Took the wife to shoot for the first time today.

[scythefwd]

I don't think she enjoyed it to much. I don't really care if she did enjoy herself as I wanted her to know how to handle the firearms in the house safely even if she never had to shoot them again (this was an agreed neccessity, next time is her choice). I was going to start her off with my rough rider .22lr, but I left the keys to the trigger lock at home :banghead:. Luckily I also brought my single six in 32 H&R Mag. She fired some rounds through it, and didn't seem to mind. The one of the guys there shooting offered her his 9mm. I warned her that it would kick a bit more than the 32 longs that she was shooting and she said ok. She doesn't think she can handle the 9, but it's kick wasn't painful or anything. She also stated that she could see herself shooting the 32 again. She wanted nothing to do with the .22 rifle, the garand, or the shotgun (which is good, I only had slugs with me as I was trying to see where I would need to shoot with this brand during the upcoming season ) All in all, she learned a bit, and I think she may go back out some day with the 32. Maybe next time we'll even worry about shooting paper

 

[presspuller]

Good deal.
A lot of women don't care for recoil and some love it.
My wife is freaky accurate with a .22 or .380 but put anything else in her hand and she aint gonna pull the trigger.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Anytime you get a new shooter out there is a good day, especially when it's a woman. Well done sir...

Ummm, you actually have trigger locks on your guns on the way to the range? Why??

 

[pps]

I was just going to ask the same thing about the trigger lock?

whiskey tango foxtrot..

 

[scythefwd]

Ok, about the trigger locks. I don't have a safe yet and I sometimes have a local teen watch the house when I am on vacation. I don't let anyone fire my guns out of my presence, so I lock them up when he watches the house. I just haven't removed the locks from the one's I haven't fired since he last watched it. The lock wasn't put on to go to the range, it just wasn't removed from the last time he watched the house. I know trigger locks and chamber locks (the cable type) aren't going to stop a half dead feeble minded toddler if they really want to get the lock off, but it is a visual deterrent. It is one I can check on after I get home to see if he has messed with the guns. I also don't store my ammo in the same place as my guns except for the 6 in the chamber of my hd gun. Just call it a paranoia born of having an aquaintence shot with an "unloaded" .22 and not live to tell about it. You can bet the home defense gun doesn't have a lock, but who takes a .22lr revolver to the range every month (well... 12 - 18 in this case). I haven't even fired it since I got to VA in 04.

 

[Texastbird]

Something that helps my wife is double hearing protection. She is sensitive to the noise more than the recoil and "kick". Earplugs and muffs and she is good to go.

 

[kurts_armory]

i keep my guns in my gun room, 8" concrete on 3 sides and 3/4 inch plywood, gypsum and pine on the other. i think they are safe... =D

 

[RickW]

Very good. I too just recently have been teaching the wife to shoot. We started off with a Ruger MK3 target. She did pretty good with it and seemed to enjoy shooting it. Next up she gave the S&W 642 a try, nope she hated it.

After she finally got her FOID card, stupid IL, she was able to go to the LGS and handle a few she was interested in. Out of all she handled she picked out a CZ75B. I thought she just bought ME another toy because I figured the recoil would scare her off and if that didn't being an auto would deter her. Well I was completely wrong. She loves the darn thing and shoots it very good, to my surprise.

So like they say here let her pick out her gun, it worked here. She loves shooting now and is eyeing my Kahr CW 40

 

[scythefwd]

If the wife wants her own, she can get one, but I don't see the overall collection growing. I have a rifle for everything but long range, which I don't shoot (anything over 600y, and my garand could do it). I am a very practical man, I don't buy tools I don't have a need for. I already have 2x .22lr's I don't shoot, an sks I am thinking of getting rid of, and if it wasn't for my wife being able to shoot it... the 32 h&R would be considered as well. My 9mm and 38sp are good enough for HD/SD, the shotgun can take any game in the state (as well as most of the country), the garand can take anything the shotgun wont, and my .30-30 is basically a managed recoil 270 (bolt action even). It was the fact that she couldn't control poi with the 9mm that bothered her, not the recoil or noise. She had muffs to help with the bang. She did jump when she felt the 357 mag go off 5 feet to the left of her. So did I though, I was expecting a loud gun, but I wasn't expecting to see a visible shock wave through the tree leaves when it went off.

 

[weregunner]

This is the wife's situation and if she decides to get a handgun and cartridge combo that work for her then it's her pick. First and foremost education in a relaxed atmosphere where she feels at ease are called for. It might even take accretited mentors other than yourself to get her started.

Have to see this from her point of view. Some people dive right into shooting and others need much more guidance to get them in. Different approaches and methods to lead someone into the fold on a case by case basis.

Here's some suggestions on getting her educated, if she so wishes, handgun calibers,classes for women if available, and other considerations.

http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=5025.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=5402.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=7092.msg66642#msg66642

http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=1521.msg49647#msg49647

http;//www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=878.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=1049.msg7974#msg7974
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=8199.msg80848#msg80848
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=980.0
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=9030.msg93411#msg93411
http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=3205.0

http://www.taurusarmed.net/forums/index.php?topic=346.0

www.corneredcat.com has much info that both women and guys can use. This is a site for women, but has sections for men as well. All good stuff,too.

 

[scythefwd]

Weregunner.
You are right, it is her choice. We agreed that she needed to at least learn how to fire them safely. We have sat down a couple of time to go over how to safely handle / clear my guns. If she doesn't know how to clear one, she even asks We had decided that a range day was neccessary, but she chose when she went with me. It was beyond relaxed, with people passing firearms around so others could shoot them too. It was a good day, where everyone got to shoot a little under no stress. I just don't think she likes shooting as much as I do and I am fine with that. She can handle my 32, and that is enough of a deterrent for hd when combined with the 80 lb pit, the 40 lb cattle dog and the 12 ga being racked. If she wants to shoot again, I'll gladly take her, but the issue won't be forced.

 

[weregunner]

Way to go. Sounds like your both going down the right track.

There is an innate fear of fireams that most people have. Have to work with that person on it. Find a way to work through it with them.

The affected person might never work through it, but the wife at least gave it a go. That's saying something. So it sounds like you've done what you can for now.

 

[scythefwd]

OH, she isn't afraid of guns, she just doesn't care one way or the other. She knows they are in the house. But she couldn't care less that they are. I'm fine with that, she doesn't have to be pro gun, and I wouldn't care if she was anti... the guns would still be here. As long as she is reasonable about her "restrictions" (like you can't get another shotgun till you have actually used this one and gotten a deer which is why you bought it type stuff). I figured the last person I needed to teach her how to safely use a gun was someone that was also trying to sell her on gun rights / her need for one. With me it was a mere matter of fact. The guns will be in the house, and everyone in this house will know how to handle them safely period... even if they never handle one again after the class. That way I haven't encroached on her opinions of guns, be the good, bad, or neutral, and I haven't tried to push my opinions of guns on her, obviously good, (I still am not 100% sure we are in total agreement). I can live with a live and let live state on the firearms in the house.