Taking Her Power Back, Part 2: Building Confidence One Caliber at a Time

Part of the Taking Her Power Back series: stories of women facing fear, finding confidence, and building strength one step at a time.

Part 2 of a Student’s Journey

After the breakthrough in Part 1, I knew we’d turned a corner. She left that first range session proud, relieved, and lighter than when she walked in. For the first time, she saw that firearms didn’t have to represent fear. They could also represent control, confidence, and even enjoyment. She finally understood why people find range time fun, and that realization changed everything. Our next goal was simple: to keep that confidence growing, slowly, safely, and always on her terms.

We started our most recent session the same way we ended the last one: with the suppressed .22. Its very little recoil and less percussion, make it one of the gentlest ways to ease into live fire, and now it’s become her comfort zone. She loaded her first magazine with calm hands and began to fire, steady and focused.

Once she felt completely at ease, we took off the suppressor so she could feel the full sound and recoil. She shot a few magazines, curious to feel the difference. It was her choice, and she handled it beautifully. Choosing the right tool and letting her control the pace made all the difference.

At seven yards, she was consistent, almost too consistent. Her groupings were tight, her fundamentals solid. I smiled and said, “We need to make it more challenging.” We pushed the target back to fifteen yards, and she crushed it again. With ten rounds left, I laughed and said, “Just for shits and giggles, let’s throw it all the way back to twenty-five.” She laughed right back and told me she was literally thinking the same exact thing.

She blew me away. Her grouping stayed tight even at twenty-five yards. She’s very steady and focused, and it shows.

After that, we decided to take the next step and move up a caliber. I brought out the Glock 42 chambered in .380 ACP. More sound, more recoil, but still small enough to manage easily. She adjusted to it immediately. What once caused panic and tears was now just another challenge to meet head-on. There were no triggers this time, no flinch, just focus.

As an instructor, moments like that never get old. Watching a student realize they can do this—really feel that—is everything. We went from weeks of classroom work and no live fire to two full range sessions, each an hour long. The difference between those early sessions and now is night and day.

Confidence doesn’t come from one big leap, it’s built in small, steady steps. Each time she loads a magazine, steadies her breathing, and presses that trigger with purpose, she’s reclaiming more of herself. She’s not just learning to shoot; she’s learning to trust herself again.

These are the moments that remind me why I teach. To help women find calm where fear once lived. To give them a safe space to take their power back, one round, one breath, one victory at a time.

✨ Every story is a step toward taking her power back.

💡 If you’ve been holding back because of fear or past experiences, know that you don’t have to walk this journey alone. With patience, understanding, and step-by-step training, confidence is possible.

👉 Contact me and let’s take the first step together.