Based on characteristics, not gender

The feature article in the Sep. 5, 2012 edition of The Shooting Wire is titled “Between the Berms: The Weaker Sex?”

It’s about the introduction of women to shooting sports, and how often it’s done in a manner that treats women as weaker. That they are given .22′s to start out with because there’s less recoil. But that many times men are started out with 9′s or .45′s because they can handle it.

Actually what further struck me about the article was the author, Paul Erhardt’s, use of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association as examples of tough women. It makes me smile because I know a member of the Texas Rollergirls has been out to KR Training a few times. I’ve seen her on the track, I’ve seen her shoot, and she’s certainly tough.

I think Paul’s right tho. There’s a lot of “little lady” sexism in shooting for whatever reason. It may be ignorance. It may be machismo. It may be chivilary. It may be misunderstanding. But whatever it is, it’s there.

Over my years of teaching, especially teaching beginners, I see that factors should generally not be gender-based but characteristic based.

The ability to properly grip a large gun isn’t based on gender, but on hand size. I’ve seen women with large hands and men with small hands.

Starting off a new shooter (never held a gun before, never shot a gun before, maybe never seen or heard a gun except via Hollywood), it is wise to start with a .22. This is especially true if they’re nervous or scared or intimidated by the notion. If someone is scared, starting off with a .44 Magnum is going to be loud and painful and not sow productive seeds. As a n00b they don’t know how hard to grip the gun, any loud noise is going to make them jump. Starting with a .22 is great as a “lowest barrier of entry” to ease them into things. But it certainly shouldn’t stop there. Move them on to a 9, to a .45, to a .40. If you’ve got more, let them try more… but only as much as they wish to. I’ve had some students shoot a 9 and want to stop. I’ve had some clamor to shoot the biggest, baddest gun available… again and again. I’ve seen this from men and from women.

If we talk recoil and “being weak”, I’ve seen some weak men that couldn’t adequately handle a mid-range caliber handgun. I’ve seen men with grip problems, arthritis, and other things that essentially make them “weak”. I’ve seen women hammer the hell of of every gun they shot.

On the other hand, there are certainly issues that are gender-based. Women are built differently from men, with different curves both concave and convex. This creates realities about things like carry methods and holster selection. IWB doesn’t work for many women. OWB can work with drop-and-offset holsters. Men generally can’t wear a Flashbang Holster.

In competition shooting sports, all other things being equal, men are generally going to produce faster times than women when the sports involve more physical aspects like running. Usain Bolt holds the world record in the 100m sprint with 9.58 seconds. Florence Griffith-Joyner holds the record at 10.49.

So there are certainly some realities that gender brings to the table. We cannot and should not deny those, if we’re to be honest and forthright.

But on the whole, most issues, most problems, most limits when it comes to shooting… they have nothing to do with gender and we need to look beyond gender at the issue’s fundamental nature. That way we do best service to the shooter, no matter who they are or what their gender is.