I've trained a lot of women to shoot and ban the husbands because of the stupid things they see on TV/Movies they treat as gospel.
Why do guys do this????
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I've trained a lot of women to shoot and ban the husbands because of the stupid things they see on TV/Movies they treat as gospel.
They do it because men are born knowing how to shoot and must pass that on to their girlfriends/wives/daughters.
We competed in IHMSA handgun silhouette competition in the early 1980s. Most of us were young couples and almost all the wives could out shoot their husbands. This was using SBHs in 44 Mag for revolver class and XP-100s in 7mm International for unlimited class. My wife was classified AA in unlimited.
We competed in IHMSA handgun silhouette competition in the early 1980s. Most of us were young couples and almost all the wives could out shoot their husbands. This was using SBHs in 44 Mag for revolver class and XP-100s in 7mm International for unlimited class. My wife was classified AA in unlimited.
I ended up on my butt from firing a twelve gauge in a duck blind as a child. It was my first time and yes, I had no desire to shoot again until Uncle Sam gave me lessons much later.
Zaydok Allen
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I’m going to bet on plain and simple ignorance. Maybe machoism in some cases, but we shouldn’t assume that.
A starter gun should be based on previous experience and hand strength, and a 1911 isn’t necessarily a bad choice.
It’s a shooter specific thing though.
A starter gun should be based on previous experience and hand strength, and a 1911 isn’t necessarily a bad choice.
It’s a shooter specific thing though.
1MoreFord
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It's not always ignorance or even stupidity.
I know a guy who bought his wife a SP101 and then loaded it with .357's for her to shoot the first time. He still grins and laughs when he tells the story.
Good Ol' Boy
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I dont do it. In fact I've on multiple occasions told my wife she should get some time with an instructor. She doesnt need a "basic pistol 101" class but someone to help her with her shooting.
I know what works for ME, and I am not an instructor. I can give basic general advice on grip, trigger pull and sight acquisition but I dont really know how to look for negative attributes while watching someone shoot.
I suspect most who try and teach someone else how to shoot know a lot less than they think they do, whether that's spouses or otherwise.
I know what works for ME, and I am not an instructor. I can give basic general advice on grip, trigger pull and sight acquisition but I dont really know how to look for negative attributes while watching someone shoot.
I suspect most who try and teach someone else how to shoot know a lot less than they think they do, whether that's spouses or otherwise.
Obturation
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That manlet must have baby soft skin and a bad case of little guy syndrome. Never saw a slide slice anyone, maybe scratch or scrape but slicing sounds serious. That's worth a laugh. She could probably out shoot the guy with 10 minutes of proper instruction. If the woman isn't mature enough to hold the gun herself by his estimation then they should both just go home.
Zaydok Allen
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What a shame. That’s mean, and a great way to ruin a good experience.
armedwalleye
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After .22s, like a 5.5 in bull barreled Mark or a revolver, or both, comes the lesson or recoil and inertia, and the discussion that heavier guns are tougher to hold up but soak up recoil. If she wants to, we move on to a nice 5906 Smith 9 mm. Absolute heavyweight, but a sweet full sized shooter.
If she wants to stay with .22s, we try an SR22
The whole idea is positive reinforcement and actually seeing results.
If she wants to stay with .22s, we try an SR22
The whole idea is positive reinforcement and actually seeing results.
.308 Norma
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Handing a SP101 loaded with 357s to a new shooter, whether the new shooter is a man or a woman, sound's an awful lot like "stupidity" to me.
1MoreFord
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That sound's an awful lot like "stupidity" to me.
It goes beyond stupidity to me. Not sure the TOS would let me elaborate on what I really think it is.
Trunk Monkey
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Sounds like a self correcting problem to me
bannockburn
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Every new shooter starts out with this...
Or this...
Or this if they want...
Or this...
Or this if they want...
While it is generally understood that guns are dangerous, we often don't stop to think that they are more dangerous to inexperienced shooters who probably have not seen pictures of slide-bitten, gas-cut or pinched extremities. It is not intuitive for new shooters to let the slide or bolt fly home, because we ask them to treat the equipment with respect and they don't understand the forces working to chamber a round, eject it and cycle the action. Young people often lack awareness of the mechanical operations involved, and if they are frightened, learning stops and danger increases.
There is a lot going on for any first-time shooter, and anything we can do to break it down, such as dry runs with good grip technique, demonstrating slide racking, and showing how the gun moves upon firing helps to ease the anxiety. Teaching others well is one of the most important things we can do for our sport, in my estimation.
There is a lot going on for any first-time shooter, and anything we can do to break it down, such as dry runs with good grip technique, demonstrating slide racking, and showing how the gun moves upon firing helps to ease the anxiety. Teaching others well is one of the most important things we can do for our sport, in my estimation.
climbnjump
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I was in a self-defense pistol class once where there were a number of husband/wife couples. The instructor made all of the couples switch partners for the duration of the course. He stated that there were three things a husband should never try to teach his wife: driving, dancing and shooting...
Riomouse911
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I added the bold because far too many people ( mainly men!) think that just because they own a gun or two that they’re qualified to teach folks how to use one.
Last range trip some young off-duty cop was teaching his girlfriend to shoot in the bay to my right. She was clearly inexperienced and intimidated by the duty gun she was blasting away with, putting holes all over the place at 5 yards.
At one point the guy has her close her eyes and lower the gun, then quickly open them and point shoot a shot. By the grace of all that’s Holy she absolutely X-rings that shot. He then proclaims loud enough for at least me to hear, “See, now if you would just unf**k yourself you’ll be able to shoot like that all day.” She then proceeded to slowly spray bullets all over the target again
Man, I wish her the best after hearing that douchebag “teach.” That’s one gen-you-wine clown you’re dating there, miss. Good luck!
Stay safe.
EIB0879
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I taught my wife and daughter to shoot without any problems.
straightshooterjake
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I am happy to see that there are lots of well informed posts in this thread. In my opinion, the real mistake is when a man decides to teach his own wife to shoot. All the mistakes that come after that are just secondary details.
To be fair, sometimes teaching wives, girlfriends, and close family works out fine. But it often goes poorly, and any experienced teacher will think carefully about the whole situation before getting started.
At the range where I shoot, I see a lot of problems when new shooters are getting introduced to the sport. I wrote an article on this subject which is available on my blog. The issue of working with family members is discussed briefly in the article.
Bringing New Shooters to the Range
To be fair, sometimes teaching wives, girlfriends, and close family works out fine. But it often goes poorly, and any experienced teacher will think carefully about the whole situation before getting started.
At the range where I shoot, I see a lot of problems when new shooters are getting introduced to the sport. I wrote an article on this subject which is available on my blog. The issue of working with family members is discussed briefly in the article.
Bringing New Shooters to the Range
doubleh
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There wasn't much time to address the finer points of shooting considering the situation they were in. That's one of my favorite movies.
Poper
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NEVER let the little head do the thinking for the big head.I think that around women (even their wives) most guys, by default, tend to be somewhat macho morons who do way too much of their critical thinking with their small heads.
herrwalther
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I have taught around 2 or 300 people how to shoot. Close to half of those were women. I can count on one hand the number of times I put my hands on a student's hands when they are firing. Unless they are doing something unsafe, there is no reason to do so. If an instructor (pro or otherwise) is worried about how a student will handle recoil, then they have picked the wrong firearm for the student.
kmw1954
Member
Seems to be many a preconceived notions going on here.
I taut my current wife to shoot finally after being together for almost twenty years. She was afraid of guns and had no use for them. Wouldn't even allow the kids BB guns. Then things changed, kids gone. I was working nights and she was home alone. Then more things changed and there were break-ins in the neighborhood. So I decided it was time for another gun in my life.
After getting the gun I finally convinced her that she should learn how to use it. With the add-age that it's better to know how and not need it that to not know and then do need it. Se finally agreed.
We did not own a 22 or have access to one so that wasn't an option. Though she did have an option between a Semi-auto or a revolver and she refused the revolver. Her choice, not mine. It also took about 6 weeks to finally get her to a range to actually fire. Again her choice as to when she was ready, after dry fire practice and learning how to disassemble and reassemble, and general gun safety.
Her first trip was a failure. This was a new range that I had never been to and on a Sunday morning I was hoping it was empty. It wasn't. Big crowd. The range itself left something to be desired as it was all open with no dividers between lanes. As she went to the line to shoot for the first time there was a guy right next to her and his discharged shells were raining down on her head. She shot one mag full and had to quit. I then shot a couple more mags and we then left.
On the way home I could tell she was upset and for a number of reasons. One was because she became unnerved by the guy next to her and two because she quit. I reassured her that there was nothing to be upset about and that even I felt uncomfortable. Two weeks later we went to a small obscure range that use to go to, there was only one other person on the range. She did very well and we had a great time. She now owns 2 Springfield XD Mod2 pistols of her own.
I taut my current wife to shoot finally after being together for almost twenty years. She was afraid of guns and had no use for them. Wouldn't even allow the kids BB guns. Then things changed, kids gone. I was working nights and she was home alone. Then more things changed and there were break-ins in the neighborhood. So I decided it was time for another gun in my life.
After getting the gun I finally convinced her that she should learn how to use it. With the add-age that it's better to know how and not need it that to not know and then do need it. Se finally agreed.
We did not own a 22 or have access to one so that wasn't an option. Though she did have an option between a Semi-auto or a revolver and she refused the revolver. Her choice, not mine. It also took about 6 weeks to finally get her to a range to actually fire. Again her choice as to when she was ready, after dry fire practice and learning how to disassemble and reassemble, and general gun safety.
Her first trip was a failure. This was a new range that I had never been to and on a Sunday morning I was hoping it was empty. It wasn't. Big crowd. The range itself left something to be desired as it was all open with no dividers between lanes. As she went to the line to shoot for the first time there was a guy right next to her and his discharged shells were raining down on her head. She shot one mag full and had to quit. I then shot a couple more mags and we then left.
On the way home I could tell she was upset and for a number of reasons. One was because she became unnerved by the guy next to her and two because she quit. I reassured her that there was nothing to be upset about and that even I felt uncomfortable. Two weeks later we went to a small obscure range that use to go to, there was only one other person on the range. She did very well and we had a great time. She now owns 2 Springfield XD Mod2 pistols of her own.
Riomouse911
Member
Sometimes it works out well, especially when your spouse is the one driving the idea to learn to shoot . I’m glad to read that she is not only a shooter, but a bit of a handgun aficionado as well. Nice job!
Many times it doesn’t. It’s those cases that can lead to hard feelings and far too often a future disinterest in ever shooting again by the “student.”
I don’t know what it is. maybe we go slower and with more patience with others than we do with “our own.”
Stay safe.
. I’m glad to read that she is not only a shooter, but a bit of a handgun aficionado as well. Nice job! Many times it doesn’t. It’s those cases that can lead to hard feelings and far too often a future disinterest in ever shooting again by the “student.”
I don’t know what it is. maybe we go slower and with more patience with others than we do with “our own.”
Stay safe.
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