Sign Up Early for Spring 2012 Women on Target
Fall Women on Target 2011
On Saturday, 1 Oct, 49 ladies attended a Women on Target (WOT) Instructional
Shooting Clinic at the Rappahannock Pistol and Rifle Club (RPRC) ranges
near White Stone VA. The day included the basics of firearm safety and the
shooting of pistols, rifles and shotguns in a non-intimidating environment
according to Susan Hudson, the clinic director. RPRC president, George Chagalis,
welcomed the ladies to a day tailored to enjoy the shooting sports and Dennis
Austin provided safety instruction before they headed to the firing lines.
New to this clinic were two informational sessions which provided the ladies
additional learning opportunities while waiting their turn on the actual
firing line. Specifically, Senior Virginia State Trooper W. E. (Bill) Joyner
provided sessions on safety with an emphasis on home security and Bob Berry,
a RPRC NRA certified instructor, spoke on what the ladies needed to consider
when selecting a pistol.
About 38% of these ladies had no experience handling guns at all prior to this clinic says Hudson. On the firing lines, each lady had one-on-one instruction and by the end of the day, it was wonderful to see these same ladies proudly displaying their pistol or rifle targets or being able to point to broken clays on the shotgun range. For Hudson, some of the most gratifying moments were when the women realized that they can be just as accurate as a man since the shooting sports do not depend on physical strength. I know women can excel at this and it is great to see them realize they can do it. A highly popular event, this WOT clinic was largely filled with ladies that spilled over from the sold out spring clinic.
After the clinic, participant feedback was consistently positive and often mentioned how wonderful the instructors were and how much fun they had doing things they never thought possible. More than once, Hudson heard about how they were going to post their targets and certificates on the refrigerator at home or over their desks at work.
All the equipment was provided by the RPRC with support from the National
Rifle Association and the Virginia Shooting Sports Association. Hudson stresses
that the repeated success of these events however really hinges on the club
volunteers that spend their day supporting this clinic. Forty RPRC members
loaned firearms, instructed ladies on the firing line, led an information
session or helped in many of the other tasks that made the day possible.
Continue to monitor the website or the monthly newsletter for the calendar
of events to see when the WOT clinics will be offered in 2012!
Check out some photos from this event by visiting our photo gallery.
Susan Hudson
RPRC WOT Clinic Director
karisma@hughes.net
804-453-9156