Sporting Clays > Women On Target Shotgun Clinic

Women On Target
By Jan Wright, Director, Women of the ISRPA

Fall Creek Valley Conservation Club hosted a Women On Target® Shotgun Clinic on May 21. Sixteen lady shooters attended the full day work shop which was organized by Donn Bonner and his crew of eight instructors. The ladies couldn't wait to get that shotgun in their hands! Donn started the clinic the way all Women On Target® events begin – preaching gun safety. The instructors were very thorough, explicit, and concise in their teaching of gun safety, operation of the shotgun, the different types of shotguns, and the makeup of shotgun shells. Their audience took in every word. These instructors did not insult the ladies by either talking over their heads or condescending to them. These men did a wonderful job of conveying their enjoyment and respect for the sport, and it was obvious they wanted the ladies to enjoy it as well. A discussion of eye dominance showed that there were 3 ladies with left eye dominance. They made up one group by themselves when it came to shooting.

Next on the agenda was mounting and fitting the shotgun to their shoulders. The ladies were very serious about finding the right gun to fit them.

Lunch is included in the all day Women On Target® clinics to foster camaraderie in the growing community of women's shooting. Donn outdid himself as usual with the food he provided for the ladies. After lunch it was time to hit the pavement.

The instructors went through what was going to happen before any clays were released so that everyone knew what to expect. All the ladies went through following the clay pigeon with their arms extended, learning to track the flight path. Then it was time for loading the shell. Every time someone made contact, the entire group of ladies cheered and clapped! They were all rooting for each other, sharing the joy and fun of a successful shoot. And a few were more than reluctant to leave when their range time was finished. They wanted to go on shooting!

Women On Target® has more clinics scheduled in Indiana this year covering many of the shooting disciplines. Is there a lady you know who would enjoy this camaraderie? Can you think of someone who could learn a positive attitude toward shooting in this type of environment? Then please put them in contact with me, someone at ISRPA, at Women On Target® or just the NRA. The more people we can get interested and hooked on shooting, the stronger our sports will be.