|
A Woman's Arms - A Woman\'s Arms |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Written by Lindsay Robinson, For NEXTnc
|
|
Thursday, 30 November 2006 |
|
|
|
|
|
Page 2 of 6
New shooter gets feel for guns, taste for bull’s-eye hits
by Lindsay Robinson
My heart’s pounding. I’m sweating a little bit. My hands are shaking slightly.
I’m nervous.
I’m about to shoot a gun for the first time. I don’t like guns. I’ve never even touched one before. And here I am, about to SHOOT one. Yikes.
Tim Brough, the owner of Rocky Mountain Shooters Supply, patiently shows me the guns that I’ll be shooting and tells me how to operate them and how they work. He wants me to hold one, get a feel for it.
Reluctantly, I pick up the gun, a .22-caliber Smith and Wesson revolver that looks like it could be from a Western movie. It’s heavy — much heavier than I expected. Even though the gun isn’t loaded, it’s strange to think I’m holding something in my hand that could so easily kill someone.
Brough shows me the guns and tells me to put on some eye and ear protection. I choose the yellow aviator glasses, at the behest of one of the employees, and some gray sound-dulling earmuffs.
We walk into the shooting range and the first thing I notice is how loud it is (guess that’s why they made me wear the ear protection). There are only two other people shooting, but I find myself flinching every time they take a shot. I never realized guns made so much noise.
Brough attaches the paper target and sends it 10 feet down the lane. He wants me to hold the still-unloaded gun again and aim for the target, lining my sights up. I do and I start to feel slightly more comfortable — how hard can this be?
He loads the revolver and hands it to me. Oh my. I try to form the stance Brough told me about — arms forward with elbows slightly bent, right hand, my trigger hand, pushing forward on the gun and left hand pulling back. Tim reminds me to cock the hammer — since it’s a revolver, the hammer must be cocked before every shot.
I aim. I fire. The gun bucks slightly. I know that’s what happens on TV, but I wasn’t prepared for it. And the “bang” was much louder than I’d expected.
“Did I hit it?” I ask, squinting at the target. Brough points out the spot where my little bullet pierced the paper, toward the bottom.
I steady myself, still not comfortable with a gun in my hand, and pull the hammer again. I take several more shots, stopping so Brough can reload the gun. I’m pleased to see all of my subsequent shots land much closer to the center — a few even hit the red bull’s-eye!
The next gun I shoot is a black .22-caliber Smith and Wesson semi-automatic. I like this gun better — you don’t have to keep cocking it before each shot. I do well with this gun. It shoots similarly to the first, with slightly more recoil.
After I empty several rounds of the semi-automatic, Brough asks me if I want to shoot something bigger. I say sure, because by now I’m enjoying myself. He gives me a 9 mm Glock.
I’m excited — this is the kind of gun rappers sing about, the kind that’s always-ready-for-action Grandma Mazur has in my favorite novels by Janet Evanovich.
The bullets are much larger — and the recoil is much stronger. After shooting the .22s, I’m completely unprepared for the way the Glock moves my hands upward after the first shot and the percussion feels like a smack in the face.
I shoot several rounds with the Glock, not doing nearly as well as I did with the .22s. I didn’t hit a single bull’s-eye. And it made my hand a little sore.
I guess the Glock is just a little too powerful for me.
But, as Brough says, there is no one gun suited to all women. He recommends shooting several to find out which you like best.
My first experience shooting was fun, once I got over my initial nerves. Although I didn’t feel the sense of empowerment a lot of women talk about when referring to guns, it did appeal to my sense of competition. As I started to shoot well, I wanted to shoot even better.
I understand why women — and men — are drawn to the challenge of recreational shooting. You’re constantly trying to beat yourself.
But, no, I won’t be winning a shooting contest anytime soon.
Lindsay Robinson is a journalism studentat Colorado
State University completing her internship at NEXTnc.
|
|
|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
| |
|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
|  | over and out | |
| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
|
|
|
|
| |
