So there is a good thing to all this zombie business

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cleardiddion

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So, overall today was an amazing day.

My girlfriend and I were headed to the Denver Museum of Natural Science (who can resist dinosaurs?) when the subject of surviving the zombie apocalypse came up.

A fun discussion, it's come up often as of late with her getting into shows like the Walking Dead and it's become something which allows us to discuss the real deal about preparedness while keeping it fun.

What surprised me was that as I was telling her about the BUG I kept in my bag (a Taurus 856) and how if things started going south she could grab it; she then stated that she wanted to learn how to shoot.

This was something that caught me off guard because I'd convinced her before to go to the range with the condition that I would only ask her once and if she didn't like it we would switch over to something different and I would not ask her to go again. At that time we made it to range but she became rather upset with the whole prospect (I think it was the sudden bombardment of loud noises, which she hates, from a plethora of rifles at the public range) and we went to the beach instead. True to my word I hadn't mentioned anything about the subject since then.

Well, now we have a tenative range date set up with the only thing she's asking is that it be a one on one instruction session. You know what? I can totally live with that.

It's certainly not bad for someone who hadn't ever even owned a pocket knife when we first started dating and now owns God knows how many knives/multitools and just finished putting together a BOB among many other things. She was a keeper before but this certainly sweetens the deal and I can't wait!
 
Be careful if she is anything like the ones I have run into you may lose your favorite platform. And I am still good with that!:eek:
 
You should act first to keep your favorite pistol. Get her one! Just for the thought, I started my ex in shooting, got her in the NRA, too. She stays current with both. Good deal all around...bless her little heart.
 
Whether it be the weather or zombies, how is it that after having panicked to prepare for either, that so many people don't ever STAY prepared? You'd think that the panic quotient would have dropped to near zero by now ...

Woody
 
The whole zombie thing is laughible. It's a 'kitchen sink' deal. Your not completely prepared, unless you can kill the undead, and shoot down a magical reindeer-powered sleigh. What's next? A inter-rectal-deterent device, to prevent alien probing?
 
No, but now that you mention it, sounds like just the thing for Haines to invent! :)
The whole zombie thing has been driven back into the ground, but whatever, as long as people are having fun. Maybe you should get some zombie targets for her to shoot at. :)
 
The whole zombie thing is laughible.
Click to expand...

I have to politely disagree. While many people may think that it may be a bit silly I think it has actually done some good. It takes the subject of emergency management/preparedness, which is somewhat boring or at the very least uninteresting to a great number of people and allows a certain factor of entertainment to it. This gives an awareness of the such to people who otherwise might not give it a second thought.

Besides, the whole zombie thing is something which the public has latched onto for entertainment, much like cowboys and indians of my old man's generation.

Anywho, I'm gathering stuff up to go take her on our range date. I figured I have my .22's (Mod 60 and an IJ Sealed Target 8) and I figured I'd run a few rounds through my carry guns (Taurus 856 and FEG PA-63). I figure I could take my 12ga and a few boxes of target loads but I'm somewhat convinced that she's not going to be too enamored with either of my MN's. The one thing that I'm rather afraid of losing is my new favorite rifle: my M1 carbine. That's my baby and I'm not sure I'm going to give it up to easily. :p


Addon:
Maybe you should get some zombie targets for her to shoot at.
Click to expand...
That is not a bad idea at all actually. Hrm, I think I'm going to have to rummage around and make up a couple of target stands. I was originally just going to set up fun reactive targets like pop bottles and clays but that may work. :D
 
I haven't seen any zombies yet. You'd think if they exist, somebody would have seen one by now.

I would do a bit more than just a BOB although everyone should have something they have ready or something they have thought out prior to the "event" that they can quickly assemble based on mobility requirements and so forth. Start with home preparedness. My BOB is my van and it would be full of plastic weather proof tubs containing whatever I think is important to survive a month. But do have a bag that is portable.

Sounds great that she is going to go to the range again. I would choose a day (even if you have to take off work) to go when there aren't likely to be a lot of people there and make sure she has very good eye and hearing protection that is available for her use.

Start with 22's and move up in caliber gradually.
 
"Zombie apocalypse" is a bit of gallows humor that people are using to refer to SHTF scenarios: like hurricane Katrina hitting Nawlins, like the rioting in England last year...
It's a metaphor. Take it as such.
It's also an opportunity to train and influence a whole lot of "mainstream" people, pull them into the RKBA community.
People shouldn't waste good opportunities because they're too jaded to have a little fun or say the word "zombie". Go ahead and say it with me..."ZOMBIE!"
 
It's a metaphor. Take it as such.
Click to expand...

*ding*

See also: Godzilla + Post WWII Japanese history.

This is how we as humans cope with vague, ungeneralized fears: We personalize them into monsters. It's been that way ever since Gilgamesh slew Humbaba and we'll probably keep doing it until the Sun expands and swallows up the Earth.
 
Agreed.

The Zombie is a useful metaphor for whatever currently unthinkable disaster might someday strike.

The fact that we look at the Zombie craze as either mildly entertaining (see AMC's The Walking Dead) or completely ridiculous is informative: before Katrina or the Christmas tsumani, there were few people who truly understood that a major city or entire region could be so utterly devastated by a single event. Now we know...and still many people deny it could ever happen where they are.

No, there will not be actual Zombies. But there might one day be something for which our "training" in anti-Zombie warfare has made some of us more ready than we would have been without it.

Added after reading H2K's post which hit a second before mine: OMG! What do you mean the Sun's gonna envelope the Earth? When? Do I have time to stock up on 00 buck?
 
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Give your girlfriend a gift... have her go to a women's only handgun safety class(s) .... she will be much more comfortable and actually have a better time learning the basics with out you there. Often these are free or don't cost much more than the ammo.
 
Avoiding the quasi-zombie-threadjacking that has happened, I'd like to make a quick reply to the OP's message. :)

I agree that anything that gets people thinking in terms of preparedness is a good thing (or, at worst, a redeemable thing). I have to confess that it wasn't until my kids starting taking a gun safety class and I started watching some Zombie-themed movies that *I* started thinking, "You know, what _would_ happen if [insert something bad here]?"

One thought re: noise - Maybe you can get really good hearing protection and get her to put it on as soon as you pull into the range? I've read that women are more sensitive to noise, in general, than men.

Good luck with getting her out to shoot! Look forward to the updates!
 
As was stated above, guard you favorite gun. I had a .38 Colt Det Spl that was my favorite BUG and sometimes carry gun. Took my new wife shooting 15 years ago and that was the end of "my" Colt. Now it's "her" Colt.
Seriously, I'm in favor of about any thing that gets people to realize they are responsible for their own safety and wellbeing.
 
I took my girlfriend to a range for her first time out.
It was a VERY busy range so it was not a pleasant experience for her.
She hasn't been shooting in almost a year.
I took her to a private range at a friends place, just me and her, and she LOVED it.

The one-on-one instruction and the together time was what she needed to get comfortable with the shooting sports.

Take yours somewhere quiet and make it fun. Shoot some golf balls.
 
I took my wife shooting at my place in rural Mississippi. I had
a very nice 2" S&W Model 19 that I let her shoot. She now has
her CCW and I am out a Model 19.
 
Packratwrecker

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PackRatWrecker
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The whole zombie thing is laughible. It's a 'kitchen sink' deal. Your not completely prepared, unless you can kill the undead, and shoot down a magical reindeer-powered sleigh. What's next? A inter-rectal-deterent device, to prevent alien probing?
__________________

OMG, you dont have one yet [ I.R.D.D. ].

I agree that the whole zombie thing is nothing but a way to play SHTF games.

Either in your head,or with friends and on the big screen.

AND my belief is that any reason to prep and get your friends to do so = is good.
 
The University of Idaho has made up preparedness posters and put them in all the dorms with a Zombie theme and even did some games; all to encourage the students to have 3 days worth of necessities on hand and be familiar with building evacuation and lock down procedures. I grabbed one when I was dropping a friend's daughter off at her dorm and brought it home :)
 
I've taken a lot of friends/family to the range for their first time and when it's just two of you and private environment starting off at small calibers it's usually fun for all. I haven't had anyone yet say they didn't like shooting when I took them out. :)
 
I suupose, if you need a ridiculous metaphor, to get the mainstream sheeple, to consider preparedness, then so be it. IMHO, it falls back to the old Ant & Grasshopper fable. Those who are practice preparedness will be prepared, those who don't......

As far as the original direction of this thread.... It's great that you two now have another hobby to share. As far a losing your favorite piece, you can always give her one for birthday, anniversary, etc., so you can have yours back.... or keep the new one for yourself. Upgrades are nice, too.
 
It is rather nice to have something new to share. I can admit that I tried to amuse her by letting her try to teach me her hobby of crocheting but I'm definitely better at hitting bullseyes than trying to put (nonhighroad terms) string together. :p

I have a feeling she's actually going to be rather good at shooting.
 
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE...

teach her safe gun handling and muzzle control BEFORE you go to the range.

Have a pleasant one on one session with all the ammo locked up in your own living room. Teach her how to pick up and handle a gun with muzzle always pointing in a safe direction. Use some dummy rounds or snap caps to teach her how to load AND unload safely. Drill through the whole routine several times...taking the gun out of the case, loading it, unloading it , recasing it. Get the safe handling techniques down before going to a range. There will be enough noise at the range to be a distraction. Get the basics out of the way at home where you are both more relaxed.
 
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