Ladies got gun; practical shooting clinic sees growing participation

Ladies clinics are available for free at the Southern Utah Practical Shooting Range every Wednesday night | Photo courtesy of Ken Nelson

SOUTHERN UTAH – The Southern Utah Practical Shooting Range in Hurricane provides shooting clinics for ladies every Wednesday night along with other training opportunities.

Southern Utah Practical Shooters is a nonprofit corporation that strives to promote practical shooting, shooting, and the Second Amendment. 

The organization’s president, Ken Nelson, has strived to achieve these goals. He initially came up with the idea of clinics while training shooters for competition.

Ladies clinics available at the Southern Utah Practical Shooting Range every Wednesday night | Photo courtesy of Ken Nelson
Ladies clinics available at the Southern Utah Practical Shooting Range every Wednesday night | Photo courtesy of Ken Nelson

Many shooters wanted to compete, but first wanted to perfect their skills and fundamentals.

Women wanted to learn the basics in a comfortable environment, Nelson said.

Since the ladies clinics began in September 2013, 900 shooters have been trained.

“It just sort of evolved, it started small, It was just me,” Nelson said, “I recruited instructors, I trained instructors and then it just sort of grew.”

Washington City resident Carol Barrett frequents the clinics to improve her shooting ability and knowledge.

“I just want to improve and get better,” Barrett said, “and every time I come out I learn something new.”

She continues to be trained by great instructors so that she can feel more comfortable with her gun, she said.

In regards to the clinics, Bob Wolf, secretary and treasurer for the Southern Utah Pistol Shooters, a separate organization that cooperates with the Southern Utah Practical Shooters said: “It builds confidence, it builds self esteem.” 

The goal of the clinics is to teach the fundamentals of shooting – stance, grip, sight alignment and trigger control.

Glen Wong, board member of the Southern Utah Practical Shooters and A-Class Shooter helps teach as a community service.

“This is a friendly place to shoot,” Wong said, “you are not under a lot of scrutiny when you come in, everyone is very nice.

We are teaching them fundamentals, we are teaching them to shoot,” he said.

Although the ladies clinic started out for women only, men are welcome to participate.

Other clinics and competition opportunities are available. For more information regarding clinics and competitions, see resources below for the practical shooting range and the Southern Utah Shooting Sports Park.

Click on photo to enlarge it, then use your left-right arrow keys to cycle through the gallery.

 

Event recap 

  • When: Every Wednesday, 6 p.m. – weather and instructors permitting
  • Where:  Southern Utah Practical Shooting Range
  • Admission: Free

Resources

  • Southern Utah Practical Shooting Range | Facebook | Website | Telephone 435-625-1745
  • Southern Utah Shooting Sports Park | Website
  • Directions to the Southern Utah Practical Shooting Range: Pass the Department of Motor Vehicles at 100 South 5300 West in Hurricane and then down the right side of the Fairgrounds.  Keep going into the Southern Utah Shooting Sports Park, and keep going on that road. Just keep going about a mile. You will pass a Cowboy shooting area, the Rifle/Pistol venue (square range with covered pavillion over it shooting line), and you will see a sign for the “Practical Range.”  Just follow the curve into Practical Shooting Range facility.

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11 Comments

  • Brian May 2, 2014 at 10:12 am

    This is a fantastic service and great for the community. Kudos and thanks to all those involved! Despite the bogus rhetoric “gun free zones” are one of the least safe places around, and the stronger the gun controls the less safe the citizenry. Statistics or a trip to Detroit or Chicago will quickly confirm this.

    • Bender May 2, 2014 at 1:43 pm

      Right, only when every person is armed full-time will we be truly safe.
      .
      Just sneak your side arm into Sacrament meeting Brian. The Bishop won’t know and you will, without a shadow of a doubt, save every life in the chapel when you heroically draw down on and pump the atheist terrorists full of hot lead. Yew haw!

  • D Hodja May 2, 2014 at 4:28 pm

    Contrary to the hype and paranoia of SU, the reason that nationally local, state, and federal police are against arming average citizens is because statistics show most accidents involve people who carry weapons. The weapons are often involved in accidental shootings. The weapons are most often taken from the owner and used against the owner. Everyone needs to get educated on what the actual personal threat is; read: very very minimal in SG, and understand the level of awareness and how much retention training it takes to walk around with a gun without endangering others and yourself. Paranoia and ignorance kills! Otherwise happy shooting.

    • ExNuke May 4, 2014 at 10:32 am

      I’m trying to decide whether you have bought a load of propaganda or trying to start an internet meme that guns are often taken away from and used against their owners to push the (not so) “Smart Guns” agenda. If guns were “often” taken away from and used against their owner it would be front page, Breaking News at the top of the Hour across the biased MSM for days if not weeks. There would be no lack of attention to the fact. Get rid of New Jersey’s bogus “let’s Ban all guns except overpriced, unreliable toys” law and you can sell all the “Smart Guns” anyone is stupid enough to buy. After all we all want the next Bush or Obama to have an “OFF switch” for our rights. If you can’t trust a “Chuck” Schumer or Nanci Pelosi with your basic rights then who can you trust?

  • Lady K May 2, 2014 at 5:23 pm

    Looks like a great activity. Is there an age requirement? I am thinking mother/daughter night would be fun for us.

  • Obama's gonna take our guns!!! May 2, 2014 at 6:03 pm

    St George is a very dangerous place. That’s why I bought a custom made pocket size AK47. I carry it with me always.

  • Da Jo Ho May 2, 2014 at 6:53 pm

    D Ho that is the most incorrect comment every written or submitted in the history of man kind. From the statically numbered society of land dwellers of United Legion @ FGSD Society. There are 2.5 million deaths in US yearly, 1.5 million abortions very few percent by accident, larger percent by intentional, a larger than that by person to person, larger percent is from dies out right. In journal 172-ZZ it was explained that you have a greater chance of no survival by Bangle Tyro attacks? That’s why police would prefer you packing repellant Tyro’s have no thumbs and if they take your spray they can’t fire the container. Please investigate better before you try to gives facts.

  • Cyn May 2, 2014 at 9:18 pm

    I would love to do this. I can use some practice time to get more confident!

  • Anarchist1 May 3, 2014 at 12:24 am

    Lot’s of ignorant commenters on here apparently unfamiliar with the US Constitution and Utah’s historical tradition of self-reliance and freedom. You would do well to move to California or New York, where the government will decide what is best for you, and the police will do their best to get there minutes after they are needed.
    Bender, humor in comments is a great thing, I love to read funny comments even when they don’t jive with my beliefs. You just aren’t funny, though.

  • Applejack May 3, 2014 at 11:33 pm

    Yeah Utah is sooooo self reliant. It is so self reliant that the recent 5 year long recession Bush and friends created didn’t affect Utah at all. Not one little bit. 🙂

  • Taylor July 30, 2014 at 3:23 pm

    What do we need to bring?

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