Okay campers,
Here is one that has been bugging me for awhile now. What shooting sports are you active in and can the best women compete at the level or better than the best men? I imagine that in smallbore rifle, air rifle, and bullseye there are women at the top level of the sport. I know a female military shooter set an offhand record in Highpower rifle. So, if the ladies can best the men, what qualities make that happen. If they cannot reach the level of the best men why not? No anecdotes, heck I know Julie Goloski can whip me, she's done it. Top level men, top level women.
Some background, this came up a long time ago in some competition thread. I shoot action pistol and I posit that women cannot quite get there against the men due to muscle mass, upper body strength and sheer power. I was severely pooh-poohed, the most popular theory held that there just weren't enough women shooting. I don't agree, you see people like Lisa Munson, Athena Lee, Kay Clark-Miculek, Goloski et. al and you are clear you are watching top level shooters. They have the intellect, the eye and hand speed, the basic shooting skills down cold. They have front-line equipment. They still don't quite get there against the men. I am not sure but I think there are no female Grandmasters in USPSA.
I think it is basic physical make-up. I am an okay sized person at 6'1" 220lbs. The better shape I get in, the faster I get in, out, and between positions. I made B class easily while pretty out of shape, within military standards but not by much. I am a forearm exercise freak, the stronger they and my shoulders get the faster my transitions are and my recoil control goes up. I am feeling pretty close to master level right now but am out of competition due to life and cannot prove it. In short, I have gotten a lot healthier and my shooting shows it.
Here is the theory part of it. I weigh 220lbs. a gun recoils X amount. That recoil is going to move my body Y amount. That same gun will move a 110lb shooter 2Y amount. When gripping and timing the gun say it requires 15lbs of down pressure to return the gun onto target in .10 sec. If I can exert that force with 20% of my total strength and it takes a smaller shooter 55% of their strength it follows that I should be able to get the gun on target with more precision and for a longer duration. Same with grip strength, say 45lbs of crush force is needed to keep a gun from worming around in my hand. What if that is 60% of my strength but 90% hand shaking and shivering strength for a smaller shooter, should I not be able to do that longer and handle the gun more precisely? Most likely someone exerting a higher precentage of strength will flinch sooner, grip looser and allow the gun to move more under recoil. I don't want to be sexist, does anyone agree that 99% of women will generally be smaller with less upper body strength? In my line of play I see how strength helps me and could hinder those that don't have it. So in action shooting women seem to give up 5-10% at the top level just for being women.
Here is one that has been bugging me for awhile now. What shooting sports are you active in and can the best women compete at the level or better than the best men? I imagine that in smallbore rifle, air rifle, and bullseye there are women at the top level of the sport. I know a female military shooter set an offhand record in Highpower rifle. So, if the ladies can best the men, what qualities make that happen. If they cannot reach the level of the best men why not? No anecdotes, heck I know Julie Goloski can whip me, she's done it. Top level men, top level women.
Some background, this came up a long time ago in some competition thread. I shoot action pistol and I posit that women cannot quite get there against the men due to muscle mass, upper body strength and sheer power. I was severely pooh-poohed, the most popular theory held that there just weren't enough women shooting. I don't agree, you see people like Lisa Munson, Athena Lee, Kay Clark-Miculek, Goloski et. al and you are clear you are watching top level shooters. They have the intellect, the eye and hand speed, the basic shooting skills down cold. They have front-line equipment. They still don't quite get there against the men. I am not sure but I think there are no female Grandmasters in USPSA.
I think it is basic physical make-up. I am an okay sized person at 6'1" 220lbs. The better shape I get in, the faster I get in, out, and between positions. I made B class easily while pretty out of shape, within military standards but not by much. I am a forearm exercise freak, the stronger they and my shoulders get the faster my transitions are and my recoil control goes up. I am feeling pretty close to master level right now but am out of competition due to life and cannot prove it. In short, I have gotten a lot healthier and my shooting shows it.
Here is the theory part of it. I weigh 220lbs. a gun recoils X amount. That recoil is going to move my body Y amount. That same gun will move a 110lb shooter 2Y amount. When gripping and timing the gun say it requires 15lbs of down pressure to return the gun onto target in .10 sec. If I can exert that force with 20% of my total strength and it takes a smaller shooter 55% of their strength it follows that I should be able to get the gun on target with more precision and for a longer duration. Same with grip strength, say 45lbs of crush force is needed to keep a gun from worming around in my hand. What if that is 60% of my strength but 90% hand shaking and shivering strength for a smaller shooter, should I not be able to do that longer and handle the gun more precisely? Most likely someone exerting a higher precentage of strength will flinch sooner, grip looser and allow the gun to move more under recoil. I don't want to be sexist, does anyone agree that 99% of women will generally be smaller with less upper body strength? In my line of play I see how strength helps me and could hinder those that don't have it. So in action shooting women seem to give up 5-10% at the top level just for being women.
