Don't Get Your Knickers In A Twist

As the Brits used to say when advancing an idea that runs contrary to the popular concept of what is and what isn't true.
A gentleman of Gastonia city in one of the Carolinas first gave me an idea that being manly just might be a handicap none's ability to achieve rifle accuracy.
He had a T/C rifle that was so bad he didn't know anyone he hated enough to sell it to.
We got that straightened out and his wife and daughter used it to win prizes all over the eastern seaboard.
Yes. women can be better shots than men.
It's nothing about how they are built, nothing to do with glands or any of that funny stuff. Actually Its not their advantage, It's out disadvantage in being men who for some reason has led us to think that being men we have an edge when it comes to rifles. accuracy and all of the manly arts. That is our handicap. Before we can learn anything we have to put aside that feeling that already know how to do just about everything. and certainly most things connected with rifles.
Women come on the scene like a blank sheet of paper. They listen to the advice, they follow instructions Men will edit the advice and perform the instructions their way. That's the difference.
I almost got knocked down a few times by newbies who resented the very idea that anyone should tell them how to perform the manly art of shooting a rifle.
Masculinity has nothing to do with it. Doing it right has everything to do with it.
Dutch who had to develop his own advice.

Agreed Dutch. My late wife was with me in the early 80's at shoot put on by a manufacturer. My wife wanted to shoot, so I asked the judges if it were possible. The judges called a halt to the shoot and asked if any man there objected to a women participating. There were about 50 shooters there and all agreed it was ok with them if she wanted to shoot. That was a mistake. She finished second in a shoot off where you split a card set edge ways in a stump at 20 yards. It took the winner two tries but alas she missed on her second try. I must say she had phenomenal eyesight. Her prize was a CVA Green River knife kit with sheath. She gave me her prize. I still have it. She was shooting my CVA Kentucky rifle, I made from a kit. I still have it but it will pass to my daughter who asked for it. So never underestimate the so called weaker sex.

Agree 100% Dutch. Men used to grow up watching John Wayne movie. So they know how to shoot BEFORE you start teaching them. I too find women come to the range as blank slates and are more open to instruction. I also find when teaching a group men turn it into a competition right away trying to beat the guy next to them instead of actually learning anything.

I’ve raised 3 daughters to be outdoors women, they all hunt, fish and shoot for fun. I found that as girls they remained much calmer in the presence of game than the boys I’d had out before them. They are pretty good shots with rifles, better with pistols and okay with shotguns, wingshooting is sort of a different animal. They are now 20, 22, and 24 and still love to hunt as much as college or graduate school will allow. I’ve been next to them and watched them kill many deer, turkeys, ducks, geese and a couple moose.

Probably the best shooter I've instructed was a 12yo girl.

A couple of general observations about men v women-

Men are set in the their mind as to the "right" way and either consciously or subconsciously don't or won't listen to instruction. Women are generally a blank slate and willing to listen and try.

Eyesight plays a big part in marksmanship, men often resist wearing glasses because of vanity. Women do to some degree, but they're usually more open to it.

In observing men v women, I've noticed that women "settle" faster than men when shooting offhand. They don't have the strength of men so they can't hold as long, but they have the sense to break the shot when it's there. Men tend to want to "drive" the rifle and overpower it, leading to wavering.

Women, because of their smaller build generally, will let the gun naturally recoil and as a result have very good follow through. Men will lean into it, and that exerting force during recoil will ruin follow through to the detriment of accuracy.

Marinekayak said:

Agree 100% Dutch. Men used to grow up watching John Wayne movie. So they know how to shoot BEFORE you start teaching them. I too find women come to the range as blank slates and are more open to instr

Click to expand...

IN ALL ENTERPRISES, NOT JUST SHOOTING, 10%
WILL SUCCEEDAND THE REMAINING90% WILL SCORE IN LESSER DEGREES.%70 -%90 WILL QUALIFY AND THE REST WON;T DO WELL AT ALL.
THIS APPLIES TO SCHOOL WORK, FINANCIAL SUCCESS.I DON'T THINK I'M IN THAT TOP 10%.
I HAVE NOTICED THIS WHEN TEACHING AND FINND IT UNARGUABLE.
NOW I BELIVE THAT HE FOLKS DRAWN INTO THE SHOOTING ARTS ARE PROBABLY A HIGHER PERCENTAGE SUCCEED OR JUST QUALIFY FROM THE TOP 35% TO %40 OF THE POPULATION AND A FEW FROM THE LOWER RANKS WILL GIVE UP AND FADE AWAY. THIS MAY SEEM LIKE SOME SORT OF RACISM BUT RACE HAS LITTLE OR NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.TEACH 4 OR 5 CLASSES OF 150 TO 165 STUDENTS AND NOTE THAT EVERY EXAM GIVEN 105 WILL GET THE TOP GRADE A THE REST GET LESSER GRADES AND THIS THEORY WILL FORCE ITSELF ON YOU.
DUTCH

I think the quality of someone's eyesight determines a lot of how well someone does in a lot of sports. Ever seen a great hitter in baseball that wore glasses? Obviously, in the shooting sports, it's a critical element.