Need advice on teaching a young lady to shoot

[Guest Big_D]

I go to church with a young lady that is interested in learning to shoot a pistol. I am looking for any advice, I dont have any doubt that I can teach her to properly handle a firearm. I have worked with some men before but never a young lady (she is 20 and never fired a pistol). I have several guns to let her chose from including revolvers and semi-auto's in calibers from 22 to 10mm. Any and all advice is appreciated.

[Guest nraforlife]

22 to start with and then progress up as she gets comfortable. She may take to it like a duck to water, you never know. The worse thing, and I've seen it happen, is to start her off with something way to powerful and scare the snot out of her and/or frustrates her so badly that she says thanks but no thanks and drops the whole thing.

[Garufa]

I'd start her off on the 22. Explain the operation of the thing and safety in advance of going to the range. That is very important to get her comfortable with the gun. Let her know how it works, how to aim and fire, etc. before hitting the range. Have I stressed that enough?

Then maybe show her one of the big guns and let her get a feel for that.

When you go to the range, keep your pride intact 'cause you may be surpised at how well that gun can shoot in her hands.

I did this same routine several times back when I was a "playa". It works.

Edited February 18, 2009 by Garufa

[Curiousgb]

+1 on the 22. Target up close. Reactive targets are nice. Let her decide when it is time to move to a larger caliber. Praise not patronize. Don't act like a man. This is what my wife is telling me. Find another women that shoots and invite her too.

[Guest m&pc9]

If you use a semi-auto only put 1 bullet in for the first shot. I took my wife shooting for the first time, I put in 3 bullets she shot the first one and screamed and dropped the gun. It was a Davis .32 I just knew it was going to fire again.

[PackinMama]

Definitely start with the .22 and work your way up to the larger calibers slowly, and only if she says she's ready. Don't push anything on her. Let her go at her own pace. Make it fun. Don't just shoot at a target....put up some gallon jugs filled with water or shake up some cheap soda cans and let her blow them up. Like I said, make it fun....she'll get into it a lot more than just seeing holes punched in paper.

I've taught several people to shoot over the years and its surprising how many of them didn't really understand how to sight the gun and what the sight picture is supposed to look like. Before you take her out to shoot, it might help if you actually draw her a picture of the proper way to sight the gun.

[Guest Dr. Pepper]

I just taught my older sister to shoot. I did it by giving her the 9mm XDm to shoot first. Then the 9mm Glock 26. We did 100 rounds between those two guns. AND THEN we did the .22 Buckmark. The reason I thought this was a good method is because my hand and arm get fatigued on the bigger guns. After 100-200 rounds I'm ready for a break and the .22 feels awesome. It's like going from curling 30lbs to 5lbs. So, it was the same with my sister. She was really excited to get to the .22 and she felt like it was such an easy gun to use. She fell in love with it.

That's just my opinion (I may be kind of boorish in my teaching methods), and I firmly believe that women aren't wimps. So starting her off slowly like she's a frightened doe is kind of silly to me. If she's interested then she's not going to turn tail and run off because the gun kicks a little. I don't see any problem starting with a 9mm, but I would gauge her reaction after one or two shots. If she seems frightened, then yeah, go down to the .22. I guess there ARE some girls who get scared of a gun.

[Guest jackdog]

I would certainly start with a 22. and at a very close range. Let her hit the target build up confidence. then move up to larger calibers and longer distances. Don't push her let go at her own pace. but make sure she absolutely understands all elements of proper safety and the manual of arms for each particular weapon. Here is something that work really well with my 12 yr. old grand daughter. I got here comfortable shooting my G23 with a 22 conversion kit. after about three days she ask me to try the forty cal version. After about 30 rounds she was as happy as a puppy with two peters.

[Guest mark_justmark]

I showed my daughter how to safely handle, sight, and load a semi-auto pistol.

We went to the range, then laid out all the calibers we have and just let her shoot which ever one she wanted.

She started with a .22 Ruger then jumped right up to the full size .45 ACP 1911.

She wants her own 1911 Officer size now.

[Guest Big_D]

Thanks for the tips, now I just need a little warmer weather.

[bteague2]

That's just my opinion (I may be kind of boorish in my teaching methods), and I firmly believe that women aren't wimps. So starting her off slowly like she's a frightened doe is kind of silly to me. If she's interested then she's not going to turn tail and run off because the gun kicks a little. I don't see any problem starting with a 9mm, but I would gauge her reaction after one or two shots. If she seems frightened, then yeah, go down to the .22. I guess there ARE some girls who get scared of a gun.

I started with a .22 and moved up, that's not a gender issue; it's learning proper mechanics like not developing a flinch with a smaller caliber before transitioning to a large caliber. Everyone I've taken shooting regardless of sex starts with a .22 pistol or rifle.

[Guest Dr. Pepper]

I started with a .22 and moved up, that's not a gender issue; it's learning proper mechanics like not developing a flinch with a smaller caliber before transitioning to a large caliber. Everyone I've taken shooting regardless of sex starts with a .22 pistol or rifle.

Ahhhhhh. No one was that thoughtful with me.

[DWARREN123]

For any new shooter go with safety training first then hands on with no ammo. The firearms should fit the new shooter pretty good or there will be some disappointment in performance.

And for some a refreshment and restroom would be nice.

Always train on safety first, last and in between and state the the importance of having a loaded firearm and the individuals responsibilities.

[Guest Big_D]

just a little update , I went over the basics of a firearm and safety for handling a firearm, and checked her a few times by handing her the pistol (unloaded) but wanting to see how she handled it not knowing if it was loaded or not. I showed her the difference between a semi-auto and a revolver. all in all I think it went pretty good but I am still going to go over safety and the basics some more before we go shooting. thanks for the tips

[Retired Navy GMC]

just a little update , I went over the basics of a firearm and safety for handling a firearm, and checked her a few times by handing her the pistol (unloaded) but wanting to see how she handled it not knowing if it was loaded or not. I showed her the difference between a semi-auto and a revolver. all in all I think it went pretty good but I am still going to go over safety and the basics some more before we go shooting. thanks for the tips

Sounds like you have the right idea.

I was a Small Arms Instructor for 12 of my 20 years in the Navy, and the first thing I ever did when teaching marksmanship was in a classroom going over safety and the basics (loading and unloading, grip, sight picture, trigger pull, stance, mechanics of the weapon being taught). All this before the students would ever touch a weapon. After this initial training, I would re-enforce it with an unloaded weapon and allow dry firing. All this would take a full day prior to going to the range. Even though these were all members of the military, I would always teach like they knew nothing about weapons to ensure all points were covered.

Good Luck

[Guest Rando]

When it comes to actual shooting get another female that knows her way around a gun to get in on it.They tend to listen to each other a lot better and you would have some different points to go along with yours as to gender carry.

just my:2cents:, good luck

[Guest TEBISH]

just a little update , I went over the basics of a firearm and safety for handling a firearm, and checked her a few times by handing her the pistol (unloaded) but wanting to see how she handled it not knowing if it was loaded or not. I showed her the difference between a semi-auto and a revolver. all in all I think it went pretty good but I am still going to go over safety and the basics some more before we go shooting. thanks for the tips

Definitely on the right path - crawl/walk/run. Just wait til she tells her friends what a great teacher you are - then you're getting asked to do this on a normal basis. I taught my wife to shoot and after she told her friends/coworkers about it the requests for instruction start rolling in. I have tried again and again to get my wife to work towards becoming a firearms instructor but she's far from being comfortable enough for that - talk about a niche market though..