I lucked out and stumbled onto the Women On Target event sponsored by the Central Jersey Rifle and Pistol Club and Friends of the NRA this month.
The event is meant to be an intro to guns for women who don't know much about them... or a chance to play with guns you may not usually play with for those who are comfortable with guns.
I signed up and paid my $20 fee. Cost wise, great deal. It covered eye and ear protection, lunch and LOTS of ammo that I used while shooting everything... not to mention about a dozen clay pigeons. )
About 50 women (the first group of the day) converged under the tent to get our intro. We got a welcome and then... it started raining. Never fear, women who want to shoot will not be deterred. So, we improvised. May I introduce you to our line of rain gear.
with a little adjustment, trash bags make great ponchos.
We were split into groups of 15-17 and sent to one of three stations... my first station was with the cowboy shooting folks. There were a half dozen or so people with their guns... and I chose the guy with the prettiest guns... No really...
look at the leather work on these!!! Yeah, I know... just like a woman. First I shot a 38 special handgun.
Now we were shooting at metal plate targets, like these.
They are fun to shoot at. Why? Because they're metal and make a PING when you hit them. LOVE LOVE LOVE that!!! It's instant gratification baby!!!
The targets for the revolver were pretty close, so I hit them every time. I was then handed a lever-action .38 rifle
The targets were further out for this one... but I also hit every target.... and finally I got to play with the 12-gauge shotgun, a model 97.
This was my first time shooting a shotgun... and after hitting my targets on all counts the guys said I should get some guns and join them. What do you think - plains woman or can can girl who carries?
My next station was HP, high powered rifles.... My eyes first locked on this baby....
An AR-15. I had seen them, but never shot one.
By the way, here's my little PSA for the day. AR does not stand for assault rifle as is often said. It stands for Armalite, the company that made them early on. Ok, PSA over, moving on....
The targets for these were about 75-100 yards out.
This was my first test of how to shoot something I couldn't see. I am nearsighted. Things that are far away, they are pretty much a blur. I aimed for the 'blur', pulled the trigger and watched the target go down.
Did I mention I love targets that fall over and reset themselves, too? Again, that instant gratification is nice! It was a very very smooth firing rifle, and surprisingly almost no kick. I can see why people like these!
And hitting the target that one time wasn't a fluke. I did it repeatedly. I was very happy with that!
Next up the gun that really left a mark on me.... a bruise...
This is a M-1. I call it the shoulder-killer. I was braced just like I was supposed to be when I shot it, but it didn't matter. It kicked, and a lot. My shoulder felt it after the first shot. But of course I was given a handful of ammo and was not going to let it go to waste...so I fired a number of times more and had a souvenir bruise pop up the next day.
Next up, the Skeet and Trap Range. Ok, I went into this one pretty sure I was not going to have any success. Not only did I have to hit a target, but a moving one at that. They shoot this little orange clay pigeon into the air and you have to try and hit it as it flies across the field.
Really? You're kidding, right? Nope.... The first time I tried the instruction I got didn't have a lot of technique tips... and I didn't hit anything. Not too surprised. But then I was told there was another station open if I wanted to try again...and the guy there gave me some better tips for 'being the shotgun' which you really have to do to follow that little orange piece of clay and hit it.
I hit 3 out of 6 that time and was doing the happy dance. I really didn't think I was coordinated enough to figure out how to fire while the thing was still in the air much less actually hit anything!
Finally I was off to the pistol range. I decided to shoot a .45
and a 9mm.
My recommendation to you is to shoot the 9 first then the 45... I did this in the reverse order... Here's the problem with that. The .45 has a lot of kick...and after you fire off a bunch of rounds on that one, you are automatically preparing (i.e. compensating by pulling down a tiny bit) for the kick. When you then pick up the 9mm and are compensating, it makes your first two shots low
and my target shows it. The instructor who was standing there looked at me...said 'remember, its the 9, not the 45' and I refocused my head and was happy with the next three that made that pretty little triangle by the bullseye. I even got a fist bump from the instructor for the triangle artwork :)
In all, the Women on Target event was about a 3 1/2 hour day that ended with lunch under the tent.
This is a great thing for any woman, whether you have ever picked up a gun or not, whether you ever want to own a gun or not. I looked at it as a way to try out guns I may never have shot otherwise. But I think this should be on your list ESPECIALLY if you have never picked up a gun.
Every station is manned by a gun expert, usually an instructor who talks you through anything you are uncomfortable. It's all about learning safety... not fear. Brilliant!
The CJRPC holds this once a year, so the next one won't come around until next fall, but ladies, go find them online and keep up on their schedule and sign up next time around.
