A Review from Women on Target: Five Things I Learned as a Participant and Volunteer

The NRA-sponsored Women on Target (WOT) clinic is a fabulous experience for first time shooters. This instructional shooting clinic is designed to empower and educate new shooters, women only, on how to work firearms – across all modalities. For this year’s clinic hosted by Maureen Rogers of Lady Gets a Gun, all shooters learned these six modalities:

• Pistol
• Rifle
• .22 Rimfire
• Archery
• 5-Stand
• Cowboy Action

Attending Women on Target®

In 2022, I was encouraged to sign up as a participant and absolutely loved the inviting environment at each station. Since signing up as a participant I went on to complete the NRA Basic Pistol course, became an NRA Basic Pistol Instructor, joined the women’s committee at our local public gun range, and for this year’s WOT event got to support as an instructor at the pistol stand. Separated just a year apart, there are five key things I’ve learned as a participant and instructor:

1. Some firearm skills are transferrable
2. Some firearm skills are not transferrable
3. Shooting is a diminishing skill
4. Shooting can be a lifetime sport
5. Sometimes life is best lived through others

Every new shooter has a different background and history with firearms. At the WOT clinic, some women were repeat participants as well, bringing new friends and family to have them shoot alongside them. Asking some of the shooters what was their main reason for attending the clinic, the responses were as varied as different styles of calibers:

• feel more comfortable
• have never tried before
• have fun
• take the class with a friend or relative
• hone their skills
• learn the proper safety rules for firearms
• get more practice

#1: Some firearm skills are transferrable: The Importance of familiarizing yourself with different firearms

Safety is paramount throughout the entire clinic. At every station, participants had to recite the three NRA safety rules:

• Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction
• Always keep your finger off the trigger until ready to use
• Always keep the gun unloaded until ready to shoot

Attending and supporting the WOT clinic validated that there are some fundamental rules of firearm safety and skill. With firearms in general, there are some universal concepts that apply to all guns.

• They all take ammunition
• There’s a barrel and a muzzle where the bullet exits
• You load the ammunition somewhere
• You have to engage a trigger to fire the gun

Outside of that, firearms can be vastly different. At each station, participants were taught the basic function of the guns they were shooting. After attending as a participant, I was so grateful for taking the NRA Basic Pistols course because I felt much more comfortable with general firearm operation. From the material we covered in class I knew how cartridges were fired – which meant that I knew which way they had to be loaded in the chamber (instead of loading them backwards). The same skills applied for holding the guns. While grips varied slightly from gun to gun, I was more confident with the general mechanics – placing your trigger finger alongside the frame, getting a firm hold on the stock, etc. Credit goes to the WOT clinic and the Basic Pistol course for teaching these important building blocks for safe and accurate shooting.

By the end of the WOT clinic after shooters had completed a handful of stations, they were all so much more familiar with gun safety and mechanics than when they kicked off their first station.

#2: Some firearm skills are not transferrable: Everyone is a beginner at some point

Attending WOT taught me that proficiency with one type of firearm does not translate to mastery of all firearms. For example, just because I feel comfortable owning and operating pistols, I was surprised at how little I knew about shooting clay pigeons with a shotgun. Even hunting with rifles for deer and elk season, it took a little bit to learn and familiarize myself with different types of bolt-action rifles. Some have manual safeties, some don’t. Some have external magazines, some just have cartridges loaded into the chamber directly. It is easy to become so familiar with the guns you shoot all the time. But new guns can feel (almost) completely foreign. I was grateful for the WOT clinic volunteers who walked me through the basics for each firearm type as if I’d never shot before.

#3: Shooting is a diminishing skill that requires consistent practice

Shooting is not like riding a bike. With the strength and skill involved, your ability to shoot accurately and consistently will diminish without steady practice. Volunteering for WOT served as a reminder that skills can diminish over time if not actively maintained. When chatting with different shooters, they would inform us that they grew up shooting or they had shot a similar make and model. With that in mind, assumptions were made that they knew some basics. After working with them briefly, it was evident that some shooting fundamentals were forgotten. Often, with shooters we took the time to re-review things like loading/unloading, grip, muzzle flip, eye dominance, stance, etc. Each time, shooters felt more confident with some repetition which helped with their accuracy.

#4: Shooting is a lifetime sport

One of the most inspiring parts of WOT was witnessing participants from various age groups engaging in the clinic. Participants aged from early 20’s to mid-70’s. Across all ages, the shooters proved that shooting accuracy knows no age. Strength and physical capability also wasn’t an indicator either of accuracy. Often, we’d see women in their 60’s and 70’s cutting their existing holes in a paper target. The diverse age range proved that shooting is universally enjoyed and it can be embraced as a lifetime sport – no matter what age you start showing an interest in firearms.

#5: Sometimes life is best lived through others: The thrill of witnessing “lightbulb” moments

Perhaps one of the most rewarding aspects of being involved in WOT was being a part of the shooters “lightbulb” moments. Even though I have a blast shooting and try to go often, lately I’ve been volunteering and coaching others. It is so rewarding to be able to train someone on growing their shooting skills and then see them immediately be able to act on your feedback:

1. Realizing the manual safety was on
2. Hitting the target
3. Figuring out how to load a magazine
4. Understanding grip differences between pistols and revolvers
5. Correcting their own mistakes

The shooting community is so generous with their time and knowledge. These moments served as powerful reminders of the transformative impact that WOT can have on participants’ confidence and competence with firearm training.

WOT experience summary

Attending the NRA-sponsored Women on Target event provided shooters and volunteers (like myself!) with invaluable knowledge. WOT emphasizes the importance of firearm safety, the relevance of fundamental skills, the need for continuous practice, the universal appeal of shooting as a lifetime sport, and the joy of witnessing other participants’ breakthrough moments. These lessons not only enhanced my own shooting abilities but also deepened my appreciation for the inclusive and empowering nature of WOT. I highly encourage newer shooters to search for an upcoming WOT clinic in your area or volunteer and share your own knowledge with others.