woman_shooting_range

As a female gun writer, owner, and all around gun rights advocate, I’m constantly teaching women how to shoot. I want to help women succeed. Other than trying to cope with “excessive” recoil, new female shooters have a common complaint, one that’s easily corrected. Hands down, the second most common problem experienced by brand new women shooters is . . .

their teacher’s lack of patience and overly critical attitude.

Truth be told, women shut down when they’re constantly criticized – especially by men. If a firearms instructor gives too much advice too quickly, say after every shot, the newbie female student’s going to become frustrated. They can stop listening closely, or at all. (Yes, this applies to men as well, but more so to women.) Instructors need to step back, let their female students empty the mag, then give advice slowly and calmly.

The “sandwich method” works best.

After a female student has shot at least several rounds, say something complimentary (the bread), followed by constructive criticism (the filling), followed by more praise (another slice of bread). For example, “That was pretty good, especially for your first try with this gun. Next time, try not to anticipate the recoil. Pull the trigger slowly. Let the recoil ‘surprise’ you. But really, good job. Ready to try again?” Resist the urge to say “You’re flinching. Only move your finger. OK, go.” Sandwich compliments around every piece of advice.

Instructors also need to give women psychological and temporal space to ask questions. When dealing with a woman who’s new to guns, instructors should remember that women tend to be less knowledgable about firearms than their male counterparts (who usually have a history of playing gun games and watching cinematic gunfights). If a female newbie asks a really stupid question, that’s a sure sign that they’re comfortable with their instructor.

I know it seems like I’m saying women need to be coddled more than men. In all honesty, some do. Shooting, like any hobby or pursuit, takes practice. I don’t know how many women complain to me that they don’t want to go shooting anymore because their [husband, brother, father, boyfriend, friend, etc.) is too critical and expects too much. Back off.

We all start somewhere. My father didn’t expect me to be perfect when I was little and just learning to shoot. He took his time and explained things to me. Expecting a woman to hit the center of the target on her first trip to the range is a little much. Expecting a first time clay shooter to hit every single clay is a little much. Taking the time to be patient, understanding, open and supportive is just right.

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89 COMMENTS

  1. This post is a perfect example of why women weren’t even allowed to vote until 1920. The vast majority of them are absolutely ruled by their emotions, and have to be coddled and cajoled at every turn.

    • Someone doesn’t know their history very well. Multiple states granted women the right to vote before any federal amendment was made. A woman was elected to Congress before women had a nationally established right to vote.

      Trolls are usually smarter than this, is this your first time?

      • Interestingly, there were a limited number of black and female voters during the eighteenth century, when property was a more important qualification than race or sex.

        • The replies to this post must have set a record for the least amount of replies before getting off of the subject and then following up with rude remarks going back and forth. Remarks that also have little or nothing to do with the article. I like the article and it makes a lot of sense to me. And I am a guy. The remarks and snipes back and forth, on the other hand, leave a lot to be desired.

      • Idaho male voters amended the state constitution in 1896 to give women the right to vote. Idaho women have owned, carried and shot firearms since the early settlements here, in the 1850s.

        Coincidence? I think not.
        I have been shooting since 1961, starting with a Marlin bolt-action .22 rifle. I consider teaching a new shooter to enjoy firearms to be a privilege, not a chore.

    • Cue the spineless manginas rushing to defend “m’lady’s” honor. How dare you say something factual that doesn’t paint women as vastly superior to men!

    • Brilliant comment. The first thing they did was ban alcohol…that worked out eh?

      Women actually are easier to teach shooting to than men. Most men, think they know what theyre doing and they dont have a clue. Women, tend to accept their own lack of experience and actually listen…given there is a teacher that has a strong masculine presence with the skills to demonstrate the techniques.

      • Not my experience with women shooters at all. The ones I’ve known don’t want to actually learn anything and want a man to do everything for them (load the magazines, clear a jam, etc) and don’t follow even the most basic safety precautions because they just can’t be bothered to care. After the last time I went shooting with a woman and was honestly afraid that someone was going to be shot due to her refusal to care about basic safety or listen to instruction about how to grip the gun properly, I’m in no rush to shoot with a woman again.

        • It’s just an impression, and I could be wildly wrong, but it sounds like you’re getting your women from the strip club or somewhere like that. If you want to be around responsible adults, then hang out at places where responsible adults hang out.

          Again, I may be waaayy off, but this sounds kind of like the guys who complain there are no nice women anywhere, but the only women they ever ask out are strippers.

        • I mean seriously, if all the women you know are the complete idiots you describe, you’re hanging with the wrong crowd. I’ve been around male and female idiots, and assholes and bitches, and guess what, I decided I didn’t want to be around lowlifes like that anymore. All my associates are cheerful men and women who like to be effective in their work and have fun while they’re at it. You’re hanging with lowlifes if the people you know are that stupid.

          I’ve taught several giggly young women to shoot, and they were extremely conscientious even though they were very nervous the first time they shot. So were the boys. I’m not an instructor, just a mom and aunt who’s taken a few of my son’s friends for their first time shooting.

        • I mean seriously, if all the women you know are the complete idiots you describe, you’re hanging with the wrong crowd. I’ve been around male and female idiots, and a55holes and b! tches, and guess what, I decided I didn’t want to be around lowlifes like that anymore. All my associates are cheerful men and women who like to be effective in their work and have fun while they’re at it. You’re hanging with lowlifes if the people you know are that stupid.

          I’ve taught several giggly young women to shoot, and they were extremely conscientious even though they were very nervous the first time they shot. So were the boys. I’m not an instructor, just a mom and aunt who’s taken a few of my son’s friends for their first time shooting.

        • Every forum on the net has its lurking nitwits of various stripes and the gun sites are no different.

          Sometimes I wonder if the left-progtards from Soros CAP or Bloomturd have hired a few loose screws from Daily Kos, or Democrat Underground, or your basic stoners in between blackliesmatter or anarcho-punk parties breaking windows in Seattle, to come drop troll turds for pay, in places like TTAG.

          Having said that, let me admit to my own basically near completely lacking in tact sick humor by making a comment along the sandwich method line…ooops. Belay that. Better not…Sara is armed after all, and her hubby looks like the kind of guy who could toss me off a microwave tower with one hand.

          😉

        • ‘Sandwich Method’? That’s PC hilarious! Back in the 80s when I was lower-middle management it was more honestly called ‘stroke ’em, kick ’em, stroke ’em’ AKA ‘praise, criticize, praise’. Long since discarded in professional management circles as being a bit one-size-fits-all and therefore, ineffective.

          Even less PC of me, women are better shooter newbs than men. By a mile. (At least the thrillseeking/highperformance ones I’ve always known.)

    • Charles, why be a jerk?

      Sara, good article and sensible advice (for everyone, not just women).

  2. I am a (very) long time firearm instructor. I have never really noticed that I had to be any more patient with women students versus men students.

    My own experience is that women really listen to you when you’re explaining safety, mechanical function and actual hands on live fire. Most women are exceptional students. I think that’s because they don’t let they’re genetic macho arrogance get in the way of the learning process.

    I think it’s much easier to teach a woman who wants to learn how to safely use a firearm than a male student.

    Just my personal experience.

    • I could not agree with you more. In my experience, women are great students. They pay attention, they know what they don’t know and their hand-eye coordination is excellent. For at least the first couple of lessons, women often shoot better than men at a similar stage.

      The real difference that I’ve found is that, generally speaking, men want t go back to the range time and time again to have fun or get better; women will reach a level that they think is acceptable and then they will stop.

      • Yup to everything, Ralph.

        Especially the last part. My wife understands and accepts that there are going to be guns in the house and she needs to be competent with them for more than just self defense reasons.

        So when a new gun shows up, she’ll go to the range with me, learn it, out-shoot most of the guys on the line and then be done. It’s like pulling teeth to get her to go out for “maintenance days”.

        It’s just not fun for her like it is for me and I have to respect that. Just like gardening isn’t fun for me like it is for her.

        • Well, Swarf, it sounds like you have the perfect excuse to keep a constant supply of new shootin’ irons coming in the door just to hold her interest.

      • I guess I just know awesome women, including my wife, who bugs me to go to the range. They may not be gun nerds, but they certainly do enjoy shooting.

    • I think it could be the difference between a non-affiliated instructor, and a friend/husband/boyfriend/brother or whatever.

      Most people are more willing to take constructive criticism from a paid stranger than someone they know, and this tendency is more accute in women – though obviously not all women.

      It’s not that guys don’t have egos and pride – we sure do – but guys are also more likely to have spent more time getting coached in sports and other physical activities.

      Also – generalizing again, doesn’t apply to everyone – guys tend to be better at understanding that criticism isn’t personal, but rather an opportunity to learn – whereas women have a tendency to take all criticism personally.

      • Not most people, women yes, men absolutely not

        Most men start a training session already knowing how to do everything because they are, you know, men.

        I have caught myself expressing the same feelings of superior knowledge on many occasions. Except jump school. I listened and hung on every single word any instructor said and didn’t miss a word in three straight weeks. I took everything uttered by an Instructor as coming from God and made sure I did everything exactly as they said. I took their instruction in, digested, repeated it over and over again and stayed awake for three long sleepless weeks regurgitating it up in my mind and repeating it over and over again.

        That was my first experience with (total stark raving) fear as a motivational tool.

        Probably an inappropriate teaching method in firearms training.

        But effective, very effective

      • Anon, my experience is that they are very open to criticism – just depends on you selling it. And if they want to buy.

        Can’t imagine teaching a wife with 5 (or 20) years of emotional baggage. A woman you met recently who is desperately interested in you? Cakewalk.

    • @Bud: You make some good points and seem to have more experience teaching firearm instruction than many of us probably do. What I see from guys that go shooting with me, and guys in general, is that their egos tend to get in the way of learning. Women, for the most part, do not tend to have that problem as much as men.

  3. When my wife & I took an introductory course at Sig Sauer Academy, my wife shot very well for a newby. The instructor stated that the rest of the class should call 911 while Grambo (grey hair) took care of the perp. She appreciated the compliment.

  4. I took my date to the range and she shot the B-21 target in the nuts with 5 shots in 3 inches at 5 yards. I think I should stay home from now on.

    • That’s exactly what my wife does. Reliably, every time. I try to work with her on the mechanics, and she aims for the chest, but those shots inexorably puncture the pelvic region.

      It’s a little frightening how consistent she is with the nut shots. We always joke that any bad guy that forces her to shoot is really, really going to wish she’d killed him.

      • Me too! My wife shoots nut shots galore. I have no idea if it’s intentional or if she just does it subconsciously. Truly scary.

      • My girlfriend does the same, and when she tries to adjust aim on follow-up shots she consistently makes head shots; so her mozambique consists of two to the crotch, one in the head.

  5. In other news, be circumspect when instructing teenagers to shoot… neither they nor women take to constructive criticism as well as do men.

    Use your experience and common sense. Don’t try and tell them how to do anything. Older children and women will be more successful at it than you will.

    • I was a mid-teen shooting IPSC in the late 70s (yup, lived within 150 miles of Columbia, my bud’s old man was at that founding conference with Cooper). I learned to shoot ‘major power’ at 13, before IPSC even existed.

      Despite as urbane as I am currently, the fact is that country kids are effective with most available firearms by 12-14ish. My suburban bud’s early teen daughter is proficient with a whole bunch of guns, including full-auto.

      In short, don’t write teens off, they’re our only hope.

  6. I try to be rational and objective when responding to posts . . and granted, I don’t always succeed, but I do try.

    But . . . this is the stupidest post I’ve seen yet. I’m not sure what the author is actually trying to say, but it comes across as “Women aren’t as good at learning to shoot as men, so you have to treat them differently.” Pure BS.

    I read this one to my wife, and her response was “WTF?!? That’s the stupidest thing I ever heard.”

    Women, men, children all learn to shoot through patient, practical guidance. I have taught many women and children to shoot, and I would put my wife up against anyone who isn’t a professional shooter any day. Everyone should be taught with patience, praise for what they do right, and guidance for the things they need to improve.

    Where is TTAG getting these people anyway?

    • Perhaps there is a slightly different way to look at it. Patient teaching with encouragement is, hands down, the best way and the most effective way to teach. Deviate from that method and you decrease the effectiveness of your teaching … more so with women and less so with men.

    • The author’s point is that most women are not as culturally “aware” of guns. They didn’t spend hours playing war or cowboys as children like men did. Most women didn’t have outdoorsmen for fathers. Anyhow, in case nobody noticed….women are different…duh. Makes sense that they would respond better to a different approach. Finally, when a woman tells you how she wants to be approached, y’all better listen up.

  7. My girlfriend hit the bullseye with her first shot (FNS9 at 10 yards) and proceed to demolish the center. Then again she did have an awesome instructor. (That’s my story and I’m sticking with it.)

  8. My wife had always been a rifle shooter. When she received her first handgun I took her to the range and tried to teach her the basics. ( I know I am not a patient instructor and am overly critical). It was a nightmare. I asked my father in law if he would mind accompanying us on our next trip to the family range. I let him do the instruction. My wife still prefers rifles but now feels comfortable with her handgun.
    No this won’t be true of all women (or men wearing skinny jeans). But if one woman is chased away from learning to use self defense weapons we have done everyone a disservice.
    Thank you Sarah for reminding us of this.

  9. Years ago, I served as a boarding officer in the US Coast Guard. I had to qualify every six months with the M-16, the Remington 870 Riot shotgun, and the M1911A1 45ACP. Only half of our crew ever reached the necessary proficiency to legally carry a 45; I had a leg up since I had owned and shot one since I was 17 years old, and always qualified expert.

    I remember a young woman at the Yorktown training facility who was trying to qualify with the 45; she was obviously terrified of the gun. One round hit the target frame, a 2X3 foot tube-steel structure at 25 feet distance, and spun it; another went into the overhead baffles.

    My mother was a deadly shot with a rifle, and I suspect that she would have been good with a pistol, although I never saw her shoot one. My daughter is a terrific pistol shot who was firing my Ruger Redhawk 44 Magnum when she was 11 years old, and owns her own 45 auto. I KNOW that I could have taught that female Coastie to shoot if I had been given the time to explain to her how the gun worked, with that heavy slide running back to extract the fired case and load a new round. But she was given no support, just “into the deep end of the pool, sink or swim…”.

    Absolutely, be patient. But please explain the physics behind firearms, and what happens as the microseconds tick off between the trigger squeeze and the bullet exiting the muzzle…

    • Ahh, Yorktown. We used to hang out on the “beach” just up the river by Cornwallis cove.

  10. I’ve taught basics to my wife, my parents, friends, friends’ SOs, and acquaintances. I don’t treat anyone, male or female, any differently. I treat them like adults. People know when they’re being condescended to and do not respond well to it. The biggest roadblock I’ve found for everyone is confidence. Once you make that hurdle, everything else is smooth sailing. And it’s typically not even a very big hurdle. Explain the Four Rule, explain how to handle and how each firearm functions. Be patient for EVERYONE, let them ask questions. Be honest, and don’t inject personal opinions or at least make it CLEAR that you’re just stating your own opinion. Make small corrections as necessary, but in a constructive manner. And praise. Even the minute stuff.

    Everyone is different and learns and reacts differently.

  11. I think another thing to consider with many women is they have little background with firearms. They may simply be grossly unfamiliar with shooting and need to have everything explained to them very carefully. But once they get it, its locked in. You have to be patient and understand the student’s needs. Its not rocket science.

    For example, I used to teach at the intel school at Goodfellow and some subjects guys just picked up faster than the girls. Anything connected with a weapon – fighters, artillery, etc – they would memorize the number of rivets on the wings if thats what you wanted. The girls would take longer to get that, but would excel at other subjects that took the guys longer. Teaching briefing skills was one of those areas; girls were coachable and if you gave them good advice on how to stand up in front of the general and brief they would do fine. Guys, not so much; most were hard to coach because they already had ingrained habits that, to be fair, worked fine if you wanted to sell someone a vacuum cleaner but didn’t work so well when you were addressing a senior officer. Another area was plotting on maps; guys were already primed to some extent to read a map and understand what they saw, while girls were generally just not familiar with a map. Coach ’em up and they do fine, just takes a little longer.

    • @Ragnar

      I understand what you are saying. My wife had never touched a gun until I took her shooting, and i taught her to shoot and in the truest form of a compliment to any instructor, there are day she can out shoot me.

    • “I think another thing to consider with many women is they have little background with firearms. They may simply be grossly unfamiliar with shooting and need to have everything explained to them very carefully. But once they get it, its locked in.”

      I’m glad you mentioned this. I was getting tired to seeing people dump on Sarah for having the temerity to discuss this difference. I shouldn’t have to say this but there is a profound difference in men’s and women’s learning styles, just as there is a profound difference between men’s and woman’s cultures. Women are seldom as well informed about the mechanics of devices—let alone the mechanics of guns—as men often are but when they get it, they really, really get it. The problem most women face is that the initial encounter with a gun very far outside their experience and frame of reference. Crossing that gulf is a real challenge and, as Sarah tried to explain, not helped by micromanaging. If you learn to deal with this simple reality, the women in your life will also be your friends for life.

  12. And honestly, this is why I hate dealing with women. You can’t just talk to them like a human being or they throw a temper tantrum, you have to spend 30 minutes kissing their ass for every 10 seconds of actual fact based discussion. Maybe society would be better off of there were classes in middle school / high school on “How to act like an adult when learning”.

    • FLAME DELETED

      The author said nothing about ass-kissing. She’s suggesting patience in teaching women, in particular, which is applicable for teaching anyone. Perhaps she had experienced or heard of some male instructor with an attitude like you seem to have. I am an instructor. Each student is different. Some are less confident than others, both men and women. Most people don’t sign up for training and expect old-style boot camp. Clear instructions, demonstrating how to do it, encouragement, and respectful correction paves the way for learning.

      • @Middleagedmama

        If my reply to Publius was in any way insulting to you to women in general, i want you to know that was not my intent. I trained a lot of women to shoot, and in my experience woman are actually more intuitive shooters than men.

        He is a Neanderthal who needs to catch a clue, and i respect all women shooters.

    • Um . . . I don’t know, because she is a dimwit who is looking for special treatment?

      This is a disingenuous article by someone who probably had a bad experience with a guy who was too full of himself somewhere along the line and is now grouping all women into her own specific set of issues, and all men into whoever insulted her. And no offense intended, but the way you’re going, you could probably qualify as one of them.

      Bottom line, real women, like real men, learn and achieve through simple, objective teaching. And I stand by my earlier comment. I pity the fool who goes up against my wife.

  13. I think Sara’s point is very well taken, but it’s a balancing act between being too critical too fast, and allowing the student to pick up bad habits that will take a lot of effort to shake later. I know I wish that someone had called me on a couple of bad habits early on – it would have made things much easier later.

  14. Good thing my wife ain’t a girly girl. Lots of women don’t have to be reassured or treated with kid gloves Sara. If a gal wants to shoot-she’ll shoot.

  15. Serious question for you Sara. Whatever happened to women stepping up and just owning whatever it is irrespective of what is said? Shoot like a boss whether you are one or not? Because it is the individual female that will be shooting for her life not the instructor.

    I ask cuz I have coached females in sport(s) and they frequently do well . . . but if you get them off the script they usually fold. Catch yes! Quarterback a team down the field w/ minutes left and no time outs . . . Its your team, you have the ball, and the buck stops w/ you. I have yet to see that attitude in a woman and I have practically pulled my eyeballs out at times wishing I had.

    Is going out in the woods w/ gun, ammo, and targets by oneself asking too much? I know its not the safest way but I am betting a bunch of the guys across America learned that way.

  16. Sara is not exactly wrong; she is simply creating a gender issue out of something that isn’t a gender issue. We, as instructions need to have the skill sets necessary to evaluate each students learning style and make adjustments for their individual needs. That’s why people pay for individual instruction and that is what makes an instructor a teacher and a mentor.

    I think the reason so many guys have a problem with this post is that we have been bludgeoned over the head with the mantra “women are equal to men,” our whole lives. So we accept that, against our biologically pre-programmed nature, and treat women just like we would a guy, which is often aggressive and mocking.

    Ladies, please look at how guys treat each other and really ask yourself if that’s what you want. Men don’t share their feeling and seem insensitive, because we have that burned out of us starting from about age 2. Aggressive competition is how men bond. I’m not saying it’s OK, but that’s how it works for now. So you can’t demand equal treatment and then cry because we hurt your feelings.

    Sara is a making a good point in a bad way. Instructors understand and adjust your teaching style in accordance with your students learning ability. Women, well some women, stop trying to make everything about your gender. You asked for equality and you got it.

    • “… treat women just like we would a guy, which is often aggressive and mocking.”

      This, so much. I haven’t had the privilege of bringing a new guy into the sport, but we shouldn’t be so aggressive when teaching them either.

      Getting into a high-detail hobby as a complete newbie is intimidating as all hell.

  17. no. no. no. no. sara, no.

    women and men are identical. there is only a biological difference (which can be remedied with a little ‘nip and tuck’ here and there. continuing to perpetuate the myth that women are inferior in any way, can’t function and operate like a man, needs any special consideration due to size or sensitivity serves only to reinforce the neanderthals who have abused and misused women for all eternity. please take down this silly posting and go back to discussing firearms, laws and firearm accessories.

  19. Okay so, in my opinion this makes no sense whatsoever. You should be patient teaching anyone how to shoot, not just women. Second … when a woman asks stupid questions she’s comfortable with her instructor? Sounds more like a lack of sex life to me. I am a 23 year old female and do not back off. Sure, I admit. I might be a little nervous shooting a .44 Mag but I will shoot it. Why? Because I can. No matter my gender. I don’t need no coddling. Whatever gun I carry I am ready to use to defend my, and my loved ones lives. I go to the range to practice, I am respectful towards guns but not afraid. So there. Get your head out of your pussies dear ladies and toughen up.

  22. I actually don’t think it has anything to do about gender and everything to do about relationships. The examples quoted by the author: husband, father, boyfriend, brother relate to my experience teaching my wife to shoot. I gave my wife a couple of lessons, tried to be relaxed and complimentary, but even then she didn’t enjoy it and found I was being over critical. In contrast when I asked a friend to instruct her, he applied the same prinicples, went in the same order (safety, stance, grip, sight picture, trigger pull), dry fired and then had her shooting, and she did great and enjoyed it. My conclusion: when we teach someone with whom we have a relationship, especially relationships charged with a history of emotion and a fare deal of conflict (parents, spouses, siblings), the most constructive and supportive criticism can be perceived as being over demanding, cocky, arrogant, petty and insulting, to be filed together with all the historical instances of conflict in the relationship’s history. However, she now sees that she got identical instruction from both of us, but simply was more receptive to my friend’s than mine. My recomendation: let someone who doesn’t have the baggage start them off, take over when you can both enjoy it together.

  23. The next time I teach a woman, or any new shooter how to shoot a handgun, as long as I have notice, I will bring a hammer and a block of wood. There are three things that can be learned from banging a hammer.
    1, you grip a pistol as firm as a hammer.
    2, the felt recoil is similar to the shock to the hand when striking a board with a hammer.
    3, the percussion is something they need to get used to and banging a hammer replicates this.
    Once they can slam the hammer without blinking, let them shoot but explain that shooting is easier because the gun is lighter and they don’t have to swing it.

    • Kind of a dead skill these days, but I spent 20 years framing houses and if you really want to hit the nail hard you need a loose grip on the hammer. Get some hockey tape and make a ball at the end of the handle, make an OK sign around the ball (I always used my thumb and middle finger since I once severed a tendon on my index finger). Let the hammer pivot in your palm and crack the head like a whip. This eliminates all the stress on your wrist and elbow and places it on the fat base of your thumb. And you create an incredible amount of velocity. You’ll be squashing 16d sinkers in one strike in no time (you just have to learn to aim the hammer head). Also, stay away from hatchet handled hammers. They’re all the rage, but they’ll destroy your wrist.

      • Good points on the hammer.

        I just start folks on a 22. Nice low recoil but still plenty of fun. I’m not an instructor, so I’m normally introducing friends who have zero firearms experience, thus my goals are 1) Eliminate their fear of the firearm 2) make sure they stay safe and 3) make sure they have fun.

        • There are still some good parallels to shooting. For one, the biggest thing is to relax and not try too hard. If you’re trying too hard you’ll miss the target (and the nail will zip off in a random direction looking for an eye to stick into). It’s also a skill that wears off if you don’t get continuing practice, but to some extent it comes back fairly quick when you do start practicing again. I used to be able to do some things with a hammer that I couldn’t begin to explain how it’s even possible, but then I was never able to shoot guns for 45 hours a week for years on end. I’m guessing that’s the secret to Jerry Miculek’s skills.

  24. The first thing I told my wife when I taught her to shoot was ‘shooting handguns is simple, it just isn’t easy’. (I can’t remember which famous gun writer coined that phrase, but no truer words have ever been spoken by man.) It’s almost scary how quick she took to rifles, but handguns took some patience. I don’t know if it’s an inherent difference in genders or just individual ability. I’ve got a buddy who served in both Gulf Wars and he always says the women make nasty snipers.

    • Only once have I taken *both* girls, but it did go very well. Though, just like the ‘sandwich’, they got a bit competitive.

  26. I’ll offer to help the ladies at the range. They always ask how much will your instruction cost. I tell them nothing and my reward is getting your shot groups smaller in 20 minutes. I just observe how their shooting and 90% of the time body mechanics. Mostly loose grip, type of trigger squeeze, but the kicker is stance. Hips thrust forward, head flopped on shoulder to aim.

    I don’t go into great detail, just give them enough info to correct their shot placement into a smaller circle. Round landing 12-6, control the wrist. 9-3 body line to target and trigger squeeze. Just small corrections and when they see immediate improvement the confidence level increases.

  28. “their teacher’s lack of patience and overly critical attitude.”

    Sorry Sara, but this isn’t about female students. It’s about bad teachers. Anyone who can’t teach a woman to shoot, can’t teach men, either.

    Teaching a skill to others is a skill set in and of itself. The greatest players usually aren’t the greatest coaches, and vice-versa. Teaching requires skills. That’s why they make you go to college to become a teacher. Just because I can read and do math doesn’t mean I can teach 3rd-graders to do it.

    I have a friend who coaches kids at the trap range. He’ll have prepubescent boys and girls busting clay targets in no time, even though his own skills as a trap shooter are mediocre at best. His 16-yr-old daughter outshoots him most of the time.

    • That’s why they make you go to college to become a teacher..

      Yes, sending young skulls full of mush for indoctrination at the union “education” mills has vastly improved US education over the last 60years.

    • Bingo. In one of the ‘beginner’ courses I took, there were several ladies that were shooting for the first time., barely hitting the broad side of a barn. After 4 hours they were on target and confident. My 9yo granddaughter took to an AR like a duck to water, It’s about motivation the the will to work on the skills.

  29. The only women who I have ever had any trouble were those who really weren’t interested in shooting, but were doing it at the behest of some guy, and those who could not get accustomed to the noise of a pistol range. Women are generally far more sensitive to loud noises than men.
    As for Mrs. Tipton’s pupil; I might ask her to check her tiara at the door.

  30. Stupid and bad teachers happen at all levels of education and it goes both ways. Firearms should NOT be ruled by emotions. If you are emotional during training how can you be rational during a crisis, women AND men? No double standards put DC politicians on Obamacare and SS.Thanks for your support and vote.Pass the word. mrpresident2016.com

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