Any tips on getting GF interested in guns?

[shouldazagged]

You might just need to accept that she may never develop much interest in guns, and that that would be okay.

You're both grownups (though I have grandchildren older than either of you ). Her adult decision may be a yawn.

 

[diegobxr]

Hahahahaha Oh, man, I sure had a good laugh with some of your replies!!

Also thank you very much for the honest input and experiences.

I was aware of starting her with a .22. The range I go to has a S&W 617 and a Ruger MKIII like the one ChatanoogaPhil showed. Both are very soft recoiling guns and the Ruger boasts a light trigger and big sights.

You made some very good points which I hadn't thought about. She not wanting to "embarrass herself" in front of me, or feeling "lectured".
But on the other hand, she's a bit shy and has a bit of a low tolerance to failure, if you know what I mean, that's why I'd like to be with her to support her.

I just let her be. I think for now I'll just let her know that anytime she'd like to join me to the range she's invited or if she'd like to take a course I'll give her the contact of a good instructor and she can arrange herself if she'd like.

she just doesn't have any interest in them or in getting her licenses to carry .. knows where they are and would shoot you if you broke in ..

That sounds fine, sir. I don't expect her to be Jerry Miculek, just she having a basic shooting experience and if (God forbid) someone ever broke in and meant her harm, she'll be confident to welcome the miscreant with lead.

Anyway, thanks again everybody! Happy to be here.

 

[Tom S.]

Ask her if she'd like to go to the range, then shopping for shoes with dinner after. Gets them every time.

 

[petepeterson]

If you get her there, if possible, take some "fun", reactive targets. When she first started, my girl found paper boring, but really liked water bottles, cans, fruit, balloons, etc.

Use your imagination. Keep the targets close so they're easy to hit.

 

[DeathGrip]

I had a pump up air pistol and a hand full of .177 darts. My wife loved to play darts with me. She got so good that after one or two games the darts would be destroyed.

 

[2152hq]

,I'd try out something like sporting clays.
(I get the idea you're more in to pistol and perhaps rifle shooting.)

Maybe you don't shoot any shotgun clay target games at all yourself,,,,Good!

There's a chance for both of you to go in as rookies,take a few walk through & shoot course lessons from the local club expert(s) and get acquainted with the sport at the same pace.

Shotguns aren't as loud and rattling to the nerves as CF rifles and handguns and everybody misses targets on the sporting clays course.
You can shoot by yourselves as a pair or shoot with others as a group if you feel comfortable doing that.

Once the shotgun sport gets ahold of her she will most likely want to try some rifle and handgun shooting too.

Light loads in any decent shotgun are all you need to have fun and break some targets.
We don't even keep score when we shoot. We hit some,,we miss some (alot some times!) it's just nice to be out there.
The sporting clays is on a course so you'll be walking thru woods, fields and shooting over same plus usually some water. It makes for a very nice day.
(If she really gets in to it,,many places have womens only leagues that shoot at a different local club every week. A day out w/ the gals)
Just my thoughts..

 

[Beachhawk]

I have been trying to get my wife interested in firearms for at least 20 years, all to no avail. But then she doesn't complain about my guns or the fact that I carry, she doesn't know how to shoot me and she is not spending the kids' inheritance on guns.

 

[jimbo728]

Take her to the range to shoot and then go out immediately to a nice dinner followed by wine and love.
Repeat as necessary until it is her idea to go to the range.
Man, I wish I had thought of this sooner.
Jim

 

[Huskerguy]

Take her to the range to shoot and then go out immediately to a nice dinner followed by wine and love.
Repeat as necessary until it is her idea to go to the range.
Man, I wish I had thought of this sooner.
Jim

This. Plan to go on a nice day and at an outdoor range with no one else around. Tried to get my wife golf and it was ok until there were so many people watching and waiting. Use a 22, a nice 10/22 handles well or a handgun in 22. Load it for her at first so all she has to do is shoot. Shoot at something that blowsup like a can of pop, watermelon, not explosives. Dont shoot too much or give too many instructions. Have fun ad encourage her. Keep targets close. Then take her out to eat and talk about what she wants to talk about.

 

[ordy]

Don't take her at all. Let the range be your sanctuary and treat it like your man cave. Having time away from each other is not always a bad thing.

 

[revolver59]

In your situation, if you have tried all other options, maybe adding a couple of pink guns to your collection might do the trick!!

 

[Wise_A]

You're her boyfriend, right? You're not her husband. There's a difference.

Would you like it if your girlfriend told you what gun to buy, what car to drive, what you should be doing at work to get that promotion, etc etc?

If she wants to go, she'll go. If you keep nagging about it, she'll never go, and decide you're too big a pain in the neck to keep around.

 

[Mr.Harry]

Tell her shopping for holsters is just like shopping for shoes.

Haha! Grips too!

 

[gman51]

You might explain the different outcome from calling 911 versus having a gun in her hand then call 911.

 

[Big Cholla]

Yes, get her interested and entertained by shooting and hitting fun targets with small bore rifle and pistol. The appreciation of firearms will follow...........

 

[dben002]

roll up Ben Franklin's and put down the barrel and tell her she keeps all she finds.

 

[snuffy51]

Put her out on a dark road for an hour or so.

 

[the ringo kid]

Sabrina was a natural. Didnt think of guns at all before we met, and I innocently let slip in during conversations-interesting things about guns. Sabrina actually asked me if id take her out shooting. My insides screamed with joy-my heart flip-flopped like fish on dry land-my heart beat so rapidly that I thought it was going to rip out of my chest-I went pale white with surprise-then I woke up from the dream. Sabrina reallly did ask me to take her-the rest of the stuff is fiction.

Anyway, once at the range-she was a natural.

 

[diegobxr]

Hahahaha.

Gentlemen, I don't know about you, but I am not the boss in this relationship, lol. So no, I don't "tell her" to do anything. I know better than that.

And I don't dream about her being my range buddy, that's unreal. The question was mainly directed at tips for encouraging her to go ahead and learn how to shoot, in order for her to feel confident enough to defend her life if, God forbid, she needed to.

 

[old bear]

Any tips on getting GF interested in guns?

Why in the Hell would you want to do that? If you get your lady friend interested in guns and shooting, she'll expect you to take her to the range. This would ruin a perfectly good chance to hang with the guys from time to time.