A Novice's First Handgun.

[Adam Helmer]

Last Sunday after church a member told me she bought her first handgun and wanted to fire it with some instruction. I told her to come by the farm that afternoon and we would shoot on my backyard range.

About 1:00 p.m. she showed up with her S&W M13 heavy barrel .357 fixed sight 4-inch revolver and a box of .38 Special 125 grain soft point factory loads. We fired a few rounds from the bench at 25 yards and the group was low and left, out of the bull at 7 o'clock. I got a few boxes of different .38 and .357 factory loads and handloads out of my stash and we fired various bullet weights at the targets. We obtained groups, but none were on point of aim which is typical for fixed sighted guns. The best one can do is find a load that shoots to the fixed sights and stay with it, I explained. Happily, my accuracy load using my cast 148 grain .38 wadcutters and a charge of Unique was on point of aim at 25 yards and only 1 inch left.

I think we have a novice who will buy an adjustable sight revolver next time. In the meantime, I think we also have a new bullet caster and handloader amongst us to get the best out of her Model 13.

Adam

[Rapier]

Adam,
Good on you for the help to a new shooter. I always found the ladies easier to train for basic handling of a handgun than other students. 99% of the time they pay attention, know nothing and execute the instruction to the letter. The result is a good student with good results.
Best,
Ed

[kt]

yes that was very nice of you, had she tried this on her own she may have gotten discouraged. yes i too believe that women are more easily trained. (for instance when i say i expect dinner at five....) I'M KIDDING! ;) but in all seriousness when i take a new fella shooting he listens to me then goes right back to the bad habit, if i tell a girl she misses claybirds because she stops her swing within two birds they are breakin, i notice they pick up archery extremely fast. nothin like being out shot by your honey. its a win win for all.
kt

[Adam Helmer]

Rapier & kt,

I agree with you guys. For the last 10 years, or more, I have helped a retired college professor with her Women on Target program at the local gunclub. I run the muzzleloader station and instruct groups of 6 women on flinters, caplocks and inlines. I show them how to load and fire the muzzleloaders and then they are all loading and firing like seasoned grenadiers.

Many of the women have never fired a gun before they come to WOT. They shoot BP, .22 rifles, .22 handguns and 20 gauge guns on sporting clays. About 35% of the women join the gun club and about half that number get their CCW permits and ASK for further handgun instruction. Our WOT women number about 30 to 45 women per session. I would not miss a session for anything because the women are great folks who shoot better than their husbands or significant others would ever imagine. The owner of the S&W M13 was a former WOT student in one of my classes.

Adam