Ladies-How to bring more women into shooting?

[GardoneVT]

As I look around my college campus commons, its clear the women here are outnumbering the men to a good margin. I'm no math major, but we need to get females more involved into shooting.

We need to make shooting a tangible and fun thing for them, and its a task we suck at as a shooting community right now. There are positive spots, but when I walk into a local range and see the girls hanging out in cars while their spouses are shooting , it makes me think we have some room for improvement.

Hence I go to the source here;what say the ladies, and what do us macho men do to accidentally turn off women from the sport? After all we are unlikely to improve if we don't know we need work .

Thanks in advance for your time ladies.

[CSACANNONEER]

Being a male, one of the best ways I've found is to push the NRA Women On Target program. It allows females to be introduced to shooting the right way instead of by some husband, boyfriend, brother, father or their LE buddy who thinks it's fun to scare them by shooting big guns first, showing off or teaching bad habits off the bat.

[angelina]

Sounds a little lame BUT - put a BB gun in their hands in the backyard to plink at some cans. Obviously it's not a firearm, but it's the same "point and pull" concept. Work on some basics right there - holding it, stance, aiming, SAFETY, etc. It's a good way to get a little bit of hands on experience with the comfort of knowing that you're not going to shoot a hole through your foot or kill someone. I find that takes a lot of stress away for brand new shooters. I've done this with at least 10 friends. at least 5 of them were terrified of the thought of handling a firearm before this. When we got to the range after 2-3 BB gun sessions, they were less antsy and felt a little more confident with the firearm.

[MechaDad]

I'm no lady, but I do have 4 daughters and a wife. The kids started on bb guns. I agree with all points in previous post.

First live fire session is also a factor. While on vacation in Utah this summer (awesome state) we rented a utv and shot stationary clays in the desert. Nobody around for miles, so no intimidating outside factors and they got to go at their own pace. They can't wait to do it again.

My wife wasn't exactly on board before I I bought my first gun, so I just kept exposing her to views/news not generally expressed in mainstream media. From there she was able to not only accept the idea of having a gun around, but the responsibility of knowing how to safely handle it.

In a nutshell, for both young & old(er), they need someone to help shape/broaden their views and not just show how fun or cool the sport of shooting can be.

[BonnieB]

It's true, Women on Target, Deadeye Dames and other all women's events are some of the best tools around to get women into shooting.

But the single best thing I've ever seen, is to ask a woman "what will you do if someone breaks into the house and you're alone with your kids? Really. What are you actually going to do?"

Something happened about 10 months ago, I don't know what. But the soccer moms of NorCal suddenly woke up and realized the their hubbies might not be at home when the BGs walk through the sliding glass door. And the soccer moms sat bolt upright in their chairs and said "I gotta be able to protect my self and my kids! And I can't wait for HIM".

So all of a sudden, I'm seeing all kinds of women at the range, learning to shoot. And it's the 25-40 year-olds. They're there with their instructors, their hubbies, BFs, GF's, whoever, but they're on the range and learning. There's one group I often see on Saturday mornings, of 40'ish moms and 20'ish daughters, four or five pairs, all shooting together and having a ball.

I think the soccer moms of the US are the total key to getting women into shooting. And they're coming, they have the money to buy guns and lessons and they'll make political contributions once they realize that they have to carry or they can't protect their kids.

Second, when I see guys shooting, with their GF's hanging around in the background, not shooting, I just walk right up and make conversation. " You guys shooting today too? No? Why not?" Then I walk over to their BF's and say "How come you're not letting her shoot? You ought to. She ought to learn. Get her over here!"

Now, everyone knows I"m the "chic granny" type and I do get away with murder at the range, just walking up to people and making conversation. People don't seem to mind, and the GF's often start saying "Yeah! I DO want to learn", and off we go. There's something about another, older woman, role-modeling and pushing the issue just a little bit, that seems to work.

Third, make women welcome at the range. Make the environment welcoming. The first time I ever shot, it was in a class of 12 women. Lots of encouragement, lots of support. I was so excited. Then I went to a range that rented guns, looked around and saw I was the only woman in sight. Pretty intimidating, even for me. So keep it friendly, smile, speak, nod, thumbs up, say "what are you shooting?", etc. Women feel shut out if no one acknowledges them, so SMILE. ( but don't be cheesy...)

And Lastly, we used to say "think globally, act locally". So bring a woman with you every time you go shoot, any woman. Take your mom, your sister, your wife, and especially your daughters. Bribe them with rom-com movies, dinner out, pedicure coupons, whatever. And prepare to have her buy her own gun, all by herself, within six weeks. But bring them to the range your own very self. If half the men at the range did that, 25% of all the people at the range would be women and girls. In just one step.

(I should say here, for the record, that lots of men, particularly older men, don't take me very seriously at the range when I first arrive. And I can tell they don't take me seriously by the looks, the smirks, the "let me help you, little lady" stuff. But later they see my targets and everything changes. So, gentlemen, if you see someone patronizing a woman at the range, walk over, smile, chat and shut that behavior down.)

[sly-jay]

Many women lack confidence and motivation entering a "male-dominated" sport. They don't think they will be good at it, and don't think they'd be rewarded with much even if they were. And they don't have other women friends to go with, or even talk about it with.

If they knew more women were out there having fun and excelling in the sport, that would help.

[Pally]

Hence I go to the source here;what say the ladies, and what do us macho men do to accidentally turn off women from the sport? After all we are unlikely to improve if we don't know we need work .

Thanks in advance for your time ladies.

New women shooters, typically, have an extra learning curve; handling, operating and maintaining mechanical devices (especially the ones that aren't used in everyday society).

Learning how to rack a slide, learning about calibers, actions, pins, springs, assembly-reassembly, using oil, solvents, wire brushes...not stuff we do or are around everyday.

On top of that, add on the stress that firearms have a potential personal high danger factor (mostly, if operated improperly).

I think these two factors are the greatest issues that contribute to the lack of participation in the sport.

However, as my women friends and I have discovered, those things are just temporary obstacles until someone introduces you to the sport and shows you how it all works!
Preferably someone who is patient and helpful. A positive attitude and building the trust during training is very important for new women shooters.

[CSACANNONEER]

Many women lack confidence and motivation entering a "male-dominated" sport. They don't think they will be good at it, and don't think they'd be rewarded with much even if they were. And they don't have other women friends to go with, or even talk about it with.

If they knew more women were out there having fun and excelling in the sport, that would help.

There may be more males involved in shooting sports but, from personal experiences and observations, as a whole, female shooters out shoot male shooters. Some of the best shooters in the world are female. In fact, I'm all for segregating females at competitions and giving them their own awards. Maybe that way I could win something once in a while.

[movie zombie]

There may be more males involved in shooting sports but, from personal experiences and observations, as a whole, female shooters out shoot male shooters. Some of the best shooters in the world are female. In fact, I'm all for segregating females at competitions and giving them their own awards. Maybe that way I could win something once in a while.

you crack me up, CSA!


having a very nonjudgmental male friend with me for my first few trips to a gun shop [actually, very few because I soon found with research I knew as much or more re certain models than the sales people] and to bounce ideas off was very helpful. going in to a shop the first couple of times with him insured that I wouldn't get ignored at the counter!

[Jimi Jah]

Find out related interests. If they like zombie shows take them out for a zombie shoot.

[Snoopy47]

In fact, I'm all for segregating females at competitions and giving them their own awards.

My GF and I go to a Monday Night Shooting League every week at Reeds in Santa Clara.

They do that. Women get their own awards. My GF hates that, especially since her scores would otherwise knock a man out of getting an award. (i.e she'll get 1st female, but 3rd overall.) And they give her only the 1st, not both.

I put a new red dot optic on a new .22 conversion unit I got. Her first time out with it she got a 479/480.

[CSACANNONEER]

My GF and I go to a Monday Night Shooting League every week at Reeds in Santa Clara.

They do that. Women get their own awards. My GF hates that, especially since her scores would otherwise knock a man out of getting an award. (i.e she'll get 1st female, but 3rd overall.) And they give her only the 1st, not both.

I put a new red dot optic on a new .22 conversion unit I got. Her first time out with it she got a 479/480.

Let her know that one reason they might do it is to let the guys bring home something. BTW, here's one California female's shooting record that you can show her just to prove the point.

[BonnieB]

Yet again, female what's ? Humans? They are called women or if under 18, girls. (The point is, females can be any critter, but only women, girls, men and boys shoot...)

[CSACANNONEER]

Yet again, female what's ? Humans? They are called women.

Female SHOOTERS. Some are women and some are girls. I try not to leave out the young ones who haven't become "women" yet.

[sly-jay]

... Some of the best shooters in the world are female ...

Thank you, that is very encouraging! (and funny too - I didn't quote the rest because someone else already did)

But sadly people don't know this. If the word got out, it might help ladies' lack of confidence. More media coverage of competitions would be nice, more attention from gun-related companies and media would be nice, and simply more female faces at ranges. It doesn't bother me to be the only woman on the scene, but it could add to some other newcomer ladies' insecurities. Therefore ... go out and shoot more, ladies of Calguns! It's up to us to blaze the trail!