Girly Bonding – IDPA Style

When you think of IDPA, the first thing that comes to mind probably isn’t “girly bonding time”.  But let me tell you what, my experience would say otherwise.  Let’s be honest – anytime you get a group of women together to do something “with the gals” it could be considered female bonding.  This was totally different though – it was bonding with a dash of learning, a little competition, and a heck of a lot of encouragement (and maybe a few cute guys for a single gal like me to check out!).

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I headed to the Austin Rifle Club for the Texas Tactical IDPA match.  I knew I was going to be there with other women of similar shooting ability and that we’d be way outnumbered by the guys.  What I didn’t expect was an incredibly fun way to start a weekend!  Now, you’ve read about how GG2G feels about time at the range before, but this was different.  No longer would I be hitting static targets several yards away.  This time I would have to think of my feet – including “running” while shooting, ducking behind cover, and shooting from kneeling and lying down positions.

Now, I know what you’re probably thinking: “Are you sure you would label that as ‘fun’, Katie?”  Heck yes!  What made it so was that we had 4 women shooting and a couple who were there as our cheerleaders.  That’s something the men at the competition most definitely did not have!  And I gotta admit it – I think we even intimidated some of the guys there, more because they were worried about hurt egos than anything else (what guy wants to be beat by a girl at a shooting competition?!).

I asked one of my fellow competitors, Karen, what she thought of the experience.  Here’s what she had to say:

Other shooters (male & female) are very helpful. They’ll loan you magazines when yours fails to eject, explain the course of fire more than once if needed, critique your shooting in a way that makes you want to come back and continue to put that information to use, and everyone has a smile for you!

OK, I admit that I added that emphasis at the end, but everything she said is absolutely true.  How could you not have a great, girly time while being surrounded by folks who encourage you and are helpful beyond expectations?!

So, if you have a free weekend and you’re looking for something fun to do with the gals, I’d say find a local match, call all your gun-totin’ girlfriends, and try it out.  Maybe have everyone throw on a pink or purple shirt to show your girly camaraderie.  Then go show off your shooting skills for a couple hours!

Oh, and if you’re looking to continue the fun, since loading mags are notorious for tearing up your manicure, head to the spa for mani/pedis after.  Or if you had the convenience of a speed-loader, like me, you can always grab some margaritas at your favorite Mexican place!