tips for teaching the wife skeet/trap

iwannausername

My mom has agreed to take the kids today, and the wife has agreed to go to the skeet/trap club with me! Woohoo grownup time!

Now, she's shot my 1911 before, and my Ruger 44 carbine, my 22s (pistols and rifles), FAL (didn't like it - bad hold, so it smacked her face), and 308 bolt gun. So she's not new to guns, but this will be a first shotgunning experience for her. We'll be using my O/U 20 ga.

Any tips for teaching her to enjoy skeet/trap? I was thinking of starting her on skeet station 7, low house birds. Nice long flight up and directly away. Once she'* a few and is comfortable, then bring high house into play, also from #7. Then maybe move over to the trap range and see how she does there.

Good plan? Got better ideas?

pit_viper_53

The easiest station for me was always the middle, the easiest bird the high ones going straight away. You might also want to invest in a mechanical thrower Outers makes on. They area whole lot easier to hit if the thrower is right beside you. Get her some easy hits for instant gratification, the who knows may be she will respond, in some way or another.[;)]

iwannausername

Thats why I was thinking station 7 low house to start... starts right besides you, goes straight away from you...

336marlin

Begining with low 7 is the standard proceedure. Many women like it when they see other women doing it and this gives them a sort of "drive". Does your club have any kind of league where you could make it a week night out and enjoy some informal competition. She might enjoy the competition side of it and who knows what's next; loading up a truck load of shells for the zone or world shoot? Two at low eight.

iwannausername

Welp, we did it. She broke the clays on her first 3 shots, now I've created a monster.

After playing on station 7 low tower, she tried a few high tower shots, and decided that wasn't really for her. So we swapped the chokes out, went to the trap side, and she's hooked.

Now I really need to find a *good* recoil pad to put on the gun for her - I've got a nice old Savage 220A in 20ga with modified barrel, I love shooting trap with it, but it has a steel buttplate. I think once I get something good on it she'll be fine with it.

Re: Other women at the club - there were a few out there yesterday, and there were 3 sororities that had a charity shoot a few weeks ago - lots of pictures up. I think now that I've got her going, once I get her gun set up, I'll bring one of teh old timers a 6 pack and have 'em coach her for a round or 2.

toad67

In regards to the recoil pad addition. You may want to try and take off the butt plate and cut some lead that steelhead fishermen use for drift fishing. The lead is about 1/4" in dia. cut a few pieces to lenght and slide them into the stock access hole for the butt stock screw. Since your 20 probably doesn't have the recoil of a 12 you might not need to have a pad installed. With the pad installation you will either have to make the LOP on the gun longer or cut the stock to make it fit correctly. With the lead method you can add weight to reduce recoil for under 5 bucks and not mess with your stock. It is an easy way to start trying things. Great job on getting your wife out there with you, maybe once your kids get older you can let them have some fun too.

iwannausername

Daughter (8) is next... she loves shooting my 1911 and 22s, and really wants to try trap. If she has straight As on her report card again, I have a lead on a second Savage 20 ga single shot that I can cut down for her to use... I like the Savage 220s, since no hammer to mess with, traditional side swing to unlock (not the push button that the NEF/etc use), and hte safety goes on automatically when the action is opened.

Son is gonna have to wait - he's big (size of a few 2nd and 3rd graders I know) but he's not quite 5 yet... maybe next year for him to start on the 22s.