shooting
Stick To Your Guns
November 28, 2009 by admin · Leave a Comment
The other day, I was practicing my clay shooting at my parent’s house, and a family friend happened to come by. Ashley, an avid Dove Hunter started watching the dynamics of the practice session and halfway through my box of clays, he spoke up: ‘JoAnna, what kind of shotgun is that?’ I told him that it was a Browning Silver Sporting Micro Clays 12 gauge. ‘Well…’ he stated, and I could see the man getting on the soapbox now. It was as predictable as a summer squall, ‘I think you would be much more comfortable with a 20 gauge shotgun.’ I looked at Ashley and batted my eyes, and with a sticky sweet, sarcastic voice I asked, ‘Whatever in the world would make you say such a silly statement? Do I look like I do not know how to shoot this thing?’ ‘No.’ he stammered… ‘It’s just been my experience that a 20 gauge Shotgun has a lot less recoil, and with your small frame, I think you would just enjoy shooting a 20 gauge a whole lot more.’
My brother Jay, who was listening in on the conversation, and who is a tremendous supporter of my Shooting Sports, laughed uncomfortably, he knew that I had run the gamut of three 20 gauge shotguns before I finally found the Browning 12gauge. It took a year of research, and it was not a buying decision I took lightly. The fact of the matter is the particular model of my shotgun is a gas-auto loader, and the beautiful part of it is I can shoot it all day long, and not get beat up. The shotgun is ideal for a smaller shooter, and has an advanced recoil system, making it much easier to shoot than some of the 20 gauge field guns that I had owned previously. Ashley has a couple of Auto-5’s himself, and is familiar with the mechanics and advantages of automatic loading shotguns, and I was disappointed that he would pigeon-hole any shooter in a particular category. Shooting is so individualized. Each shooter is like each gun, different and so diverse. I knew why he was doing it. I had come to expect it. He was doing it because I was a girl… No girl he ever knew really shot. Any gun… let alone a 12gauge. It was time for him to realize that ladies can and do shoot. And we can do it very well, given the right kind of support. Choosing my words carefully, I asked: ‘What do you know about it, Ashley, and what can we expect to learn from each other? Because I am pretty certain Daddy has a 20 gauge in the Sporting Room, but I will take the Pepsi Challenge with telling you, that I know that this Shotgun is better than a 20 gauge for me.’ What Ashley did not realize at that point, and that my brother and I knew, was that I was armed to the teeth with knowledge, and sometimes, that is your best defense.
Jay spoke up, and said: ‘Maybe that’s what y’all need. Why don’t you let Ashley take a couple of pulls?’ I nodded at my brother knowingly. Ashley took his turn at the firing line. Pull after pull, in disbelief, Ashley had underestimated the power of well and how smooth the 12gauge shot. He shook his head as he handed back the shotgun to me, and said: ‘JoAnna you’re right. This is the right gun for you.’ I looked at Ashley and smiled. I knew it wasn’t a matter of being right. It was a matter of sticking to my gun.
by JoAnna Zurinsky @12gabrowninggal
Know guns, know peace, know safety.
No guns, no peace, no safety.
See the original article at TeamHuntress.com
