August 19, 2011 1:28 PM

Michael Barrett

With her petite frame and velvety Southern voice, Rebecca Herron falls far from the stereotype of a pistol-packing, gun-loving Yosemite Sam.

But the 32-year-old makes no bones about the rush she gets when she pulls the trigger on a high-powered handgun or assault rifle.

“I think I surprise a lot of people, because I wear heels and pearls almost every day,” Herron said Tuesday, during a trip to the shooting range at Shooters Express in Belmont, where she is a member. “They’re surprised that I like to shoot, but even more that I like rifles and machine guns.

“I think it’s a lot of fun.”

Herron isn’t alone. Loud, intimidating and deadly in the wrong hands, firearms have historically been synonymous with testosterone, and the industry has long catered to its male base. But officials say more women every year are discovering the sport of shooting. And whether it’s for pure recreation or enhanced self-defense, more females are finding comfort with their finger on a trigger and their eye behind a target sight.

More women at home on the range

Dean Huffstickler, a retired Gaston County law enforcement officer and current gun safety instructor, offers private shooting classes from a range near his home in southern Gaston County. In recent years, he’s seen more females signing up for his services. For example, 11 students will start a new round of classes Saturday morning, and five of them are women, Huffstickler said.

“The trend is definitely there with more women taking the course,” he said. “They want to be familiar with them. They want to be able to handle them, and know how to load and unload them.”