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How to introduce a family member to firearms?

shakti said:
Hello friends at NES,

I am a relative newbie myself, only having less than a year of fire arms experience. However, I love it and my wife was a sport and went and got the LTC as well even though she is very much reluctant to use a firearm. She feels her hand is weak and she does not feel confident. I have tried to get her to the range but generally been unsuccessful.

However, my 21yr old daughter, who has been to the range with me and seen people shoot really does not want to have anything to do with firearms at all. She does not want to get an LTC even though I tell her that girls like her are the ones who will benefit the most from it.

So, I am looking for advice and ideas on how to get them to consider the idea of getting an LTC and going to the range.

Thank you
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Hire someone else to instruct them.

My wife doesn't listen to me, and that's me in the red shirt in my picture. Not a word sinks in.
If you can get access to somewhere besides a 'range', bring water bottles, balloons, anything that reacts to the bullet. Make it a game.

edit: As someone else said, maybe start with a .22 rifle instead of a pistol.
 
Broc said:
This. The more you push it, the less they will want to do it.

What I would do is tell her you will pay for her LTC class and application just so she can have it. No pressure eom buying a gun or going to the range, but this way if she decides she ever wants one she will have the license and if she doesn't that is fine, it is another form of ID she can use in the future.

But that is it, don't push it.
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Yup, going through the same thing with my wife. I've tried to get her to go to the range but she's not really interested and I'm okay with that. I do want her to get her LTC though just in case something happens to me she'll have the ability to take possession of my stuff.
 
G4Y4HK said:
There are people out there who don't think plinking cans is fun? Guns aren't merely designed to shoot assault style bullets at sandy hook style children.
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Started both my wife and son out that way .
Playing range games eventually to hone the skills .
One shoots the can to pop it up and the other has to hit it while it's still in motion .
Makes it more fun when you're chasing the can all over the banking.
The wife loves to shoot but not the biggest fan of punching holes in paper.
Now set her up with the SKS and a 6" gong at a hundred yards and she won't stop till the ammo is gone.
 
My wife was on board with me getting my LTC, when I got it 4 years ago. She had not interest in getting hers, or coming to the range. She isn't anti- gun. Each time I went to the range, I would ask if she wanted to come along. Every now and then she would come and shoot.
I started shooting Steel Challenge matches and slowly became friends with many of the other competitors. This meant I was off shooting a match, 1or 2 days a month on the weekends. I would come home with stories of how much fun the people were. By knowing what happened at matches, helped to convince her to try a match at our club. She is also competitive by nature, so the challenge of it was appealing.
She now does matches with all of us. She got her LTC last year. We have a fun group that gets together for lunches, dinners and drinks. Our "shooting" group of friends range in ages of early 30's to mid 60's. A truly diverse group of people...they are stay at home moms, a police officer, a teacher, retirees, and small businesses owners.
My suggestion is to not pressure either one. You're half way there with both of them being ok with you having an LTC and guns. Maybe you can start getting into the shooting sports? I have seen many familes shooting together at theses matches.
 
If she has a boyfriend, get him into it. Getting dragged to the range with dad is lame, date night to the range less so. [thumbsup]
 
Luckily wife and daughter both were eager to learn. Wife is local go to person on Arisakas now.

I had them read chapters 3 thru 5 of a book called modern day gunslinger. I think it is an excellent read. Makes them think about being a plinker or CCW holder. Ask them to read just those 40 pages to understand your interest in firearms.

Good luck.
 
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I was lucky in that my daughter only needed a nudge. I introduced her to shooting with a Ruger Single Six in .22 and a Ruger 77/17 in .17HMR. A friend of mine came along with a hand thrower, a few clay pigeons and a Remington Model 1100 in 28 gauge. So some variety and very little recoil.

Several of my friends wanted to also get their wives or daughters interested in shooting. For the LTC requirements, assuming you are in MA, I organized a "girls-only" class of five and brought bagels and cream cheese while a friend taught the class. Then he brought them to the range for the live fire requirement which included the Browning semi-auto in .22 (can't think of the model number). I'm sure there were a couple of other firearms there but they all loved the Browning. It was a big success among the five women.
 
Have someone with shooting experience with you.
Preferably with instruction experience.
Go slow snd easy, no pressure, and no macho nonsense.
 
cams said:
I thought he was talking about the wife at first. Almost choked on my drink. [laugh]
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Oh it's a thing. I know several women in NYC who are married and have boyfriends on the side. Their cuck hubbies aren't happy about the situation but they rather share their wife than be single and not get any lol.
 
Buck F said:
It's not so bad when they shoot prone, takes a little bit out of the shock wave when they're lying on the ground shooting. Not kidding, have seen people do that there on the rifle (25 yard) range... [rofl]
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Broc said:
Spoken like a true MGTOW king.

View attachment 752925
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I was talking about operator dudes shooting rifle prone at an indoor 25 yard public range, lol...
 
Can leas a horse to water, can't force it to drink.

Girls have the right to not want to participate, you should be respecting the decision and not trying to force it on them. Forcing it will only make your life harder and entrench opinions.
 
P51MA said:
If she has a boyfriend, get him into it. Getting dragged to the range with dad is lame, date night to the range less so. [thumbsup]
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I would say no to this approach to start. You want her to have her own experience and instructor independent of anyone else to start so that she can learn from the ground up. A boyfriend there will likely lead to him being a show off and know it all and it will cease to be her experience. If she gets into it and wants to get a boyfriend into it, then that’s ok, but she should start her learning with a pro and no one else to distract her. That’s my two cents on that.
 
Thanks guys.. for all your detailed and kind advice!

I did want to clarify that I DO NOT ever force. They all get to do what they want to.

My only concern is what @JDL said... that if there is a firearm in the home, it seems prudent for everyone to be at least minimally acquainted and legally able to handle one.
 
I had babysitting duty today. Nieces & nephews....
Taught them gun safety and how to shoot metal targets.

75 feet metal 2 inch targets.

All kids hit the target alot. One kid 7 year old girl nails the target 8 times in a row first time she has ever touched a pellet gun let alone a plastic toy gun.

It's amazing, she is a natural. I don't think this is normal for a 7 tear old....

Using Walmart scope.
I was in absolute shock, disbelief. Captured all of it on video
 

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