San Angelo Girls Learn How to Handle Firearms

Girls from all over San Angelo and Tom Green County were seen at the San Angelo Gun Club, 8550 Arden Road, on Saturday participating in “Daughters at the Range.” The event is an annual tradition for area girls now, thanks to Story and her army of volunteers who have worked diligently to make every year a greater success than the prior year’s. The event gives young girls exposure to firearms and the shooting sports.

“We started the project three years ago. And three years ago, we were a part of the ‘Take Your Daughter to the Range Day’. It was organized by a lady in Virginia who was starting a movement to do this type of activity.” Today, the event is stand-alone. “The national non-profit had problems getting funding,” Story said.

Growth has been brisk, Story said. In 2012, there were 60 girls participating. Last year, 105 girls and about 100 volunteers, and this year 144 girls and just about as many volunteers participated.

Volunteers act as safety instructors and mentors to the girls, aged six to 18. When a participant arrives, they are assigned a volunteer mentor who will stay with the student the entire day. The volunteers are from law enforcement and military, both active and retired, and civilian instructors. “We have lots of people with experience who work with the girls,” Story said.

The girls attend a safety course upon arrival where they learn about gun safety. Then, the participants are led through hands-on rifle and handgun shooting instruction on the range. All instruction is conducted with .22 firearms, both pistols and rifles. Story said approximately 40 percent of the participants have never shot before.

“The purpose of this is to give girls and introduction to firearm safety and the shooting sports. We’re promoting the different things that we do at the range,” Story said. “It builds self-confidence and it creates smiles.”

“We’re taking young ladies on the pistol range for example who aren’t hitting the target, to hitting the target, and then to bull’s-eyes,” Story explained. “We’ve got young ladies on the rifle range who can now knock out the centers of the targets.”

Skylar Hill, a sixth grader at Glenn Middle School, learned she may have inherited her grandfather’s Army marksmanship at the range Saturday. Her target (pictured above) is an example of what Story described: The center is knocked out. Mom, Heather, is beside herself rejoicing with pride. “Oh he’s going to be so excited,” Heather said, pointing to Skylar’s rifle target sheet that she intends to show her father. “I brought her out here for safety, education and gun awareness, self protection,” Heather said. “I mean, we live out here in the middle of west Texas. Come on!”

“I’m proud,” Heather said. She said Skylar is definitely returning next year.