It was a perfect late summer day in Michigan, almost fall like, sunny, cool and beautiful, just the right kind of day for shooting outdoors. I was looking forward in anticipation to the day ahead of me, both excitedly and nervously.

It was the day of my first National Rifle Association's (NRA) Women on Target shooting clinic - six hours of instruction in rifle, pistol, shotgun and archery with other women. I had no idea what to expect and wondered if there would be a few others like me there who had limited experience with firearms.

I pulled up to the hunting and fishing post located right next to a small lake and forest area. The hunting lodge was small but large enough to accommodate the instructor, volunteers and about 20 or more students. The atmosphere was friendly from the outset, and I knew I was in for a great day. It turned out that there were others like me who had little gun experience and were there to increase their level of comfort with firearms.

We had a lot on our plate that day with shooting instruction in rifles, handguns, shotguns with trap shooting and archery. There were stations set up for each throughout the camp. We were divided into three groups - trap, rifle and handgun together and archery. The instructor did this by asking all of us to tell her what our number one learning priority was for the day. After we all got a chance at our first priority (I did trap first), then we were free to move on to one of the other stations or even skip a station if we preferred.

I thought this was a great way to handle the fact that there were women with varying physical abilities. Some were older or for whatever reason had to take more breaks. Some tried every station with gusto. Loaner guns and ammo were provided as well as archery eqipment.

The instructor began by going over gun safety rules - the most important aspect of firearms. She used the NRA Gun Safety brochure as her guide but also shared some of her experiences with students to illustrate some of the points. The three main rules from the brochure are:

1. Always point your gun in a safe direction.
2. Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
3. Keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.

These may seem self evident, but common sense is a virtue some people don't practice. I think it was important for us to start our day with these instructions. For an expanded explanation of the NRA gun safety rules, visit the safety page at the NRA website.

The clinic was inexpensive at $20. Not only did we get terrific instruction, we were fed lunch too with free beverages throughout the day and delicious cake for dessert.  We also received a "goodie bag" filled with gun literature and items donated from local companies and the NRA such as protective glasses, earplugs and hats which were needed during the clinic for safety.

At the end of the clinic, there was also a free raffle for door prizes. I was lucky enough to win a set of safety earmuffs for shooting from Cabela's, the large outdoor supplier. We all definitely got more than our money's worth for our experience and take-home goodies.

The only drawback of the day was that we really needed at least one more instructor at the rifle table. I didn't get a chance to take advantage of the archery instruction because I wanted to make sure I tried rifle shooting - something I had never done before. This was too bad since I really wanted to do archery which I haven't done in years.

I performed my best at shotgun with trap shooting. Shotguns were the only type of gun I've handled before, and this clinic made me like them even better. I was nervous about trap shooting. I thought I would do horrible since it was so intimidating shooting at a moving target. But I just had a better feel for it than rifle and pistol shooting, though I definitely want to practice that more too.

The trap instructors were a man and his daughter - both experienced trap shooters. He gave excellent pointers on holding and aiming while his daughter went with each woman individually to the range to help us with stance and shooting. This individualized type of instruction also happened for rifles and handguns and helped me feel more confident in handling the guns.

The workshop presenter was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about training women to use guns not only for protection but for sports.

This clinic inspired me to find local ranges to practice. If there is another NRA shooting clinic near me, I won't hesitate to sign up. My experience will differ from others. Shooting clinics are held in different settings and may include all or part of what I was lucky enough to experience. The instructors and help staff (both men and women and one beagle) were all volunteers and members of the hunting club. Their help was invaluable, and their commitment to introducing women to firearm instruction, gun safety and sport shooting showed through.

I highly recommend attending events sponsored by the NRA Women On Target program. They provide excellent introduction by qualified instructors to firearms and archery for women who want personal instruction as well as the camaraderie that comes with learning with other women. Visit the link above to find a shooting clinic near you. You don't have to be a member of the NRA to participate in a clinic. But since the NRA generously sponsors these events, you might consider buying something from their online shop or supporting your local gun or hunting and fishing club to help encourage more firearm training for women.

Because of a certain stereotype that exists of warmongering American chicks with guns, I'm going to leave you with the following thought from one of the instructors who said this to a woman who kept calling the guns "weapons."

"It's only a weapon if you point it at somebody. Otherwise, it's just a gun."