These Ladies Started Mother’s Day Weekend with a Bang!

On Saturday, 12 May, 51 ladies attended a Women on Target  (WOT) Shooting Clinic at the Rappahannock Pistol and Rifle Club (RPRC), a VSSA affiliated club, near White Stone VA.  RPRC president, George Chagalis, welcomed the ladies to a day which had been tailored specifically for women to enjoy the shooting sports in a non-intimidating environment. The day included instructions on the basics of firearm safety and the shooting of pistols, rifles and shotguns.

A safety overview was provided by the Club’s Training Officer, Barry Kennedy, before the ladies headed to the firing lines.  Two informational sessions provided additional learning opportunities.  Barry Kennedy provided some key points on personal protection inside the home while Diane Danielson, the NRA’s National Women on Target Clinic Coordinator, spoke on some things the ladies needed to consider in selecting and carrying a pistol.

On the firing lines, each lady had one-on-one instruction and by the end of the day, the ladies proudly displayed their pistol or rifle targets or pointed to broken clays on the shotgun range. To say these ladies were enthusiastic was an understatement.  From rapid firing of semi-automatic pistols and rifles at reactive targets to shooting 40 MPH moving targets on the shotgun range, it was great to see women gaining confidence in the shooting sports.  A testimony to their enjoyment was that 6,500 rounds of ammunition was expended during the day reported Susan Hudson, the Club’s WOT clinic director.

Participant feedback was consistently positive and mentioned 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.

Hudson continues to stress that the repeated success of these events hinges on the Club’s volunteers that chose to spend their Saturday 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.  The National Rifle Association provided informational resources while Red Nex’s in Tappahannock and the Bass Pro Shop in Ashland were eager to donate supplies which offset some of the cost of ammunition and made it possible for more reactive targets to be on the firing lines.  Springfield Armory also provided various give away gifts.

The RPRC was founded in 1982 and includes 25, 50 and 100 yard firing ranges as well as a trap and wobble trap shotgun ranges.  The club offers programs open to the public that covers basic instruction in pistol, rifle and shotgun as well as additional coursework required to become a certified instructor or to qualify for a concealed carry permit.  In addition to firearm education and training, RPRC members enjoy a full range of ‘friendly’ competition shoots that include proficiency in pistol, rifle and shotgun matches.

For more information about RPRC WOT clinics, visit the club’s website at www.rprclub.com.

Thanks to Susan Hudson of RPRC for writing this post and sharing the photos.