What Am I Doing Wrong?

In the past couple of years, women have been crossing off "firearms training" from their bucket list.  Ladies, the firearms industry has taken notice. There are guns out there that look like they were dunked in a Pepto-Bismol bottle and forgotten for centuries. What used to appeal to young girls, "Hello Kitty," has now caught mom's eye as the logo can be seen plastered on AR-15's.  Hearing protection and safety goggles have even caught the pink and purple fever.  But with all of this fashionable hype, why do some women fail to have a love affair with their firearm?  After all, the majority of women have been told that "this is THE gun for them," or some females have had a family member purchase a firearm for them as a present.

Once we have this new item, the next step is taking our "friend" to the range.  There is nothing as embarrassing than if we can't pull the trigger, or when we do, the entire front end of the firearm drops.  As a result, the target boldly indicates that the most popular shots she is capable of firing are to the groin area.  This is multiplied a dozen more times, "What am I doing wrong?"

So maybe your new purchase hasn't been taken out of the box until you arrive to the range.  As you place your hands around the grip of of the firearm, this area is so large that there is no way that a finger can reach the trigger without canting your hand sideways.  The slide on the semi-automatic doesn't appear to move no matter how hard you attempt to lock it back. "What am I doing wrong?"

All of your friends comment how they enjoy shooting.  Your like-minded girlfriends want to show off their guns.  Are you serious? Why am I not having such a good time? Well, your hand hurts, you feel like a weakling, and you think that you aren't capable of being a proficient shooter. "What am I doing wrong?"

Sadly, many women experiencing these symptoms don't understand that there is a remedy for these problems.  First, females need to understand that selecting a firearm is like looking for a great pair of shoes that need to be comfortable and fit properly!  You wouldn't go shopping for shoes with your girlfriend and force your foot into a shoe that fits her or proves to be a great selection based on your girlfriend's taste in shoes, would you?

The grip area of a firearm is very important.  This needs to fit your hand comfortably, while also allowing your finger to reach the trigger as the "backstrap" area of the grip remains in the middle of your hand.  Gun manufacturers are becoming smarter and offering some firearms that allow the interchangeable grips to be swapped out depending upon hand size.

Remember, only the middle padding of the trigger finger should be on the trigger itself when firing.  Your hand should not move at all when firing.  Trigger control means pulling the trigger to the rear rather than applying a "slapping" movement of the trigger with your finger.  Slowly let your trigger finger ride the trigger all the way out, this is "follow through."  If you can't do this because the trigger is so hard to pull, and you find that it is impossible to not move the firearm, this trigger is to much for you!  This is causing the downward movement of the firearm.  As a result, your shots will continue to fall below the bullseye on the target.

Oftentimes, a bad habit can occur when a shooter anticipates the gun going off followed by a "bang."  This is called anticipation.

Firearms with "hammers" are great especially on revolvers because they afford you the opportunity to cock the hammer back when firing each shot which is called "single action."  You will find that this might improve your ability to actually fire into the bullseye without forcing the gun in a downward motion because the trigger was originally so strong.  As a side note, there is a possibility that a gunsmith can also go in and release the tension on your trigger making  you a happier gal!

The bottom line is that a firearm purchase should be based on what YOU like and what fits YOUR hand!  The best way in determining this is to rent as many firearms at the range for shooting, and make a list of what you might prefer.  Join a women's firearms group, such as SHE CAN SHOOT, that will allow you to go shooting and receive training with various firearms.  Get feedback from other women!  Next time, don't let that person behind a gun counter sell you what they think you should have.  Arm yourself with knowledge.