Ladies Help

[old506]

We got a G34 for my wife, now we have to choose some gear and division, etc. We are both beginners so it is kind of like the blind leading the blind. A few questions. We are both watching your answers, thanks.

1. As far as division goes. From the looks of USPSA rules she could go Production or Limited? I was thinking that maybe limited would be better since she could fully load her mags right now and wouldn't have to think about mag changes so much? Am I missing something?

2. If she shoots production, how many mags should she carry? If she shoots Limited, how many mags should she carry?

3. Concerning holsters what is a good holster for a G34? Are there any particular things to think about when buying a holster for a lady. such as maybe one that sticks out a little bit from the hip? She is in great shape but has a ladies shape, if you know what I mean.

4. I am planning on buying her a CR speed belt. Anything we should think about here?

5. Any ideas on mag holders for the ladies?

6. I am planning on loading up some 125gr TC bullets from Bear Creek (haven't bought them yet but heard good things so far). I reload using Win231 but can't find it anywhere and only have a little left. I have found ample supplies, so far, of Bullseye and WST. I would like to find a nice soft shooting recipe (doesn't everyone). We broke in her gun last weekend and she handled the recoil of factory ammo very well and said that she could shoot it "all day". I think that she will really like a soft shooting round for her pistol.

I can't think of any thing else but feel free to add if we are missing something.

[Bigpops]

My wife runs a G34 in Production class. In short...she loves it.

Her holster is a Bladetech. The set up of the holster allows for the difference in a womans hip thus allowing it to be moved out a little. She tried the Comp-tac and others but the Bladtech worked the best.

She runs 5 Comptac mag holders and carries a Barny mag in her pocket. I tried to convince her to put an extra mag holder towards her back but no joy. So her total mag count is 6.

I do load some 130PF ammo for her but we have also found that Remington UMC (green and white box) 115's are pretty soft for factory ammo.

A nice drop in trigger (such as Vaneks) really helped her shooting.

Last but not least .....SHOES! She took a dirt nap at a match a couple weeks back when the ground was wet. She now wears a non aggresive pair of UA cleats. They provide a nice grip and are comfy.

Hope that helps. If you want more particulars, or your Mrs would like to chat with mine, feel free to PM me.

[bbbean]

For your first couple of matches, I'd recommend loading the gun to capacity and shooting in Limited. With fewer reloads, you can focus on safety and getting hits, and just working your way through the stage. After you've run a match or two, you'll be in a better position to know which division you'd rather be in.

As far as mags go, there's no such thing as too many mags. Personally, I never start a stage without at least 54 rounds (single stack), and I run limited with 100 rounds (20 round mage - one in the gun and four on the belt). That sounds like a lot of ammo for a 15-40 round stage, and it is, but sometimes you fumble a reload and leave one in the dirt, sometimes you get a piece of steel that you can't hit for love nor money, and sometimes you have ammo problems that force you to reload a few extra times. Even when everything goes just right, you sometimes need to reload at awkward points (i.e., reload after 4 rounds) to make the rest of the stage work out.

If you opt to go production, I'd say 5 mags is the bare minimum, and I'd hate to tackle a course in Limited with fewer than 3 (17 rd?)mags on my belt and one in the gun.

I suspect some of our estrogen-enhanced members can offer more advice on the holster, but I see a lot of women using Bladetech DOH holsters in production. if you stick with Limited, you'll probably want to get a race holster (CR Speed, Ghost, Limcat, etc) eventually, but I'd use a Bladetech til you're sure which direction you want to go. I've never noticed the women doing anything different on mag pouches, so any good kydex should work fine. I like the Bladetech doubles, but YMMV.

The CR Speed belt is a good investment, and will make life much easier at the beginning and end of each match. It's also nice to get everything set up and leave it in the same place all the time.

[McAllyn]

My wife fully agrees with the Blade-tech DOH on a CR Speed or DAA belt. One other thing she did was use CR Speed mag pouches because they tend to stick out away from the belt a little more than the others, which gives her a little more "hip clearance."

Mac

[bbbean]

She took a dirt nap at a match a couple weeks back when the ground was wet.

Most people who take a dirt nap don't wake up!

[Bigpops]

She took a dirt nap at a match a couple weeks back when the ground was wet.

Most people who take a dirt nap don't wake up!

Oh...she is awake... trust me!

[G-ManBart]

There's nothing wrong with her shooting Limited Minor in the beginning to get a feel for things. She can switch to Production Minor if/when she wants to be on a more level playing field.

CR Speed or similar belt, Blade-Tech DOH and five single mag pouches (I like Ready Tactical pouches) will make for a rig she can use in Production, Limited, L-10 with equal success. Shooting with full mags I'd say she needs at least three on the belt and a fourth in her pocket when she walks to the line...if it's a 32 round stage she can get through it (technically) with two, but new shooters tend to have lots of extra shots and the extra mags/ammo won't hurt. I can't tell you how many times I've seen a new shooter drop their last mag and have to go find a partial one they've already dropped...it's not the safest situation, and I'm sure it's frustrating.

If she shoots Production, have at least four on the belt, a mag to load with and maybe even another spare in her back pocket. Personally, I just put five on the belt and one in my pocket to load with. That way she can simply reload every time she moves and not worry about running out.

If you want a really soft load, try some 147gr bullets...noticeably softer than factory ammo with 115s or 124s. I'm using N320 and Solo 1000 with jacketed 147gr bullets, but there are a number of other powders that work well...tons of data in the reloading section. R,

[Nik Habicht]

When I was starting out I used six pouches on my belt and a barney mag for a total of seven in Production. Now that I miss less frequently, I'm down to running six mags total for most stages -- eliminating the pocket mag....

Running six pouches gives me the option of adding a seventh mag, if say a stage dictates that the smart move is to fire two rounds and reload, or if it involves multiple Texas stars, etc.

[azsureshot]

We got a G34 for my wife, now we have to choose some gear and division, etc. We are both beginners so it is kind of like the blind leading the blind. A few questions. We are both watching your answers, thanks.

1. As far as division goes. From the looks of USPSA rules she could go Production or Limited? I was thinking that maybe limited would be better since she could fully load her mags right now and wouldn't have to think about mag changes so much? Am I missing something?

2. If she shoots production, how many mags should she carry? If she shoots Limited, how many mags should she carry?

3. Concerning holsters what is a good holster for a G34? Are there any particular things to think about when buying a holster for a lady. such as maybe one that sticks out a little bit from the hip? She is in great shape but has a ladies shape, if you know what I mean.

4. I am planning on buying her a CR speed belt. Anything we should think about here?

5. Any ideas on mag holders for the ladies?

6. I am planning on loading up some 125gr TC bullets from Bear Creek (haven't bought them yet but heard good things so far). I reload using Win231 but can't find it anywhere and only have a little left. I have found ample supplies, so far, of Bullseye and WST. I would like to find a nice soft shooting recipe (doesn't everyone). We broke in her gun last weekend and she handled the recoil of factory ammo very well and said that she could shoot it "all day". I think that she will really like a soft shooting round for her pistol.

I can't think of any thing else but feel free to add if we are missing something.

[azsureshot]

How's the G34 working out for your wife? Sorry I came on so late in the communication. I loved my G34 when I shot Glock!! I personally like a 147grn bullet and Blade-tech gear. Safariland is great also. If your wife wants to get some excellent instruction and have a great time doing it, you might want to check out the ladies camp run by Kay Miculek! go to babeswithbullets.com There are classes schedule around the country. Portland Oregon is in June and I know slots are available and we have one right here in Mesa, AZ in November after Area 2. I will be teaching at both.

[old506]

It is funny that you mention Babes with Bullets. A couple of months ago I decided I wanted to start shooting USPSA and began to look into it after talking to my wife. That same week we were in the Seattle (SEA-TAC) airport traveling together and we saw this lady who had a black/pink "Babes with Bullets" shirt on. We go to the hotel and looked it up and saw that it was Deb Ferns and a couple other gals in the Seattle Airport. We watched all the videos online together. I am pretty sure that is were my wife got the idea that she wanted to do USPSA too. Looking back, I wish I would have mentioned something and started up a conversation, we were in the food court, I just didn't know what Babes with Bullets meant at the time. From there on it was a question here and there from my wife and a "we could practice together every once in awhile" and then the next week we are at the gun shop with all the production 9mm's she could get her hands on sitting on the counter in front of us.

She originally wanted to go with a S&W M&P because that is what all of the gals seemed to be shooting on the Babes with Bullets website and because it was USA made. The Glock fit her better though, according to her (I tried to stay out of it), she felt like she had a better purchase on the pistol and could reach the extended slide release without changing her grip on the gun. I think if the M&P pro came with an extended slide release and finger grooves she would have went with it. I ordered 1500 Bear Creek 125gr TC's and we are going through them right now. She shoots great and is very happy with the G34. She got a Blade Tech DOH and CR speed belt and loves it. I have 100 147grn's to try out next so we will see how she likes them.

I will share the info on the Portland OR training. I think that she would like that very much, we do have two small children so we shall see. She hasn't shot a match yet, it will be 7 weeks until she shoots her first one so we have plenty of time to practice. The other neat thing is that one of her friends (never shot a gun before) went out to the range with us last weekend, had fun and is going to purchase her first pistol. At preschool the teacher mentioned that our daughter told her that "mommy got a new gun". The teacher then said that her husband had taken her out to the range a few times and she said that she would be more comfortable shooting with another lady and asked my wife if she could go along with us so that is scheduled for the next week or so. One of the other moms at preschool asked my wife about it latter and basically said the same thing and we are scheduled to go out shooting with them too. Who knew my wife was going to be such a big ambassador! She is a quiet lady that everyone seems to look up too. It was great watching her teach/help her friend.

I am afraid that I am along for the ride now! And loving every minute of it!

How's the G34 working out for your wife? Sorry I came on so late in the communication. I loved my G34 when I shot Glock!! I personally like a 147grn bullet and Blade-tech gear. Safariland is great also. If your wife wants to get some excellent instruction and have a great time doing it, you might want to check out the ladies camp run by Kay Miculek! go to babeswithbullets.com There are classes schedule around the country. Portland Oregon is in June and I know slots are available and we have one right here in Mesa, AZ in November after Area 2. I will be teaching at both.

[azsureshot]

It is funny that you mention Babes with Bullets. A couple of months ago I decided I wanted to start shooting USPSA and began to look into it after talking to my wife. That same week we were in the Seattle (SEA-TAC) airport traveling together and we saw this lady who had a black/pink "Babes with Bullets" shirt on. We go to the hotel and looked it up and saw that it was Deb Ferns and a couple other gals in the Seattle Airport. We watched all the videos online together. I am pretty sure that is were my wife got the idea that she wanted to do USPSA too. Looking back, I wish I would have mentioned something and started up a conversation, we were in the food court, I just didn't know what Babes with Bullets meant at the time. From there on it was a question here and there from my wife and a "we could practice together every once in awhile" and then the next week we are at the gun shop with all the production 9mm's she could get her hands on sitting on the counter in front of us.

She originally wanted to go with a S&W M&P because that is what all of the gals seemed to be shooting on the Babes with Bullets website and because it was USA made. The Glock fit her better though, according to her (I tried to stay out of it), she felt like she had a better purchase on the pistol and could reach the extended slide release without changing her grip on the gun. I think if the M&P pro came with an extended slide release and finger grooves she would have went with it. I ordered 1500 Bear Creek 125gr TC's and we are going through them right now. She shoots great and is very happy with the G34. She got a Blade Tech DOH and CR speed belt and loves it. I have 100 147grn's to try out next so we will see how she likes them.

I will share the info on the Portland OR training. I think that she would like that very much, we do have two small children so we shall see. She hasn't shot a match yet, it will be 7 weeks until she shoots her first one so we have plenty of time to practice. The other neat thing is that one of her friends (never shot a gun before) went out to the range with us last weekend, had fun and is going to purchase her first pistol. At preschool the teacher mentioned that our daughter told her that "mommy got a new gun". The teacher then said that her husband had taken her out to the range a few times and she said that she would be more comfortable shooting with another lady and asked my wife if she could go along with us so that is scheduled for the next week or so. One of the other moms at preschool asked my wife about it latter and basically said the same thing and we are scheduled to go out shooting with them too. Who knew my wife was going to be such a big ambassador! She is a quiet lady that everyone seems to look up too. It was great watching her teach/help her friend.

I am afraid that I am along for the ride now! And loving every minute of it!

How's the G34 working out for your wife? Sorry I came on so late in the communication. I loved my G34 when I shot Glock!! I personally like a 147grn bullet and Blade-tech gear. Safariland is great also. If your wife wants to get some excellent instruction and have a great time doing it, you might want to check out the ladies camp run by Kay Miculek! go to babeswithbullets.com There are classes schedule around the country. Portland Oregon is in June and I know slots are available and we have one right here in Mesa, AZ in November after Area 2. I will be teaching at both.

That is so awesome to hear! Definately check out the Babes website and if you have any questions, you can ask me as well. I'm going straight there after Area 1 My direct email is: Debbie@DebbieKeehart.com Congrats to you for getting your wife involved and congrats to her for being that ambassador! I look forward to meeting her sometime!