# Question about shooting...



## Chrissy (Apr 17, 2007)

Ok here is my question...
I am new to all this hunting. I love bow hunting and my hubby can't understand why I won't use a release. But when it comes to the gun (deer and turkey) I get nervious and don't want to practice. I would rather just have him hand me a gun that morning and say there you go. He wants me to practice practice and practice. But last time I shot with him he got upset because I dropped his 20 gauge (What a KICK). I hold the gun close to me and know what not to do now. ha ha I wouldn't mind practicing but how do I without feeling nervious? I shot a doe with either a 270 or 243 but that gun I didn't practice much with. Maybe shot once or twice at my father-in-laws a couple of days before open season. If anyone has advice PLEASE help me.


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## blk82072 (Feb 10, 2007)

if your hunting, you really owe it to the game to practice practice practice. Maybe find a range with someone other than your husband to help out.


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## SHANK (Apr 5, 2006)

I'm trying to get my fiance and 9 y/o son to deal with recoil also.

A good recoil pad will absorb a lot of kick...go to a gun shop and price them out. 

An automatic will not kick as much because it uses some of the recoil to operate the action. Have your hubby buy you one!

Hold the gun tightly against your shoulder when firing. This way it will feel more like a push than a punch.

Don't rest your cheek tightly against the stock when firing....

Just off the top of my head. There's a lot of gun/shooting experts on this site. Maybe post in the guns forum?

Good luck!


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## RIVER LADY (Jun 13, 2005)

Chrissy,

As others have stated, you owe it to the game and to others you may hunt with to be as familiar with the gun of your choice as you possibly can. 
I was the same way when I first starting shooting. I just somehow don't think about it. 

You need more confidence in yourself and your ability to handle the gun. Confidence comes with practice. 

So, just tell yourself you can do it. If you believe you can you will. Just tell the hubby he can't come and go to your father in laws and ask him to shoot with you maybe, if that is an option. Don't worry if the hubby will yell at you or not, he'll get over it and the gun will make it through it. 

Good luck


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## ERnurse (Jan 22, 2004)

Chrissy-- try wearing a heavy jacket or something to pad your shoulder, hold gun to shoulder as stated above, and even a recoil pad on the butt of gun will help. Ear plugs are also helpful because the blast of the gun is something that "jolts" you making you nervous even if you dont realize it. If you reduce some of these things-(sound and kick) it will help with your nerves. Try a smaller caliber gun if you can find one 410, 20 ga that are semi auto which reduces recoil, or just go target shooting a couple of times with a .22 to start. Also shooting at a moving target like trap/skeet helps to distract you from the gun ans shooting itself. Good luck and let us know how you do.


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## eddiejohn4 (Dec 23, 2005)

ER nurse gives great advice. I would start small and work your way up.


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## KS up north (Jan 2, 2004)

I agree with the start small statement. A .22 will help with building confidence and accuracy. 



Chrissy said:


> Ok here is my question...
> I am new to all this hunting. I love bow hunting and my hubby can't understand why I won't use a release.


Regarding the bow hunting: How is your grouping when shooting witout a release? 
Archery is all about consistancy. If you are shooting "fingers", your release of the string may not be consistant. If your grouping is not faily tight (pieplate size) at your expected shot range, you may want to try a release. If your groups are fine, then continue to do what you do.

As stated above, pratice, practice, practice. You need to have confidence in yourself and your gear.


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## autumnlovr (Jul 21, 2003)

A couple more points on the rifle/shotgun shooting, lean into the gun. DO NOT lean backwards, that's a good way to end up on your butt, plus your torso cannot absorb some of the recoil. If you are just sitting in one place, use a heavier gun, it also will absorb some of the kick. 
Go shooting with the girls, we are far more patient with each other.
I used to shoot my bow instinctive and using a golf glove on my draw hand rather than fingers or a release. Since going to sights and a good release, I've improved my shooting tremendously to the point where I took 1st place in the Women's division of the MUCC State Shoot a few years back. The extra stuff really does work.


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## Bassman Dan (May 26, 2006)

ERnurse said:


> Chrissy-- try wearing a heavy jacket or something to pad your shoulder, hold gun to shoulder as stated above, and even a recoil pad on the butt of gun will help. Ear plugs are also helpful because the blast of the gun is something that "jolts" you making you nervous even if you dont realize it. If you reduce some of these things-(sound and kick) it will help with your nerves. Try a smaller caliber gun if you can find one 410, 20 ga that are semi auto which reduces recoil, or just go target shooting a couple of times with a .22 to start. Also shooting at a moving target like trap/skeet helps to distract you from the gun ans shooting itself. Good luck and let us know how you do.


ERnurse pretty much summed it up. If you are not comfortable with a weapon, you should not be using it. It is not fair to the game and is dangerous. Like stated before, start small and work you way up. Keep the gun tight agains your shoulder, take a deep breath and squeeze don't pull the trigger. Good luck


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## walleyeman2006 (Sep 12, 2006)

like was stated practice is a must.......but it sounds like you need a good shooting bench...or a picinic table with a pillow or two...allso the size of the gun isnt allways the big deal its the wieght...stay away from single shot guns...shooting free hand for practice is pointless especially with a rifle........all my guns are zero d off a bench.....dropping a gun is a very dangerous situation ....but i ran into a similar issue with my wife and a 54 cal muzzle loader she was scared of it until she shot it once...now she wants the muzzle loader instead of the shot gun lol

if your nervouse practicing with your hubby....find some one else to help you..but try shooting from a sitting position its far more accurate and will build your confidence faster


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## wildcoy73 (Mar 2, 2004)

Thank you all for your help. I am going to talk to my sister about helping me out. When I do finally shoot the gun I will let you all know how it was  Keeping everything that all of you have said will help me out. Hopefully all goes well. It's funny hubby has been reading all the responces and said see I told you. But hearing it from others I think just helps out a little more. Atleast I don't feel alone anymore. Thanks, Chrissy


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## MI_Bowhunter (Feb 5, 2005)

taking instruction from a loved one can be a pain in the ****.. I learned from my father but did not become really proficiant with a rifle until I became a United States Marine. I would find someone you know that is a pretty good marksmen and take instruction from them begining with a .22 and working your way up.

Husbands tend to be a bit forceful when it comes to marksmenship as they have usually done it for a long time and have very little empathy for a situation such as yours.

And yes, I am speaking from experiance. Unfortunatly.

Good luck and practice, practice, practice.

Even though I can hit center mass in the 10 ring at 1000m I practice as often as possible.


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## Ferris_StateHunter (Apr 24, 2006)

if your looking at recoil pads, I know the kick ez... would be a good suggestion. I see many use it at the gun rangea and having shot with it myself, I would see its one of the best on the market, very soft gel pad. 
Also no need killing yourself with the big guns. Just remember the gun can't hurt you (unless its pointed at you  ) Just lean into the shot and make sure there is no room for that gun to come back into your shoulder. The main reason the kick hurts so much is when there is space between the end of the gun and your shoulder. and the more you practice the more you will get used to the kick


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## huntbyhorseback (Apr 27, 2007)

Go with the girls, learning from a guy is just counter productive! I actually went with my son, who is not a hunter and just had him watch and give constructive feedback, made me a much better marksman!


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## res (Nov 22, 2006)

Just north of Greenville on M-91 there is Flat River Sportsmans club. They have a great range and I was a member there for about 5 years. I took my ccw course through them as well. You might try giving them a call and see if they have some of their instructors that could teach you a bit about shooting. I moved out of the area or I would offer to help you out. I have taught my wife to shoot and had to learn to let her develop at her own pace. I started her with the 22 as suggested and then into a single shot 410. The other thing I found quickly was that my guns DO NOT FIT HER!!!!!!! I bought her a shot gun fit to her. What a difference. Recoil is not as rough when the gun fits you correctly. I also bought her a rifle that fits her. It is in a very nice caliber that normally has very little recoil compared to larger rifles. That thing kicks the devil out of me since it is to short and I always want to pull it away from my shoulder. Gives it a good running head start before it hits me. My buddy's 12 year old son shot the thing and he loved it but it fit him. Second, when she first started using the 20 gauge, we used VERY light loads at first. Many guys think that everyone should learn by using the hunting loads. Why do you think skeet, trap, and sporting clays shooters use very light loads. Even the normal guy is going to be a bit sore after multiple rounds. Once you get hurt shooting the likely hood of developing flinching problems is increased signficicantly. Something else that might help. With the shot gun and very light loads, try shooting some clay targets from a thrower. I found that once I taught my wife to mount the gun correctly, the distraction of concentrating on a moving target caused her not to notice the guns movement so much. Just some thoughts. Today, my wife shoots a Beretta 390 12 gauge and is looking forward to hunting turkey. Rick


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## Slippin' (Feb 6, 2000)

ERnurse said:


> Chrissy-- try wearing a heavy jacket or something to pad your shoulder, hold gun to shoulder as stated above, and even a recoil pad on the butt of gun will help. Ear plugs are also helpful because the blast of the gun is something that "jolts" you making you nervous even if you dont realize it. If you reduce some of these things-(sound and kick) it will help with your nerves. Try a smaller caliber gun if you can find one 410, 20 ga that are semi auto which reduces recoil, or just go target shooting a couple of times with a .22 to start. Also shooting at a moving target like trap/skeet helps to distract you from the gun ans shooting itself. Good luck and let us know how you do.


 

I suggest shotting 100's of rounds of 22cal. Make it a competition - make it fun.


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## wyldkat49766 (Apr 21, 2007)

When I first started using a gun, my dad taught me using a .22 also. I would be worried also about someone dropping a gun. But find someone else who is willing to teach you. I have always had short arms and my dad purchased me a 30-30 winchester that we had the stock shortened to fit me. Almost 25 yrs later, I am still using it. Yes there is some kick but thats also why I prefer to practice as often as I can. Even getting in early to the hunting camp to shoot off one or two rounds so that when I shoot at my deer, I am already used to and expecting the recoil. Also, do NOT put your eye right next to the scope.


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## Chrissy (Apr 17, 2007)

I went out today and shot the 22. BOY did I have a blast. Luckly, there are 3 differant ones in my house and I shot all 3 but I liked my hubby's better when I had it resting on something. but for free hand I liked my kids single shot but that was because it was heavier. Hubby said I must have shot off around 500 rounds. I tried his shotgun with holding it by my side to feel what it would be like (kick or something hubby said) but I didn't care for that at all so I stayed with the 22. Wanted to let everyone know I DID IT!!! And I even kept my shots close to the middle circle.


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## Lindsey (Jan 22, 2000)

Chrissy,
Come join us at the Wild Women of Washtenaw Outdoor Women's Event on May 11 & 12. 
We have classes for shooting rifles, shotguns, and archery as well as many interesting non-shooting classes.
http://www.washtenawsportsmansclub.org/programs/wwow/index.html
There are more than 120 women enrolled for WWOW.
I hope you can join us. 
Lindsey


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