While the title may sound like we’re talking about a musical group, the Honeybelles is a shotgun program for women in Florida. Dee Orr, SyrenUSA pro-staff member, serves as the administrator for the program.
Sponsored by Syren USA
In 2019 we talked with Dee to find out more about the program, so we wanted to catch up with her now to find out where the program has gone since then.
The Beginning
The Honeybelles got started as a women’s initiative for the Florida Sporting Clays Association (FSCA), thanks to board member Louise Terry. Their mission statement reads, “To introduce more women to shooting sporting clays and create an environment where they feel welcome, comfortable, and competent going to the clubs to enjoy shooting clays with friends and family.”
The Honeybelles Today
Dee tells us there are now 18 female instructors working in the program, up from 12 in 2019. The number of women allowed in each clinic is based on the number of instructors available to keep the ratio of one instructor for every three shooters. “We found that’s a good ratio, everybody has time, nobody’s waiting around too long, everybody stays involved,” explains Dee. The organization has now trained 914 attendees, up from 343 in 2019.
The Honeybelles were at three clubs in 2019 and are now being hosted at six clubs:
“We’re focused on beginners who are early in their shooting to get them started correctly on a solid foundation,” said Dee. “Our Beginners Clinic is priced at $45, which includes 45 minutes to an hour of classroom time. It gives them a foundation on types of guns, ammo types of targets, ways to shoot the targets. After the classroom portion, they go on the course and shoot 25 targets each.”
A Basic Plus Clinic is offered for $65 to women with more experience who want to continue improving their shotgunning skills. In addition, the group also has a league, hosts two Ladies shoots a year and participates in various charity shoots.
Personal Impact
When asked how this journey has impacted her life, Dee choked up. “Oh, gosh, it’s been so monumental in my life. I’m a competitive shooter and shooting is my passion. But I kind of started to lose that amazing wonder that got me hooked to begin with. Then I started with these new ladies – to watch them break that target for the very first time and watch the joy on their faces, for me, it relit the fire; it’s been amazing. And then watching these women grow and become friends and meet other people and now they’re out having fun together. We set up a Facebook group for them so they could communicate together and it’s just fun to watch that, as well.”
Dee laughs as she says it’s also taught her how to be better at communicating. “I told a woman, ‘OK, put the gun on your shoulder’ and she laid it right on the top of her shoulder. I thought, ‘Yep, that’s what I told her to do.’ We just need to remember that many of these women coming to us have never touched a gun.”
Syren Support
Dee talks about how Syren shotguns entered the picture. “I had a friend who ran the pro staff for Syren (prior to Dee joining) and she sent some shotguns to me to try out. And of course, I loved them. It’s amazing how easily a woman can pick them up and shoot them. The grip is smaller so a woman’s hand fits better and reaches the trigger better. The gun can be seated more firmly on your whole shoulder and the recoil will be evenly distributed.”
The organization has three Syren shotguns for women to demo, and these guns quickly become popular. “Some of the clubs have also bought Syrens because they saw how good they are and how much the ladies like them. They bought some for rentals, so when ladies go back to that club, they can still shoot the Syren guns that they like,” said Dee.
She continued, “Syren USA has been an amazing supporter of our program, and not just by supplying loaner guns for the ladies to use at the clinics.” In 2021 Syren began sponsoring the Syren Ladies Spring Classic. In 2023, there were more than 80 participants, and even more are expected at this year’s event. It will be held on March 30, 2024, at Vero Beach Clay Shooting Sports. “Syren has generously supplied us with lots of swag to give away and beautiful trophies, buckles which we award by Lewis Class, so everyone has a chance of winning. It’s the friendliest competition you will ever find, everyone cheering each other on!” said Dee. Registration will begin on Scorechaser soon.
Final Thoughts
“This program doesn’t go on without the support of the clubs and the support of the women coaches,” Dee emphasized. “They’re willing to volunteer their time to share the sport with other women. This is not a one-person show, this is a team effort.”
The Honeybelles are happy to share what they’ve learned with anyone in the country who is interested in starting a program. The best way to contact the Honeybelles is through its Facebook page as a message.
Nancy Keaton is a retired college administrator, president of her local gun club, competitive shooter and freelance writer whose work has appeared in A Girl and A Gun Women’s Shooting League, "American Shooting Journal," "American Concealed," "Northwest Meetings + Events," and other publications. She enjoys writing about a wide variety of topics and interviewing ordinary people doing amazing things. To see a compilation of her writing, check out her website at www.nancykeaton.com. View all posts by Nancy Keaton
