Hey Guys, this article is for the women in your life; your wife, girlfriend, sister and even your mother. You know that few women are raised around firearms. A lot of them are exposed to firearms through a husband or significant other, brother, or son who is either involved in the Law Enforcement Community, a hunter or competitive shooter, or with the Firearms Industry. I was introduced to firearms at a police academy as a recruit. I expanded my expertise after I married into Law Enforcement, and continued my training in various law enforcement occupations. So ladies, sit down with a cup of coffee and let’s talk about shooting. I’m going to take you on an adventure. I’m going to give you ‘a taste’ of other possibilities.

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In July 2008, I joined forty-nine other specially selected women from around the nation on a nine day adventure at the Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico.  Sponsored by the National Rifle Association, we attended the First Annual Women’s Wilderness Escape. It was an escape from the daily chores of home-making, child-raising, and income-earning, to experience the taste of Black Powder Muzzle-loading, Tactical Rifle, Practical Pistol, Sporting Clay, Cowboy Action Shooting, and Archery.

The Whittington Center, located on 33,000 acres, included some of the most beautiful pristine land in New Mexico. Three hours north of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and situated on part of the Santa Fe Trail, the Whittington Center abounded in antelope, deer, turkey and bear. The facilities, available for our use, consisted of multiple shooting ranges, dining halls, and cabins. Each cabin, built from the timber harvested from that location, housed five women.

The day began at 6:00 a.m. with reveille. After orientation, each attendee ventured to their assigned range which hosted the shooting discipline for that day. Afternoon and evening activities continued until 9:30 p.m. The long day concluded with stories of the day’s events, prior to lights out. 

My roommates included a retired commercial airline pilot, a retired data processor, and the administrative assistant for a youth orchestra. I rounded out the group as an educator and freelance writer. Each of us brought different talents, different shooting experiences. Some had no shooting experience at all. Of 730 applications received, the 50 women selected to participate in this program ranged in age from 18 to mid-70s. Several attendees were current or former Law Enforcement.

Linda on left and roommate from Tennessee, Sandy Anderson, new best friends.

On Thursday, our group of ten women took up the challenge of Tactical Rifle.  We were introduced to the sport using the Remington 597. A 22 caliber light-weight rifle, it was decorated in pink camouflage, just for us ladies. We used a Tasco 3-9 power scope, which allowed us to see the target better. An instructor from FNH taught us the basic prone and bench positions. In the afternoon, we fired approximately 200 rounds, from the PS90 carbine. It fired a round called the 5.7x28mm. Considered a carbine, a top-feed magazine held 30 rounds. It was conveniently ambidextrous to use, easily disassembled to clean, and  complimented with a C-more Dot Sight. The sight was unique as a beam of light pinpointed where your round would hit. That evening’s event was Long Range Rifle.  The same instructors from FNH showed us how to fire the FNH 308 caliber A2 with scope. From prone and a bench rest position we shot at four different steel targets the chicken at 200 meters/219 yards, the pig at 300 meters/328 yards, the turkey at 385 meters/421 yards, and a buffalo at 1025 meters/1123 yards. The buffalo measured 6’x10’ with a 16” aim point, and was a permanent target on this range. Shooting at these targets gave you immediate gratification as each fell to the ground as you hit them. The buffalo remained standing but the discernable “clang” gave you notice that you had successfully hit it. 

An Easterner with the PS90 carbine

Sporting Clays ruled the next day. Our same group of women fired 20 gauge semiautomatic and 12 gauge over-under shotguns. Both were named The Escort from Turkey. Four stations fed clay birds at different velocities, and trajectories. We chose the station, and received instant gratification when we successfully broke the bird as it flew, or at times, bounced on the ground past the shooting position. Our evening event consisted of Survival Techniques during hunting and non-hunting activities.

A Texas participant on the Sheet and Trap Range

Archery challenged many of us on Saturday.  We used the Genesis Bow, by Mathews, a compound bow with adjustable pull. It looked like a futuristic contraption with a series of pulleys, unlike the typical traditional bow. The arrows, made of fiberglass, utilized plastic feathers. The blunt aluminum tips permitted the arrow to penetrate its target of either straw or foam, and it was removed with little effort. The morning instruction found us practicing on paper bulls-eye targets while the afternoon was spent with 3-D life-size animals. The evening event introduced us to the different tree stands available for archery hunting.

Author on the Archery Range

Our group of women approached the Black Powder Muzzle-loading Range the next day with excitement, as few of us had ever experienced this type of shooting. We used a CVA Inline Black Powder Rifle called the ‘Wolf’.  Unlike rifle, shotgun, or archery, we combined the ingredients, the equivalent of a cartridge, which we loaded into the muzzle of the rifle. It was very similar to combining the ingredients to bake a cake.  We pored 50 grains of Black Powder into the bore and a lubricated patch placed over the muzzle held a 50 caliber lead ball. A tool, called the Short Starter, seated the patch and ball into the muzzle, finished with the Long Starter and then the Ramrod, which firmly seated the ball against the powder charge at the base of the barrel. Finally the muzzleloader capped with the primer, was ready to fire. During the morning instruction, we fired on paper targets using this method. In the afternoon, the method of loading remained basically the same except we used a compressed powder called a Pellet and a Conical Bullet called a Sabot. We fired on steel targets representing turkeys, bison, bear and pig. As in long range rifle and shotgun, you received immediate reinforcement of your accuracy or lack of it. Our evening event instructed us in Turkey calling.

Practical Pistol, a challenge for many, was introduced the following day. The instructors, also from FNH, started us on the Smith & Wesson, Model 617 Revolver.  With a four inch barrel, it held 10 rounds of 22 caliber long rifle.  We fired at bulls-eye targets at varying distances. In the afternoon we used the Five-Seven Semiautomatic Pistol, which utilized a 5.7x22 mm cartridge with a magazine that held 25 rounds. The afternoon targets included steel plates fired from behind telephone poles to simulate the use of cover. A short Practical Pistol course allowed us to experiment with speed and accuracy on a combination of paper and steel targets. The evening event involved “virtual shooting”, utilizing the Laser Shot simulator.

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An entertaining experience involved Cowboy Action Shooting the following day.  The use of 38 caliber single action revolvers, 357 caliber lever action rifles, and stagecoach shotguns, all shot at steel targets, allowed us to put to use all the knowledge we had acquired in recent days. The experience, though perhaps not practical by today’s standards, was fun, and functional. We dressed up in western attire, strapped on the holster rigs and got to pretend we were Annie Oakley. It allowed us to experience a different sport utilizing the traditional firearms and equipment of the western era. What surprised many of us was that without familiarity of the firearm or equipment, we could safely and successfully engage the targets with accuracy and speed just by utilizing the basic techniques that we had been taught in other shooting disciplines. 

Cowboy Shooting, target array


Linda displaying her form at Cowboy Shooting.


Linda displaying her form with pistol at Cowboy Shooting.

The instructors for the Women’s Wilderness Escape consisted of former military, and former and current Law Enforcement personnel as well as civilian instructors with impeccable credentials. All helped us learn their discipline, praised our achievements and encouraged our advancement in their sport. Sponsors for each shooting discipline provided all the firearms and ammunition and accoutrements. The Whittington Center Ranges were immaculate and well maintained. The food and hospitality was an experience equated with expensive shooting resorts, but cost much less.

This experience proved to me that no matter which shooting discipline I excelled at, or experienced difficulty with, or found most interesting or practical, the fundamental principles of sight alignment and trigger squeeze applied to all of them. For hunters or recreational shooters, for law enforcement or military, for women with only basic knowledge, these principles could be easily transferred to any discipline. Lack of practice would be the only obstacle to keep anyone from enjoying any of them.

The Women’s Wilderness Escape, appropriately named, for many of us had been our escape. For nine days, it was a time to experience the thrill of an adventure, to learn what many of us had been denied in our youth. For women, who have no or limited knowledge of firearms or any of the shooting sports, this experience would excite and entice them to learn more and excel. It was a great opportunity for women to understand what men have been excited about all their lives. 

Bob Hendricks, in 2005 wrote in “The Birth of a Hunter”, on Huntingnet.com, “Equally as important (recruiting the youth) is recruiting women into the shooting sports…Many of today’s young people are being raised in a one parent family.  Sometimes the one parent is a woman. . . The introduction of a new woman shooter benefits the sport as it is an avenue for the introduction of the shooting sports to the youth. . .”

Ladies, I hope that you have enjoyed this little adventure.  Gentlemen, I hope you will encourage the women in your life to seek out an opportunity such as this.

The Women’s Wilderness Escape is “not just a taste”, it’s an entire meal.   

For further information about this training opportunity, check out the NRA's

Women’s Wilderness Escape program. This program is scheduled for September in 2009.

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About the Author: Linda M. Gilbertson is a former Trooper with the Oregon State Police, Special Agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms and Probation Officer with San Diego County.   She is a Gunsite graduate, an NRA Life Member and NRA Certified Personal Protection and Pistol Instructor.