Women and Guns

I'd bet a large sum of money that the majority of Guns and Camo readers are men. But this blog post is directed toward women. Why? They are the largest growing group of gun owners in America. Women are getting into the shooting sports and purchasing guns more than ever before. And they should.

I've recently been very busy at the range giving private lessons. The majority of those lessons are with women who want to get into the sport. They want to learn the ins and outs of shooting, and most importantly, the safety aspects that go with handling guns.

And I've got to tell you: they are incredibly easy to instruct. Often times, women pick it up faster than men.

Men often bring their significant other in for lessons. They always tell me the same thing. "She won't listen to me. Hopefully she'll listen to you."

Maybe they listen to an instructor because they know we aren't going to yell at them?

My biggest priority in the lesson—besides safety—is to make the shooter feel comfortable.

I believe women are easier to instruct than men because they usually don't have as much of an ego. And they listen.

Once the shooting begins, it doesn't take long to see the fear in the husband's eyes when he sees just how good of a shot his wife is. When it's all said and done, the majority of these lessons result in wives outshooting husbands.

Women sometimes feel ashamed when they come into the lesson and tell me they've never handled a gun. I smile and tell them that is a good thing. They usually look at me with a strange face. I explain to them I like it better when people don't have any hands-on experience. Why? No experience. No bad habits.

Women have what it takes to be great shooters. If you don't believe me, just take a look at Jessie Duff or Julie Golob. They can flat out shoot.

So there you have it ladies. If you're apprehensive about giving shooting a try, don't be. Go to a reputable place with good instructors and take a private lesson. You'll find the experience enjoyable. And more times than not, you'll start out shooting better than most of the men there.

True story.