A lady friend of mine has expressed interest in going shooting.  After a little research from the helpful members of the NY/NJ forum, it looks like we will be going here: www.classicpistol.com/ since it's in range to make a nice day trip by car and they have both pistols and SMGs to rent, including an MP5SD, which I figure should be a positive experience for a new shooter since they aim naturally and the reduced noise and flash are good for flinch reduction.  Plus I'll get to rock out with a Tommy Gun.

I figure the battle is half won already since she expressed interest, but I want to make the experience as positive as possible.  Any ideas or suggestions?  The biggest concern that she has voiced so far is that she doesn't think she'll be good at it.

I would start her on .22's at first. Resist the urge to have her try guns you think are fun. You shoot them and if she asks only then let her try it. The worst thing you can do with a new shooter is give them a heavy hitter, they won't enjoy it and probably will not continue in the sport.

start lite, 22 rifle ect. Instill safety from the getgo, but make her feel confident in her abilities. Give her opertunities to move on to bigger guns, but only if she feels confortable. Remember, be patient with her! She hasnt done this a million times like you have, and make her feel like she is doing well, even if she might not be a natural Annie Oakley.

I have used range trips as a first date with great succsess. It cuts out the ones I dont want right away and 9/10 times they LOVE IT!!

let her shoot the 10/22 first, then move on to your 38

When you're standing behind her showing her how to hold the gun you should rub up against her in a gyrating motion.

I would start with a 22LR revolver, or at least a 22LR semi-auto so that you can teach the basics.

Sneak,

Good job already. The SD is an excellent idea, no funner gun I can think of for a new shooting lady.

Advice? I guess just keep her away from the .44 magnums and Sharps .45-100's for now. Her fears are probably recoil and not wanting to look foolish in front of a bunch of judgemental guys.

Don't let anyone belittle her if she not standing exactly perfect on her first trip, stuff like that.

Again, good job.

Quoted: When you're standing behind her showing her how to hold the gun you should rub up against her in a gyrating motion.

While pulling her hair.

Wanted to add the MP5SD is a great first time FA gun, infact I think it is my favorite class 3 weapon. Easy to control, wont be intimidated by the noise, and FUN!!

Don't start out with anything complicated.  The less a new shooter has to think about operations, the more they can concentrate on the basics.

Make sure that ANY new shooter, male or female, gets the basics first:  Safety, sight alignment, and trigger control.

Good tips so far.  Should I choke? (let her outshoot me?)

Quoted: Good tips so far.  Should I choke? (let her outshoot me?)

Do you enjoy carrying your man card?  You show her how a real man shoots and let her catch up, shootin' ain't bowling.

I've done this several times. The one thing that seems to not catch with new female shooters... or atleast with the idoit chicks I dated, back when I dated (I'm engaged now) is safety. I took one out to the range that swore she knew how to handle a gun, shot ok, then held the gun up and to the side while she looked at her target, flagging everyone else on the range. Shes lucky she was really hot, otherwise I'd have gone off on her.

Quoted: Quoted: Good tips so far.  Should I choke? (let her outshoot me?) Do you enjoy carrying your man card?  You show her how a real man shoots and let her catch up, shootin' ain't bowling.

just dont rub it in her face, say something like "your doing alot better than most guys the first time they do this", but dont make yourself look like a pussy.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Good tips so far.  Should I choke? (let her outshoot me?) Do you enjoy carrying your man card?  You show her how a real man shoots and let her catch up, shootin' ain't bowling. just dont rub it in her face, say something like "your doing alot better than most guys the first time they do this", but dont make yourself look like a pussy.

Heh, that's more or less how it went when I took her rock climbing.  She did really well.

Zero cleavage shirts.  I took a friend and his girlfriend (who had never shot a gun before) to the range.     She had probably B-small C cup breasts and was wearing a fairly normal summer top for a woman.

A case came out of my High Standard Sport King flaming and even though it was just a .22lr, it still did a swoosh shot in the very small exposed area.   Very small 2nd degree burns on both breasts from what she described of the damage and her boyfriend confirmed this.  She went to the restroom, checked herself out, and came back and shot another several hundred

Somewhat OT, but I always wear eye protection and nobody shoots my guns without it either.  It could have just as easily been her eye (no worries there, cause I make sure everyone uses eye protection )

Well, if your going to spend all that ammo on her I hope She does have.... oh, wait a minute, your message said TIPS not...okay never mind.

Quoted: Zero cleavage shirts.  I took a friend and his girlfriend (who had never shot a gun before) to the range.     She had probably B-small C cup breasts and was wearing a fairly normal summer top for a woman. A case came out of my High Standard Sport King flaming and even though it was just a .22lr, it still did a swoosh shot in the very small exposed area.   Very small 2nd degree burns on both breasts from what she described of the damage and her boyfriend confirmed this.  She went to the restroom, checked herself out, and came back and shot another several hundred Somewhat OT, but I always wear eye protection and nobody shoots my guns without it either.  It could have just as easily been her eye (no worries there, cause I make sure everyone uses eye protection )

One of the first times I took my wife shooting she had a 22LR case also land in her bra, damn was that an exciting few seconds until I got the pistol out of her hand.

Make sure she wears a shirt that has a high and tight neckline.  Women forget all firearm safety rules when a hot piece of brass goes down the front of their shirt and gets stuck in their bra.  

I took a friend to the indooor range. She went from never handling a gun, to a 9mm S&W, 20" AR A2. and my M16... All in about 10 min. ( with me right behind her... She wanted to try all of what I brought)

Baptism by fire...


She now owns a Kimber Eclipse and a I have a shootin partner.    

Quoted: I would start her on .22's at first. Resist the urge to have her try guns you think are fun. You shoot them and if she asks only then let her try it. The worst thing you can do with a new shooter is give them a heavy hitter, they won't enjoy it and probably will not continue in the sport.

Read my above post... Not always true.. You might just insult her if you try and " keep it easy to handle"

YMMV as always.

ETA: She likes the 10mm Doubletaps as well....Hotter the better....

From my own experience:

I started out on a Browning Hi-power...it suited me fine, and to this day, is the most comfortable gun in my hand.  What she starts on, will always feel like "home," so start her out on a respectable gun.

I know you probably know every fact know to man about guns, and what not...its WAY too much info for the first day, she will not be able to absorb your lifetime of knowledge in the day...so keep it simple.  I really appreciated the advice I got on how to hold the gun, and stance, and trigger dicipline....but got lost with more advanced ideas.  Start with the basics.

Having cool things to shoot at makes shooting fun. DO NOT critique her grouping, be happy if she hits the target at all.

And...for the love of GOD...do NOT give her a shotgun and tell her the kick isn't bad, just to get pics of her falling on her ass. NOT funny...and will leave a long term bruise.

.

she will have no trouble on the MP5SD...  I've been instructing for 8 years, that gun would make a great starter, no need to start at the 22lr.  Safety is #1   Have fun and be positive... resist the temptation to act macho.

Go get a $20 laser for the front rail. After the first box aof ammo pull out the pistol with it on the rail, and let her shoot it a few times. It will show her the anticipation of the shot and help with finger control. Then take it away from her and let her shoot. Repeat as needed. Then drive the cat crazy at home with the dot. Use a laser as a traing aid. Spareingly.

Start off with a .500 S&W and work your way up from there

Start her with light recoil and, give her the opportunity to move up.

Let her tell YOU what she is comfortable with.

Lether shoot what she likes shooting.

Mrs Goon went through my limited inventory, and
likes the 20 Gauge pump the best, which is
now "her" shotgun.

Quoted: A lady friend of mine has expressed interest in going shooting. After a little research from the helpful members of the NY/NJ forum, it looks like we will be going here: www.classicpistol.com/ since it's in range to make a nice day trip by car and they have both pistols and SMGs to rent, including an MP5SD, which I figure should be a positive experience for a new shooter since they aim naturally and the reduced noise and flash are good for flinch reduction.  Plus I'll get to rock out with a Tommy Gun. I figure the battle is half won already since she expressed interest, but I want to make the experience as positive as possible.  Any ideas or suggestions?  The biggest concern that she has voiced so far is that she doesn't think she'll be good at it.

Then do everything you can to make it a 'Pleasant' experience.    FOR HER !!  .

SHE should be the one in control.  Meaning, if she doesn't want to shoot the MP-5, then don't force her to do so.  Period.  

Do you want her to continue shooting?  Or forever remember her one and only time as a totally painfull and horrible experience?  Just as she might have imagined it would be?

As much as we may love riding machine guns, could be you'd get much further mileage sharing a BB gun with her.

My in-laws happened to be visiting us over the weekend:  my wife's sister, and her 2 daughters.

The wifes' sister fired a suppressed .22lr pistol in our backyard.  It was the first time she ever touched a gun, let alone fired one.  She damn near dropped it.  Which damn near severely pissed me off.

On the other hand, her 19'ish-teen-aged daughter was terribly excited to go shooting at the range for the first time.  

We started with a .22lr revolver, and next a suppressed .22lr semi-auto.  Then a .38SP, a .32 auto, a few .380's, a 9mm Glock, ..... leading on up to a 1911 pattern .45.    

But it was HER choice all along the way, which ended with her shooting an M-16, with the 9mm suppressed upper on it.    

Damn, but she did good with it too.  Kept the muzzle low, below the top of the berm.  Controlled it enough to have several hits on the steel plates with full-auto bursts.    First day she'd ever fired a gun.  Taught her well.            

I wish, but she was a natural.  

THAT WANTED TO SHOOT EACH OF THE GUNS AVAILABLE TO HER.

Sneak, encourage your friend to go at her own pace.  Don't force her.  She will either like it or not.  If she doesn't, .... then so what.  Forcing her won't help anything.  


If nothing else, your lady friend should enjoy seeing that HUGE grin on your face just after you do a mag-dump.    

From a machine gun, that is.  

They don't call 'em "giggle-switch's" fer nothin'...    

start small. .22 pistol or rifle. Ideally, you'd start her on a .22 revolver, since there's no cycling slide and it doesn't spit brass so she's less likely to flinch.