The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Down Range Cafe => Topic started by: bigbones on January 03, 2008, 07:01:00 PM
-
What would be a nice starter handgun for a wife with no experience? I am wondering if the new Ruger in 327 Magnum would fill the bill--you could start with lighter loads and work up to the magnum when she has more confidence. Any ideas?
Bones
-
Start her on a .22. Let her try several but I say start with a single action revolver. Let her get comfortable with it then introduce her to a double action, then a semi. ALL in .22. This will take weeks if not months depending on how often you shoot.
Then let her try some other guns, 9mm, .38 etc and let HER decide what she wants.
-
I agree with Hazcat.
That said, my girlfriend went from .22 caliber rifles to a full-sized Springfield Armory 1911 .45 Auto, and she loved it. Ironically, the P226 we used seemed to recoil MORE to her. I'm thinking the low bore axis compared to the SIG's axis was a contributing factor.
Last time we went shooting, she hammered through seven rounds of .50 Magnum through a Desert Ego... Eagle. She did it because the guy behind the counter said he didn't think she could handle a full magazine. Best $14 I ever spent.
(Me, I had to switch hands after two shots.)
Not to say the DE didn't choke twice, but once she tightened up, she loved it.
-
I say start her on a .22 revolver to get her comfortable.
Doug, I love that Desert Eagle Story!!
-
I say start her on a .22 revolver to get her comfortable.
Doug, I love that Desert Eagle Story!!
Just one more reason I love my girl! ;)
-
Highly recommend starting with a .22 semi-auto (Buckmark, Ruger or the like). If there's anyway to get your hands on a Tactical Solutions handgun - it's so worth it! www.tacticalsol.com (http://www.tacticalsol.com) - their colors are amazing, the product is lightweight and very comfortable to shoot for newbies (and some of us vets). It also helps to avoid flinching from recoil or more weighted firearms.
Based on my limited experience, more women tend to shift their stance and sit back on their hips to offset the weight...a natural response, however not conducive to developing body memory & precision pistol shooting techniques.
Just my 2 cents. ;D Let us know what you both decide!
~Squibby
-
My wife loved my P-220 in .45, it fit well and recoiled less than her S&W 645.
I suggest you find a range that rents pistols and take her shooting and let HER decide which she likes best. I tried to push various weapons on the wife early on and discovered that women are different. . .Even more different, than I thought. Did you know that the S&W SW380 was nearly unusable for women with long nails due to the mag release? I didn't, but the wife pointed it out.
We men tend to project our own likes and dislikes onto our women instead of simply providing advice and depending on them to make a good decision.
-
My wife's first pistol shooting experience was with a P220- she didn't like the casings bouncing around (indoor range). Second was a Ruger GP101, (.357) 6" barrel. She shot 38's and loved it. She's got a couple of 357's now and I just got her her first love for Christmas- the GP101. Now she'll shoot my 9m and 45 outdoors too.
In 38 you could also start her with those little silly wadcutter light loads- virtually no noise or recoil.
-
My wife loved my P-220 in .45, it fit well and recoiled less than her S&W 645.
I suggest you find a range that rents pistols and take her shooting and let HER decide which she likes best. I tried to push various weapons on the wife early on and discovered that women are different. . .Even more different, than I thought. Did you know that the S&W SW380 was nearly unusable for women with long nails due to the mag release? I didn't, but the wife pointed it out.
We men tend to project our own likes and dislikes onto our women instead of simply providing advice and depending on them to make a good decision.
I concur with the Warhawke. Men...women...we are wired differently and have a different perspective and different needs. The fingernail example is one of the finest examples of a difference in "why" that can be made...and that is a valid concern...I wouldn't make fun of my wife (again) for the same thing! ! ! (Of course, Warhawke, if you wanted to live dangerously you could be dumb like me and tell her to cut those nails....see where that get's you...HA!).
The only thing I would really push, is for initial gun use experiences to be low recoil, low muzzle blast events...and that would be something like a .22 or .38 cowboy loads...so I believe you are right to initially gravitate to low power loads. Wired differently or not, she'll want to "prove herself" after she gains confidence and move up to the higher powered rounds on her own, if shooting is something she fancies.
Squibby is on the mark too. A few more coins, but the Tacsol barrels are "the bomb". She'll undoubtably love the colors first, the light weight second...my wife doesn't like plain blued barrels, stainless steel, plain wood grips and especially not synthetic stocks/grips....which is why I spent a bunch of money on a Taurus Titanium anodized blue, with a faux pearl handle and gold hammer/trigger combination. Lady Smith has some neat looking products too.... There's an upside for buying her something from Tacsol...have you ever seen the really cool camo 10/22's???...I'm just saying you know, just saying that if you get her something from Tacsol how can she say no to you getting something from Tacsol?
ATTENTION CRIMSON TRACE: From above, "...my wife doesn't like plain blued barrels, stainless steel, plain wood grips and especially not synthetic stocks/grips....". My wife won't give up her faux pearl grips. She desperately wants a laser....but the laser is second to fashion! Can ya'll help us out here?
-
While not recomended, my wife started out with my Glock 23 in 40SW and 1911 in 45ACP. She hated the 1911 until I put better (read smaller) grips on it but was still lukewarm to it. She really liked the Glock and eventually got a 17 in 9mm. Just because she is a female doens't mean she HAS to start with 22s, but a full power 357 isn't a good idea either. Like has been mentioned before let HER choose the gun. I have seen plenty of pistols purchased "for her" that she never touches becuase A) she didn't like the feel and B0 it was what HE wanted. Remember that an auto will require a bit more upper body strength (slide manipulation) and training (reloads) before hitting the range.
WARNING: As much as you might get along, teaching shooting to your significant other yourself can be frustrating and might be a good idea to get her started with someone else. My wife hates shooting with me as she takes suggestions poorly (and I suggest a lot) :P Try and find an NRA Basic Pistol course/Instructor in your area, at least for the first few range sessions.
-
Just one more reason I love my girl! ;)
Does she have a sister who's single and in the Dallas area by any chance??? ;D
-
Start out with a .22 revolver like they say, then add a .22 conversion unit to a Glock or 1911 or Beretta (I think) and then lite load 9 mm or 45. If she doesn't like the 9 or 45 you still have it to plink with and can go a different direction.
-
Does she have a sister who's single and in the Dallas area by any chance??? ;D
*sigh* only child (as far as we know - we're both adopted).
-
Man or woman, a 22 is definitely the way to start out a new shooter. Low noise and recoil so they can concentrate on the important things like trigger squeeze and sight picture. After that, they can move up to anything they can handle...at their own pace. However, if honey is already accustomed to the mechanics of shooting a handgun, as my wife was, I took her to a local gun show and let her handle all the guns in the show. We were looking at a snub nose revolver. She picked up all the snubbies in the show. Not terribly interested, until she found the one that really fit her hand. She lit up and said, "This is the one." It turned out to be a Ruger SP101. But it could have been anything. The point is, she found the revolver that fit her hand. She shoots very well. As one of the guys said before, let her pick the one that works for her. She will be more likely to carry it and shoot it if it is hers, not one of the ones we picked out for her.
-
All good comments, but to get own 2 cents worth in, little guns, or rather guns with REAL small grips,(NAA revolvers Kel-Tec, Acu-Tec , wallet size guns) are notoriusly difficult to shoot, but many Novice ladies like them cuz thier "cute"
If the lady wants something in that catagory Deffinitly make sure she has a chance to "try before you buy"
Of course make sure she understands that you're not pushing YOUR preference , just want to be sure SHE has all the info to make a decision . otherwise it will be like trying to herd cats.
-
Thanks for all of the suggestions. We live in a rural area so the options are somewhat limited in terms of trying different models at a range. We will start with a couple of .22 handguns that I have on hand and work our way forward from there.
I will let you know how things go.
Bones
-
I would go with a 22 revolver, (as a lot have said already), then maybe a 357, shooting 38's. Once they get the safe handling part down, let them choose. My wife likes the 85UL and my girl like the 92F, but they started with a 22.
Just my 2 cents
-
I think all women ( and youngsters ) should start out with 22's.
All the reasons have already been stated.. but one key factor is also that you can generally hit your target and that makes shooting fun. Whether you cut your teeth on empty cans, snakes and river turtles like I did.. or you are at an indoor range shooting targets... a person likes to be able to hit what they're shooting at.
A 22 is a nice gentle way of concentrating on what you are shooting at instead of the recoil or the bang.
-
My wife started with her S&W 649 after trying a Glock pistol at the range. My opinion is if money is no object start with a .22 and then you have a good plinker to keep after she moves up to another caliber. But I would start her off with a sub 9mm, simply because that is probably what she will end up with . My wife wants a 9mm sub compact now after shooting my PT 140.
-
I've taught a couple of women how to shoot handguns. One started with a .22. The other with a 9mm. Both, got good and like shooting. It is important to start with something smaller first and when they want move up or are ready..then let them shoot something bigger. I would not start with a magum..etc. Go slow and be patient. Then once they get the craving for it.. They will want to go shooting all the time..! :D
-
A friend of mine is thinking of joining the military, and said she thought one of the hardest parts would be learning to shoot the M16. I told her "That'll probably be the easiest part of boot camp. I can teach you." She said,"Oh, God.... Don't tell me you have one!" I said,"Well, it's an AR15, which is the civilian version. But it's almost exactly the same as the M16."
-
A friend of mine is thinking of joining the military, and said she thought one of the hardest parts would be learning to shoot the M16. I told her "That'll probably be the easiest part of boot camp. I can teach you." She said,"Oh, God.... Don't tell me you have one!" I said,"Well, it's an AR15, which is the civilian version. But it's almost exactly the same as the M16."
Why the "Oh God" ?
-
Why the "Oh God" ?
Fear of an armed citizen? :)
-
Tell her to join the Marines....they'll screw her head on right! ;D
-
Semper Fi
-
A brief update on Honey--She passed the "Permit To Carry" class yesterday, shooting my S&W 617 .22 which certainly is not the best fit for her hand but it was the best choice of what I own. She scored 147 out of 150 in the shooting test!!! We are both pretty excited about her performance and now we will get serious about finding something that she likes and something that fits her hand.
Bones
-
Great! Give her a BIG congrats from Hazcat. :D
-
Get her in the next Rim fire challenge. Thats good shooting.
-
Why the "Oh God" ?
That's what she said. I think it's just because she's not a "gun person" and she's a little afraid of them (I'm hoping I can change that.). I think she was just surprised that I had "a military rifle." Which she shouldn't have been. She should know me well enough.
-
That's what she said. I think it's just because she's not a "gun person" and she's a little afraid of them (I'm hoping I can change that.). I think she was just surprised that I had "a military rifle." Which she shouldn't have been. She should know me well enough.
OK. Well, get to work on her (remember .22 first) and bring her to the joys of making little groups of holes in paper ;).
Also let her know guys think girls with guns are HOT ;)
-
I started my wife with a 10-22 and after that she worked up to where she will shoot my Delta Elite.
She fell in love with my custom S&W Model 65 so now I need to buy another one. ;D
-
I started my wife with a 10-22 and after that she worked up to where she will shoot my Delta Elite.
She fell in love with my custom S&W Model 65 so now I need to buy another one. ;D
The ladies do have a way of "claiming" our favorite guns.
-
The ladies do have a way of "claiming" our favorite guns.
A friend has a perfect solution to that. Buy two.
His wife is more than happy to let him.