Wife Said Yes!

[snowdoctor]

My wife has always been like alot of other wives-wants nothing to do with firearms. Ok if I do, but she never wanted to see them. She knew I was a "gun guy" when we met, so she doesn't have a problem that way.
Last week, she got persuaded to go to a womans' only day at the club I am a member of. Our good friends dad was organizing the class, and struck a deal with his daughter, that she had to come to pay back for some grandchild babysitting. The daughter and my wife are good friends, so my wife went so she didn't have to go by herself. good friend right. well, one more friends ended up going from our circle of friends making three total. I didn't not push this subject, and didn't want her to think I was making her go. I have asked her to go to the range many times before, but never pushed.
So..the three went on Saturday, and loved it. they had basic firearm safety instruction in the morning, had lunch, handled various firearms in the afternoon,and then went the ranges...shotgun, pistol and rifle. all .22 caliber with a 20 gauge shotgun for trap.
They had a great time, and I think the woman's only thing really helped. She got a certificate, and brought her first target home. She talked about it some that night, and after we put the kids to bed, she asked if I would take her to the range tomorrow!! ALERT....DING DING...DING.... I couldn't believe it! I stayed composed, told her I would love to. She then asked to see some of the guns, and figure out what we would shoot...(at first I thought it was a trick to get into the gun room...lol, but she was really interested in all of them.)
We went to the range and shot for about 2 hours and had a great time. That night, when we got home after the kids were in bed again, she asked about CCW and what it took to obtain it. She didn't say she wanted one, but she asked, and that is a great step. I really don't know what to do from here, but to ask her to go to the range again....any comments ????

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[AirForceShooter]

The woman only thing really works.
My local range has Woman only shooting nights and they are very well attended.

I wonder what they use for targets?

AFS

[Cliffh]

Good for her!

I wouldn't try to push her by change my normal patterns regarding shooting. Just wait until your next regular range session and ask her if she wants to go - making sure to already have a baby sitter lined up, just in case.

Have you got a gun or two that's suitable for her? Maybe a .22 or something with little recoil? One that will help her build confidence without breaking her wrist?

Maybe she & her friend(s) can attend another ladies day? You might offer up front to take care of the kids for any day she wants to go to the range with the girls so she'll feel more free to go.

And you might point out that, if she wants her own gun, it'll mean she gets to go shopping

[P95Carry]

Ahhh - more good news in the lady shooting camp - love it

The CCW should follow - all being well and when she is ready.

[40S&WMAN]

I wonder what they use for targets?

AFS

Probably the groin section of a man sized target...

[TonyW]

I wouldn't push, next time you go to the range just ask her if she wants to go. My wife is the same way your was, she doesn't mind if I do but she isn't interested.

[LenS]

See if there are any woman shooting groups near you.

Second Amendment Sisters exists for this purpose, but their quality of training, activities, etc. are highly variable from state to state (as I was told by the leader of the MA group).

MI SAS Website (where quote below came from):
http://www.2asisters.net/mi/index.html

MI SAS Email List on Yahoo:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mi-sas/

Leslie J. York, NRA Certified Instructor
MI State Coordinator - Second Amendment Sisters, Inc.
White Pigeon, MI
Phone: 269.483.6803
Email: shooting_gal@yahoo.com
Currently NRA-certified in Shotgun, Pistol, and Rifle "Basic" and "First Steps" training. I am also an Appointed Shotgun Coach. I have taught shotgunning at "Women-In-The-Outdoors" programs with the National Wild Turkey Federation, I am a MI DNR Certified Hunter Safety Instructor, and a volunteer 4-H Leader in the Shooting Sports in St. Joseph County Michigan

Good luck and I know how you feel! After ~25 years my Wife finally decided to try shooting, joined SAS-MA and one of the two gun clubs I belong to. She still blows hot and cold about liking it or not . . . one day it's OK and another "I hate it"!

Don't ever try to figure out a woman!!

[snowdoctor]

We took the Ruger MarkII .22 pistol to the range and she lit up the steel popper targets with it. almost 300 rounds....all i did was load magazines and pull the rope to reset the targets!!!
she then wanted to try other pistols. so we moved to a ruger 9mm p89, then to the p97 .45acp, which is the home defense pistol. she liked both and handled both ok. she then wanted to shoot my other love, my kimber ultra carry, as she has seen me carry it for almost 2years now. she also shot the 642, and the keltec 380. Then we went to the rifle range where we tore through another 200 rounds iin the 10/22 ruger and then a .17HMR....
she is a real good shot, and I hope I can keep her interest in it. One of the other ladies she went with really wants to go shoot. so maybe we can do a couples thing, as my wife doesn't want to go to the range without me yet.....

[Wayne]

I love the womens only concept, I wished that more ranges would do that (and more women getting their NRA instructors cert. so they can do this).

Women, I have seen, don't like to be in classes with the men and I guess the intimidation factor keeps alot of them away.

Just like women love (well, most of them) to go to the mall together, have luncheans together, etc.. this appeals to their "group" instincts (or something like that).

Good for your range, your wife and yourself. Once that one big hurdle is passed it should be all downhill from now on (downhill as in getting easier).

Wayne

[randytulsa2]

My wife and one of my daughters attended a woman-only shotgun clinic last year which was sponsored by the NRA.

Man, was it great!!

The woman-only thing DOES work. Like gangbusters.

There oughtta be one in every major metro area every weekend or at least every month.

Then "our" stats would start to improve dramatically. The antis would be furthered de-fanged. Women (I think) are a major portion of their base. Women who have never been around guns and whose only contact with them are from watching crimes on TV and an on the news, that is.....

And men who have problems that I would just as soon not speculate on in such a public and decent place....

[JimmyC4]

I've learned that it also helps to start early. I introduced all three of my kids to firearms when they were young. Only my son was very interested, so we did a bit of shooting and hunting over the years.

All three of them, both daughters and my son, went into the Army, and in part had the courage to do that because they didn't have fear about having to train with firearms. I digress a bit here, but I'm proud.

So, now I have a 10 year old granddaughter that I'll soon take to the range. I even bought some nice little reactive steel targets, since youngsters (including me!) find them to be more fun than paper. As with my kids, she'll just sit at the bench, look through the scope, shoot, and then get that wide-eyed look that no video game can produce. You're a shooter, you know what I mean.

Anyway, we need to work with wives (husbands too), sons and daughters, introducing them all to the joys of shooting. And, the younger we start, the better.

It's been a lifelong love for me, first introduced when my Dad started me off with my Daisy...

[peacefuljeffrey]

Snowdoctor, dude, you need to ask this woman to MARRY you!!

[pax]

Glad to hear she's coming around. Sometimes it just takes another woman ...

pax

[jowgafist]

that's great to hear. i might have to throw my girl into one of these classes

[retsupt99]

Next time she asks to go to the range, stop by a jewelry store on the way...tell her that you think guns and jewlery are natural partners...

OMO

ret