

javascript:void(0);
Smiley Thank you

SharonAnne · « **Reply #26 on:** April 29, 2008, 05:22:17 PM »

oops, that didn't work

torpedoman · « **Reply #27 on:** April 29, 2008, 05:36:10 PM »

neither ,just careful

Sweetwater · « **Reply #28 on:** April 29, 2008, 06:59:26 PM »

You can be proud, and thankful your son has a wife who will join in the sport! AMEN!

Totally agree with "women take the instruction better" commentaries. My wife shoots as well as I do, sometimes better, as long as no one else is around. I competed in IHMSA for several years and became conditioned to shooting around others. She hasn't and gets very self-conscience and nervous with the presence of others. I don't give her any grief about it and we end our session when we are no longer alone or nearly so.
I do have to add, though sometimes I refer to a particular gun as hers, she has never laid claim to any of them and some were purchased specifically for her. I do plan to keep her around a long, long time. But, I can't get her to wash my truck! LOL

Regards,
Sweetwater

no guns here · « **Reply #29 on:** May 01, 2008, 02:36:37 AM »

My daughter is on her JROTC air rifle team... The top shooters in JROTC in Europe are all females. Our high school's team had one boy make the cut at the beginning of the season but he wasn't good enough to compete. At every match this year they outscored every other team until the finals. In fact most of the time their lowest score was higher than the next teams highest. These girls are shooting 280 and higher consistently.
When I took my German license test the top shooter was an 18 yo girl. Overall I think men are more accurate than women from the start, however, if a woman dedicates herself to the task I think she can wipe the floor with all but the very best men.

ngh