Family Bonding



Ashinator loading up her mags.

I got to spend the day with my daughter, Ashinator.  We started our day by breaking the bank at the eye doctor's.  Not exactly a fabulous way to start a fun day, but a necessary stop.  Lunch, then off to the indoor range.  I've only shot at one other indoor range, and that was years ago with Tara at Valhalla, just a couple of months before they closed.  Since we had private lessons there, we didn't really get the whole "indoor range" experience.  I've always shot outside, always with the ability to move.  I couldn't quite wrap my head around standing in a shooting stall and not going anywhere and I didn't know what to expect.

We first met up with my brother, Junior, and my future SIL, M, for lunch and then headed to the range.  We weren't the only ones who thought to spend the day at the range; when we got there, we were told there was an hour to an hour and a half wait.  Oops, didn't plan that very well.

Since we had time, Ashinator and I ran over to have our brows waxed.  Seems an odd combination for some - from the salon to the range - but it was a girls' day, so it worked for us.  With our newly shaped eyebrows, we signed in and met Junior and M.  The local indoor range has eight 25-yard lanes, which  are $20/hr to rent or $30/hr for two people per lane. They also advertise rental guns, but since we own plenty of our own guns, I didn't explore the rental options.

We got dressed in the store - eyes and ears - before entering the airlock to the range.  I expected eight lanes to take up a whole lot more space than it does.  The range was much more open than I anticipated.  I had built up a dark, dreary, cave-like facility in my mind - and I couldn't have been more wrong.

Junior and M were already on their range taking turns putting holes in their targets.  M purchased her first handgun three weeks ago, an XDM in 9mm.  She's only been shooting a couple of times, yet when I went with her to help her buy her gun, she hit the nail on the head...I asked if she was sure the gun she wanted was the right one and she said, "it feels like home". 

I think that far too many women get pressured into buying or shooting a gun that someone else, with more so-called "knowledge", thinks is a good gun.  M was absolutely correct in her statement.  She had the opportunity to shoot several different handguns before buying hers, but when she picked it up, she knew it was the right one.

I think it's safe to say, not only does it feel like "home" to her, she can shoot it like nobody's business...

There are a whole lot of holes in that target.
This was M's fourth time shooting - first shooting HER gun.

Ash and I quickly set up on our lane and took turns.  We did okay, not fabulous, for our first few targets.

Ashinator's first target:
Not bad,
not spectacular

My first target:
Not bad,
not spectacular

Ash wasn't thrilled with her groups and developed a bad flinch.  We adjusted her grip and her finger position on the trigger and her groups came along nicely.  The flinch, I couldn't do anything about.  I thought it was anticipation causing the flinch, but when I watched her closely, she was flinching when the guy in the lane next to us fired off his long-gun.  The sound and the resulting air disturbance was causing all of us to flinch.  I just didn't realize it until I watched her closely.  Only then did I realize I was flinching, too.  When you're used to shooting outdoors and suddenly you're enclosed, it's a whole different feeling.  With practice, she was able to overcome the flinch.

I'd say she overcame it pretty well,
wouldn't you?

Ashinator's a bad-ass.
Yup, that's my daughter :)

An hour at the range and six targets only cost us $36.  I'm not counting ammo costs, because that would just be a downer and I want to end the day on a happy note.

I love that I can spend the day at the range with my daughter and I'm proud of the shooter she's becoming.