6 Necessary Shooting Tips For Beginners

Looking to learn how to shoot a handgun? Here are 6 shooting tips to help you get started!

So you want to learn how to shoot a gun? That is great! Despite what you may see in movies or read in books, shooting accurately and safely actually takes a lot of practice, focus, and technique.

Even someone who claims that they are an experienced shooter can make silly mistakes and may develop habits that can be hard to correct. Being a new shooter, you have a clean slate and are in a great position to learn the basics for shooting a gun safely.

Click here to see these 6 tips!

Legally Armed Uber Driver Stops Mass Shooting in Logan Square

An attempted mass shooting ended with no innocent bystanders injured all thanks to a law-abiding Uber driver with a gun, in Chicago of all places!

An armed man began shooting into a crowd of people at Logan Square in Chicago late Friday night. After witnessing everything from his vehicle, an Uber driver with a concealed carry permit immediately responded to what could have been a horrible incident by pulling his own weapon and firing six shots at the gunman.

The gunman was later identified as 22-year-old Everardo Custodio, who is currently being treated for gunshot wounds to the thigh, shin, and lower back at Advocate Illinois Masonic hospital.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the Uber driver was in a parked car nearby when he witnessed Custodio shooting into a crowd of pedestrians at the 2900 block of North Milwaukee Avenue. The driver, who has only been identified as a 47-year-old male from Little Italy, fired six shots at the gunman and remained at the scene until police arrived. He immediately presented his valid concealed carry permit and firearms owner’s identification card.

Read the rest of the article here!

Women shouldn’t have guns because it can be used against them

So what is your first reaction when you hear the following statement?

“Women shouldn’t have guns to protect themselves from men. The attacker can just take it away and end up using it against her.”

I don’t know what you’d say, but to that I give a big “HA!”.

Let’s use the most recent example. Zara Adil was working her normal shift at her family’s tobacco store, when two men came in to rob her. One of the men came behind the counter and held a gun to her while demanding she open her register. He set the gun down to get the cash and she took it. Did he attack her? Yes. But he did not get the gun back from her AND he ended up being shot in the shoulder.

We also have this story reported from SCNow:

A Columbia woman who admitted shooting a former boyfriend in her apartment at 2807 Schoolhouse Road on Feb. 21 acted in self defense and will not be charged “at this time,” Columbia police chief Skip Holbrook said in a news release.
The unnamed woman called 911 around 7:30 p.m. and told police she had shot her ex-boyfriend with his own gun after he dropped it during a physical struggle. The man, identified by the county coroner as Jermaine A. Johnson, 33, had a “documented history of domestic violence allegations,” Holbrook said. The woman was in the process of getting an order of protection against him and had met with the police.

Obviously this woman was at risk and she decided to take matters into her own hands and fight back, just like Adil did earlier this week. Saying that women shouldn’t have guns because men can overpower them is just another weak argument made to try to scare women out of believing they have the power to defend themselves. Arming women gives them MORE of an opportunity to defend themselves in a horrible situation, not less.

I don’t understand this logic one bit. Liberals are all about women’s rights, feminism, and “more power to the woman”, yet they want to depict women as defenseless little beings who can’t control a firearm and would just give-up during an attack?

So ladies, don’t fall for this and allow such a ridiculous argument to discourage you from getting armed. Take classes, go to the range, and familiarize yourself with your gun. If you’re confident on how to handle a firearm and what to do in the event of an attack, you are NOT going to be the weaker individual..

Click here to read Buckeye Firearms Association’s argument.

Questions Asked About Gun Ownership

One of the greatest joys in life is when your best friend starts to take interest in something you find so very important. The even greater joy is when they come to you for advice.

A couple of years ago, my friend Allison and I were attending a university in Huntsville, TX. I don’t know what any of you know about Huntsville, but most people you ask respond with “isn’t that the place with all the prisons?”. Yes. Yes it is. Huntsville, TX is where this nation’s criminals get transferred before they’re executed. Sounds like a great place, doesn’t it? The city is literally surrounded by about 9 different prisons. You can imagine how frightening it is to hear when someone escapes (which they do on a yearly basis) or when you hear that someone has been released. Because of this, you learn to trust your instincts and gain the knowledge that if someone appears to be up to no good, it’s usually because they are.

We had a couple of experiences where we were legitimately worried for our safety walking around campus at night or coming home late from work. One incident in particular, we ended up finding a University Police call station to call for help. The man on the other end was laughing and carrying on conversation with his co-workers while we were trying to tell him what was happening. We ended up repeating ourselves several times AND it took them over 20 minutes to get to us. Had we not felt helpless, things would have gone differently. This is why I encourage women, on college campuses or not, to get a gun.

My friend has recently graduated and will be moving to Houston. A place in which she feels she would be much more comfortable living if she was able to carry. She came to me with a few questions and I decided to share them with you:

1. What is the first thing you should do when beginning to consider owning a gun? Do your research. Look into classes in your area. I highly recommend NRA’s First Steps Pistol courses. You can even do a women’s only course! This will give you a chance to learn about gun safety, maintenance, and you’ll have someone with you during your first time at the range. These instructors can also help you find what you’re looking for depending on why you want a gun. They will ask you questions and figure out your preferences to help you find what you’re looking for. This can also help address many of the concerns that people have when considering getting a gun. Please don’t ever purchase a gun without knowing how to use it. This could be extremely dangerous to you and those around you. Wait until after you feel physically and emotionally prepared to own a firearm. 2. How many times at a gun range do you think it would take to start to feel comfortable with a gun? It really depends on the person. I was into my 3rd time when I really felt comfortable. My 1st time was nice and easy because I had an instructor with me. The 2nd time was really nerve-wrecking. I wasn’t sure what to say to the lady at the counter, I was nervous because there were a lot of other gun owners in the room, and I felt pressure because I wanted to be as good as the other shooters. The third time, I was much more at ease. I knew exactly what to say, went up to my station, loaded everything up and went at it. Some people take a little more time, depending on how comfortable they’ve gotten with their gun on their own time. For example, when I first purchased my gun, I sat at my dining room table and took it apart and put it back together over and over and over again. The first time was REALLY hard because I refused to cheat and look at the manual. I wanted to know exactly what to do. Now I can take it apart and reassemble it with my eyes closed in about 15 seconds. When you get comfortable with the mechanics, you feel comfortable shooting it because you took the power away from the gun. It no longer has control over you. The fear is gone because you no longer go “what happens if I do _______?” going through your head every time you pick it up. You’ll know what happens when you push that button or unlock the safety. You’ll have full control. With people like my mom, she was given the gun already loaded and told to shoot. She doesn’t know what to do with it once it’s empty. So, if your instructor wants to set everything up for you, let them do it the first couple of times and then ask to take over. Have them walk you through the steps. 3. Who should be aware of you owning a gun? People you trust and people who will be around the gun. Everyone in the whole world doesn’t need to know you have one. The less people who know, the better. If a criminal knows that you have a gun, they can be prepared. If they don’t, then they’re in for one hell of a surprise. Family members who live in the same household should also know (except if you have someone who you believe it mentally unstable). Family may be intimidated or afraid at first, but once you get comfortable you can help them get comfortable with the idea and then encourage them to take safety courses as well. You can also explain to them what the benefits are of having a gun, why you feel you need one, and answer any questions they have. 4. Guns are expensive and so are bullets. Besides that what are other expenses that come with a gun? There are a lot of unnecessary (but fun) accessories you can buy, but the main things you will have to worry about are cleaning supplies, range supplies (eye and ear protection), storage, and ammo. How often you need to purchase cleaning supplies will depend on how often you use your gun. You can purchase this from Wal-Mart, sports and outdoors stores, and sometimes even the range. In your introduction to class, you will be taught what supplies to use and how to use them. As for eye and ear protection, spend the money on quality. The last thing you want to do is damage your hearing or sight. Ranges do have rentals that you can use while you’re there, but they aren’t always the greatest. For storage, purchase something that you can keep out of reach from other people. You will also need it in order to transport the guns. Gun locks and safes are always a great way to go. Remember, the safety on your handgun should never be assumed to work, so have backup. 5. How often should you practice shooting and is there a continuing of education with guns and gun safety? I would make it a monthly obligation to practice your shooting. You can never be too prepared. You can also never be too educated. There are plenty of opportunities to continue education and learn more about gun handling. The NRA offers tons of courses. You can look into group classes, clubs or organizations, legal courses, self-defense courses, and when things get too easy for you, try looking into stimulation courses. I have found a few places here in the area that I can go to and play our real scenarios. This would be an excellent way for me to test my response to stressful situations and how I would handle myself. The levels of difficulty increase, so you’ll always have some new way to practice. You can also look into concealed carry courses and/or testing to be an instructor. Getting a gun is a huge responsibility and like any other thing you’ll take on, practice makes perfect. What questions do you have about purchasing/owning a gun?

Shooting at the ranch: Family bonding at its finest

4 hours and 700 rounds later, it’s safe to say I had a good day.

My grandpa, my brother, and I drove out to my uncle’s ranch and began to unpack. With us we had a Beretta PX4 Storm 9mm (mine), a 9mm Beretta M9, a .22 Ruger semi-auto, a Keltec .380, and a Ruger Vaguer .45 single action revolver with a swing gate to load and unload. Though the .45 cal revolver was a REALLY nice gun, I was pretty horrible at shooting it, but man was it a beauty!

Throughout the day, my family members snapped some shots so I could share my experience with you.

Obviously, I was most comfortable with my own gun. My next favorite was the other Beretta. Everyone else seemed to have shot it too high or too low, but I was right on the money with this one. Not a surprise to me, Berettas were what I learned on. 

 

This target was after my first few shots using the Beretta M-9. With the .22, the 9mm, and the .45, we shot from between 7 and 10 yards. We had to get a little creative because it was crazy muddy after we drove the truck out there. (Sorry my target pictures are sideways).

Me holding the Ruger .22

Here is me holding my favorite out of my grandpa’s collection, the Beretta M-9.

 Final picture is of me holding the .45 revolver.

This is my target shooting with the .45. I hit a few on the target but that took some getting used to. Most of what I shot was too low. Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to practice more!

 

Finally, to wrap up the day, I picked up a Keltec .380. I have to say, this gun was far from my favorite. It is very snappy and hurt my thumb. Obviously it is not a target practice gun and would get the job done in a self-defense situation, but shooting this all day would not be fun at all.

  So I went back to my Beretta and decided to tear up one final target. 

Should Women Purchase Pink Guns?

I guess my constant Google searches and endless hours of looking at guns for sale has finally caught up to me. I am getting emails, tweets, phone calls, and Pinterest links sent to me with “Girly Guns”.

I have to say I have some mixed feelings about the bedazzled and painted guns that seem to only target female gun owners on the web and in stores. Because of these feelings, I have tried to think of why I like and dislike the idea of having a pink gun or something covered in rhinestones. I have also tried to look into why it is women are interested in these designs.

I believe that a lot of women (not all) search for guns that look ‘less scary’. Picking up a small pink gun the size of your hand almost doesn’t register in your brain that you are holding a deadly weapon. Which makes me wonder- if you aren’t recognizing it as a dangerous weapon, would your attacker? This is one of the reasons that I have a bit of hesitation in purchasing a decorated gun. I don’t ever want to give my attacker any indication that I am not serious about defending myself or that my weapon is “too girly” to do any harm to a man, even if that isn’t true.

The next reason I think that women flock to these guns is because they are more ‘fashionable’ or ‘pretty’. To me, a gun is not something you sport around on your hip just to look good or feel pretty. Carrying a gun is serious business and needs to be treated like such. The other thing that I am confused about is a lot of these guns are meant for concealed carry. If you are meaning to keep it hidden from someone, then why choose a weapon designed to stick out? Now some women wear a TON of pink. In that case, I guess a pink concealed carry gun is probably a good choice. In the case that you are trying to hide in a dark corner somewhere, I have some concerns that a bright colored or bedazzled gun may give away my position if light catches it.

Another reason women lean towards this purchase is because it shows men that “this isn’t my husbands gun, it’s mine”. I have talked to a lot of women who feel empowered by having a gun that is unmistakably their’s. Heck, more power to them.

Let me dig a little deeper here. It’s not the little pink and black handguns that really bother me. It is more the “My Little Pony” and the “Hello Kitty” guns that I can’t stand.

Another issue I have with these is they look like toys. If something looks like a toy, it is pretty much assumed that it will be treated like a toy. If not by you, then possibly by a child. That being said, if not taught by their parents, any child could pick up a gun thinking it’s a toy.

Now to my biggest issue. I think that the way pink guns are being marketed towards women is a bit ridiculous, and quite frankly I think that is the main reason they bother me. It’s as if some believe women are only attracted to the style and color of the weapon and not to the fact that it’s a firearm. There has been one occasion where I was looking at a gun and was encouraged to go with the pink gun instead of a black one. To me, I felt like the man thought that I knew nothing about guns and would want that one just because it’s ‘pretty’. I then asked him “why this one over that one?” while pointing at the PX4 I had been wanting. He starred at me for a couple of seconds and then said “well because this one is popular with our female customers”. Wrong answer dude. Someone once phrased it “It’s as if I was looking at a car and the salesmen shows me the vanity mirror with pretty lights when I was about to ask a question about the engine”. That is exactly how I felt. I mean seriously now, guys do you have this problem? I don’t think so.

Finally, I feel like a lot of the negativity that goes towards pink guns is one of the main reasons that I haven’t considered purchasing one. Why do a lot of  the guys tend to laugh at the women who walk into a range with an ‘unmanly gun’? I surely don’t want to fall into this stereotype that women are weak and can’t own a ‘real’ gun. On the other hand, how would it make these guys feel having this pink gun wind up in the evidence tray for their case after getting shot? Yea.. I don’t think they’d feel too good about that one.

All in all, I have come to the conclusion that it’s just a color.  It by no means determines whether or not a woman is weak. It by no means takes away from the damage that the gun can do. Heck, it’s a ‘man’ gun with a coat of paint on top of it. Now will I ever purchase a pink gun? Probably not. Pink isn’t really my thing. But will I NEVER buy any colored gun? I wouldn’t go that far. This Tiffany Blue rifle is pretty cool 🙂

 

 

Victim Speaks Out Against Gun Violence in a State with Heavy Gun Control Laws

As horrible as it is that this child was shot by some thug aiming for a his rival on the streets, this doesn’t make much sense to me.

How exactly can you speak out against gun violence in a state that has some of the most restrictive gun control laws in the country? I thought that is why gun control laws were/are implemented in the first place; to stop gun violence. 

Most New York State gun laws are covered in two sections of New York Penal law: Article 265 – Firearms and Other Dangerous Weapons; and Article 400 – Licensing and Other Provisions Relating to Firearms

Click here for a summary of Gun Laws in New York State.

Basically, if you want to purchase, possess, or carry a firearm in the state of New York, you have to go through flaming hoops, pay hundreds of dollars in fees, and have some special connections with people who have the authority to grant you access. 

So with these restrictive gun control laws in place, gun violence is still happening. If gun violence is still prevalent even in the presence of these laws, explain to me why we have these laws in the first place? Right, because law-abiding citizens aren’t the problem. 

Having to speak out against ‘gun violence’ when you already have gun control laws in place to prevent it just goes to show that gun control does not keep criminals from harming people. Gun control does not stop gun violence. Gun control does not stop gang members from accidentally shooting children or other innocent bystanders nor does it stop them from shooting at each other. All gun control does is take weapons away from citizens who rely on guns for self-defense while criminals still have them. 

Kareem Potomont was arrested and charged in the shooting with attempted murder, reckless endangerment, and assault. It has already been confirmed that victim was in the crossfire of a gang-related gun battle. Not to mention, Potomont has had 13 other prior arrests. Even in a state that doesn’t have strict gun control laws, he still couldn’t legally own a gun with that criminal background. Yet even in a heavily gun-restricted state, Potomont was able to get a hold of one anyway. Why? Because criminals don’t follow laws.

 

Why Women Should Be Armed

There comes a point in your life when you realize you aren’t some invincible being. Some of us take longer to come to this realization than others, but the fact of the matter stays the same.

As a woman I learned that I needed to realize that I’m not invincible. My husband isn’t always going to be there to protect me and neither are my friends, family, or even the police. Sadly, I came to this realization in a very scary situation that could have been truly harmful had I not been paying attention to my surroundings.

My first year in college, I went to a school that I absolutely hated. It was in the middle of nowhere with a McDonalds, a Wal-Mart, and some “shopping center” that seemed to be stuck in the 80’s. Not to mention, I knew NO ONE. My roommate was doing Lord only knows what every night stumbling in at 4 in the morning and no one in my dorm had anything in common with me. One night, I wanted to take a break from studying. I figured I would hit up that lame shopping center down the street and kill some time. Since it was really the only thing to do in the entire town besides get hammered, the front end of the parking lot was full. I parked a bit of a distance away from the first store I was going to go into but thought it would be fine because I pretty much had a straight shot to each store from my car. I walked around a bit, in and out of stores. When I was in one of the boutiques, I looked up at a mirror at the top of the wall and noticed 4 guys starring at me and whispering to each other on the other side of the isle I was in. I thought nothing of it but felt awkward and decided to move along. I got over to a pair of jeans and was surprised I actually found something more my style. So of course, I was going to try it on. As I was walking to the fitting room, I looked up and saw the 4 guys following me from a short distance. Being that there was hardly anyone in the store and I had an extremely uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach, I decided the jeans weren’t worth it and set them down. I walked over to a lady and her daughter and started a conversation. When I did that, they made their way over to the other side of the store. At this point, I thought “now’s my time.. I’m going to go back to my car”. I knew it was a long walk so I grabbed my keys and put each one in between a knuckle in my right hand. My dad always told me to do this as a last resort but I always thought he was crazy until then.

I quickened my pace and kept looking over my shoulder. I started thinking that maybe I was being completely paranoid and slowed down. About 30 seconds later, I looked over my shoulder and saw them walking in my direction through the parking lot. I started weaving in and out of cars and going down other lanes to see if they would follow. Surely enough they did. At this point, I was starting to panic and began walking very quickly (almost jogging) to my car which was still about 70 spaces away from me. I looked back over my shoulder and saw that they started jogging as well. I was officially spooked. I hit the alarm button on my car over and over again until it finally went off. They paused for a second but started jogging again. I’d had it. I was done. I knew my car door remote didn’t unlock the door and using my key seemed too risky. I tried to locate the safest place for me at this point and saw that one of the stores was probably closer than my car. I made a sharp right and sprinted towards the store. They kept jogging straight and stopped right around my car and waited for a bit. One of them was even leaning up against my trunk. I walked right up to the cashier so that I would be near someone, pulled my phone out, and called the police. They were there in about 15 minutes and I told them the whole story. The officer looked outside and at that point, they had left. He escorted me back to my car and followed me home to make sure they weren’t hiding out anywhere.

I didn’t sleep one bit. I kept thinking “now they know what my car looks like”. Being that there was nothing in this stupid town, they could easily drive around the dorms and figure out my general living area. I called my husband (my boyfriend at the time) and he immediately got into his car and drove 3 hours to come stay with me through finals week.

Back then I thought this was just a scary experience, but the more I think about it the more I realize that things could have gone so differently had I not just looked over my shoulder or chose not to run straight to my car. Holding my keys like the Wolverine in my hand made me feel safer, but in all reality, there is no way I could have taken on 4 men with only my keys. What was I going to do if they actually got to me? Yell “STOP! I have keys!”? It’s not like I am some huge, strong woman who could demand that they submit to my authority. Truth is, I don’t have the strength or the ability to protect myself from people who are  intentionally trying to cause me harm.

Then I think what if these 4 men DID follow me home and broke into my dorm room? What if they were armed? Honestly, what would I do at that point? The reason I was so scared was because there was nothing I could do. And I knew that.

As a woman, I want to be armed from people and experiences just like that one. Yes, I got away safely, but that’s not always the case. I don’t want to be left in a situation where I have to rely on my car keys or my mace to protect myself from danger. I don’t want someone to break into my house with a gun and not be left with one myself.

I believe that with each experience, we learn from mistakes and we grow as individuals. We get smarter and learn to think quickly on our feet. I learned that I should not go anywhere alone (especially at night) and ESPECIALLY in an area where the only people I have to rely on are police officers and a boyfriend who lived 3 hours away. I learned to be CONSTANTLY aware of my surroundings. I learned that I am NOT invincible and that I need a reliable way to defend my life. As of recently, I learned that the best way to do that is to train myself and never miss a shot.

Girls, you need to be armed. I don’t care if you’re a power-lifter, a professional wrestler, a champion fighter, or a feminist. Protect yourself. You never know what situation may arise and how you can/can’t handle it.

Stay safe ladies and practice often.

 

 

Texas Homeowner Shoots Intruder Early Easter Morning

On April 20 a Houston, Texas homeowner shot and killed an intruder who kicked in the door to the home. 

According to Click2Houston.com, the man allegedly kicked in the homeowner’s door around 4:50 a.m on Easter morning. 

The homeowner and his wife were at home at the time and police report “the 56-year old homeowner feared for his life.” He therefore “shot the intruder twice in the abdomen.” 

The intruder was “rushed to Ben Taub General Hospital where he later died.”

Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins  Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.

 

Well, Happy Easter everyone!

I was a little surprised to read this from Breitbart earlier today. First off, kudos to the homeowners for defending themselves. That seems to be so frowned upon in this country. Yet, the silly thing is, if the homeowners were harmed/killed by the intruder, we’d hear nothing but “my condolences to the victims” but when the intruder is killed, we hear all about MORE GUN CONTROL. Pathetic. We just can’t win here can we?

My next comment is why on earth would this guy break in at 5am on Easter morning? Pretty much one of the only days out of the year in which everyone goes to church and he chooses to come in when he knows they’re home. 

Don’t get me wrong, it’s sad that this man died but please don’t spew off the “desperate times call for desperate measures”. This man should not have broken into anyone’s home regardless of whatever struggles he may have been facing at the time. I just hope the homeowner doesn’t get charged for anything. We’ve all seen how the alternative ends up. Don’t believe me? Look up my post from a couple of months back about the unarmed pregnant woman and legally blind man who were attacked, beaten, and raped in the middle of the night. I also might add that they were hardcore anti-gun advocates. Ironic, huh? That in their time of need, a gun could have saved them from such a horrific experience. 

Here’s something to make you chuckle- The top comment is from ‘Archie Bunker’ – “Well, Hillary just lost another voter”. Too bad the dead apparently vote too. Man, don’t get my hopes up Archie!

More Women Seeking Florida Concealed Carry Licenses

Due to the recent and upcoming changes in gun laws, more Florida women are seeking to get their concealed carry licenses. According to The Florida Times Union, numbers have nearly doubled in the past decade. 

More and more women are choosing to get their concealed carry permits each year. New data from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services shows that 1,240,430 people held valid state Concealed Weapon/Firearms Licenses as of March 31, 2014. Out of that total, 276,386 women now have their concealed carry license in the state. Just 10 years ago, only 48,316 out of 324,236 had their license to carry. That means in 2004, only 14.9% of women had their permits. Now, 22.2% of women in the state have their license to carry and the number is still increasing.

People are in fear that they will one day lose their 2nd amendment right and the government will make it harder for them to purchase or legally carry a gun. Not to mention, the constant bickering that goes on about gun-control ultimately gets people interested. When someone doesn’t have an opinion, in most cases they want to learn. Also look at NRAWomen.TV, a website that features shows such as Armed and Fabulous and Love at First Shot. 

All in all, I believe women are finally getting motivated by self-defense. 

About 79 percent of firearms retailers nationwide reported an increase in female customers in 2012 over 2011, the most recent NSSF data shows. Meanwhile, the number of women participating in target shooting increased 67 percent, while those participating in hunting went up 43 percent from 2003 to 2012, according to the National Sporting Goods Association’s most recent statistics.

-Teresa Stepzinski with Florida Times Union

Basics: Range and Gun in Orange Park, FL has recently dedicated Thursday nights to ladies after seeing that nearly 50% of their shooters were women. Needless to say, it has been a huge success!

PHOTOS OF LADIES NIGHT

More women are taking a stand each day towards executing their right to bear arms. Will you?