On The Wild Side

As a shooter and an instructor, nothing pains me more than watching someone get thrown around by his shotgun.  Except, perhaps, being beaten up by my own shotgun.

Why? First, it doesn’t have to happen. Second, it’ll have a negative effect on the shooter’s learning and performance. Third, that just might cause him to walk away from the sport altogether.

The most common reason for this abuse is a poorly fitting shotgun, especially among shooters who are smaller in stature. And by that, I mean pretty much anyone who doesn’t fit the standard or average measurement of a male shooter: approximately 5’10”, 185 pounds. It’s not their fault, and it’s not our fault. Manufacturers have to have some sort of standard to work to–and fortunately for us smaller folk, several are addressing our problem and are creating scaled-down versions of their various firearms.

Visit NRA Family for the entirety of How to Properly Fit a Shotgun.

You know the type. He might be a regular at the gun club, or he’s there with his buddies for a day shoot or maybe he’s by himself zeroing his rifle. He eyes you with your firearm, and as soon as he can get a moment alone with you, he sidles up. “Hey Lil’ Lady…” it starts…and even if he doesn’t say it out loud, you just know he’s thinking it. He tells you why you’re doing whatever you’re doing is wrong. He tells you how to do whatever you’re doing better. He offers to help. If you’re a woman, and you’ve spent any time on the range at all-especially if you’ve been unattended-you’ve probably met the “Hey Little Lady” type.

I’ve been the subject of a “Hey Little Lady” more than a few times. I don’t want to use the word “victim,” because by and large these fellows (almost always men-go figure) mean well, and I always try to take comments in the spirit with which they are delivered. But sometimes it does feel a bit like I’m a target (ouch). After all, I’m just a gal trying to work her guns and technique, thank you…and excuse me, but could you move out of my way? Both physically and figuratively? I’m not saying that my or your way is the only way, but if we’ve spent any time studying these things, we want to have the chance to practice them, too. And we can do it on our own.

Visit NRA Family for the entirety of How to Deal With Unsolicited Advice on the Range.

The gun didn’t fire. Now what?

There you are practicing at the range, committed to your marksmanship basics, peering intently at the front sight as you control your trigger press….anddddd…..CLICK.

How can this be? You’ve done everything right. You’re shooting factory loaded ammunition. Your firearm is squeaky clean and minty fresh.

Get over it. In fact, accept it. As with any mechanical device, things can go wrong with your pistol, and they will. Your acceptance of this will allow you to stay calm and fix the issue to your best ability. Your job is to know which problems you can solve—and how.

Read the rest of the article at NRA Family Insights.