Marksmen need to consider what lies beyond their target, shooting instructor Gunner Gunderson told 30 women seated in chairs at the Lincoln County Rifle Club. Women from around Lincoln County learned about gun safety, bullets, gun action and shooting during Ladies Day at the club on Saturday, Sept. 19.
Some discovered unrealized talent and many learned how not to be intimidated by firearms.
“I want to be able to use a gun safely,” Diana Templeton from Damariscotta said as she stood inside the club’s Bench House, where several other women at benches aimed their sights at targets several feet away.
Templeton said this was her first time visiting the club. She participated in the event to learn more about gun safety, but said she also thinks it is a good sport. She said it could be a good sport for couples, particularly.
“It’s something to do other than go out to a movie,” Templeton said.
Rockland resident Celeste Bonney, 17, shot out the center of her target from 25 yards away. According to Instructor Dick Parrino, she had never shot a gun before.
“She’s a natural,” Parrino said. “She took the ‘x’ right out.”
Participants wanted to take out some of the fear that comes from being unfamiliar with firearms. Beth Jones from Nobleboro also said she had never fired a gun, but wanted to learn. Pam Marcuso from Boothbay said she has two brothers who have hunted for years, but had not done any hunting herself. In general agreement with other participants, she said she felt less intimidated learning about guns in a group of other women.
“There’s no reason it has to be a male dominated sport,” club vice president Ray Kimball said, adding that some of the sport’s top shooters are women.
Shoot director Ross McKinnon wanted to host the Ladies Day event at the club and with the support of fellow members organized the day, in part to bring in new members and also to help raise awareness of gun safety. McKinnon said this was the first time the club held such an occasion.
Instructors Gunderson, Ted and Dan Dishner, Ross McKinnon, Dick Morris and others talked about some of the differences between pistols and revolvers, shotguns and rifles and the various caliber bullets they would be working with that day.
Sitting in the club house late Saturday morning, participants sipped coffee as instructors covered some basic firearm mechanics, including what bullets are made of, what happens inside the gun chamber and what happens to a bullet slug after exiting the gun barrel. Women learned how to properly handle a firearm and what to do when a gun jams.
“What makes a malfunction most dangerous is when it takes attention away from where the muzzle is pointing,” Gunderson said to the group.
Participants carefully passed a revolver around the room, to finger the hammer action, and to heft the gun’s weight, while keeping it pointed down and away from others. They then split up into groups, some going down into the indoor pistol range and others to the Bench House.
Before splitting up into groups, event organizer Ross McKinnon said the women were all given roses and gift certificates compliments of Stars Jewelry in Damariscotta. An applause and collective murmur, “That’s so nice” followed the announcement, to which John Hanlon, co-owner of the jewelry store, enthusiastically responded, “Come on, let’s shoot guns.”
Inside at the pistol shoot, five women shot at targets lining the far rear wall, 50 feet away. Head instructor Dick Morris watched as they loaded the guns, one bullet at a time, and fired at the targets. Everyone, even those not shooting at targets, was required to wear ear protection. The explosion of gunfire reverberated off the clean pine walls.
The women took turns outside in the Bench House, shooting 22 caliber rifles at targets 25 yards off. There were also targets, at various intervals, up to 300 yards away from where the participants braced the rifles on benches. Loading the weapons, they took aim and then fired, after which they went out to check their score.
Instructors made sure to stress the importance of holding the shotguns close to the shoulder. The women took turns shooting 0.410 gauge shotguns; taking aim at clay targets placed on berms several feet away in an exercise called trap shooting.
The club mostly consists of the trap shooting section, indoor handgun shooting range and Bench House. Members can also use the steel silhouettes and a close range area.
“We really make an effort to keep it clean and nice,” Kimball said, adding that area law enforcement personnel often use the club facilities for their practice.
Kimball said the club has a lead management program. They keep track of and remove the lead slugs that get lodged in the berms behind the outdoor targets.
The rifle club has been around since 1934, according to club president Ben Crehore. In 1948, members built the shooting range, which is located off Rt. 1 in Damariscotta.
Those interested in learning more about the Lincoln County Rifle Club can visit their newly-formed website: www.lincolncountyrifleclub.com.
