After Action.net filmed the final Babes with Bullets camp of 2009, held in November just outside Tucson, Arizona. Babes with Bullets runs ladies-only action pistol camps for novice, intermediate and advanced shooters.
Course overview
- Organizer: Deb Ferns, author of the book Babes with Bullets
- Head instructor: Kay Clark-Miculek, a many-time national and world handgun champion who shoots pistol, rifle and shotgun at the championship level
- Senior instructors: Lisa Munson, Judy Woolley, Sheila Brey, Julie Goloski and Annette Aysen, each with national handgun titles
- Length: Two and a half days
- Students: Women from 25 to 70, from first-time shooters to active competitors
How the camp runs
- Day one: a short safety briefing, then the Smith & Wesson M&P22 to learn the basics with little recoil or noise. The head instructor fires a few rounds first so students see the recoil is manageable. After lunch, students move to the Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm and spend a lot of time in dry fire: stance, grip, trigger control and sight picture.
- Day two: a review of fundamentals, then multiple targets, transitions and moving safely with a loaded gun. By afternoon, students walk through the stages they will shoot the next day.
- Day three (half day): a three-stage mock match of roughly 50 to 75 rounds, on the clock, with coaching all the way through.
- Classes split into beginner and advanced groups, and students rotate between instructors to learn from several styles.
Support
- Smith & Wesson supplied loaner M&P22 and M&P 9mm pistols, sponsors provided range gear and sights, and scholarships covered half the camp cost for students who applied.
Observations
- The focus is practical pistol shooting in the USPSA and IPSC style, with safety first and accuracy before speed.
- The goal is for each student to go home, find a local USPSA club and shoot a match with confidence.
- Students who started the week afraid to hold a handgun were completing a three-stage match by the end.
Takeaways
- A women-only camp taught by champion shooters is an excellent first class for women new to handguns.
- Dry fire on the first afternoon builds the foundation everything else rests on.
- See the Group Goddess competition from the same camp.
Originally published on After Action.net on December 21, 2009. Rebuilt from the archived report and the video transcript; the original photos were not preserved. See every class in the Training Log, or share your own training experience.
(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today)