In strappy sandals and a flouncy blue dress, the pretty Demetria Chappo couldn’t look more out of place with a rifle in her hand. As she aligns her arms, positions her head and straightens her back, she goes through a mental checklist to ensure her body is in proper position.
Then she takes a deep breath and pulls the trigger. A second later — smack! — her bullet hits the bull’s-eye.
“It disturbs me to say it, but it felt pretty natural and organic,” says the 33-year-old Boerum Hill resident, who is a marketing consultant, ceramic artist, longtime yoga enthusiast and now, amateur markswoman.
Chappo says she came to the Westside Pistol & Rifle Range in Chelsea with a girlfriend to let off some steam. “I’ve been going through a lot of changes recently, and I remembered that I really liked archery when I was a Girl Scout,” she says. “When I got an e-mail about this event, I said, ‘Let’s do it.’ ”
Twenty-one rifle-totin’ mamas showed up for last week’s event, which took place at the very same range where Robert De Niro’s Travis Bickle maniacally fired his guns in “Taxi Driver.” The soiree was organized by Urban Girl Squad, a social networking group that offers New York women a shot at adventurous activities like pole dancing and horseback riding.
She says the class fills up faster than a speeding bullet; there was a waiting list 30 deep for last week’s blowout.
That’s right. Girls’ night out is now more gunslinging than cocktail-sipping.
Lauren Harrison came to the range sporting an elegant tweed jacket and practical heels, which did not impede her aim as she pumped bullets into a target like a pro.
“I’m from Texas, and I did it as a kid,” says Harrison, a 30-year-old attorney. “This was not my first time at the rodeo.”
Her friend, Lisa Rines, a 30-year-old therapist, says that shooting a gun was on her “bucket list” — which she promptly crossed off by hitting 10 bull’s-eyes.
“It felt great,” she says, cheeks flushed and smelling of gun smoke.
“I was a little nervous about it, but when I was firing, I felt really powerful and strong.”
“I think more and more women feel like they should be responsible for their own safety.”
http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/hot_shots_QHTkE9DgNzs6tibVQt9YWJ
I love rifles and think it's awesome when women have an interest in learning skills on how to use them.
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