Adding To Rich D's Post On Taking A Friend To The Range

[d90king]

Afraid of guns? So was I... until I took a trip to the shooting range

By Shannon L. Cheesman
SHERWOOD, Ore. - If you would have told me a year ago that I'd be pulling the trigger on an AR-15 rifle, I would have laughed right in your face.

"You must have me confused with someone else," I would have said. "You see, I'm absolutely terrified of guns and if I go my entire life without touching one, that will be just fine with me."



I don't know where my innate fear of guns comes from. My brother and his wife are avid hunters, my dad hunted when he was younger, my 85-year-old grandmother was raised with guns (she still owns several of them I recently learned) and my husband was in artillery in the Oregon National Guard.

So you'd think I would be quite used to guns by now. But show me a firearm and my heart starts racing, my palms get sweaty and I feel like running far, far away. They just plain scare me.



So you can imagine my trepidation when my boss came to me a couple of weeks ago with an idea about sending me out to a gun club to learn how to shoot (courtesy of a special media invitation from gunsmith/author Dennis B. Collins and gunsmith Erik Dyal, the founder of Trinity Arms in Newberg, Oregon).

Deep down, I really did not want to do this thing but when your boss gets excited about something, it can be very hard to say 'no.' So I tucked my nervousness aside (heck, it was still a couple of weeks away) and sent in my RSVP.

I was hoping to be able to forget about it for a while but the next day, I received a call from Collins, who wanted to check in with me and make sure I knew all the particulars.

I didn't even bother to pretend to be cool about the whole thing and explained that I was pretty darn scared. "I really am terrified of guns," I told him.



Collins assured me everything would be fine - we were going to be in a very safe, controlled environment (the Tri-County Gun Club in Sherwood, Oregon) and I would be in the company of folks with years of experience handling firearms.

I felt a little better after our conversation, so I put the date on my calendar and tried my best not to worry.

When the day came, I found myself very nervous, but ready. This was an opportunity for me to conquer my fear and I was determined to make the best of it. I would watch... listen... learn... and shoot.

The rifles were provided by Dennis Collins and Erik Dyal. One was a regular AR-15 and the other was a custom AR-15 they built using parts supplied by Charles Daly, Inc.

I stood far away while Collins and Dyal set up the rifles at the range. The AR-15s weren't even loaded yet and I was already starting to feel a little queasy.

Thankfully, it took a little bit to get everything going, which gave me time to calm down. But once I was handed a set of ear plugs, I realized there was no backing out.

Collins fired the first shot and I jumped, of course. I knew I would and that didn't surprise me. What did surprise me is the vibration that went from the ground to my feet and on up my legs. I had no idea that the rifle would be powerful enough to shake the earth.

After a few more shots, I got used to the sensation - and the sound. One of my ear plugs kept falling out and I got a little more 'boom' than I wanted at times, but it was OK.

A couple of other folks, including a KATU photographer and reporter who showed up during their off time to participate, were there as well. Good thing, because I really did not want to go first. Instead, I stood back and watched everyone else take their turns.



Meanwhile, I was handed a box of bullets and a magazine and told to load it up. This proved challenging for me. You see, never once have I touched a bullet and never once have I touched a magazine. I didn't want to act too stupid about the whole thing, but I did have to have someone show me what to do. Thankfully, it wasn't that hard.



Once my magazine was loaded, I watched the others and waited. As each bullet was fired, I felt a little more of my fear wash away and by the time it was my turn, I felt I was ready.

Collins and Melissa Fern (both pictured with me below) showed me what to do - where to place the butt of the gun, where the safety was and how to hold my trigger finger (the idea being to keep it off the trigger until you are ready to shoot).



The instructions didn't take that long and before I knew it, I was sitting down on a stool with a rifle in my hand.

It was now or never, so I got myself situated, lined up the scope and then went ahead and fired off a shot before I had time to psyche myself out of the whole deal.

And to be honest... it wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it was going to be. Here's how it looked from my photographer's perspective...

Finger on the trigger and just about to shoot


Me flinching and closing my eyes after firing the shot

Wow... I actually just shot a gun!


Ok... that wasn't so hard! Can I let go now?


After the first shot, I felt pretty comfortable and got very serious about the matter (note the 'OK, let's do this' look in the photo below).

I

The sight was off (not that I would know... but that's what everyone said) and I never once hit a target. But I could see my bullets hitting the dirt on the hill and that was good enough for me - validation that I was actually hitting something.

I ended up firing off nearly two magazines of bullets and by the time I was done I was actually feeling sort of cool - you know, that whole 'check me out - I just fired an AR-15' kind of cool.



Sure, I didn't really know what I was doing and I probably wasn't even holding the rifle the right way (I never could figure out where my left hand was supposed to go), but it felt good to do something that had terrified me all my life.

I conquered my fear.

So will I ever pick up a gun again? Probably not (it's really not my thing) but at least I won't be scared to even look at one anymore and, of course, now I'll be able to say I actually fired an AR-15 rifle. Wait until the family hears about this.

[kenhwind]

We had a family friend that was totally uninrerested in shooting. She even went out to the Trap and Skeet range with us at night. Naw, nope not interested. At one of our infamous parties, she came up to me and my Uncle and said "guess what guys I went shooting".
We told her she could have gone any time she wanted, she just wasn't interested.

[flyfish]

My gunclub is promoting and supporting the Appleseed Project which teaches new comers the finer aspects of true rifle marksmanship. It seems to me that the skill of marksmanship is in decline of late so I think this is a great program.

[d90king]

My gunclub is promoting and supporting the Appleseed Project which teaches new comers the finer aspects of true rifle marksmanship. It seems to me that the skill of marksmanship is in decline of late so I think this is a great program.



It really is a great way to overcome ones fears of firearms and get them involved.

[Carole-K]

This is especially effective with women. Men seem to be a little more open minded (in general) about guns, even if they don't know anything about them. While women (again, in general) appear to cling to the stereotypical response of being afraid of guns. I have no idea why women do that, but without exception every woman I have talked to about shooting and going to the range to actually learn something about guns responds with the "I'm afraid of guns," line.

Just be sure to that you steer clear of the "macho" types that will try to make gun ownership and shooting out to be something that isn't "for little ladies." :D

[d90king]

While women (again, in general) appear to cling to the stereotypical response of being afraid of guns. I have no idea why women do that, but without exception every woman I have talked to about shooting and going to the range to actually learn something about guns responds with the "I'm afraid of guns," line.


Why do you think that this is so prevalent? I am asking you because you have greater exposure with that segment.

[Carole-K]

Why do you think that this is so prevalent? I am asking you because you have greater exposure with that segment.
I believe that the "fear" is a conditioned response. It's something we learn from the time we are young girls. Influencing that response or contributing to the conditioning are things like:

1 - The toys we play with as children. Boys get "action figures" like GI Joe and Transformers where fighting and weaponry (of all types) are standard equipment. Girls get dolls - baby dolls, Barbie dolls, Bratz dolls - the list is extensive where fighting and weaponry are not only not standard equipment but highly discouraged.

2 - The images we are presented with as the "ideal." Boys are presented with police officers, fire fighters, soldiers, sailors, athletes and the stars of action movies as their heroes and that is who boys desire to imitate. Girls on the other hand are taught (by society at large and through peer pressure) to desire to imitate models, actresses (few of whom are action heroes) and the like.

3 - The idea that men/boys like the helpless woman - the damsel in distress. That stereotype goes a long way toward making women/girls do stupid things - like making statements such as "I'm afraid of guns." A lot of what women do and say or don't do and don't say boils down to what we are taught boys like - apparently everything boils down to our ability to "catch" a man. From talking to my daughter not a lot has changed in the 20-something years since I was a teenager.

We, both men and women, become conditioned that fighting is unladylike. We further become conditioned to believe that guns are not for girls. Sadly, many men buy into that as well. I cannot tell you how many times I have been ignored or talked down to at a gun show or gun store because I am a woman. If Tom is with me they will ignore me and talk to Tom even after it has been made clear that I am the one looking for a gun.

So while I believe that some woman are truly afraid of guns (because they are lacking in information, instruction and hands on experience) I think more women say it because they believe that is what they are expected to say.

It isn't PC these days for a woman to admit that she likes shooting and she likes guns. To say that you like guns is to be perceived as masculine by a segment of the population. To avoid appearing too be too masculine (because boys don't like masculine women) they give the fear excuse - it sounds properly feminine.

That's my opinion based on my personal experiences with the women-who-fear-guns crowd.

It's similar to the mentality that keeps young girls from learning how to be self-sufficient in areas such as auto maintenance. They don't want to learn to change the oil in their car, change a tire, change the spark plugs, etc. because they don't want to be a "tom-boy."

I was often told, as a teen and young adult, that I'd "never catch a guy" because I just didn't "act like a girl." Or that it was okay to like guns or know how to change the oil in my car just as long as I didn't say it.

I'm probably terribly guilty of over-simplifying things or generalizing in this post. But you asked for my opinion - and well - I'm just enough of a tom-boy still to give it to you straight (another thing we girls are taught not to do because apparently boys don't like smart girls either).

[d90king]

I believe that the "fear" is a conditioned response. It's something we learn from the time we are young girls. Influencing that response or contributing to the conditioning are things like:

1 - The toys we play with as children. Boys get "action figures" like GI Joe and Transformers where fighting and weaponry (of all types) are standard equipment. Girls get dolls - baby dolls, Barbie dolls, Bratz dolls - the list is extensive where fighting and weaponry are not only not standard equipment but highly discouraged.

2 - The images we are presented with as the "ideal." Boys are presented with police officers, fire fighters, soldiers, sailors, athletes and the stars of action movies as their heroes and that is who boys desire to imitate. Girls on the other hand are taught (by society at large and through peer pressure) to desire to imitate models, actresses (few of whom are action heroes) and the like.

3 - The idea that men/boys like the helpless woman - the damsel in distress. That stereotype goes a long way toward making women/girls do stupid things - like making statements such as "I'm afraid of guns." A lot of what women do and say or don't do and don't say boils down to what we are taught boys like - apparently everything boils down to our ability to "catch" a man. From talking to my daughter not a lot has changed in the 20-something years since I was a teenager.

We, both men and women, become conditioned that fighting is unladylike. We further become conditioned to believe that guns are not for girls. Sadly, many men buy into that as well. I cannot tell you how many times I have been ignored or talked down to at a gun show or gun store because I am a woman. If Tom is with me they will ignore me and talk to Tom even after it has been made clear that I am the one looking for a gun.

So while I believe that some woman are truly afraid of guns (because they are lacking in information, instruction and hands on experience) I think more women say it because they believe that is what they are expected to say.

It isn't PC these days for a woman to admit that she likes shooting and she likes guns. To say that you like guns is to be perceived as masculine by a segment of the population. To avoid appearing too be too masculine (because boys don't like masculine women) they give the fear excuse - it sounds properly feminine.

That's my opinion based on my personal experiences with the women-who-fear-guns crowd.

It's similar to the mentality that keeps young girls from learning how to be self-sufficient in areas such as auto maintenance. They don't want to learn to change the oil in their car, change a tire, change the spark plugs, etc. because they don't want to be a "tom-boy."

I was often told, as a teen and young adult, that I'd "never catch a guy" because I just didn't "act like a girl." Or that it was okay to like guns or know how to change the oil in my car just as long as I didn't say it.

I'm probably terribly guilty of over-simplifying things or generalizing in this post. But you asked for my opinion - and well - I'm just enough of a tom-boy still to give it to you straight (another thing we girls are taught not to do because apparently boys don't like smart girls either).


What a great post!

I have two girls and they have very little interest in shooting, but they are young and I have plenty of time. They did say they want to come watch trap because they saw a women doing it in the Berretta catalog.

They have no fear of guns, just no interest in shooting yet. They have both from time to time asked how things work when I am tinkering with 1911 etc. Their interest did perk up when I showed them a pink .22 rifle. :D

Thanks for a great perspective of the barriers that women face, based on conditioning starting in childhood.

[Carole-K]

Another thought that just occurred to me.

For those who are suitably leftist (in the U.S. that is) to be anti-gun the fear line is also used because that is what you're supposed to say. If you are a left-leaning anti-gun woman the "I'm afraid of guns" falls right in line with the idea that "guns kill."

Of course one is right and justified in being afraid of something that can kill you, right? Well, to those who are raised to believe that all guns are evil and that guns can kill you (regardless of who is holding/handling it) then fear is almost the only logical and correct response.

[Rich-D]

Carole, I totally agree with your analysis! Television and Movies also play a big role in conditioning. However their are exceptions, I personally appreciate a woman who can hold her own.

In so far as firearms. I find training a woman to shoot is much easier than training a man. Woman have not developed the bad habits of men, which come from playing with cap guns. As it pertains to shooting technique, they are more attentive to detail and open minded to correction.


Rich

[Carole-K]

Carole, I totally agree with your analysis! Television and Movies also play a big role in conditioning. However their are exceptions, I personally appreciate a woman who can hold her own.

In so far as firearms. I find training a woman to shoot is much easier than training a man. Woman have not developed the bad habits of men, which come from playing with cap guns. As it pertains to shooting technique, they are more attentive to detail and open minded to correction.


Rich
I think in addition to not developing bad habits in the way you describe women, generally speaking don't have anything to "prove." We have lower expectations for ourselves. We're not supposed to know about guns so asking a question, not knowing something or not being good from the first shot is "okay." Whereas for men, there seems to be a higher expectation of both knowledge and performance.

I've seen a few guys at the range who, if they are representative, seem to indicate that there is a larger ego investment for men. If they're not good with a gun or they don't know something it reflects badly on their manliness (for lack of a better term).

So men are easier to get to the range but harder to teach. Women are easier to teach but the trick is getting them there in the first place. LOL

[kenhwind]

Excellent posts Carole.
Guys can't stand being upstaged by a women. My sisrer-in-law liked to shoot Skeet, and when she was busting those clays, the buttheads wouldn't shoot with her. George and I did, and I'm not a good Skeet guy, I like Trap

I just read your last line, and it is so true. Carole your last post is dead on girl. Guys don't wanna be out shot by their lady friends.

[carsten1911]

"I just read your last line, and it is so true. Carole your last post is dead on girl. Guys don't wanna be out shot by their lady friends."

Hi Ken,

you are right about that. But that fact is not a sign of the best character of the mentioned guys.
Over her we have a saying that translates to about:
"A master whose disciples will not grow beyond his skills is a bad master." (Hope this is understandable).

Carsten

[Rich-D]

Glad to see you here! Check yor PM's.

Enjoy!
Rich

[Carole-K]

Excellent posts Carole.
Guys can't stand being upstaged by a women. My sisrer-in-law liked to shoot Skeet, and when she was busting those clays, the buttheads wouldn't shoot with her. George and I did, and I'm not a good Skeet guy, I like Trap

I just read your last line, and it is so true. Carole your last post is dead on girl. Guys don't wanna be out shot by their lady friends.

That's true. We took Sunshine (our daughter and no that's not her real name, what do I look like a hippie?) to the range. In the lane next to us were to young men (early 20s) doing their best imitation of movie shooting. You know, run the target all the way out to the wall and empty all 10, 15, 17 rounds as fast as you can without bothering with such useless things as target acquisition. They went through dozens of rounds leaving only a few holes in the target but a lot around the edges of the paper. Meanwhile, Sunshine is plinking away, slow and steady with her Ruger 22/45. Target was a reasonable distance away. The young men next to us sort of sneered in our direction.

Until Sunshine rolled her target in. Everything was in the x-ring or the 9-ring.

The next thing we knew the boys next door had pulled their target in a bit and slowed down their rate of fire. They still didn't hit the X as often as Sunshine - but they did do a little better.

It really tweaked them to be out shot by an 8 year-old girl.

In the interest of full disclosure though - I have noticed a certain less-than-stellar attitude on the part of men at the range (and this seems to be trued with younger men) when shown up by a woman. I have noticed a similar reaction by those same guys when shown up by another man.

you are right about that. But that fact is not a sign of the best character of the mentioned guys.

You're right about that, Carsten. It is not a sign of good or strong character. It is, though, important to note that this is not all men. Not by a long shot. I like to think that there are far more men of good character than not. I mean just look at the group assembled here and at M1911.org.

[Tom]

That was a great day! I was so proud of my little girl.

[d90king]

That was a great day! I was so proud of my little girl.
I can only imagine the pride associated with such a day...... Maybe someday soon my girls will be doing the same. :)

[Tom]

Just be ready if/when they show an interest.

[d90king]

Just be ready if/when they show an interest.
Oh, I will be ready! I already pointed out a pink .22 rifle to them in the Beretta catalog or one of the other million catalogs that show up daily and at least I got a second look. :) They also saw a girl shooting trap so they are slowly getting interested..........

They still wont golf with me much either........

[Tom]

Women are easier to teach but the trick is getting them there in the first place. LOL
Just tell them they're having a sale down at the range. LOL

[d90king]

Just tell them they're having a sale down at the range. LOL
Now that is something my girls would respond to....... They love their Nordstrom's. trips :) Maybe they would enjoy their "range" trips.

[Frank]

I've also noticed that women take to instruction better. They're not wrapped up in the notion that they're supposed to already know it all.