Ohio’s own Annie Oakley's most famous trick was being able to repeatedly split a playing card, edge-on, and put several more holes in it before it could touch the ground, all while using a .22 caliber rifle at 90 feet! Can you imagine that?
As a female, have you ever shot a gun? I have. For three years, I was a rifle and pistol range instructor in the US Marine Corps. How in the world did I ever get that assignment? Well, by being a good shot I guess :)
Of all the talents a female could possess, I have to be good at target shooting?? I can honestly say that it is a natural talent and one of the few I have discovered to date. I’m sure I have more, just trying to figure out what they are. The first time I ever “qualified” on the rifle range, I scored high enough to be classified as an expert (my highest score ever was 248 out of a possible 250 points). I was immediately snatched up to become an instructor. I started out on the rifle range, teaching Marines to qualify with an M-16 rifle. I then moved over to the pistol range and taught officers to shoot 9mm pistols.
As I continued to get better, I was asked to join the Marine Corps rifle and pistol team where I shot competitively in various competitions at military installations and in the state of Nevada. If only I had realized how cool that really was at the time. I look back now and wonder what could have been….if I had pursued it more. Maybe I could have trained for the Olympics or something, or a modern day Annie Oakley of sorts.
Anyways, fast forward to present day. For my birthday last year, I asked my husband to go to the shooting range with me. I wanted to see if I still had it. Besides, he was in that “other branch” of the military (the Army) and thought he could out shoot me and so it became a little friendly competition!
Let’s just say – you never lose it. Take a look at my shot pattern!
Annie Oakley Picture Source: Denver Public Library, Call Number: X-22137.
As a female, have you ever shot a gun? I have. For three years, I was a rifle and pistol range instructor in the US Marine Corps. How in the world did I ever get that assignment? Well, by being a good shot I guess :)
Of all the talents a female could possess, I have to be good at target shooting?? I can honestly say that it is a natural talent and one of the few I have discovered to date. I’m sure I have more, just trying to figure out what they are. The first time I ever “qualified” on the rifle range, I scored high enough to be classified as an expert (my highest score ever was 248 out of a possible 250 points). I was immediately snatched up to become an instructor. I started out on the rifle range, teaching Marines to qualify with an M-16 rifle. I then moved over to the pistol range and taught officers to shoot 9mm pistols.
As I continued to get better, I was asked to join the Marine Corps rifle and pistol team where I shot competitively in various competitions at military installations and in the state of Nevada. If only I had realized how cool that really was at the time. I look back now and wonder what could have been….if I had pursued it more. Maybe I could have trained for the Olympics or something, or a modern day Annie Oakley of sorts.
Anyways, fast forward to present day. For my birthday last year, I asked my husband to go to the shooting range with me. I wanted to see if I still had it. Besides, he was in that “other branch” of the military (the Army) and thought he could out shoot me and so it became a little friendly competition!
Let’s just say – you never lose it. Take a look at my shot pattern!
Now it's your turn, go out and try something new this week or this month! Have fun.
Annie Oakley Picture Source: Denver Public Library, Call Number: X-22137.
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