Shoot with the Girls

Heather shooting an MR-15 at SEOPA.

Shooting can be really fun. It can also be really intimidating, especially when surrounded by a bunch of men who seem to know what they’re doing.

For work, we attend conventions and some of them include days at the shooting range. I’ve been trap shooting and felt rushed, trying to fumble with a too-big-for-me gun while the experienced shooters wait for their turn. By far the best experience I’ve had is at SEOPA, where they hosted a women’s-only shoot for an hour or so before it was opened up to everyone.

Most of the women who attended this hour-long shoot didn’t have any experience with guns. Others were like me: like to go to the range but don’t very often. It was awesome to see the difference in atmosphere when it was just the ladies lined up. In mixed crowds, I usually witness women stand in the back and decline when offered a chance at a target. At this event, a woman shot and immediately got back in line for another chance – maybe with a different gun. By the time the range was opened to they guys, the women’s comfort level had vastly improved and they continued to participate. By the end of the day at this particular event, women were shooting  guns some of the guys didn’t even touch.

Moral of this story: if you want to get a woman you know into shooting, make her feel comfortable! A few more tips:

• Make sure you have all of the right protective gear. Wear ear plugs and safety glasses to make sure you and your friends have a pleasant experience.
• Explain safety measures, obviously. This is important for everyone, but especially for people not familiar with guns or shooting.
• Start with lower recoiling guns. The first time out shooting, women seem pretty nervous about the recoil. If you have the opportunity to shoot a range of guns, start out first-timers with a .22 so they can get used to the idea before working their way up.
• Shoot with an instructor. If all of you are relatively new to shooting, it will probably be helpful to have an instructor on hand. Women generally have smaller hands, and in my experience, an instructor was really helpful in showing me how to handle a gun better for my frame. They were also used to working with women so they were able to show me how to more easily rack the slide of a handgun with my small hands – as opposed to men who try to be helpful but have just shown me the way they do it over and over.