Shooting with my Daughter

[Steve]

My daughters birthday was yesterday so we went to her place today to celebrate and target shoot. (Now that's what I call celebrating). We blasted some melons, and apples, also shot a bunch of holes in some of those rubber targets that roll around on the ground. They are a lot of fun.

I shot a big yellow apple with a 45 colt hollow point I loaded for hunting, that thing just turned into mist. The cast bullets didn't put on near the show the hollow point did, but they are sure a lot cheaper for just plinking.

Sheila wants to start doing some shooting with a 380 again so I left my Beretta mod 85 Cheetah with her. Its a nice shooting little pistol.

[357cyrus]

Glad to hear that. I hope to be in your shoes when my daughter is old enough to understand firearms.

[Steve]

Glad to hear that. I hope to be in your shoes when my daughter is old enough to understand firearms.

Its been quite an experience trying to teach Sheila all I can. In the beginning when she wanted to learn to shoot and get a carry permit I bought this Beretta for her. She thought she couldn't operate the slide and it had too much recoil (a 380 auto?) oh well.

So off to the sporting goods store we went, got her a Walther P22. She loved that little 22 and at least she had something she could handle safely and shoot very well. She still has it and does a lot of plinking with it.

About a year later Walther came out with the PK 380. It is pretty much a scaled up P22. Got her one of those and she carried it for about 2 years. Then, happy days! She said she would like to get a 9mm or 40 S&W. So now she is carrying a XD sub compact 40 S&W. Guess what, recoil is not a problem.

Now the problem comes in. We traded the PK 380 in on the 40 and she decides she misses plinking with the 380. I kept the Beretta because its a good pistol and I use it in my pistol classes to demonstrate a traditional double action auto. The students that want to(mostly women) shoot it to see that there is very little recoil with a 380 Auto. When I have classes I will have a reason to go to Sheila's to borrow it for the class. (I'm tired of buying pistols I seldom shoot)

On another note: There has been probably a dozen women that I had in the classes that have gone the same route as Sheila. Their husbands reluctantly buy these women a 22 and a year or so later they tell me they have moved up to a 380 or 9mm.

[RBHarter]

Not being an instructor of any sort . I started all of my shooters with full size full loads .... sort of.
The 12 ga were dropped down to roughly angry 3" 410 loads in 7lb 12 ga guns and ammo. 38s with 124 s at 600 fps in full sized 357s. 22 rifles into 357 level loads then into light bullets and full loads . My daughters are 5'9" 130 # and 5'7" 100 #. My oldest daughter shot Marksman every qualification for 6 yr in the USN .

[Steve]

My recommendation to shooters in my classes is to carry the largest caliber they a comfortable with. I have seen too many ladies not go into the shooting sports because their husbands insisted they get the large frame pistol he himself has been wanting. They don't like the pistol their husband made them get so they don't enjoy shooting and don't go to the range because they don't consider it fun. Also most small framed women can't conceal a full size 1911.

I could go on for hours about ladies I have seen that don't like the same weapon their husband or father does. My daughter for instance, if I would have made her get a forty to begin with she would never have carried or practiced with it.

[Maximumbob54]

Whenever the subject of new female shooters comes up I always tell people to read everything on this website:

http://www.corneredcat.com/

I hate to say it but I was guilty of a few of the things they mention.

And never dismiss what someone can shoot or carry.

[daboone]

Shooting with my daughters is always fun, but expensive as they insist I take them to dinner after we're done. There is another upside to that however, I get to be with a beautiful woman who puts up with me! Both my daughters have their CCW.

[Steve]

Shooting with my daughters is always fun, but expensive as they insist I take them to dinner after we're done. There is another upside to that however, I get to be with a beautiful woman who puts up with me! Both my daughters have their CCW.

I know what you mean about the expensive part. I usually have to buy too. But it's worth it just to spend the quality time with her.

[Steve]

Sheila and I were blowing up targets with pistols in her back yard again today. Zeroed the scope on the sun-in-law's 10-22 while we were at it. Really looking forward to blowing up fruit and old canned goods with rifles next summer. Nothing like a can of old apple pie mix exploding when hit with a good varmint load from a 223 at close range.

[daboone]

The local grocery store here frequently sell mixed bags of fruit that are cheaper than specific types/brands of fruit. They make fun exploding pistol targets. Now you see it now you don't. And ecologically better for the countryside, no trash left behind.

Shooting with family is like praying with family, just a perfect way to keep life worthwhile and focused on what's important.