Taking my wife to the range for the first time, what do you think of my plan?

[sonofagun]

So, on Friday Im getting (drum roll please), a pedicure.

Other than that, I found it was helpful to leave the gun on the kitchen table (unloaded) for a week so that my wife could pick it up at her leisure and practice the safety check and safe handling so she would not have to try to think so hard at the range.

 

[Jay]

You have a good plan. The only other thing I'd suggest, (after a quick browse and didn't see it) is that you shoot every firearm at every target FIRST... while she is allowed to see/hear just what she can expect from a safe (by her definition) distance. Once she see that nothing scarey happened to you, she should be somewhat re-assured....

Have fun and be safe....

 

[schafe]

You have a good plan. The only other thing I'd suggest, (after a quick browse and didn't see it) is that you shoot every firearm at every target FIRST... while she is allowed to see/hear just what she can expect from a safe (by her definition) distance. Once she see that nothing scarey happened to you, she should be somewhat re-assured....

Have fun and be safe....

I did exactly that on my wifes first range trip. I asked her to come close enough to see what I was doing, but as far away as she needed to feel okay/ safe.
She chose to go right up alongside me, and watched intently, after which, she was chomping at the bit to start learning.
But I'll bet some others would have gone a little slower.When my wife makes up her mind that she is going to do something, I know she's going to make it happen as soon as she can. YMMV.

 

[superjoe76]

I would also suggest finding a range where you can have some privacy. If she's new to shooting and already apprehensive, she's not going to want other people (especially a RSO) watching over her shoulder. Atterbury almost turned Spasmo off shooting altogether for that exact reason.

Funny! When my wife and I went to a local range for her first time the RO was watching through the window after a while. She noticed and commented about it, so I told her to impress them with your awesomeness. So she did!

 

[JetGirl]

shoot every firearm at every target FIRST... while she is allowed to see/hear just what she can expect

Hmm...I'm betting that somewhere along the way, you've heard quite a bit of "You FIRST".

 

[Jay]

Hmm...I'm betting that somewhere along the way, you've heard quite a bit of "You FIRST".

...more than once or twice, would be a very safe bet....

 

[cbseniour]

Talk about range safety before you go.
Once you get there give her a 22 help her to establish a grip and stance and then pretty much leave her alone until she asks for your thoughts or advise.
The worst thing most of us do is try to teach too much. Don't expect her to act like an expert just stand back and be supportive.

 

[rgrimm01]

For me, this has started in the various gunshops with my lady. We have forgotten what it is like to start something that we know so little about in the presence of someone who knows considerably more, real or imagined. With my gal, she is self conscious even with racking a slide, something we do with little thought or fanfare. I would suggest that you make no attempt to outshoot her leaving her feeling insufficient and not measuring up with her first few attempts. She might give up before she has even tried.

 

[dashby115]

best thing the wife did was take the nra basic pistol course...she was much more comfortable with firearms..a more familiar with how to safely handle them..well worth the money

 

[fochman]

My experience with taking my wife & daughters shooting is that once they get comfortable with the range and understand the do's & don'ts they really enjoy shooting also. Good luck! And yeah, don't laugh.