A few friends of mine...

[jjohnisme]

I have two very good female friends of mine, i've known both of them for years, and they just found out i have a mild gun fetish.

Both want to learn to shoot, and even get their CCL's, but i ran into a problem.

I took them to the range, where both of them clearly communicated their fear of actually *shooting* the guns only after having shot a .38 special.

I know, i know, start with a .22, thats how i got my sister into shooting. At the time, a .38 is the smallest i had with me.

Anyway, one of the chicks has taken a liking to firearms, and i've had a few conversations with her about different styles, a 'concealment purse', different calibers and whatnot. I've convinced her.

My problem lies within the other girl, who is now quite afraid of firearms. She shot the same amount as my other friend, but clearly did not enjoy it. Is she just not a gun-gal, or did i introduce them improperly?

 

[Mgderf]

I know, i know, start with a .22, thats how i got my sister into shooting. At the time, a .38 is the smallest i had with me.

My problem lies within the other girl, who is now quite afraid of firearms. She shot the same amount as my other friend, but clearly did not enjoy it. Is she just not a gun-gal, or did i introduce them improperly?

You MIGHT try again, WITH A .22 THIS TIME.

I have a snub-nosed .357mag that barks like a BIG dog even WITH .38's instead of .357's!

Talk to her. Ask her what about the event actually "scared" her? Is it the report? The muzzle blast? The recoil?

Tell her you are sorry if you inadvertently made her feel uneasy. Ask if she would be willing to do it again, with a smaller caliber.

I'd be willing to bet, if you asked NICELY, someone here would be willing to help you out with a cheap .22 to teach the ladies how to shoot.

I hope you did not scare her off of guns permanently. You DO need to talk to her about it anyway. If nothing else, just to make sure she does NOT harbor any resentment!

Good luck with her!

 

[WBE3]

There is a possibility that she isn't a "gun girl" and you helped here realize it. If you can find someone who has a Ruger, Browning, or something that is easy to handle and pretty accurate, she might change her opinion of guns. If she has success in hitting targets with a weapon that has less kick, she may enjoy the next experience.

 

[spasmo]

I believe your female friend needs to shoot a .22. What you might try doing with her is taking the gun apart and either having her watch you put it together or have her put it together. People are afraid of what they don't understand. I think the recoil or sound may have scared her. You need to chat with her. Find out what the problem is. Maybe she just doesn't like to shoot. If that's the case, let it go. At least for a while. You can keep inviting her but you may annoy her.

 

[Scutter01]

Also, and I know this is a nitpick, but it's not a Concealed Carry License (CCL). It's a License to Carry Handgun (LTCH). I only mention it because you're talking about teaching new shooters and it's best to start them out with correct information.

 

[clt46910]

Did she have a good pair of ear muffs on? I found that more people are bothered by the sound of the shot then the actual recoil on the milder rounds.

Go with the .22 and use good ear muffs.

 

[jjohnisme]

Talk to her. Ask her what about the event actually "scared" her? Is it the report? The muzzle blast? The recoil?

Tell her you are sorry if you inadvertently made her feel uneasy. Ask if she would be willing to do it again, with a smaller caliber.

I hope you did not scare her off of guns permanently. You DO need to talk to her about it anyway.

I have spoken with her since, and she's still interested in getting a small caliber defense weapon, and she told me that she wasn't expecting so much to happen. To quote her, "It's not like how they do it in CSI."

People are afraid of what they don't understand. I think the recoil or sound may have scared her. You need to chat with her. Find out what the problem is. Maybe she just doesn't like to shoot. If that's the case, let it go. At least for a while. You can keep inviting her but you may annoy her.

Oddly enough, she asked me to disassemble an AR so she could see the insides. I explained what went where, and even showed her a cut-away .gif file that animated the action. I'm sure she didn't fully understand, but it's the thought that counts.
She's interested enough in guns to want to learn, i believe, but i'll take your advice on not forcing her to practice. Everyone has their own pace, and i agree.

Also, and I know this is a nitpick, but it's not a Concealed Carry License (CCL). It's a License to Carry Handgun (LTCH). I only mention it because you're talking about teaching new shooters and it's best to start them out with correct information.

Good to know, i'll remember this, thanks.

Did she have a good pair of ear muffs on? I found that more people are bothered by the sound of the shot then the actual recoil on the milder rounds.

Go with the .22 and use good ear muffs.

Both of them asked for earplugs to go with their ear muffs. The ears they had on are the same ones i've used since i started shooting, and i've never had any problems with them. After they got their earplugs in, they were fine with the noise levels.

Thanks loads, folks.

 

[spasmo]

I also use ear plugs with my ear muffs but I'm just waiting on the day to purchase some fancy shmancy ears. I'd like some different eyes too. My eye protection someone managed to get scratched although they are in a container. sigh.

 

[stilllearning09]

I also use ear plugs with my ear muffs but I'm just waiting on the day to purchase some fancy shmancy ears. I'd like some different eyes too. My eye protection someone managed to get scratched although they are in a container. sigh.

I do the same thing, combining ear plugs and muffs. I had developed a flinch and it was because I anticipated the sound. Double the ear protection, and no more flinch.

 

[hc4sar]

ladies instead of double protection MIDWAY.COM sells a set of electronic muffs that actually do work for about $60. i got my C.F.O. a set and she loves them. oh yea they are light weight also. keep shooting ladies

 

[GuyRelford]

I've seen this happen a lot. One thing I've done is schedule "ladies only" Basic Pistol classes, so that women can learn to shoot in a slightly more comfortable environment. I also have some very comfortable smaller-caliber pistols for them to start with (if they prefer), but I'm a big fan of anyone - male or female - picking a firearm that they are comfortable with and appropriate for their purposes (self defense, etc.) and training with that firearm from the beginning. I've trained "little ol' ladies" with .45s who were damn accurate (and comfortable) after a quality training session. The key there is education - and letting them know exactly what to expect before they step out onto the range.

 

[Bill of Rights]

I have two very good female friends of mine, i've known both of them for years, and they just found out i have a mild gun fetish.

Both want to learn to shoot, and even get their CCL's, but i ran into a problem.

I took them to the range, where both of them clearly communicated their fear of actually *shooting* the guns only after having shot a .38 special.

I know, i know, start with a .22, thats how i got my sister into shooting. At the time, a .38 is the smallest i had with me.

Anyway, one of the chicks has taken a liking to firearms, and i've had a few conversations with her about different styles, a 'concealment purse', different calibers and whatnot. I've convinced her.

My problem lies within the other girl, who is now quite afraid of firearms. She shot the same amount as my other friend, but clearly did not enjoy it. Is she just not a gun-gal, or did i introduce them improperly?

Every person is different, so the whys will vary with every person. My thoughts would lean toward a .22 pistol, and if you can find someone who has one, have it be one with a suppressor. No noise, no recoil, no flash to speak of... just a couple of clicks when the action cycles and a >tink< when the bullet hits the target. Once she's comfortable with that, the same pistol without the suppressor... and the rest you can figure out.

I really wish I had a suppressor, but that won't happen for quite a while, I think.

Good luck!

Blessings,
Bill

 

[jjohnisme]

Every person is different, so the whys will vary with every person. My thoughts would lean toward a .22 pistol, and if you can find someone who has one, have it be one with a suppressor. No noise, no recoil, no flash to speak of... just a couple of clicks when the action cycles and a >tink< when the bullet hits the target. Once she's comfortable with that, the same pistol without the suppressor... and the rest you can figure out.

That was my initial starting point, but i then realized 'I don't have a .22 pistol, and i don't have any supressors...', and of course it takes damn near 6 months to get a supressor.

We were at an indoor range, as well. In my opinion, outdoors is a better place to learn since there's less noise on your end of the firearm, but the situation led to an indoor range.

I'm planning on taking them again in a few weeks, maybe even stepping up to a rifle!

 

[Bill of Rights]

That was my initial starting point, but i then realized 'I don't have a .22 pistol, and i don't have any supressors...', and of course it takes damn near 6 months to get a supressor.

We were at an indoor range, as well. In my opinion, outdoors is a better place to learn since there's less noise on your end of the firearm, but the situation led to an indoor range.

I'm planning on taking them again in a few weeks, maybe even stepping up to a rifle!

Oh believe me, I understand. I have a .22 I've used to teach a couple of people about guns and their use, and I've wished I had a suppressor, but it just wasn't going to happen. That was before INGO, though, and I didn't know anyone I could get in touch with to ask. I think that today, I would find someone here to ask if I was worried about recoil and noise sensitivity in someone I was introducing to guns. It would depend first on who had one, second on if they were willing to let you use it, and third if you were willing to drive to them to do so. (Suppressors, being Class III items, have to be with their registered owners when in use.) I would suggest if this is what you want to do, that you go to the Class III forum and ask there.

If you're interested in stepping up to rifle.. Come see us at an Appleseed. (shameless plug here)

Good luck!

Blessings,
Bill

 

[Glock21]

The vast majority of women I've trained really dislike shooting revolvers. I almost never start a female shooter of with a revolver, especially a small one.

Just an observation.

Keep at it, you're doing fine!