by B.B. Pelletier
Today, I’m giving the floor to my wife, Edith. Over the years, we’ve noticed that many blog readers don’t always have the support of their spouses when it comes to buying airguns or even shooting in the house. How you introduce someone to shooting is very important. If you’ve done it wrong, initially, all may not be lost. Here’s Edith’s take on it.
Sharing airguns with your spouse
by Edith Gaylord
How many of you have a spouse who doesn’t want to touch your guns, may be afraid of your guns and possibly even suspects that your guns could cause harm even if no one’s holding/using/touching them?
Let’s see if we can turn this around for you.
The wrong way
Around 1970 (20+ years before I met Tom/B.B.), I was with a date at the dump in Orlando, Florida, holding a Ruger Mark 1 and shooting at a big pile of trash. The gun was simply put in my hand, and I was told to pull the trigger while pointing the gun at the garbage. While a rimfire pistol is relatively tame, it won’t seem that way to the shooter if it’s the only gun they’ve ever held and shot, they don’t know there will be even the slightest amount of recoil, and the report is sudden enough (not necessarily that loud) that it can startle the shooter. Because of this, I never picked up another gun until the early 1980s. I had no desire because my first experience was not one I wanted to repeat. There was nothing fun or even useful about it. (Most of you have also picked up on the other obvious problem–I was with someone who thought a day at the dump was a great way to impress his date!)
The next time I picked up a gun was when Tom taught me how to shoot with the Sheridan Blue Streak after we discovered we had mice in our house in Maryland. I wrote about that here.
Putting an airgun into the hands of a non-shooter should be preceded with a short discussion about what they should expect to feel or experience. Even if they’ve heard or seen others shoot, the lessons should be totally non-threatening and not loud, startling or sudden.
When Tom and I were first married, his young boys (who had shot airguns before) came out for a visit. We took them to an indoor firing range to pop off a few quick rounds. Standing in the store, outside the range and separated by several doors and lots of very thick glass, the youngest boy started crying because he could feel the reverberations of the report going through his body. It was terrifying because he didn’t know what was happening and wasn’t told what to expect. I took him outside the store so he’d feel safe.
So, what about you? Are you shooting your airguns inside, where every round you pop off makes a noise that punctures the still, silent air with an audible exclamation point that leaves an indelible, negative impression in the psyche of your spouse? If so, time to rethink — if you want your spouse to be supportive, instead of combative, about your shooting.
The right way
Let me start by saying that there is no one right way. Just like there is no one wrong way. I cited one way earlier. Both lists are endless. You have to know what’s holding back your spouse.
Did you spend a lot of money on guns and ignore the budget? Is the report from your guns loud enough or do they reverberate enough that it’s like having someone stand next to your spouse and yell in their ear every few seconds? It’s hard to concentrate on anything else when that happens.
People who’ve had terribly negative opinions about guns have done a 180 because someone took the time to figure out where things went awry. Think of yourself as a plumber looking for the clog that’s blocking the pipes. Dislodge the plug so your spouse can enjoy shooting as much as you do.
If you have a BB or pellet pistol that’s easy to cock, does not recoil, does not have blowback and is not loud, then start with that. It has to be so quiet that it doesn’t sound offensive or threatening. Anything that reverberates or shows force or power is likely to reinforce the negative point of view already held.
Single-stroke pneumatics, such as the Daisy 953, are a good choice. There are some spring guns, such as the IZH 61, that would also be quiet. While accuracy is important, it’s not our No. 1 concern right now. To a non-shooter, accuracy is a given. They will expect every gun to be accurate. If you can’t afford the finest single-stroke made, then start at the low end and be up front about the lack of accuracy. Explain that accuracy comes with practice, use and better guns. You can’t expect to get champagne flavor from a beer.
Paper targets=boredom
Punching holes in paper is not exciting or interesting to an unindoctrinated shooter. I have a paper punch in my desk drawer that punches holes. How is making holes with a gun any different, better or more exciting? Boooooorrrrinnng!
Shooting at things that deliver an immediate reward and instant recognition that you’ve hit the target are fun. While interest in paper targets may come, that’s not our primary object…which is to soften your spouse so they will not begrudge the time you spend shooting. You want your spouse to actually become interested in shooting or (at the very least) not roll their eyes every time you want to buy a gun, go to an airgun show or shoot a few rounds in the basement.
Whatever you use, do NOT shoot at things that require cleanup. Puhlease! If what you’re shooting is messy, you’ve just given your spouse another reason to dislike guns.
If you’re shooting at balloons with talc in them, either do it outside or put the balloons in a box that catches the talc. Or, you clean up the talc when the shootin’ is over. Spinners are fun and so are Necco wafers. Much depends on how accurate your gun is. If it’s way off, then you’ll want to opt for bigger targets so there’s some positive action from shooting the gun.
The train is in motion…don’t derail it
Once you’ve gotten past that awkward stage and your spouse’s attitude is starting to soften, don’t think you can skate to the finish line. Regular invitations to join you for a shooting episode would be good, but keep them short. Not because it’s boring but because you should always leave them wanting more.
Slowly, you can introduce guns with louder reports and more recoil, but don’t force the issue since each session may have to start off reacclimating your spouse to what’s about to happen. Ask if they want to continue to shoot the first gun. If they want to stay with that forever, at the very least you’ve changed your spouse from negative to positive. If they want to move on to something more powerful or more accurate, you should take it up in small steps. A child that takes its first steps today does not hike up the Washington Monument tomorrow.
Make it fun, non-threatening and something they’ll want to do again, and you just might hear less — or even no — complaints the next time you shoot because your spouse is right there with you. Obviously, it can be done because my initial bad experience was turned around by someone who knew how to do it right.
Hello Edith 🙂
Try as I might getting my wife to shoot my air rifles is near impossible.
I know I take the mickey out of my missus but she is a good sport about my intrest in guns and pulls my leg as well.
“Why can’t you be like most men and look up normal things online instead of guns” she says.
“like what?” I reply
“I don’t know…XXX websites?” is her answer.
She is only kidding of course.
I think the fact I at least try to include her in my hobby is enough and that seems to generate goodwill in itself.
Although I have also found,
When a pellet goes through the backdoor,love goes out the window 🙁
DaveUK
Dave
The willingness to share your passions with the spouse goes a long way, even if the sharing is disastrous. After the onslaught of ill-will generated by my mountain biking excursions with friends, I bought Mrs. Slinging Lead a mountain bike so she could ride with me. Even though I would crawl along at a pace that I found exceedingly boring, I think she hated 95% of it. After it was over, she always felt great, due to endorphins. After awhile, she stopped complaining about my rides, as long as she didn’t have to come along! Endorphins be damned.
Edith..
I would like to share more shooting time with my wife, but we run into certain problems…
Not enough time is a big one. Then there are other problems.
She’s cross eye dominant, does not like weight or cocking effort, does not like “loud”. A light handgun with a laser is about all she can hack.
I am sure there are plenty of BB and airsofts that would fill the bill for close range as long as a laser can be mounted. One problem with BB shooters is that most are too fast. It’s hard to make a trap that can safely stop them. A box with some heavy denim or canvas hanging in it stops a RR with no problem, but the CO2 guns are too fast and blow holes right through. 300 fps seems to be the limit for the old Daisy recommended BB traps. Airsofts tend to shatter and leave bits of plastic all over the place.
She also watches too much TV. No concept of real world noise and recoil. She thinks my old remington .22 is loud. She should shoot my Knight some time. With one of my chuck loads. Or maybe the PH .577 Enfield Artillery Carbine.
twotalon
twotalon,
I’m also cross-eye dominant. Pistols are best. Rifles are definitely more difficult.
If the best you can do right now is to get her to hold and shoot a gun, then airsoft will fill the bill. Choose one of the spring pistols that shoots below 200 fps. There are traps that will capture the plastic BBs. We’ve shot a number of airsoft guns in our house, and I don’t recall having shattered BBs.
If a slow spring airsoft pistol is as much as she’s able to do, then let her do that.
Edith
Edith…
I just did a bit of looking. The Walther P99 blowback may do the job. Would have to get a laser to fit.
She presently has a Powerline 15XT and a Walther PPK/S with a pink grip (gag, choke). Disgusting.
twotalon
twotalon,
Whoa! What’s wrong with pink? I have pink earmuffs & safety glasses. I have pink shoes, pink shirts, pink slippers, a pink lamp on my desk (a gift from Mac), pink Post-it Notes, pink, pink, pink 🙂 Just because I shoot, doesn’t mean I have to buy guns in traditional colors.
Edith
Something about pink just ain’t right. She does not want to dye any of the cats pink. That would be REALLY disgusting.
If I get her the airsoft that I mentioned, I had best get something other than pink plastic BBs (if they exist). Would not want her to know about any such thing.
twotalon
TT: On pink cats… Years ago, my cousin had this cool great big tom cat who got sprayed by a skunk one summer evening. My cousin’s sisters cleaned him up by giving the cat a bath in tomato juice. It turned the mostly white calico pink. My cousin who was oblivious to what had gone on earlier, came home from a long night out and was startled when he saw the cat who always greeted him at the door. Made him stop drinking for awhile.
That could do it alright.
twotalon
Would take more than a few pink cats in my path to make me stop drinking.
kevin
I think pink guns and accessories are a great idea and would like to publicly thank the person who tought about the first time!
I think having a gun in the color you like is awesome, you can buy a car the color you like (as long as it’s black didn’t work) so why not guns too? When it’s a synthetic stock they should make them purple, blue or lime green if there’s a market for it. If you can have black and camo why stop there? I say to each his (or her) own and pick the one you like the best.
J-F
Why not, indeed? I know that FWB makes a target rifle (the 700 Evolution and Evolution Top) in a lot of bright cheerful colors. Most match pistols give you a choice of several colors for the air tank. Even the top line stocks are frequently colored.
But I don’t think I could countenance a pink gun.
Funny story about pink. While doing an inspection on a construction site I was insuring (well, the company I work for), I was talking to the crane operator about safety and inspection of the straps he used. They were pink. When asked why, he said that he would always “lose” straps that were black or orange. Now these are not your household lifting straps. They’re good for quite a few tons and are very wide and heavy so it’s a bit of money to replace them. He got tired of spending money to buy new ones and found this pink set. He’s had them quite a few years. Seems most “real men” don’t “countenance” having pink lifting straps. Hey Pete, did you go to Turkey yet? Buy anything in the UK?
Fred PRoNJ
While I’m not sure I buy a pink gun for me, I think it’s great for the ones who like pink.
I had a friend who always bought pink Bic lighters for the same reason as your crane operator, he would always “lose” the other colored ones (I always prefered a Zippo).
J-F
Nothing in the world wrong with pink.
http://www.wishtv.com/dpps/news/strange/girl-loads-rifle-to-spook-burglars-ob10-jgr_3543119
Nor I! It’s only a color. For crying-out-loud people it get a grip!!
Exactly! We will gain more shooters…including more women…if we just let everyone shoot what they want.
Edith
There’s also some nice biodegredable airsoft ammo or nice gel/glue like targets that have points or dart board print on them, the little plastic spheres will stick to the target and simply roll off in the small tray beneat the target after a little while, nice, safe and fun.
J-F
“How many……” (raises hand…)
Wait!! What?/? The dump ISN’T a good date?!?
Noises, budget, recoil is scary, boring, and all…. (raises hand…)
Great pointers, Edith! I’m going to try again….
Thanks,
/Dave
/Dave,
For a first-time shooting experience, I’d say that the dump was not a good place to take a date 🙂
Edith
Edith,
Just curious – does that make the dump an OK place to take a date, as long you leave the firearms at home? 🙂
Alan in MI
I’m thinkin’ that’s what she musta meant…. I mean, who could NOT want to go ta the dump on a first date?!
I can hear the guy asking for a date: “Hi, Edith, this is Joe. Love to see you Friday after work; I’ve got a hot ticket for the county dump. We could grub for junk and then shoot a few rounds at the pile. Sound romantic to you?”
Edith: “Sure. Sounds like fun.” Not!
Edith,
That guy you dated sounds like a true redneck!
Edith: “We’re going WHERE?”
Date: “To the dump! And if we get REAL LUCKY, we may even bag a few rats!”
Edith (thinking): *Momma warned me.*
Les
Edith,
The thing about the budget is critical to any hobby constrained by a marriage (or vice versa :)). Why people expect support (or complain about the lack of it) when they act selfishly is beyond me. The rest of your advice is also good.
BG_Farmer,
Early on, we had to find a way to finance Tom’s airgun buying needs. This was in the 1990s. I gave Tom money from our household budget every January. It would have to last him the whole year. He agreed to leave the money in our savings account until he needed it. Whatever he didn’t spend (don’t laugh!) could be carried over to the next year. We did that 3 or 4 years in a row. And that was all. Tom used that money as an investment to make more money. He’d buy low & sell high. To this day, Tom sells and trades guns, and none of the money comes from our household budget. He often buys guns that he knows he can resell. Yes…the guns aren’t even ones that he wants, but he can make a profit. Since we live in Texas, where you can buy and sell guns from private individuals without going through an FFL, there’s a flurry of trading, buying and selling that goes on every week.
Tom has never asked for another dime for airguns and for most of his firearm purchases. He didn’t amass a fortune in guns, but he’s got a nice collection of airguns & firearms.
Everyone can start where they’re at. If you have only $100, then spend it wisely. Get a gun that you can resell for $150. This is exactly how Tom did it, and I believe it’s a good way to go. It also ensures that guns aren’t being bought frivolously and just because you want a new one.
Edith
It doesn’t work for me AT ALL, I buy the guns I can make a small profit on, clean them up, shoot them a few times but can’t seem to be able to sell them 🙁 I think I’m an airgun hoarder 🙁
My tender half doesn’t mind me buying airguns, she knows I won’t spend money we don’t have.
I think she prefers I buy the gun I want so I can shut up about it LOL. When I get a new gun, she listen when I explains to her why I wanted it and doesn’t ask dumb questions (don’t you already have one that does that?) and will even ask to shoot it a few times, she like the blowback pistols and if I cock and load the pellets she also likes breakbarrels and she’s a pretty good shot.
It’s very humbling, when you’re trying for groups and have shot 5 so-so groups and she comes, gives it a try and run circles around around you ugh (but the worst is when she can pick a lock faster than me but that’s another story).
Her mom doesn’t like to come to our house because she knows I have airguns but my wife doesn’t mind them at all, she’d like me to sell a few that I don’t use anymore but I just can’t bring myself to it.
She’s pretty close to being perfect and I’m not saying it because she’s gonna read this since she doesn’t speak english.
J-F
Edith,
Wait! “Since we live in Texas, where you can buy and sell guns from private individuals without going through an FFL…” What? That’s it, I’m movin’ to Texas!
I loved your read this morning. You had me pegged at the dump! 🙂 Explaining what to expect when the trigger is pulled is brilliant. I’m not sure I’ve ever done that with a new shooter, but will from now on.
ka
KA,
Actually, federal law allows the sale of firearms between private individuals of the same state without registration. Only states like Maryland, and California have added state laws to prevent that. But if you live in a free state, the sale of firearms between citizens is permitted by federal law. Hence the popularity of gun shows, and that is what the leftists call the “gun show loophole.”
B.B.
Not exactly. The “gun show loophole” is the one that allows the sales without an instant background check. It’s not really specific to gun shows; it seems to apply to all (or almost all) face-to-face sales.
Pete,
Same-same. You need no background check because you aren’t going through an FFL. It’s legal and still done in many states.
B.B.
Is it not Federal law to register hand gun AND long guns? I forgot that the 10 day wait period is a state thing and got confused with it going through the Feds for background check.
ka
KA,
No, registering guns is not a federal requirement when a private owner sells his gun to someone else who may legally own a gun in the same state. All you have to do is attend any gun show in a free state to see it in action and BATF&E is standing by, looking for violations.
Private individuals are still able to buy and sell their guns freely.
Look here and see how this works:
http://texasguntrader.com/
This is just one of many similar sites in all the free states.
B.B.
BB,
I have never attempted to buy at a gun show out of CA. It’s nice to know the rest of the Union is normal. As a resident of CA, I would have trouble making a purchase at an out of state show, or at least have to have the background check and ship it to an FFL dealer in CA, Right?
ka
KA,
Righter than you think! California residents can’t even buy guns from most legal gun auctions, because of the restrictions and red tape the state imposes that is beyond federal law. So dealers simply refuse to sell to anyone in California.
It wasn’t that way when I lived there, back in the 1960s.
B.B.
When I moved to Texas in 1994, I went garage sale shopping to buy a used lawnmower. Never did buy one, wound up buying a new lawn tractor that was a lot more fun to use anyway.
But I could of bought all kinds of guns. Seemed like everyone had at least one for sale.
I sorta miss Texas.
Les
My wife is not a shooter or hunter and had a deep fear and dislike of firearms despite coming from a rural background. There were no firearms allowed in her parents house while she was growing up. I , on the other hand ,came with a large collection of firearms and hunting /trapping gear. It is my main hobby . The problem was that my wife was exposed to the bad side of firearms misuse. A firearms suicide of an uncle, and another dumb ass uncle whose idea of deer hunting was driving around the back roads with a loaded shotgun in the back seat looking for deer in fields. What changed her mind was exposure to responsible firearms use by my example. She still has no real interest in shooting but is now not opposed to it. She has been supportive of me teaching our children the proper use of firearms, and hunting ethics, and game harvest and preserving that harvest. She helps me process all of the game I take, and even helped with the removal of some problem beaver that were threatening to flood some of our land. I sure appreciated an extra pair of hands last week hauling a 65 plus pound beaver out of the swamp. She still doesn’t shoot , but has come a long way to understanding why I do.
Robert from Arcade,
Wow! Sounds like you did a really good job of turning around your wife’s fears about guns.
When we lived in Maryland, one of the field target shooters was also a board member of our gun club. His wife was terrified of guns because she had been held hostage by a madman with a gun running through the offices where she worked. She hid under her desk and didn’t get shot, but apparently a number of other people did. I completely understand why she’s anti-gun and that it might be impossible to turn around someone who’s endured such a horrifying experience.
Eventually, the board member gave up field target and other shooting endeavors, and I’m assuming it’s because of his wife’s fears.
The fact that your wife has had such negative exposure to firearms and yet isn’t against guns is a real testament to how you handled the situation.
Edith
R from A,
Wow! 65lbs? That’s a nice Beaver! (sorry, couldn’t resist that). Seriously though, that’s large isn’t it?
ka
KA: that’s about average for a 3-4 year old beaver. Most of the ones I’ve caught are in the 40-50 lb range, but a 80 lb is not unusual. Every once in a while I’ll see a pest elimination post on one of the air gun forums where someone wants to shoot a beaver with their Diana 350 or HW R-1 .22 airgun or something similar. Makes me want to scream.
I had no idea they were as large as that. I mean, I know what they look like, I just never realized they weigh the same as a coyote from the desert regions.
ka
Edith,
Excellent article.
I’ve always been curious about that one thing that Tom did right.
kevin
Kevin,
You want to know “that one thing that Tom did right.” He married me 🙂
Oh, wait, you probably mean regarding showing me how to shoot! He didn’t force me to shoot or take an interest. He waited for me to make the first move, which I did. He’d killed the first mouse or two that the cats brought up from our basement. I knew that there was a good chance I’d be home alone with the cats some day when another mouse was found. So, I asked for instruction on how to use the Sheridan Blue Streak. And the rest is history.
Edith
Edith,
The one thing he did right you confessed in your article today, “…my initial bad experience was turned around by someone who knew how to do it right.”
Must agree with you that he did one other thing right since meeting you. Asking for your hand. Lucky guy that he caught you in a weak moment. Timing is almost everything in life.
kevin
My wife has shot with me a couple times over the years. With a little coaching from me, she did really well. But, she just isn’t interested in it. People like different things. With her, she loves golf. she really enjoys it and plays with her friends. I’m not a golfer so when she heads for the course, I head for the range!
Mike
My wife regularly outshoots me and is, needless to say, supportive of my gun nuttery. We used to shoot side-by-side in my office, with twin Crosman 760s and darts, at a dartboard hanging on the back of the office door. She eventually stopped for the same reason she doesn’t photograph…I think she believes my poor male ego cannot stand being outshown!
My kids and I were shooting Skeet with a man and his 18 yr old daughter. She had never fired a gun before and he was starting her off with a 12 GA gun firing high brass heavy loads that he had left over from hunting. She was flinching pretty bad. I offered her my 20 GA and AA target loads but she declined with a look that said, “I’m only doing this for my dad and I am NEVER doing it again.” The dad was like, “She’s MY daughter, I know what I’m doing and mind your own business.”
My dad took me to a rock quarry when I was a kid so I could shoot my .22 rifle and he his .30-30 model 94. When I asked to shoot his rifle, he warned me it kicked. So to avoid getting knocked over by the recoil, I leaned my shoulder against a tree. Rock and a hard place. I didn’t shoot his Winchester again for many years.
My kids always jumped at the chance to shoot with me, even the .44 magnum, because I had started them off with airguns and low-powered handloads. I noticed however that when my daughters reached a certain age, they wouldn’t come shoot with me and the boys when their soap operas were on!
I’ve taught a large number of non-shooters to enjoy shooting by starting them off in my garage range with airsoft guns. I had to remember though not to start women or children off with spring pistols that had hard-to-operate slides unless I wanted to cock their guns for them (and sometimes I did).
What a treat!
I always look forward to your next blog, Edith. You should have published this one on Friday. I am sure there are enough stories between all of your readers to make at least 1000 posts.
The plumbing simile threw me for a second. Spouses and cleaning pipes? Come on!!! I had to read it again, but after that, it made perfect sense. Then it dawned on me that it was brilliant. It’s about diagnostics. You have to figure out what a problem is before you can solve it.
The Daisy 953 is the perfect recommendation to teach a new/reluctant shooter. It is inexpensive, kind of cool looking, a repeater and best of all, accurate! Shooting within 10 to 15 yards it is a tack-driver. Except in my hands yesterday had I shot it, which is a different story. Also I prefer beer to champagne. But Miller High Life is “the champagne of beers.” does that count?
When I first met Mrs. Slinging Lead she was what some might call a raging liberal, with all that encompasses. At the time I did not even own a firearm. (So long ago!) Watching the coverage of the Katrina disaster brought a startling realization that I could never depend on the government for anything, especially protecting my life and those I loved. Which should have not been startling, since I already distrusted not the concept, but the implementation of government. I immediately bought a gun. At the next gun show I bought another.
She took to shooting very quickly. I always took her along to the range. She found the reverberations you experience in every cell of your body to be exciting. At that point I had a Walther P22 and a Glock19. I wanted to shoot something a little more powerful on one of our visits, so I rented a .45. After emptying a few magazines, I asked her if she wanted to shoot it, explaining that it had a lot of recoil, and would not feel like the other guns we had. She enthusiastically accepted. After squeezing off 10 rounds so fast I was worried the range master was going to come out and berate me (no rapid fire on the pistol range), she handed the gun back to me and said, “That’s awesome. It’s REALLY loud! I think it might be more powerful than I need though.” I have never been so proud.
Oddly, airguns are a different story. She is an animal lover (as am I) and was suspicious I was only buying the 1377 to kill our plentiful squirrel population. I counted 12 squirrels at once in my suburban-sized back yard one day. She was right of course, I did intend to kill squirrels, but I had a house, garden and bird feeder to protect now. The lower power of the 1377 got me looking for something else. Looking around led me to this website. Reading this website led me to many discussions of this thing called a TX200. Curiosity got the best of me and I bought one. Stymied at first, I eventually stumbled across the right pellet, and have been hopelessly addicted ever since. The addiction has caused a wee bit of friction. It’s a disease, it’s not my fault! In a very sly move, I bought her a Benjamin Discovery to ease the tension. My plan came very close to working, but was futile in the end.
BTW: Taking a date to the garbage dump to shoot? No wonder you settled for BB. He must be prince charming in comparison. 😉
Slinging Lead, so what was the first gun you bought to prepare you for a Katrina scenario?
Matt61
Matt61
The first gun I bought after Katrina was the Walther .22lr. Not what you’d call a gun to face the apocalypse. I didn’t intend it to be, as I never owned a gun before and wanted to become familiar with them before buying my first howitzer. It is great fun to shoot, but I would gladly trade it for a Remington 870 in .20 gauge. I just wish I had a place to shoot it, it seems my city ordinances forbid that kind of thing.
What is your gun for home defense?
Home defense? Whichever one happens to be closest, or in my pocket…… 🙂
/Dave
SL,
Glad you liked my blog. I almost pulled out of doing it because I thought it was dorky. I’m surprised how many guys can relate to it.
I’m NOT surprised how many guys think a date at the dump is okay. I would go the dump to shoot rats, but I don’t think I’d ask someone there on a date. Plus, I had no eye/ear protection and we weren’t shooting rats…just garbage. The really scary part is that the dump was open to anyone, and as I was standing there with the gun pointed at the big heap of garbage, people came around the corner from where they’d been shooting. The whole thing gives me the heebie-jeebies!
Edith
SL,
For the freakin’ record, I think a day at the dump is just fine!
When I was in college in the 1960s a female friend of mine (not a girlfriend, but a friend who was a girl) asked me to take her somewhere where she could shoot to her heart’s content. We ended up at an ad-hoc dump in Santa Clara county. I shot my Winchester model 90 pump and she shot her cased Browning .22 auto.
B.B.
Edith, hilarious. Date to a garbage dump? I’ve made my mistakes but that isn’t one of them. Actually, the guy had the right idea about a backstop I suppose. I’m guessing that he didn’t provide eye and ear protection. I would say that is an absolute must for a first-time shooter–and anyone else. The first time I went out with a centerfire gun, a Winchester 94, I had no eye protection and inadequate earplugs, and my ears were ringing for some time after. I really cannot stand YouTube videos posted by someone who wants to torture somebody else by making them shoot guns that they are not prepared for.
My Mom is actually coming around to firearms, and I asked that I bring my Single Six home for her to try. As for my sister-in-law, I am sharpening my way into her confidence with my new knife sharpening skills. (Thanks FrankB.)
Kevin, the email you gave is the one I sent to. I sent again at 11:15am Pacific, Thursday 12/8.
BG_Farmer, I would say that Herb has a very good point against the effects of the apex in pointing out the first shots in his video which navigated their trajectory with stunning accuracy. I would say that the apex can be significant in uncovering instabilities in pellet flight but it is not all-determining.
Herb, I understand the hemisphere/cone model, now. Thanks. I think the business of an airflow around the top of the pellet skirt could be significant. But I demure accepting the conclusion just yet because I expect that airflow around a complicated shape like a pellet is bent and could be full of all sorts of vortices and irregularities that are hard to anticipate.
Slinging Lead, know the feeling of not shooting well. I’ve had a few days like that myself recently. What you need to do is stare the target down. Regard it with icy disdain and utter indifference about the result. Then, release the shot. And when you miss, maintain your contempt for the outcome….
Matt61
Matt61
I have too much contempt already! I need less! 😉
Matt61,
And Tom is still paying for that guy’s mistakes. He was also the one who took me on my first & only motorcycle ride. I was terrified…he picked me up for a date but brought his brother’s new Honda instead of his car. I still feel the terror of being exposed to the elements while going 60+ mph. Can you hear me screaming? Probably not, but I can hear it inside my head :-\
Edith
Edith
The chain of logical reasoning is that you should indulge BB in his biological need to ride a motorcycle. I’m certain he would try to delight, instead of terrify you on the bike, unlike that other idiot. It never ceases to amaze me of the hopeless idiots that score dates with the best women.
I am thinking an older BMW might be just the ticket.
SL,
Tom said that if I should precede him in death, he would probably get a motorcycle then. I told him that our marriage vows were not “til death do us part.” They were “to infinity and beyond.” Therefore, no motorcycles even if I go before him 🙂
Edith
Tom
I gave it a shot, but it didn’t work. You still owe me the 50 bucks.
SL,
I agree! What Edith doesn’t know or appreciate is the fact that I realize the times have changed. I owned my last motorcycle in 1979 when I lived on Fort Knox. Ain’t no way you’re ever gonna get hurt driving on a military reservation! But today I don’t think I could stomach driving on the freeways.
All I want is a little single-cylinder R27 Beemer that I can start and listen to, and occasionally ride a few miles down a country road.
But Nooo! Mrs, “To infinity and beyond!” has made up her mind.
And I promised. 🙂
B.B.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/items/bmw%20toy%20motorcycles?_dmd=2&_sop=12&clk_rvr_id=293701488977&MT_ID=69&crlp=10726668526_9424&tt_encode=raw&geo_id=1&keyword=bmw+toy+motorcycles&adgroup_id=2742854806
Matt61,
Received your emails. Greatly appreciated. Thank you!
kevin
I don’t like shooting with my wife. She makes me look bad and always beats me, if we compete.
Just kidding (except for the part that she makes me look bad and beats me if we compete)! I love the fact that my wife not only approves of my habit, but also encourages it! Also, she enjoys shooting outings, when she has the time (she’s very busy). In fact, we just got back from the gun store (Spurlocks) where we bought her a Ruger LCR.
Victor
It sounds to me like you have a winner. A good man may be hard to find, but a good woman is priceless. That’s not to say there are few of them out there. Just that finding them is the hard part.
Happy shooting to the happy couple.
Edith,
Please be assured your article comes nowhere near Dorkdom. Instead, you’ve taught us something we wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else on the Internet, most likely. Thanks for taking that risk on our behalf.
Edith,
I 2nd Chuck on that. That was very helpful and I, for one, gleaned some good stuff from it. Do you think you could do a blog on the topic of picking a gift for wives? 🙂
ka
Yeah, Edie,
How about a tutorial on how to pick gifts for wives? 😉
B.B.
Better yet, what should we say when you chicks get all mad for no reason and start talking crazy talk? Conventional conflict resolution methods only raise the defcon level in these circumstances typically. I guess I am looking for magic words, or some such.
SL,
See, that’s where you’ve gone wrong…we never “get all mad for no reason.” What you consider “crazy talk” is simply encrypted conversation to which you are not privy because you have not passed the test. How come you don’t know this stuff? It’s basic!
Edith
Dear B.B.,
You know I don’t need anything 🙂
Edith
Encryption 101. There’s a trap I’d avoid… We’re learning, Edith! 🙂
Take it from experience – all this stuff you want to know about women – and it couldn’t be stated any plainer than Edith’s December 8, 2011 at 5:29pm reply to SL- If you don’t know by now, they’re not going to tell you.
Chuck,
You’ve been well-trained. I remember a quote from the old “Roseanne” TV show (which I didn’t like…very depressing). A friend tells Roseanne how lucky she is to have such a considerate husband, to which Roseanne replies, “Ya know, they don’t come like that. You have to train them!” Exactly!
Women do not come with manuals because then…well…we’d be predictable. Part of our wonderful nature is our unpredictability. At any moment, we could blow a cork and seemingly go stark, raving mad over the most insignificant thing. On the other hand, when you shoot the couch (B.B. :-)), we just look, turn around and say, “Ok. Where do you want to go to lunch.”
So, you may not be able to have your cake and Edith, too…but Tom can 🙂
Edith
Well, truthfully, I wouldn’t want to have it any other way. It has been said many, many times on this blog that Tom is a very lucky man. And having met Tom, through this blog and in person in Phoenix, you are a very lucky woman. If you two ever separate, the gates of hell will open up and swallow the whole earth.
Chuck,
When Tom & I got married, I told him the only way I would be his “former” wife is if he died. He often wondered what that really meant 🙂
Edith
LOL! That is so Choice!!!!
I don’t remember who said it but I found it to be quite close to the truth.
Women go out with men expecting them to change but they never do.
Men go out with women expecting them to never change but they always do.
J-F
Ah yes J-F, the physical vs the metaphysical. I’ve said this before but my favorite saying comes from the “Hitchhicker’s Guide to the Galaxy”: “Whenever dreams differ from reality, it is reality that is at fault.”
Edith,
I always thought that was Kate and Edith too. 🙂
Shaky,
Not in my house 🙂
Edith
Edith,
I couldn’t resist, it is an old Oakridge Boys song, not one of their better ones. imho
flobert,
I tried to contact you through your blog but got rejected (something about cookies but mine are wide open). Please reach me at cjrley through gmail.
Edith,
I think you p***d off the Chinese. I think I’ve read Chinese fortune cookies worse than that tirade.
Edith,
I really like this topic because I was having a little trouble with my wife about this. I bought a pneumatic multi-pump rifle and a pistol. I paid less than $100 for both guns, BBs and a few co2 cartridges on black Friday. To my surprise she tried shooting them with out much persuasion; however, she did lose interest in my new hobby fairly quick. After I noticed she was getting bored and a bit annoyed, I put the guns away and started giving her my attention. I have to admit, I was really anxious to keep shooting but I didn’t want to make my wife feel as she was second place to an air gun. I took advantage of her working that weekend to set up a small shooting range so that I don’t make a mess every time I start. Later that weekend when we were simply watching TV when I asked her if she wanted to shoot with me. She said no, right away, so I went outside and set up a few cans and bottles on top of boxes and started shooting. A few minutes past by and she came outside with me. She started reading and enjoying the nice weather. I loaded and pumped the rifle a few times and gave it to her. I said, “If you hit the glass bottle, I promise to wash the dishes after dinner.” She smiled, took the gun, aimed and pulled the trigger. When I saw the bottom of the glass shatter, I had a bitter-sweet feeling. I had to wash the dishes that evening but at least my wife could shoot. I can honestly say, this was the ice breaker. She kept taking the gun away after I loaded and pumped it.
My wife still doesn’t enjoy shooting as much as I do, but at least she is very tolerant and supportive. To my surprise, on our last anniversary she bought me a Crossman nitro piston air rifle. I have to add, this was my first air rifle that shot more than 700 fps and honestly, I didn’t know much of these type of air guns, so I had a lot of researching to do. Anyway, every time I get her to shoot with me, I always celebrate or compliment her; she specially likes it when I say that she looks amazing with a gun in her hand. (I think most of us guys would agree that it pleases us to see a woman hold and shoot a rifle.)
I just wanted to share my experience with you and anyone who has this same issue.
TnD1030,
Welcome to the blog.
Edith wrote this report in 2011. This report was referenced in an email sent out by Pyramyd AIR today (Sep. 11, 2015) in memory of Edith, who passed away in July of this year.
Please don’t feel bad. You were not aware of what had happened. I posted your comment for you because it is sincere, and Edith deserved your praise.
B.B.
OMG! I am really, really, REALLY sorry to hear that. I am new to this air gun community and when I read her report, I thought to myself, “this must be a very cool woman. I would like to meet her one day and maybe take a few notes from her.” It saddens me that she is no longer among us but I’m glad that at least I was able to read of this remarkable woman.
TnD1030,
Edith was a remarkable woman and my wife for 33 wonderful years.
Her story is as fascinating as her writing. You can read about it in a 2-bpart report here:
/blog/2015/08/who-was-edith-gaylord-part-2/
B.B.