Women on Target from the Women of the NRA

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The first Women on Target class in the Tucson area, part of the NRA’s women’s program, ran on Saturday, March 28, 2009, directed by Chester Manning of Manning Firearms Training & Tactics. After Action.net sent a first-time shooter to report from a beginner’s point of view.

Course overview

  • Program: NRA Women on Target, an introductory pistol day for women
  • Director: Chester Manning, Manning Firearms Training & Tactics
  • Classroom instructors: Alison, Kathy and Dee
  • Range staff: more than ten pistol range instructors
  • Students: about 50 preregistered women, most new to shooting
  • Range: Three Points Shooting Range, west of Tucson

Classroom

  • The day began at 8 a.m. with breakfast, registration and introductions to every staff member.
  • Each student received a bag of class materials: a clip-on safety light, a visor, ear plugs, a folder for NRA tests and certificates, and reading on pistol shooting and self defense options.
  • Four topics, each taught by a different instructor: pistol safety, parts and operation; ammunition; aiming, grip and trigger control; and cleaning and maintenance.
  • Students learned to find their dominant eye with a simple hand-triangle test, with other methods for those it did not work for.
  • They practiced several stances and bench rest positions to find a comfortable shooting position.

Range

  • After a lunch included in the class fee, the class moved to the range for a review of the rules from Chester Manning.
  • Fifteen stations each had an instructor, a bench, a bean bag rest and several calibers, so students could try different guns and find what suited them.

Observations

  • Nobody was talked down to for being a beginner. Instructors explained everything at the student’s level until the whole class understood.
  • The handouts gave beginners a visual reference for terms they had never heard before.
  • Rotating instructors between topics kept a long day fresh.

Takeaways

  • Women on Target is an excellent, low-pressure first step for women new to handguns.
  • Trying several calibers on a supported bench is the best way to find a comfortable starting gun.
  • For a more intensive next step, see the Babes with Bullets camp.

Originally published on After Action.net on April 9, 2009. Rebuilt from the archived report; the original photos were not preserved. See every class in the Training Log, or share your own training experience.

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