Female Greenhorn with a Bodyguard 38

[PDL]

Hi and welcome to the forum.
A good instructor will do you a world of good. While your husband may be enthusiastic and well meaning, you might do better with a stranger. The NRA has specific clases etc designed for women. You can check out this page for a start ==> NRA Women's Programs

And Cornered Cat is a website that is also aimed at women. It has a lot of good information on it. You can find it here ==> Cornered Cat - Table of Contents

Hopefully you will enjoy your shooting times. Don't get overwhelmed by all the expert advise either. Things will come with time and practice, just like any other worthwhile endevor.

It's just this one may also save your life.

 

[Super38]

Although you may hear otherwise, I like .38 wadcutters for practice. In fact, I carry them in my 642. Soft shooting and accurate.

 

[Wakatomika]

Now that you are a gun owner, you need to widen your horizons. Check out the NRA website.They are the real experts. For a couple of gun games that are fun and instructive check out the International Defensive Pistol Assn, IDPA, and the Single Action Shooters Society at SASSNET.com . Guns and shooting are just plain fun.Welcome to the fraternity, or rather the Sorority.

 

[owenwd54]

I agree with Joni Lynn get a j frame 22 lr

Get a J frame 22 lr it will help you with the noise and also help you with triger control and help you with your stance and aim.

It will cost you less to practice with and then move up to the 38.

Some women give up on shooting because they start out with to big of gun
start out with the 22lr until you get the hang of it.

 

[Badkarma 1]

Hello Mrs. Flynn and welcome!
Now to the business at hand. First get familiar with your new pistol, learn all the controls and what they do! Second commence with dry-fire practice say once a week. Get a paper target and staple it (or tape it) on a wall that could double as a backstop (just in case!) and TRIPLE check to make sure the pistol is empty!! Now raise the gun to eye level, concentrate on the front sight and squeeze the trigger. Did the front sight move? If it did, more practice if not continue with what your doing!
As for ear protection, I prefer the electronic kind that fit over your ears. They block out harmful noise yet amplify low level noise (like range commands).
Ammo: For your first trip I'll go with what the others said 148gr. Target wadcutters! They also make a decent defence round, but for that I recommend the Speer 135gr. "Short Barrel"+P load, if it's good enough for the NYPD then it's good enough for me! Second choice is Remington 158gr lead semi-wadcutter+P, it's been around along time and is well proven by the DEA and numerous law enforcement departments!
Once you get a few range trips under your belt (and confirm that your new revolver is reliable!!) it's time to think about getting some training and some sort of carry system (be it holster and/or purse) your instructor may be able to help in this area and you might want to query some of the other ladies here on the forum.
Understudy gun: My own take is to train with what you carry! But let's face it ammunition isn't cheap these days, so a .22 say like a Smith model 34 with a 2 inch barrel might be handy for keeping you in practice.
Just remember that these are perishable skills and you have to stay up on them! Dale

 

[thomashoward]

Welcome to the forum.
I agree with the idea of getting a second gun to also learn with. The light weight J frame is easier to carry but you pay for it with more recoil. I'd recommend a J frame in 22 caliber and then a lot of time learning to use it.

What Joni said. .22 first OK if that's an option for you, .38 target wad-cutters second.
Hand loads with 4.5 gr Unique are my Daughter's begin load
Just shoot it, with hearing protection.
It's not brain surgery, you learn by doing. Practice, Practice, practice

 

[JC4013]

As usual most of the advice given here is good. I'd suggest starting with an NRA gun safety course, then professional training by a qualified, competent instructor. You asked about books and the best book ever written about defensive handgunning is "No Second Place Winner" by Bill Jordan. It's long out of print and becoming rare, but you can usually still find them on Amazon.com. It's a good read with a lot of information. Some is pretty dated, but not outdated. You'll have to spend some time learning about modern ammunition and holsters, but there's still real gold on those pages. When my son got his carry permit a couple years ago, I gave him a copy. What I learned in that book saved my life, and not just once. Go forth in safety and fear not the night for in the darkness there are friends......38 when there's not .357.

 

[mikerault]

I am afraid you will find it has a hefty kick and muzzle lift when you shoot it. Got one for my wife (she saw it and wanted it) now she doesn't want to shoot it after her first range experience wasn't very satisfying.

 

[scooter123]

I'll clarify things a bit about that Elephant in the room.

What you have been given WILL feel like a hand cannon first time you fire it, even with mild 147 grain target wadcutters. It's a consequence of any revolver that is very light in weight. Easy to carry does NOT mean easy shooting.

Specifically, that is why so many are suggesting that you get yourself a 22 caliber revolver so that you can aquaint yourself to shooting with a lighter recoiling handgun.

Now, there are some things that you can do to mitigate the recoil. One is to use your arm and hand to add to the System Mass of the gun when it recoils. This will require a very firm grip and a firmly locked wrist and elbow. I would suggest that you purchase a hand strength grip trainer from a sporting goods shop and start using it every day to build hand strength. Because it will be of great benefit to increase the strength of your grip. You will also want to start with the 147 grain Target Wadcutters for your initial shooting, they are the mildest recoiling 38 spl. loads you can find commercially. After you get aquainted with that load, and comfortable shooting it, you can then move up to a 158 grain 38 spl. and start up the chain of recoil progression. BTW, I find that in general a heavier bullet produces a LESS SHARP recoil impulse than loadings that feature a lighterr bullet. As for why, heavier bullets move slower and this means the timespan of the recoil impulse is increased, which has the effect of making it feel milder.

However, one negative of choosing a heavier bullet is the muzzle flash and noise does increase due to the volume of unspent powder that leaves the barrel and then burns off outside of the barrel. Due to this, I would suggest that you do a bit of shopping for the most effective hearing protection you can find. Look for over the ear muffs that offer noise reduction in the 30 to 33 db range and pass on the 24 db cheapies that are so common. In addition to those muffs I would also suggest that you use the in the ear plugs that are free at most shooting ranges. Take it from someone who wakes up every day and goes to sleep every day with a ringing in the ears, you can't ever have too much hearing protection. In addition, being well protected will lessen the tendancy to "jump" when a gun fires.

Finally, seek training from a professional. Most shooting ranges can provide you with training or references for certified trainers. One positive is that you won't be trained in bad habits as can happen with an amateur. In addition, many professional trainers can offer a selection of guns that will allow you to shoot something heavier will less recoil.

To be honest you've been given a gun that is more suited to a very experienced shooter and a rather poor choice for a first time shooter. The good news is that with proper preperation and good training there is no reason at all why you cannot acquire the skills of a very experienced shooter in 4 to 6 months. However, it will require some commitment and dedication.