Today, my Wife shot her first Cowboy Action shooting match. We've been working up to this for a very long time and it's something she really wanted to do. Last week we finally finished gathering all the equipment she needed with the purchase of a Stoeger 12ga coach gun.
6:30 AM we make the 75 mile trip only to find that it's raining hard. But, there are quite a few folks there so it's decided to hold the match in the rain.
My wife, being extremely nervous but also very determined, jumped right in. No special newbie treatment, just head first full blast 5 stage match.
First thing we learn is that I, ME and MYSELF, (whome she introduced as her servant and gear schlepper) need to do a whole lot of tweaking on her box stock shotgun and lever action. Having never played cowboy with real guns before, I had no idea what a disadvantage it was, especially for a new shooter, to be using box stock hardware. After about the 10th person told me all the things I needed to do I got the message.
Despite not having the softest shooting ammo and actions so slick a toddler could work them, she still managed to come in SECOND PLACE
out of 4 new first time shooters. I am as proud as I could be and she has a bruise on her shoulder the size of a softball. Of course, I will install a recoil pad on the shotgun before she shoots it again.
She's so fired up that she wants to go back and shoot tomorrows match but I have a feeling when she wakes up she'll be singing a different tune.
Anyway, she's in and she's having a ball. We can't wait for the next one!
