Well I think the pigs started flying

[sparx]

Now that we're having a blast at the range with our handguns, I plan to pick up a .410 and get her started on shotguns!

Good idea to start with 410, the first shotgun my wife
shot was 12 ga. I didn't have anything else. She wasn't
holding it tight enough even though I warned her. Well,
it nearly knocked her down and she dropped it on the ground. She hasn't shot a shotgun since.

I agree, as that's how my dad started me out Dove hunting when I was a kid. The smallest gauge I have at the moment though are two 16 GA shotguns, and even though I've sometimes thought of getting a .410, I just just never have. Now I have an good reason to!

That's sad to hear about your wife's experience though. Hopefully some day she'll want to give it another go, perhaps with a .410 and then work up to the 12 GA. Has she shot a .22 rifle yet? If not, you might consider dropping it down to that for starters and seeing if she'll give it another go.

Kathy had shot her dad's .22 rifle and Single-Six before she met me, but nothing since. We had talked about taking a 16 GA out for her to try, but never did that either. Now that I see how much fun she's having with her handguns, I want to make sure it continues on down the line so I don't want to take any chances of taking it too fast or too big of a jump for her. Besides, now that I know a .410 will probably get a lot of use (more than if I had bought it for myself, and especially since I don't live in a rural area anymore), it's easier to justify the investment!

[KBCraig]

My wife is a tall strong gal. I'm a shade over 5'10", and she's just a hair shorter than me. She wrestles dogs all day while I mostly wrestle a keyboard, and she could whip me in a fair fight (but I don't fight fair).

She likes her 2" Taurus .38 Ultralite, even with +P ammo. She loves her Makarov. She doesn't like my full size P97 .45, and she really, really hates my 18" Winchester 1300.

Given her first experience with it, I guess I don't blame her.

Everybody is different. I don't mind recoil from any handgun, but I don't like bruising long guns. (Doesn't stop me from shooting them, though.)

Kevin

[Skiprr]

Given her first experience with it, I guess I don't blame her.

Pookie?

[TX Rancher]

My wife’s choice after firing several calibers/pistol combinations was a Kimber CDP (Officer 45). The CDP is a very light, 3 inch barrel weapon. The combination of light and short tends to increase perceived recoil, but it’s her choice anyway. To her, the recoil is perfectly acceptable and preferable over the 40 cal. She’s fired 9mm’s several times, but still chooses to stick with her Kimber.

One of the ladies I recently taught fired two clips out of the 45, set it down and has never picked it up since. She locked in on the 9mm (Glock G26) and never looked back. Now the G26 is a rather small weapon, and even in 9mm represents a non-negligible recoil.

Another female student decided the Sig in 9mm was for her.

In all cases, perceived recoil was not the primary reason for the selection. In all cases it was the “feel� of the weapon in their hands, how well they shot it, and how it looked that became the deciding factors.

It’s just my opinion, but in most of the standard defensive calibers, I feel sound level (“Blast�) is a large portion of perceived “Recoil�. I tend to have new shooters wear plugs and good headphone style protection. The combination pretty much takes sound level out of the equation for 9mm, 40, and 45.

Let her pick what she likes, and don’t “lead� her towards, or away, from caliber options before she goes to the range. Trust her opinion, I’ll bet she’s pretty smart…after all she picked you!

[Tote 9]

Let her pick what she likes, and don’t “lead� her towards, or away, from caliber options before she goes to the range. Trust her opinion, I’ll bet she’s pretty smart…after all she picked you!

My wife had never shot a pistol untill I got my CHL. One day as I
was practising She came outside and wanted to shoot. At the time I only
had 2 pistols, a 9mm and a 45. She shot the 9mm. first and then the 45
She quickly made up her mind and chose the 9mm. and I know after 42
yeas of marriage not to try to change it.

[Crossfire]

Given her first experience with it, I guess I don't blame her.

Pookie?

Oh yeah! I think we have a new handle for KB!

[Skiprr]

Oh yeah! I think we have a new handle for KB!

Contrary, at least, would appreciate it. Detective Pookie, on the other hand...

[tsteven1]

Shu;
Best to you and the lady. Maybe a good thing would be to share this page with her, which gives a wide range of wisdom from men andwomen.
My wife and I used to go shooting my Bersa Thunder 380, and she loved it. She did not, on the other hand, like the feel of my Taurus revolver in 38 Special. I like the suggestions about taking her to a gun show and letting her handle a variety of models. For myself, the feel of the weapon in my hand,(weight, grips, etc.,) is important. Good shooting!

[kw5kw]

Given her first experience with it, I guess I don't blame her.

Pookie?

Oh yeah! I think we have a new handle for KB!

Charles,

Would it be possible to either change KBCraig's ID to KBCraig, a.k.a. "Pookie"