Annie Oakley: The Peerless Shot

By G&A Staff

Annie Oakley achieved worldwide stardom when she joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show in 1885, but she had been impressing spectators with her shotgun and rifle shooting for at least 10 years prior. Before Oakley (her stage name) began performing for audiences, she had to endure a hard upbringing in Ohio. To help her family, she learned to hunt and trap. According to her autobiography, she was so good at supplying game that she saved enough money to pay off the mortgage of the family farm.

“Oh, how my heart leaped with joy as I handed the money to mother and told her that I had saved enough to pay it off,” Oakley wrote.

Oakley continued setting shooting records into her 60s, and became well known for her efforts to advance the rights of women. She strongly encouraged women to learn to shoot and suggested that it it was important for women to know how to defend themselves. She added, “I would like to see every woman know how to handle guns as naturally as they know how to handle babies.” It’s been estimated that she taught more than 15,000 women how to shoot a gun during her …Read the Rest

Source:: Guns and Ammo