Meeting The New Gun Owners Of America

in 2020, the team at Shoot Like A Girl personally introduced over 2,700 women to the shooting sports, and 75% of those interactions were post-COVID shutdowns.

We all recognize gun sales to new gun owners are up, but understanding who those potential consumers are can help create lifelong shooting enthusiasts.

Below are some insights from our travels — a summary of who we met, what they said and why they wanted the Shoot Like A Girl experience.
My hope is you take this information and help us empower women (and their families) to participate in the shooting sports with confidence.

There were two key takeaways from the events of the past year: The person you least expect would want to give shooting a try is probably considering it; and all of these new gun owners want to be educated (informed) on how to be safe, responsible gun owners.

Developing Diversity

During our 2020 tour, we saw more diversity in age, perceived political affiliation and geographical dispersion (urban, suburban, rural) than in previous years, and we also interacted with more families.

We saw significant growth in older demographics, often hosting participants over the age of 60 who shot a gun for the first time — a decision not taken lightly.

One of our guests stated, “I’m 75 years old, it took me a long time to make this decision [to own a gun], but now it’s time.” As the conversation went on, she echoed the sentiment of most of our guests; she was frightened for her personal safety.

There were some clear indicators illustrating many of our guests thought differently on politics — through T-shirts to expressed views. However, because they were fearful for their personal security, they shared the common goal of learning about shooting and safety.

“During our 2020 tour, we saw more diversity in age, perceived political affiliation and geographical dispersion (urban, suburban, rural) than in previous years, and we also interacted with more families.”

The perceived political affiliation also drove home an important point: We all need to communicate with both sides about legislation. We had one lady who was trying to find the right handgun. She mentioned to me she had a friend who had “a lot” of guns. I recommended she provide the ammunition and ask her friend to let her try out those guns; she liked the idea. But I also added she is lucky she can still shoot other peoples’ guns. I told her about proposed legislation that would make “loaning” a gun illegal. She was unaware of the legislation and confessed, “I had better pay more attention.”

After interacting with tens of thousands of women over the years, my personal opinion is the Second Amendment is only political to politicians. Let’s just hope they listen to their constituents.

Increased Urban Participation

Women from urban areas also increased visits to Shoot Like A Girl post-COVID. The fear they expressed for their personal safety was similar to our other guests’, but the sense of urgency was heightened and coupled with a desire to keep their decision to buy a gun a secret in their communities.

One guest shared she and other mothers from her inner-city neighborhood were sneaking out to attend shooting classes and shop for firearms. Her neighborhood didn’t feel safe prior to COVID, and after COVID, increased police response times and elevated crime rates made her decide it was time to buy a gun. She had a desire to understand everything about being a responsible gun owner — specifically, how to secure her firearm to keep it from being stolen.

Families

There was a tremendous increase in entire families who attended Shoot Like A Girl events eager to learn about firearm safety and use. We also interacted with families searching for a firearm for home protection; in some cases both the husband and wife were considering their first-time firearm purchase.

Additionally, we saw more mothers and grandmothers attend events than in previous years.

Christa Forrester, Shoot Like A Girl’s chief of staff noted, “Moms of all ages are recognizing their responsibility in the role of protecting their families. It’s exciting to see how determined they are to learn as much as they can.”

“Assume the person who is least likely to purchase a gun will; focus on safety; and think of creative ways to empower new customers with confidence.”

Husbands were supportive of their wives learning about and owning a firearm so they could feel confident their wives would be protected. Dads brought their older daughters to Shoot Like A Girl events to encourage them to learn about firearm ownership, pepper spray and safety awareness. For younger children, parents wanted them to learn about firearm safety and what to do if they ever come across a gun.

Larry’s has seen a huge increase in women 50–80 years old (about 60%); they even helped a 92-year-old woman buy a gun recently. He offers true familiarization classes focused on basic safety, gun cleaning and a trip to the range to new gun owners. This helps customers feel confident in their purchases.

Larry’s range has a program with Federal Ammunition, where if a customer purchases a box of Federal, they can shoot/test over 75 different guns to find the one most comfortable to them. This may seem like a resource-intensive process, but to create true shooting enthusiasts, it’s important to help them identify the firearm they feel most comfortable and confident with.

Similar Experiences So Far

At Shoot Like A Girl, we provide a similar experience with deactivated firearms so our guests can compare options side by side. All of the initiatives at Larry’s show a commitment from the firearms industry to welcome new gun owners to the shooting sports family.

In February, we kicked off the 2021 Shoot Like A Girl “Home of the Brave” tour in Fort Myers, Fla., and the trends we saw in 2020 are continuing.

So, assume the person who is least likely to purchase a gun will; focus on safety; and like Shoot Like A Girl and Larry’s, think of creative ways to empower new customers with confidence.

Karen Butler is the founder and president of Shoot Like A Girl. The state-of-the-art Shoot Like A Girl trailer travels across the U.S., hosting a free, interactive experience that gives attendees an opportunity to shoot pistols, rifles and bows in a fun, safe and comfortable atmosphere.

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