From the Bench: Breaking Down Barriers - A Perspective on Hunting and Shooting with Women

When chivalry becomes a roadblock to empowerment

By Hootey Cline, Blue Coat Arms Company

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As a gunsmith, a husband, and father of daughters, I've witnessed something troubling in our hunting and shooting community. Too often, well-meaning men inadvertently handicap women by trying to "help" them into the sport. Today, I want to share some thoughts from a different perspective – one that champions true empowerment over protective chivalry.

The Chivalry Trap

Picture this scenario: A woman expresses interest in hunting or shooting. Immediately, helpful men rush in to "make it easier" for her. They pre-sight her rifle, choose her ammunition, set up her shooting position, and essentially do everything except pull the trigger. Sound familiar?

Here's the problem: This approach, while well-intentioned, sets women up for failure in the field.

When chivalry replaces education, we create dependency instead of independence. We rob women of the fundamental knowledge they need to succeed on their own terms.

Start at the Very Beginning

Never assume what anyone knows – this is perhaps the most important lesson I've learned working with new shooters, regardless of gender. But it's especially crucial when teaching women, who often face additional barriers in accessing firearms education.

Foundation Knowledge That Gets Skipped

Too often, we rush past the basics that every successful hunter and shooter needs to understand:

What a rifle truly is: Not just a tool, but a precision instrument with specific components that work together. Understanding the relationship between barrel, action, trigger, and optics builds confidence and competence.

How to dial in a scope: This isn't just about "getting it close enough." Understanding windage, elevation, and the relationship between point of aim and point of impact empowers shooters to make their own adjustments in the field.

Proper trigger pull and engagement: The difference between a controlled shot and a jerky pull that throws off accuracy. This fundamental skill affects everything else that follows.

Ammunition selection: Understanding how different loads perform in different conditions, and why the choice matters for both accuracy and ethical hunting.

The Cost of Shortcuts

When we skip these fundamentals – when we do the work for women instead of teaching them to do it themselves – we create several problems:

Field Failures

A woman who's never learned to adjust her own scope is helpless when her rifle gets knocked off zero during transport. A hunter who doesn't understand trigger control will struggle with accuracy when it matters most.

Confidence Issues

Nothing destroys confidence like equipment failure you can't diagnose or fix. When women haven't learned the fundamentals, every missed shot becomes a source of self-doubt rather than a learning opportunity.

Perpetuating Stereotypes

By "protecting" women from the technical aspects of shooting and hunting, we inadvertently reinforce the stereotype that these skills are too complex for them to master.

A Better Approach: True Empowerment

At Blue Coat Arms Company, we've seen what happens when women receive proper, comprehensive firearms education. They don't just become competent shooters – they often exceed expectations and become passionate advocates for the sport.

Start with Respect

Respect for the student means assuming they're capable of learning everything a male student would learn. No shortcuts, no "simplified" versions, no protective barriers.

Hands-On Learning

Let women handle the equipment, make the adjustments, and yes – make the mistakes. Learning comes from doing, not from watching someone else do it for you.

Build from the Ground Up

Start with safety, move to basic marksmanship, then progress to equipment knowledge, maintenance, and field applications. Each step builds on the previous one, creating a solid foundation of knowledge and confidence.

The Daughter Factor

As someone whose oldest daughter has developed an interest in gunsmithing and helps in the shop, I see firsthand how capable young women are when given the opportunity to truly learn. Yes, having her around slows production because she requires attention while learning – but that investment in education pays dividends in confidence and competence.

The key: I don't do the work for her. I teach her to do it herself.

Breaking the Cycle

If we want more women in hunting and shooting sports – and we should – we need to change our approach:

For Instructors and Mentors

• Teach the same curriculum to everyone, regardless of gender

• Resist the urge to "help" by doing tasks for students

• Encourage questions and hands-on practice

• Celebrate competence, not just participation

For Women Entering the Sport

• Insist on comprehensive education, not shortcuts

• Ask questions until you understand the "why" behind every technique

• Practice the fundamentals until they become second nature

• Don't accept "that's good enough" when you know you can do better

For the Community

• Support programs that provide thorough firearms education to women

• Recognize that true inclusion means equal expectations, not lowered standards

• Celebrate women who achieve mastery through knowledge and practice

The Payoff

When women receive proper firearms education – when they understand their equipment, master the fundamentals, and develop genuine competence – something remarkable happens. They don't just participate in hunting and shooting; they excel at it.

More importantly, they become ambassadors for the sport, bringing other women into the fold and demonstrating that competence knows no gender.

From the Gunsmith's Bench

In my workshop, precision matters. A rifle doesn't care about the gender of the person operating it – it responds to proper technique, quality ammunition, and skilled handling. The same principle applies to education.

When we give women the same comprehensive education we give men – when we start at the beginning and work our way up without shortcuts – we create competent, confident hunters and shooters who can succeed on their own terms.

That's not just good for women; it's good for our entire community.

No matter your era, we got your six – and that means providing everyone with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed, regardless of gender.

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Questions about firearms education or interested in comprehensive training that builds real competence? Contact Blue Coat Arms Company at 217-416-5962 or BlueCoatArms@gmail.com. We believe in empowering all shooters through thorough education and hands-on learning.