So there is a good thing to all this zombie business

[cleardiddion]

J-Bar, no worries. That bit was actually first on the list.

As for the range deal, funnily enough, there aren't a whole lot of formal ranges up here in WY and the numbers are rather thin between here and where she lives in CO.

I was actually debating whether to take her to one of the indoor ranges (which would cut out the use of the shotgun) or taking her an informal outdoor spot. The two outdoor spots would be either Pawnee National Grasslands or an area in Medicine Bow National Forest.

I can see the benefits of both but I'm kinda leaning more towards the informal spots. This is so that she can try out the full lot, it's going to be much less crowded, and I can set up reactive targets which are admitedly much more fun than merely punching holes in paper. Plus, I'm not the biggest fan of indoor ranges due to a variety of reasons.

What do you guys think?

 

[mokin]

I would try to get into a situation where if you end up not shooting a lot you and she will still have fun. I took a girlfriend shooting once and we ended up discusing thee firearms, targets, a lot of safety, hunting, fired a little over 100 .22 rounds through different guns. I brought many others though. We had a good time and she eventually bought her own gun.

About zombies.... My wife gave me some zombie targets for Christmas. I'm not really into zombies but I see the point of them being an entre to shooting. When I mentioned wanting to go to the range to shoot zombies my five year old daughter said she wanted to go too. Yesterday she went shooting for the firs time. It was great!

About guns.... I introduced my wife to my Browning Hi Power several years ago. Now she wants one. Namely mine.

Have fun and be safe!

 

[CZguy]

I think that an informal range is best for instructing a new shooter. You can remove ear protection anytime that you want to for better communication, which is what teaching, is all about.

New shooters are overwhelmed by having to remember many things at one time. How to use the sights, trigger control, not getting real excited when they hit a reactive target and turning around with the gun, or pointing it at their feet, because it's heavy.

Yea, informal ranges let you focus on safety first, and then start teaching the other things in layers.....without someone yelling at them.

 

[J-Bar]

Go to the outdoor informal range...

Guns seem a little less loud outdoors.

And you could throw out a few tin cans and make them jump! Reactive targets are 'way more fun than just punching paper.

 

[cleardiddion]

What targets do you recommend?

I've plastic pop bottles, chalk, clays, and phone books galore. One other thing I always picked up for fun shoots was whatever case of canned pop I could get the cheapest. We would just shake them up and make them explode

 

[CZguy]

What targets do you recommend?

If you have any eggs in your refrigerator that are expired that could be hard boiled, they make excellent exploding targets. And there's no cleanup, something will eat the leftovers.

And just the ever popular tin can.

 

[230RN]

Comments:

+1 on reviewing handling and safety rules before you go to the range. (Taping a long dowel to a gun helps in developing muzzle consciousness.)

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.

I screwed up on that one when I brought a gal to an indoor range. I should have had her put earplugs in under the muffs. I later realized that long hair, earrings, etc may allow sound to get under the muffs.

If you go ahead and let her fire the M1 carbine, kiss it goodbye. You might want to start the acquisitioning process for another one ahead of time. Kids and ladies seem to love that platform.

That girl sounds like she's a keeper. Her own bug out bag, huh? Cool!

Terry, 230RN

 

[cleardiddion]

I later realized that long hair, earrings, etc may allow sound to get under the muffs.

I never thought about that. This would probably explain why she was rather upset by the first time we went to the range!

 

[Ky Larry]

I remember watching a tv show about people shooting at an indoor range. A rather well endowed youmg lady was wearing a low cut shirt and a piece of hot brass went down the front. It was funny watching but I'm sure it was no fun for her. Maybe suggest a turtle neck sweater?

 

[230RN]

^ Oh, yeah, I forgot about that. My gal was OK there, but a buttoned-up shirt is a good idea. Brass gets out of semiautos while it's still hot, whereas with manually-operated arms the case has a chance to transmit most of its heat to the chamber walls.

I had the opportunity to do the brass dance during one of my first high-powered competitions when a .30-06 case hit me in the neck and went down my shirt.

I had wondered why campaign hats were so popular at these matches. I thought it was a "style" thing until that happened.

ETA: "Campaign hat:"

Terry, 230RN

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