In an ideal world, men and women could interact and train together without any issues at all. Unfortunately, there are issues. Some guys are wonderful people and welcome women at the range and in training classes just as they would anyone else. Others get a little too excited and run women off because they come across creepy, and other guys are just creeps.
To be fair, there are levels of bad among the women, too. People are human.
Because of those differences, though, and the fact that women are more likely to feel uncomfortable if they’re the only female at a range or class, we need women-only training events.
One example is the NRA’s Women On Target.
On Sept. 20, 2025, the sound of gunfire carried across the 110-acre grounds of the Arlington-Fairfax Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America in Fairfax County, Va. But this wasn’t just another day at the range. It was the Club’s annual NRA Women On Target (WOT) Instructional Shooting Clinic, where 45 women of all experience levels gathered not just to shoot, but also to deepen their understanding of what it means to be shooters. Through live-fire exercises, educational seminars and direct mentorship, the Arlington-Fairfax chapter of IWLA once again demonstrated the possibilities of a long-beloved NRA program.
At the heart of the WOT program events is a commitment to supporting the whole shooter. Instructors don’t just teach grip, stance and trigger press. They also teach judgment, responsibility and the deep connections between mindset, marksmanship and the law. And another NRA program, Refuse To Be A Victim, was incorporated to translate situational awareness and personal safety into practical and practicable routines.
The second pillar of the WOT experience is hands-on, one-on-one live-fire training. At Arlington-Fairfax, women received individualized instruction across disciplines including pistol, traditional rifle, AR-15, shotgun and field archery. Some tried out shooting for the first time. Others, such as members of a local chapter of Armed Women of America, came to broaden their skills, meet new people and try new firearms. At the rifle station, students tested several platforms, including a rare historic wall gun, while AR-15 instructors demonstrated how the platform’s configurability makes it ideal for shooters of smaller stature. On the shotgun range, first clays broke quickly, followed by seconds and thirds. Pistol bays emphasized fundamentals of stance, grip and trigger press, while archery offered a quieter challenge with recurve, compound and crossbows.
Honestly, it sounds like a blast.
The training itself looks like exactly what everyone needs, regardless of what kind of plumbing they have down below their belly button. Being a better shooter is always a good thing, but working on judgment and mindset, as well as examining the law, are also critical in being a responsible armed citizen.
I’ve seen too many people who figure that if they scare off a burglar in their home, they can shoot him on the run without risking repercussions, after all.
A whole shooter approach is a very good thing, and for women, events like this are critical, as are opening them up to the possible world of advocacy. Like it or not, when a middle-aged white dude like me starts talking about gun rights, there are a lot of people who just roll their eyes. Of course I’m pro-gun. I’m the freaking stereotype these days.
But when it’s someone with two X chromosomes, it’s different. They help shatter the myth that guns are for those middle-aged white guys. They’re the people that certain anti-gun politicians count on to help get them re-elected, and if they start recognizing that more and more of their base are starting to side with us on the Second Amendment, do you really think they’re going to risk their jobs over gun control?
On every level, something like this is a good thing.
If you get a chance, support it.
Editor’s Note: The mainstream media continues to lie about gun owners and the Second Amendment.
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