Taking our sons, nephews and male friends to the range to learn about shooting just seems like the right thing to do. But often, we leave the girls at home on those days that we pile guns and gear into the truck for a day of plinking.

The thing is that the fairer sex often enjoys shooting as much as anyone, even more than some boys I have known. Many females are better shots than males because of their lower center of gravity, and because they listen. Many boys feel they should know how to shoot because it’s a “guy” thing, and because they’ve seen so many movies portraying the use of firearms (I’ll get into that some other time).

Some of the best shooters I’ve ever known have been women; I even met Olympic Gold Medalist Kim Rhode a few years back, and no one can say that girl can’t shoot. Also, the fastest growing segment of the shooting world is women.

As such, girls should be given the chance to learn shooting and safe gun handling; they might need the information to save their lives someday. So, on June 9, 2012, consider participating in the inaugural National Take Your Daughter to the Range Day. There are numerous ranges taking part in this event, but even if there isn’t one in your area, consider taking a girl shooting at your local range. It doesn’t have to be just your daughter. I've taught a lot of women to shoot, and I even took my wife shooting on our third date. I am also really looking forward to teaching my baby girl how to shoot. There is no way that I'm going to exclude her just because some don't consider it to be "girly."