My wife has had a CCW for some time. Only recently was I able to get her to carry "her" gun, a SIG 230. She has shot it a few times and qualified for the permit with it (which in TN could be accomplished by a blind man with Parkinson's Disease--but I digress).
So today we decide to go out and shoot a little with the kids. I took her gun, a Smith Model 18 in .22LR, and an HK P7 (Thanks again, TechMike!).
First I pull out the Smith and load it up. Daughter (age 11 3/4) takes her turn. She blasts the center of the target pretty good even though her hands are not quite big and strong enough for the double action. Then son (age 10) takes his turn. He does OK as well. Again, hands a little small for the gun. Then my wife takes a turn and her shots are all over (and off) the 8x11 target at about 20 feet. She tries again and same thing.
Then we take out her SIG. Load it up. Her shots are pretty much all over the paper. She thinks the sights are off. I take it and put near every one through the red bullseye, again only 20 feet or so.
Then I take out the P7 and load it up. She takes it. The target center never had a chance. She's blowing and going, hitting whatever she aims for. Tells me she likes the squeeze cocker because she can see the firing pin come back and knows its ready. Sights are easy to use. Recoil is manageable. She'll take it.
Lessons learned: the .22 revolver is not the beginner's panacaea everyone thinks it is. Just because someone doesnt shoot one gun well doesnt mean their technique is bad. Guns are complicated or simple not in any absolute sense, but only relative to someone's make-up.
So today we decide to go out and shoot a little with the kids. I took her gun, a Smith Model 18 in .22LR, and an HK P7 (Thanks again, TechMike!).
First I pull out the Smith and load it up. Daughter (age 11 3/4) takes her turn. She blasts the center of the target pretty good even though her hands are not quite big and strong enough for the double action. Then son (age 10) takes his turn. He does OK as well. Again, hands a little small for the gun. Then my wife takes a turn and her shots are all over (and off) the 8x11 target at about 20 feet. She tries again and same thing.
Then we take out her SIG. Load it up. Her shots are pretty much all over the paper. She thinks the sights are off. I take it and put near every one through the red bullseye, again only 20 feet or so.
Then I take out the P7 and load it up. She takes it. The target center never had a chance. She's blowing and going, hitting whatever she aims for. Tells me she likes the squeeze cocker because she can see the firing pin come back and knows its ready. Sights are easy to use. Recoil is manageable. She'll take it.
Lessons learned: the .22 revolver is not the beginner's panacaea everyone thinks it is. Just because someone doesnt shoot one gun well doesnt mean their technique is bad. Guns are complicated or simple not in any absolute sense, but only relative to someone's make-up.