Pink is For Girls - Blue is For Boys

Everyone knows that pink is for girls and blue is for boys. If you buy a baby gift you will pick out a cute pink dress for a baby girl and possibly a blue jumper for a baby boy. It seems as though society has influenced gender preferences when it comes to pink for girls and blue for boys. There are even scientific studies that back up the stereotype. Are we really hardwired to associate the color pink with girls and blue with boys? Do women really prefer pink items?

I asked myself this question when I recently saw an advertisement for a pair of pink Ear Muffs made for shooting. At SHOT Show this year I discovered a statistic from the NSSF that women represent 16% of modern rifle shooters and recently the Women of USPSA face book page hit over 3,500 “likes.” So, yes women do like guns and the number is on the rise. But pink ears? Don’t get me wrong it is nothing against the product. This is a nice set of ears with digital electronics to increase the low-level sounds and compress the harmful noises – and they are cute. Ok, I said it. Cute. My husband would say nothing about guns should be cute. Ah, see there goes another stereotype that guns are masculine.

A gun doesn’t make me less feminine and I’m not sure pink ears would make me more feminine. The pink color automatically makes me think of breast cancer awareness not necessarily guns or a fun day at the range. Maybe I am in the minority but my current black electronic ears work just fine and don’t make me feel "manly." I do understand there is a growing legion of women who want all things pink including ears, range bags, eye protection and even targets.

If you feel a need for pink shooting gear, then check out these ears made by Radians which are fitted with dual microphones and independent volume controls. They have a noise reduction rating of 23. They are a low profile muff with an adjustable headband and are collapsible and compact enough to fit in a small bag.

Another pink product that impressed me is in a mosey oak pink color scheme and is made by Leupold – Yosemite binoculars. Why? They are fitted for a smaller face and hands. A product tailored to fit a woman and taking into consideration women’s needs is welcome no matter what the color. Tactical Solutions has many pink products and various other colors including the bright red barrel that I have been desiring for my Browning Buck Mark. I’ve seen pink rifles and even handguns including a Babes for Bullets Smith and Wesson handgun.

If we need more pink products to get women to the range, by all means color everything pink. Pink is cute. There I said it again. So proudly display your pink guns, optics, ears and even range bags next time you head out to the gun club. Maybe I will even try out a “cute” color and ditch my customary black.