View Full Version : Teaching Wife To Shoot Skeet And Other Causes For Divorce.
DorGunR
September 18, 2001, 03:47 PM
Driving home from a shoping trip last Saturday my wife said" after you retire in two weeks you'll be doing a lot of shooting won't you"? and I said "Yes, I had planned to, why do you ask"?
bottom line.....she wants me to teach her to shoot skeet.:eek: Now this is great except for one thing, I think it's great that she is interested in shooting skeet but teaching her may be a problem.....kinda like teaching your wife to drive.
So.....do you guys know where I can get a book for her to start with, like "Skeet Shooting For Dummies"? No really, I would like to find a book like "The Basics of Skeet shooting"....is there any such thing available?
Any suggestions will be appreciated.:)
JP3
September 18, 2001, 07:24 PM
Look up "skeet" on ebay. There are several for sale. I would tell you to check out Sunrise Production's website...but it seems they need to pay their hosting fees first.
www.sunrisevideo.com
Navy joe
September 18, 2001, 08:23 PM
We need TFL awards, AKA the Gunnys or sumptin'
"And the award for best non-fiction thread title goes to...":D
http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/flags/usa.gif
Bowser
September 18, 2001, 09:05 PM
Hi,
go to the library (it's free!!) and go to the section number 799.xx.
There you will see a book all about skeet, trap and sporting clays. The name eludes me, but the book has a pic. of some Ruger O/U's on it. It's a great book.
Next thing - try to get her a 20 gauge, some clubs are wising up to the idea that it's good to keep a few loaner 20 gauges on hand for lending out to new women shooters.
Take her to station 7, and have her shoot nothing but low's until she can hit them consistently. Then highs.
Then go to station one, again lows first, then highs. Then a couple of doubles.
Above all - thank her for showing an interest!!
Bowser.
P.S. - if you're ever in the Bay Area, please come to the Richmond Rod and Gun Club. We're open Wed. noon till 4pm, weekends 10 am till 4pm. We're completely non-profit, and I think we're the cheapest in the Bay Area ($4.50 a round for non members, $3.00 for members). Steel shot ammunition is available at the club for $7.25 a box. We must shoot steel as we shoot over the Bay. Beautiful views too, I might add.
I work there on a Wednesday, and I am very willing to open up a field just for beginners if one is available. This way, beginners don't get put off by shooting a full round with an experienced bunch of shooters.
bastiat
September 19, 2001, 12:31 AM
You may want to take the easy way out and pay someone to give her lessons. No arguments, no thinking you're making fun of her, just send her away and she comes back with the knowledge she needs.
Maybe I should have followed this advice when it came to teaching my wife to drive using a stick shift. :)
Dave McC
September 19, 2001, 06:50 AM
Wonderful Wife still doesn't know how to drive a stick shift. She doesn't do shotguns either.
I think this is the time to call in a pro and get her some lessons. Started off right beats having to unlearn bad habits.
Then bite the bullet and get her the shotgun SHE wants, not the one you think she should have. Trust me on this...
Also,recognise the fact that it's quite possible your ego may take a beating. Women have, in general, better eye/hand co-ordination, take directions better, and have less to unlearn when it comes to shooting.
So, it's quite possible she may outshoot you....
Double Naught Spy
September 19, 2001, 08:33 AM
An armed society is a polite society. An armed spouse is a completely different thing all together.
Teaching your spouse may not be the best thing in the world for your relationship. I shoot with my wife, but I don't instruct her. We have taken courses together and separately. Having a third party instructor is a good thing because differences are not a matter that comes down to you and her, but you and what she was taught.
rowdy1
September 19, 2001, 09:07 AM
While teaching my wife to drive stick I learned one thing.
Don't try to teach them, have someone else do it! :D
Rottweiler
September 19, 2001, 03:25 PM
Part II to what Rowdy said. : Don't let them learn in your vehicle. Unless you can afford a new clutch
LoneStranger
September 19, 2001, 11:04 PM
Rottweiler; I taught my wife to drive a stick and the car she learned on went 170k miles. 120k she put on it. Traded it when it finally needed a new clutch. Clutch job worth more that car.
Would never teach wife to shoot, she's to emotional!:rolleyes:
Quartus
September 19, 2001, 11:51 PM
Taught my wife to drive, worked very well. She's a great driver, and backs a van into a tight garage almost every day.
Plan to teach her to shoot, soon as my job situation stabilizes.
It all depends on the type of relationship you have and what kind of teacher you are, and, to a lesser extent, what kind of student she is.
Oleg Volk
September 22, 2001, 12:04 AM
I am teaching my mother to shoot pistol. She said that she prefers to have me do it to having a real instructor. The reason, I think, is that I adjust entirely to her wishes (stop the lesson when she gets tired, go over the basics in detail, encourage by making sure that she gets simple steps right before going on to harder tasks). It can work provided you pay very close attention to her wishes (incl. those left unverbalized) and that the gun fits her. For instance, if I ever teach a shotgun newbie, I will start with a 410 on stationary targets at close range. A pop can at 5ft would be a good start. Then a pop can at 10ft. Then at 15. Make sure that the gun's operation and behavior on recoil are obvious. If the person is of small stature, use a "bantam" stock and make up for the length of pull with extra padding, as needed (wearable recoil pads are useful). I would not start with a 12ga because they either kick hard or weigh a lot. To me, 20ga with an IC choke seems like a good compromise. Use good hearing protection (plugs and muffs).
That said: only teach your wife if you can communicate with her. If she can deal with frustration without blaming you for it, then give it a go. Otherwise, learning to communicate peaceably might be more important than learning to bust clays.
(Not that I am an expert on either, just a one-penny thought for your reading enjoyment)
yankytrash
September 22, 2001, 03:53 AM
I've got a very informative-for-newbies book called How To Shoot, by Robert Elman. Covers everything from what a gun is, to how to choose a gun, to how to handle a gun, to how to shoot rifle, pistol, and shotgun. Covers skeet shooting very well, and there's lots of pictures for the proper technique.
I can send it to you if you want. Just send it back when you're done with it. Email me if you want it.
Luckily for me, I know everything, so I don't need to read anymore. :D
A note on giving your wife a "How To" book:
Make sure you read it yourself, first. If she starts telling you what technique to use, or what you're doing wrong, that could be cause for a major fight.
Quartus
September 22, 2001, 10:25 AM
I adjust entirely to her wishes
You'd better, sonny boy! I'll bet she can still warm your britches for you!
:D
Seriously, your comments about communication are right on the money. A good instructor (whatever the subject) pays attention to the verbal and non-verbal feedback from the student. The objective is LEARNING, not teaching. There's a big difference in viewpoint. To some folks, teaching is a power game, and that is a recipe for disaster, especially with a close relative.
The Chinese have a saying, "There are no poor students, only poor teachers." I don't think that's 100% true, but a whole lot of "poor students" have had a major deficiency on the teacher end of the equation.
But Oleg, how does it feel to know you are not a "real instructor"? ;)
Kobra
September 24, 2001, 12:51 PM
Lessons learned:
I taught my wife to drive a manual on my 5.0 Mustang. Only two options on take off - smoke the tires or smoke the clutch.
I taught her to shot handguns. Bought her a Glock 26. She was frustrated at first because I picked it up after she was done with it and did some of the best shooting of my whole life. Just figures.. Now she is starting to feel good about it after a year of ownership.
Now she wants to learn how to shot clays. We checked out every gun in the store only to have her tell me that the $1499 Fabarms O/U is the only one that fits. We are still in negotiations on this one. I really think a 20ga auto is a better type for her - she is very recoil sensitive and not very strong. I have a feeling that shooting clays will be very frustrating for her so I will probably take a shot at it and then get her some professional instruction.
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