By John Malloy

A North Florida shooting club, the Tallahassee Rifle & Pistol Club (TRPC), has joined the number of organizations involved in the Women on Target program of the National Rifle Association (NRA).

One of the most positive trends in the shooting world is the growing number of women entering the shooting sports. More and more, women are attracted to guns and shooting. Many women are introduced to shooting by a family member or friend. However, a woman without such contacts may have a difficult time getting a safe introduction to the shooting sports. Even those who begin one type of shooting may have difficulty learning about other shooting disciplines.

The Women on Target program exists to address these situations. Within a group of other women, participants can safely gain experience in a number of different types of shooting.

The Tallahassee Rifle & Pistol Club decided to hold a Women on Target event. Nancy Etheridge, the club secretary, coordinated the program. It was scheduled for the Spring of 2005, and five events were planned-pistol shooting, muzzleloading rifle shooting, claybirds with a 20-gauge shotgun, 22-caliber rifle silhouette shooting, and archery. Notice for this first event was primarily by word-of-mouth. Fourteen women signed up and participated in the program. The range was reserved exclusively for the ladies that day.

The range facilities of TRPC are well suited to a varied program such as this. The 500+ member club owns 40 acres adjacent to the Apalachicola National Forest, just south of Tallahassee, Florida's state capital. The facilities comprise three pistol ranges, rifle ranges out to 300 yards, a Sporting Clays tower, and a Trap range. Some of the ranges are multi-purpose, and can also be used for airgun shooting or archery. The TRPC location seemed an ideal location to offer women a wide array of shooting sports.Before arriving at the range, participants were asked to provide information about their shooting experience. Some had never shot before, while others had varying degrees of previous experience. The club provided firearms, targets, eye and ear protection, ammunition and refreshments. Participants were allowed to bring personal firearms. However, only club-provided ammunition could be used in them, so the ladies were asked in advance to list the calibers or gauges of guns they were bringing. The women were divided into small groups, and the groups rotated between the events featuring different types of shooting.

At the pistol range, .22-caliber revolvers and semiautomatics were available. Some of the women brought centerfire handguns, and used them with ammunition provided by the club. Revolvers in .357 Magnum were fired with .38 Special cartridges. Percussion muzzleloading rifles were used at the blackpowder location. Tripod stands were used to help steady the rifles, which were fired from the standing position. Rifles equipped with scopes and iron sights were used at the rimfire silhouette range. The large silhouettes were moved from the longer ranges closer to the firing line to make hits easier. A trailer-hitch mounted trap was used to throw straightaway birds for shotgun shooting. A variety of right-hand and left-hand bows were available at the archery range.

Instructors who had credentials from NRA, the State of Florida's Hunter Education Program or the National Archery Association headed each of the five activities. In some cases, every person involved at a station was a certified instructor. They were assisted in other areas by experienced club members.

The program was not a self-protection course or a home defense course. It was designed as a friendly, non-competitive event that provided a safe introduction to the fun of the shooting sports. The ladies participating received instructions on general safety rules and a chance to safely handle and shoot a variety of guns and archery equipment.

The Tallahassee Rifle & Pistol Club believes that introducing more women to the shooting sports will be a benefit to both the women and the shooting sports. Other shooting clubs are urged to consider running a Women on Target program at their ranges.

For more information, contact the National Rifle Association, 11250 Waples Mill Rd., Dept. WG, Fairfax, VA 22030. TRPC will also be glad to talk with other clubs about its first program. Write Tallahassee Rifle & Pistol Club, Inc., P O Box 7638, Dept. WG, Tallahassee, FL 32314.