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Took My Daughter Shooting - Her 1st Time! Login/Join 
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My daughter who turned 18 last month has had pretty much zero interest in guns/shooting. She was never opposed to them and knew there were guns in the house but was very "neutral" towards the idea of actually shooting one. On top of that she has battled a pretty serious anxiety issue for years now and has made amazing progress (she went from not being able to leave the house (at times) a few years ago to recently starring in a school play and killing it.

A short time ago she asked me if i would take her to the range and today I did...I wanted to not overwhelm her so I had her watch a safety video online and we discussed the basics at home. When we go to the range she was noticeably intimidated but said she wanted to go in. I got her in a lane, handed her a loaded Ruger .22 and after some very minor adjustments she shot damn near shot out the entire center of the target...All while a guy with a hand cannon was shooting on one side and a couple of guys with AR's were at it on the other.

When we left I told her how proud I was of her and she admitted it was fun but she would like to go to an outdoor range next time.
 
Posts: 3987 | Location: Peoria, AZ | Registered: November 07, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Banned/Thief
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Congrats to both of you and good to know she is taking a big step to conquer her fears. Big Grin
 
Posts: 92 | Location: Ohio | Registered: August 31, 2018Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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Congratulations on getting her ready to take the first step, and being there for her when the time was right.

I do have one minor piece of advice. I've never felt comfortable handing someone a loaded weapon. If she is not comfortable loading and chambering it herself, then do it for her and place it on the bench for her to pick up.


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"They who would give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety."
- Benjamin Franklin

"So this is how liberty dies; with thunderous applause."
- Senator Amidala (Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith)
 
Posts: 1494 | Location: Southwest Ohio | Registered: October 07, 2011Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by RichN:
Congratulations on getting her ready to take the first step, and being there for her when the time was right.

I do have one minor piece of advice. I've never felt comfortable handing someone a loaded weapon. If she is not comfortable loading and chambering it herself, then do it for her and place it on the bench for her to pick up.


Yes, i did think of that and the reason I did it for her the first couple times was to get her more comfortable, after that I showed and let her do it herself
 
Posts: 3987 | Location: Peoria, AZ | Registered: November 07, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Ammoholic
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quote:
she admitted it was fun but she would like to go to an outdoor range next time.



If it is an option, outdoors is always best for new shooters, especially if you can go somewhere where there is few or no other shooters.

Glad she enjoyed it!



Jesse

Sic Semper Tyrannis
 
Posts: 20819 | Location: Loudoun County, Virginia | Registered: December 27, 2014Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Delusions of Adequacy
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Very nice. There's also the bonus that shooting skills can help build self confidence, and that will help with anxiety issues too.




I have my own style of humor. I call it Snarkasm.
 
Posts: 17944 | Location: Virginia | Registered: June 02, 2006Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Lawyers, Guns
and Money
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quote:
Originally posted by Skins2881:
quote:
she admitted it was fun but she would like to go to an outdoor range next time.

If it is an option, outdoors is always best for new shooters, especially if you can go somewhere where there is few or no other shooters.

Glad she enjoyed it!

Yep... it can be intimidating indoors, with people shooting really loud guns in the lane next to you.
I'm also glad she enjoyed it!



"Some things are apparent. Where government moves in, community retreats, civil society disintegrates and our ability to control our own destiny atrophies. The result is: families under siege; war in the streets; unapologetic expropriation of property; the precipitous decline of the rule of law; the rapid rise of corruption; the loss of civility and the triumph of deceit. The result is a debased, debauched culture which finds moral depravity entertaining and virtue contemptible."
-- Justice Janice Rogers Brown

"The United States government is the largest criminal enterprise on earth."
-rduckwor
 
Posts: 24102 | Location: St. Louis, MO | Registered: April 03, 2009Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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quote:
Originally posted by Skins2881:
quote:
she admitted it was fun but she would like to go to an outdoor range next time.



If it is an option, outdoors is always best for new shooters, especially if you can go somewhere where there is few or no other shooters.

Glad she enjoyed it!


There is a nice (large) outdoor range just north of me and given her light school schedule for her final semester I am going to try to sneak up there with her at an off time
 
Posts: 3987 | Location: Peoria, AZ | Registered: November 07, 2002Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Comic Relief
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Congratulations to you both! Did you take any pictures? Did she squint and sneer while shooting?
 
Posts: 4818 | Location: Indianapolis, IN | Registered: September 28, 2005Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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