Women Only Shooting Clinic

[dawn]

Cheshire County Fish and Game (www.ccfandg.org), 19 Ferry Brook Rd, Keene

Saturday, September 9

Session 1: 8:30                               Session 2: 12:30

No charge for the clininc but pre-registration is mandatory!

Instruction, firearms, ammunition, eye protection and ear plugs all provided at no charge!

Open to all women 16 year of age and older.

For more info, contact Ron Smith at 358-6807 or ronald (at) ronaldsmithcpa.com

.22 pistol, .22 rifle and shotgun

[Kat Kanning]

Oh cool.  I will go. 

[TackleTheWorld]

Oh, free shotgun use!
Now we're talkin'!

[tracysaboe]

Excellent idea gals.

Tracy

[Kat Kanning]

With your name, you might could get in.  You'd have to wear a dress or something to the actual class.

[Money Dollars]

Did someone say shot clinic?

I have 8 extra rabies shots and tags.....



I've been playing veterinarian this year.....It only cost like $2 each...Sure beats a vet visit

[Kat Kanning]

Got a call that this is all full.  They put me on a waiting list.

[Kat Kanning]

Giving it their best shot
Local women take part in shooting clinic
   

Anna Haigh
Sentinel Staff


?Ready on the right? Ready on the left? Commence firing!?

At N.H. Fish and Game Commissioner Patricia I. Costa?s command, nine women took hold of their .22 caliber Ruger pistols.

The women stood, feet spread apart ? ear plugs and safety goggles already in place ? and got ready to align the pistols? sights with the target. Each woman slowly pulled back the trigger.

One shot went off. Then two more.


      


But as the smell of gun powder drifted into the air at the Cheshire County Fish and Game Club?s firing range in Keene on Saturday, and tiny bullet casings ricocheted onto the ground, Linda Scanlon still hadn?t fired a shot.

Scanlon, a dance instructor from Leeds, Mass., was busy discussing pistol procedures with her personal shooting coach ? Cheshire club member and Keene resident Ginger DeAngelis.

DeAngelis stood behind Scanlon, guiding her hands on the pistol and talking her through the exercise.

And by the time Costa called for a cease fire, Scanlon had more than a few pockmarks on her paper target, even if some ended up there by DeAngelis?s hand.

?I couldn?t hit anything,? Scanlon said of her first experience handling a gun. ?I?m better at catching batons.?

But for many of the 60 women who attended the Cheshire club?s first free ladies? shooting clinic on Saturday, hitting every shot on target wasn?t the point.

Keene resident Vanessa P. Warner, an avid shooter and member of the U.S. F-Class Rifle Team, said she and other members of the Cheshire club organized the event to help women become more familiar with firearms in a comfortable setting.

?I think there are a lot of women who wanted to try this but didn?t have anyone to take them,? she said.

More than 30 women ended up on a waiting list for the event ? sponsored by the National Rifle Association?s Women on Target program ? so Warner said the club plans to hold another women?s shooting clinic in the spring.

Women at the clinic on Saturday ranged in age from 15 to 74, and had a chance to try out three types of firearms and targets ? target shooting with both a rifle and a pistol, and trap shooting with a shotgun.

Most of those who attended the clinic had little or no experience with guns, so a safety class was mandatory, and experienced members of the Cheshire club served as individual coaches at each station.

And by the end of the day, many women had become more like experts, with targets covered in bullet marks.

Though Scanlon said she may never be better at shooting than dancing, she said she enjoyed the experience.

?I learned how to handle the gun safely and respect the skill it requires,? she said.

DeAngelis, Scanlon?s instructor, said she was happy to see more women at the shooting range after her 20 years of involvement with the sport.

?I can?t believe how many women have never shot a gun,? she said. ?They were having so much fun ... (with) no inhibitions.?

DeAngelis said she likes the competition of shooting, and the social aspects of the sport.

?Shooting has a bad reputation but this is a very, very safe environment,? she said.

Keene resident Angela Dorcus brought her two daughters to the clinic ? Holly, 16, and Laurie, 15 ? who were the youngest participants.

?With everything you see in the media today with guns and shootings, I wanted them to understand a little bit more about guns,? Dorcus said. ?If they ever want to own a gun, they?ll know more about it.?

Laurie Dorcus described the experience as ?pretty awesome.? She said it helped to be in a supportive atmosphere with other beginners.

?I thought it was actually pretty cool because I?ve never shot anything before,? Laurie said. ?I did horribly with shotguns ... (but) I did really well with the handgun.?

For Marlborough resident Kimberley Diemond, the day gave her a sense of confidence.

?I loved it,? she said. ?I liked the feeling of knowing that I could handle a gun and not feel scared about it.?

Diemond attended the clinic with her mother and several friends.

?We left with just smiles on our faces and are definitely going to go back,? she said.

But even if the women don?t end up members of the Cheshire club, Warner said she?ll be happy with the outcome of Saturday?s event.

?It?s about trying something new,? she said. ?They put any and all prejudice aside to give this a shot.?

[KBCraig]

Excellent report. I'm sorry you didn't get to go.

I just forwarded this to a lady down the street from me, who is the outgoing secretary of my gun club. I suggested we do something similar, only without the involvement of a government agency.

Kevin

[Kat Kanning]

Oh, what government agency was involved?

[KBCraig]

"At N.H. Fish and Game Commissioner Patricia I. Costa?s command.... "

Maybe she was just volunteering without government resources.