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Text Box: KINETIC ENERGY Page 4 Text Box: Something for the Ladies (Looking for an Author/Contributor) Text Box: Ladies Shooting on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday nights starting at 7:00 p.m. (Excerpted from the April 2003, “The Red W Club Newsletter”. Women in Shooting Sports: An Increasing Trend! Recent years have seen an exciting trend develop in shooting sports—the increased participation of women. Though women have certainly had a presence and interest for quite some time (Annie Oakley), it has been only in the last few years that participation has leaned more toward the norm rather than the exception, Pat (Edit) of Superior Shooting supply in Superior, WI agrees. “Women account for a smaller percentage of our business, probably 10%. But the segment is growing rapidly and we’ve notice a very sharp increase within the last two years.” So why the increase? “One factor might be the increase of single mothers in our society,” says Pat. “In a sense, it has become their responsibility to introduce their children to the outdoors. Safety and security have also become concerns. Another motivating factor is the company women keep, such as their friends and family. In many areas, shooting sports a social activity and if a woman’s friends are into it, chances are they’ll try to convince her to participate as well.” Pat herself is a great example of the influence a woman’s friends can have. After all, it was her friends that formed a trap team several years ago who persuaded her to join. And now, she owns a shooting supply business, is a frequent participant in shooting sports and a true advocate of the outdoors. As a supporter and member of the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), Pat has become involved in the organization’s Women in the Outdoors program — a program designed to promote the education and involvement of women in outdoors activities such as shooting, hunting, camping and fishing. As part of the program, one-day events are offered throughout the United States by the NWTF’s various chapters, designed to help women experience new activities, learn new skills and quite simply, enjoy the outdoors. For more information about the Women in the Outdoors program, call (800) THE-NWTF. As more and more women become involved, choosing a firearm that is comfortable to them is of utmost importance. Physically, a woman’s hand is typically smaller than a man’s, which greatly influences selection. Many manufactures have attempted to modify their offerings to meet this growing need. However, as Pat notices frequently in her store, women are often influenced by their husband, boyfriend or father. ”We try to deter this,” says Pat. “A woman’s firearm needs are different than a man’s. Luckily our staff is excellent with understanding the needs of our female customers and guiding them properly toward a product selection that they will fee comfortable with.” So what is the first step a woman can take to becoming involved in shooting sports? “Any interested woman should call their local sporting goods store,” says Pat. “They will have a good idea of the programs, organizations and clubs within your area and how to become actively involved.” Specifically, Winchester Ammunition Advisory Center Dealers are more than happy to assist women and new shooters with their shooting and hunting needs. For a complete listing of Advisory Center Dealers, visit www.winchester.com. Luckily for new participants, shooting and hunting advocates, especially members of The Red W Club, are always happy to lend a helping hand. According to Pat, “I’ve never been to any trap club where someone wasn’t willing to go out of their way to help a new shooter.”

(Continued from page 3)

 

responsibility that comes with owning any firearm requires that you take care to ensure that it is safely stored.  Novice and experienced owners alike must always take the time to read the product manual that accompanies a firearm and to follow the instructions in that manual carefully.

 

       The reason why you want to buy a handgun does much to determine the model you choose.  Someone who wants to target shoot, would typically prefer a handgun with a longer barrel and sight radius, which allows them to shoot more accurately at greater distances.  First-time handgun users can benefit by using a smaller caliber, such as .22.  In addition to being less expensive to shoot than other calibers, they have lower recoil and are less loud, which makes the target shooting experience more enjoyable.  It is also easier to concentrate on your target when you do not have to worry about the loud report and harder recoil associated with larger calibers.

 

       Someone purchasing a handgun for self-defense, on the other hand, would typically want a larger caliber, because larger calibers have greater potential for stopping an assailant quickly.  Larger calibers impart more energy to the handgun itself, though.  For this reason, most are medium to full-size to help absorb the recoil.

 

       If you are interested in buying a handgun, the best way to choose your first one is to read various publications, catalogs, go to gun shows and visit your local gun shop to see what models are available.  Talk to different people whose opinion you trust and find out their experience.  The model selected should be reliable, durable and have safety features.

 

       Become familiar with the handgun you buy.  Read the manual, practice and become familiar with your handgun’s operating features until you are comfortable when using it.  (If it is a .22, bring it to Ladies Night, an excellent place to learn about your firearm!).

 

       People buy guns because shooting is fun.  Tens of millions of Americans own handguns and the average firearm owner owns several.  Welcome to the crowd!
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