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http://www.detnews.com/2005/outdoors/0506/03/B01-202683.htm
Women set sights on shooting
State gun clubs follow U.S. trend with target events catered to females.
By Steve Pardo / The Detroit News
Image
John M. Galloway / Special to The Detroit News
"A lot of husbands want their wives out there with them. Until we start outshooting them," says Sarah Howard.
Tips for shooters
• Try out firearms before you buy. Different styles and calibers make a difference.
• Get good hearing and eye protection.
• To find a certified firearm instructor in the area, call (703) 267-1430.
• For information on Women on Target clinics, go to www.nrahq.org/women or call (800) 861-1166.
Source: National Rifle Association
To get involved
Upcoming target shooting events sponsored by the National Rife Association:
• June 6, 13, 20, 27, July 11, 18, 25: Silver Bullet Firearms Instruction, Wyoming, Mich., (616) 249-1911
• June 11: North Macomb Sportsmen's Club, Washington Township, (248) 853-0092
• June 18: Howell Gun Club, Marion Township, (517) 223-8416
• July 23: Multi-Lakes Conservation Association, Commerce Township, (248) 354-4449
Image
MARION TOWNSHIP -- Donna Van Buskirk decided to try her hand at blasting away at clay targets with a shotgun last year after she saw an ad in a woman's magazine.
Now, she's hooked. The 45-year-old mother of two visits the Howell Gun Club in Marion Township twice a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays, to blow apart airborne targets with her 12-gauge Remington 1100.
"I enjoy coming out here and all the people I've met," Van Buskirk said. "It's a good way to work out your aggressions."
She's not alone. Target shooting -- nonhunting shooting with a rifle, shotgun or handgun -- is a fast-growing sport for women, both in Michigan and nationwide. Nationally, the number has grown from about 2.33 million women in 1999 to 4.3 million last year, according to the National Sporting Goods Association. Women now make up about 22.5 percent of all target shooters, up from 17.9 in 1999.
Statistics aren't available by gender for Michigan.
The National Rifle Association began catering to women shooters in the mid-1990s, said Stephanie Henson, manager of women's programs for the NRA.
"We were getting more requests from women across the country who wanted to get into recreational shooting with other women in a safe, supportive area," Henson said.
The NRA's "Women on Target" programs teach women the basics in safety handling and shooting. Many participants have never handled a firearm before. In 2000, the first full year of the Women on Target programs, there were 13 clinics nationwide aimed specifically at women. This year, there are about 150 clinics, Henson said.
Michigan is well-represented in the Women on Target programs. This spring and summer, there will be at least 11 NRA clinics for women -- the most of any state -- in locations including Commerce Township, Washington Township, Bay City and Marion Township.
Rochester Hills resident Barb Chapman fired a handgun for the first time at last year's Women on Target program at the North Macomb Sportsmen's Club in Washington Township. She's looking forward to this year's event next week.
"It's only nine days away," Chapman, 53, said on Thursday. "I can't wait."
Chapman sees shooting as a personal challenge rather than a competition. She said women tend to be less competitive and more supportive than male shooters.
"Women all cheer for each other," Chapman said.
"It puts a whole different slant on shooting. We're doing this for the skills. We're not doing this to compete. We're doing this to learn and have fun."
She practices with the range's firearms but has a Kimber .45-caliber pistol on her Christmas list, she said.
"I like the big guns. They're fun," she said.
There are more opportunities for women shooters today, said Gary Williams of the North Macomb Sportsmen's Club. Money from NRA fund-raisers filters into local gun clubs and helps keep costs lower for events, he said.
"We start the women out with a .22-caliber, and if they proceed, we'll get them shooting the .45s. They really get off on the .45s. You let them shoot a milk jug full of water, and it just explodes. They love that."
Beginner handgun classes for women are always full, Williams said. The male shooters don't mind the female shooters -- now, he said.
"At first a lot of the guys at the club were like, 'What do you want women to come out here and shoot for?'" Williams said.
Then the men saw how much the women enjoyed the sport. "Women root for each other," he said. "Every time they hit a target or hit the bull's-eye, they just cheer -- unlike men, who tend to be a little more quiet and competitive."
Making the sport more attractive to women only makes the sport stronger, said Cal Kittinger, a member of the Multi-Lakes Conservation Association in Commerce Township.
"I'm a firm believer if I can get the women involved, I'll get the father and the family involved," Kittinger said. "If mom goes shooting, the whole family goes."
Howell resident Sarah Howard agrees. She often goes to the Howell Gun Club with Jim Delaney and the couple's daughters, Maddie Delaney, 1, and Samantha Delaney, 10.
"It's not male-dominated anymore," Sarah Howard, 27, said Wednesday after shooting at the Howell Gun Club. "A lot of husbands want their wives out there with them. Until we start outshooting them," she added.
You can reach Steve Pardo at (517) 552-5503 or [email protected].
It's hard to believe that this paper is owned by the same company as the Detroit Free Press
Women set sights on shooting
State gun clubs follow U.S. trend with target events catered to females.
By Steve Pardo / The Detroit News
Image
John M. Galloway / Special to The Detroit News
"A lot of husbands want their wives out there with them. Until we start outshooting them," says Sarah Howard.
Tips for shooters
• Try out firearms before you buy. Different styles and calibers make a difference.
• Get good hearing and eye protection.
• To find a certified firearm instructor in the area, call (703) 267-1430.
• For information on Women on Target clinics, go to www.nrahq.org/women or call (800) 861-1166.
Source: National Rifle Association
To get involved
Upcoming target shooting events sponsored by the National Rife Association:
• June 6, 13, 20, 27, July 11, 18, 25: Silver Bullet Firearms Instruction, Wyoming, Mich., (616) 249-1911
• June 11: North Macomb Sportsmen's Club, Washington Township, (248) 853-0092
• June 18: Howell Gun Club, Marion Township, (517) 223-8416
• July 23: Multi-Lakes Conservation Association, Commerce Township, (248) 354-4449
Image
MARION TOWNSHIP -- Donna Van Buskirk decided to try her hand at blasting away at clay targets with a shotgun last year after she saw an ad in a woman's magazine.
Now, she's hooked. The 45-year-old mother of two visits the Howell Gun Club in Marion Township twice a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays, to blow apart airborne targets with her 12-gauge Remington 1100.
"I enjoy coming out here and all the people I've met," Van Buskirk said. "It's a good way to work out your aggressions."
She's not alone. Target shooting -- nonhunting shooting with a rifle, shotgun or handgun -- is a fast-growing sport for women, both in Michigan and nationwide. Nationally, the number has grown from about 2.33 million women in 1999 to 4.3 million last year, according to the National Sporting Goods Association. Women now make up about 22.5 percent of all target shooters, up from 17.9 in 1999.
Statistics aren't available by gender for Michigan.
The National Rifle Association began catering to women shooters in the mid-1990s, said Stephanie Henson, manager of women's programs for the NRA.
"We were getting more requests from women across the country who wanted to get into recreational shooting with other women in a safe, supportive area," Henson said.
The NRA's "Women on Target" programs teach women the basics in safety handling and shooting. Many participants have never handled a firearm before. In 2000, the first full year of the Women on Target programs, there were 13 clinics nationwide aimed specifically at women. This year, there are about 150 clinics, Henson said.
Michigan is well-represented in the Women on Target programs. This spring and summer, there will be at least 11 NRA clinics for women -- the most of any state -- in locations including Commerce Township, Washington Township, Bay City and Marion Township.
Rochester Hills resident Barb Chapman fired a handgun for the first time at last year's Women on Target program at the North Macomb Sportsmen's Club in Washington Township. She's looking forward to this year's event next week.
"It's only nine days away," Chapman, 53, said on Thursday. "I can't wait."
Chapman sees shooting as a personal challenge rather than a competition. She said women tend to be less competitive and more supportive than male shooters.
"Women all cheer for each other," Chapman said.
"It puts a whole different slant on shooting. We're doing this for the skills. We're not doing this to compete. We're doing this to learn and have fun."
She practices with the range's firearms but has a Kimber .45-caliber pistol on her Christmas list, she said.
"I like the big guns. They're fun," she said.
There are more opportunities for women shooters today, said Gary Williams of the North Macomb Sportsmen's Club. Money from NRA fund-raisers filters into local gun clubs and helps keep costs lower for events, he said.
"We start the women out with a .22-caliber, and if they proceed, we'll get them shooting the .45s. They really get off on the .45s. You let them shoot a milk jug full of water, and it just explodes. They love that."
Beginner handgun classes for women are always full, Williams said. The male shooters don't mind the female shooters -- now, he said.
"At first a lot of the guys at the club were like, 'What do you want women to come out here and shoot for?'" Williams said.
Then the men saw how much the women enjoyed the sport. "Women root for each other," he said. "Every time they hit a target or hit the bull's-eye, they just cheer -- unlike men, who tend to be a little more quiet and competitive."
Making the sport more attractive to women only makes the sport stronger, said Cal Kittinger, a member of the Multi-Lakes Conservation Association in Commerce Township.
"I'm a firm believer if I can get the women involved, I'll get the father and the family involved," Kittinger said. "If mom goes shooting, the whole family goes."
Howell resident Sarah Howard agrees. She often goes to the Howell Gun Club with Jim Delaney and the couple's daughters, Maddie Delaney, 1, and Samantha Delaney, 10.
"It's not male-dominated anymore," Sarah Howard, 27, said Wednesday after shooting at the Howell Gun Club. "A lot of husbands want their wives out there with them. Until we start outshooting them," she added.
You can reach Steve Pardo at (517) 552-5503 or [email protected].
It's hard to believe that this paper is owned by the same company as the Detroit Free Press
