It’s wonderful more and more females are becoming interested in shooting.  I have had countless hours of enjoyment shooting with my daughters and wife.

I really encourage girls and women to try shooting and see for themselves how much fun it is and once a shooter is properly trained and instructed how safe shooting is as well.

If your wife or girlfriend is interested in shooting make sure you take the time and have the patience to make learning a fun and enjoyable experience.

Having coached shooters for years, I’ve come to appreciate the difference between the sexes and the different approach needed for each. One requires hours of patience, countless repetition and patience. The other learns quickly, listens to instruction and is easily able to adjust their technique. Girls are the easiest coached; boys all too frequently stubborn plus their egos are constantly butting heads with common sense.

Safety is the first and always the most-important consideration. The student should be taught to never point a weapon at anyone at any time. The gun should always be considered as loaded, without fail. The muzzle should be pointing straight up in the air or downrange when others are around. When not being used the cylinder should be open or the slide back. Holster your firearm to keep it safe when not firing.

Next, is proper hearing protection. Firearms all bark and the sudden loud noise takes getting used to and ear protection also stops hearing loss. Keeping noise levels easily tolerable reduces stress and anxiety. Use earplugs, earmuffs or both together.

Third, start with a .22-caliber pistol, it’s important to eliminate everyone’s second fear and that’s recoil. The .22 has practically no recoil and the least amount of noise. After a few shots the beginner’s apprehensions will leave when they will realize the world isn’t going to end when they pull the trigger. In fact, the first few shots may be fired without even aiming at target; just fire into the backstop to acclimate the shooter to the sensations of shooting.  

Once your girl has shot enough to no longer be afraid of the firearm, demonstrate the correct way to grip the pistol. The pistol should be held in direct line with the forearm of the shooter, an extension of the arm so to speak, the thumb positioned away from the recoiling slide on an automatic. The pistol should be small enough for the hand to wrap around the grip and the trigger finger able to reach the trigger in a natural manner. The pistol should be held firmly, but not gripped too tightly.

It’s important to have a firm, but relaxed, grip on the pistol because our fingers are accustomed to all work together. When you squeeze the trigger, three of those fingers are around the grip and cannot close further. The trigger finger resists moving because of this. That’s why the trigger pull many times seems heavier than it is.

Stance is very important as well. The shooter should face the target, head up, feet apart and the body balanced. The knees can be slightly bent to obtain that balance if necessary.

Once the pistol is gripped correctly, use two hands to start with, the shooter standing properly the correct use of the sights must be understood. The front sight is centered with the rear, the top of the front sight level with the top of the rear. The pistol is aimed and the trigger squeezed. Many have difficulty keeping the front sight down and shoot high.

Trigger squeeze is the single most critical part of shooting and performed properly a steady pressure back on the trigger fires the pistol at an unknown instant, the bullet hitting where the sights were pointed. Any attempt to pull the trigger quickly when the sights are lined up results in not only the trigger finger moving, but a host of other body parts and muscles as well. The arm may push up, to the side, drops, twitches, or other parts of the body move as well. Many times the entire body flinches, the shot missing by feet instead of inches.

If you suspect this is the case take the pistol and, without letting the student know, alternate in a random manner the pistol being loaded or not. A bad flinch really shows up when the gun doesn’t fire and the student can see the results of failing to properly squeeze the trigger.

There is a lot going on here for a beginner. Remembering to stand in a balanced position, line up the sights, squeezing the trigger while breathing correctly is really multitasking. There’s a lot going through their minds plus some apprehension. Experienced shooters forget just how much they do automatically without thought.

Coaches need to be cool, endlessly patient, encouraging and quick to praise. Shooting can’t be enjoyable if the coach is not! Set easily accomplished goals, sticking to just the very basics, using the correct gun and keeping things upbeat is the primary goal of responsible coach.

So take the time to enjoy a sport very few nations have the freedom to enjoy, shooting. More and more girls are enjoying shooting shotguns, rifles and pistols.

Also it’s nice to know that when I’m not around, my girls can take care of themselves.

Good shooting, it’s a blast (pun intended)!