I built a light weight AR just for my wife and daughters (14 and 16). They have both shot my AR's off the bench but they are ready to start learning to manipulate it off hand.

I will most likely start with the drills listed at the top of this forum, but I am going to have to modify some of the techniques to adapt to their lack of upper body strength when it comes to immediate action drills.

Does anyone have any videos or suggestions I can show them before we go out to help them understand what we are trying to accomplish?

I have taken a carbine course but I am far from an expert. They have learned the 4 rules well and have good trigger and muzzle discipline. Now I want to build on that.

One technique I like to use is to lots of mags but I only load them to 3 to 7 rounds at random so they end up changing mags a lot. We practice loading with the bolt open and closed. Dropping via bolt catch or charing handle. We also practice ready, off safe, fire, on safe, ready.

IMO, the best things skills to learn with a carbine are:
-reloads
-barrier shooting
-getting in and out of shooting positions
-Doing the above quickly and accurately


Other things like (advanced) malfunction drills, left handed shooting, etc is all good and important, but not a core skill.

Not sure at what level your wife and daughters are shooting at but here is my two cents for less experienced shooters .

Most women and newer shooters are highly sensitised to muzzle blast and noise in general and earmuffs can be upset or lifted when shooting rifles . I like foam ear plugs with compact earmuffs over. Compact muffs like peltor "shotgunner" seem to work well and over the foam plugs give the new shooter good protection .

A light AR is a great gun but most any shooter smaller than a full sized guy is going to do better with a adjustable stock . I like the A2 myself but it is too big for many smaller folks.
If those folks have somewhat reduced upper body strength the shorter stock is critical to their success .

The average gun nut is usually happy to spend long periods of time at the range even if it happens to be uncomfortable weather . Adjust the shooting trips so the newest shooter is left wanting to come back for more .

Have fun and thanks for bringing new shooters into the sport

Malfunction clearance drills.

Set them up randomly and have them clear them.

Pain Train, FTW.

I've already cured them of the "chick stance" so we got that going for us! They all have safety figured out.

I think smoothly addressing the target will be the first goal. Then simply mag changes with bolt closed and locked back. I can throw in barriers and using cover pretty easily.

I will start with condition one by loading empty cases if they will feed. Them work up from there. I don't have dummy rounds yet

Just start with FTF.

Tap, Rack, Bang.

The most common malfunction.

lots of recoil  in a light ar......

Let em on a 15-22. Less recoil but same controls. Ammo's cheaper too.

No. They need the real macoy.

Seriously?

They enjoy shooting AR's so far.

So, how'd it go!?!?

Sooooooo. I'm all excited. Got my girls and wife all ready to shoot. Bunches of mags randomly loaded with 4 to 10 rounds. I started with stance and trigger control.

I had just sighted the carbine in a few weeks before. It ate 100+ rounds of XM193, then ate 100+ rounds of Tula.

The range session lasted one shot. My daughter Hailey seated the magazine and pulled to checked it, dropped the BCG, addressed the target as she flicked off the safety, nailed the silhouette dead center on the first shot but the Tula case stuck in the chamber! I didn't have a cleaning rod to punch it out because I have never had a stuck case in the 10+ years I have been shooting AR's. Once I got home it came out easily, but it wouldn't come out with the extractor. All I had to do was flick the rod down the bore and it came out on the 2nd try.

I have had slight issues going from steel to brass, but never steel to steel. I swabbed the chamber out with a mop and just ran 30 rounds no issues. I will have to brush the chamber after each range session. None of my other AR's have any issues with this at all.


We can't try again for another 2 weeks.

nothing much to add, but, a thank you for teaching your family to shot.

I can only take wife to an indoor, but, she still pass on the offer.  If I did train her:
--- safety first
--- dry fire:
strong side and weak side raising weapon from low-ready to ready position, while flickering from "safety" to "fire"...then back to low ready, safety from "fire" to "safe'....

If I ever get her outdoors, I'll train her on her aim, holds from 25 feet to 100 yards.
My goal is we're both able to switch aim quickly.  Currently, I'm zeroed at 25/100, for HD.

Good luck and please share your experiences.