Starhawk asks "Rosemary, how do you find the kick on the 12ga.?"
Answer: I've never actually shot the 12 gauge. So, I can't honestly say.
The kick is more a matter of stance rather that size. Just make sure that she knows how to properly shoot and from there all things are possible.
The beauty of a finely honed pump action shotgun is that wonderful "Clickety, Click" sound that she makes. That is generally enough to twist the poop right out of a potential invader so shooting becomes unneccessary.
My experience is with rifles and handguns. In ROTC, I used your basic .22 for range practice and such. My Dad was also big on rifles so I did quite a bit of shooting with him when I was younger. He was a proud Papa when I became an expert Marksman. Handguns are different. I prefer a nice .357 Magnum (loaded with .38's) very powerful. A .38 special is my next choice.
Just remember ladies, in this case, it's not the size that matters - it's the proper stance. Learn how to shoot properly, practice at a range and the sky is the limit.
For Casey:I've got bigger arms than Linda Hamilton in T2. ;-)
Update It occurred to me that perhaps I should give you girls a tip on proper grip and stance for a handgun. Because without a proper grip, muzzle flip and recoil cannot be controlled, making fast and accurate shooting impossible.
Here it is:
A proper grip places both hands as high on the gun as possible, in order to align the axis of the bore more closely to the axis of the arms. This reduces the vertical component of recoil, thus reducing muzzle flip.
A proper stance brings the head down and forward, in order to keep the line of the arms parallel to the ground. Eliminating the upward slope of the arms also reduces the vertical component of recoil. This keeps the gun as a whole from rising during recoil.
Thanks Rosemary.
I was actually thinking of getting her a .38 special at sometime in the future.
Pad your shoulder--one of those shoulder pads from the 80's sewn in a shirt works great. Stance is everything. The body has a tendency to want to flinch, don't. If you notice that you are doing it, keep your eyes open and jam the but of the shotgun tight into your shoulder girdle, so that your body gently absorbs the kick. You can't brace yourself completely nor can you prevent the "pump" that happens when the shot is released. Let the impact go through your body. And, once your body knows that it is going to get kicked, it will try and prepare for it. When it starts to do this, your shooting and aim are pretty much screwed. The kick is less if the but is firmly into your shoulder. My dad taught me to shoot when I was younger. He tried to tell me, but I was a stubborn one. I was standing (he had asked me to sit)when I shot my first shotgun. There happened to be a log behind me. Well, little girl over log, dad caught the gun when it when flying and I was just a bit embarrassed laying there in the dirt. I listened after that. Don't shoot anymore much, but loved those days with my dad. We called skeet, clay pigeons. Thanks for the memory.
Rosie,
You're my kind of gal.
I took my beloved ex to the range some years ago, and in one session, she moved from .22 shorts in a single-action revolver to a .45 Colt semi-auto. Nothing phased her. I took each of my three daughters on separate occasions as well, but none ever showed any interest afterwards. Still, I hope they remember enough to take care of themselves should the need arise.
Bill
Thanks Bill.
I do try!
Dear Mrs. Esmay/Rosemary: Thank you for the information on this. And thank you for such a very interesting thread on evolution and the relation between science and religion.