As intimidating as guns can be, that is no reason to avoid them, says Karen Kevelson.

“Ignorance is a dangerous thing. If you become more educated, you become more able to make a decision,” said the Marion resident.

Kevelson was one of 24 participants in the National Rifle Association’s Women on Target program, held at the Sippican Rod & Gun Club on Saturday. The all-day program gives women a foundation in safe gun use, hands-on training and qualifies participants to apply for a License to Carry or a Firearms Identity Card.

“Traditionally, shooting has been a man’s sport. There’s no reason that should be true. We’re trying to change that,” said Bill Fredericks, a member of the club who organized the training.

Fredericks, a Mattapoisett resident, said women are the fastest growing demographic in shooting sports and have more interest in picking up firearms than ever before. At the Rod & Gun Club, they want to make sure that happens safely.

Last year, the club hosted its first Women on Target program. The program has been at capacity both years, with 16 women on the waiting list this time around.

“There’s obviously a lot of interest from women in the community who want to learn to shoot,” Fredericks said.

The reasons for attending the training were as diverse as the women in the group – from a nursing mother to an 81-year-old grandmother who wants to shoot competitively with her daughter.

Kevelson said the increased discussion about guns on the news made her want to know more.

“Will I ever buy a gun? I have no idea,” she said. “I want to know for educational purposes. I’m starting from zero.”

Kelsey Laine of Marion said her father recently got his License to Carry and her fiancé owns five guns, so the time was right.

“I think it’ll be fun for my fiancé and I to bond over. I’ll beat him eventually. I’ll be a better shot,” said Laine.

She admitted she was nervous to shoot a gun for the first time.

Jon Green, the director of the NRA’s Gun Owners’ Action League (GOAL) in Massachusetts, led the morning session and tried to put everyone at ease.

“It’s your opportunity to get a lot of new Facebook profile pictures,” he joked.

Green stressed the second amendment right to bear arms and said trainings like the one on Saturday are important both for informing the public and getting people comfortable with guns.

“Guns are not good or bad, they’re inanimate objects,” he said. “We [GOAL] fight very hard to protect the rights and the choice of good citizens. If you’re a good person, you should have the ability to protect yourself by whatever means.”

Green waded through some of the state’s gun laws, types of firearms available to citizens and the need to use them responsibly.

Safety was stressed throughout the day as was education.

“The more classes you take, the more aware you are. They make you better,” Green said.

Guns get a lot of negative press, but Green and Fredericks insist that incidents caused by people who have received proper training and who follow the rules is rare.

“The reason accidents are so low is training,” Fredericks said.

After learning the basics, the women put on their protective eye gear and earmuffs and headed outside for a four-hour hands-on training using rifles, shotguns and pistols.

Sgt. Kevin Flynn of the Rochester Police Department was one of about a dozen trainers stressing proper gun use as women took to the shooting range.

“Teaching women to shoot in a safe, fun environment is very important,” said Flynn. “From the time you load the gun, we’ll help you out with everything.”

At 81, Cynthia Casner of South Dartmouth was the oldest woman to participate in the training. Casner, joined by her daughter Cassy West of Mattapoisett was one of three mother-daughter pairs on the range.

Casner plans to hand down her own firearm to her daughter. She and West also plan to do competitive skeet shooting together.

“We learned so much,” said Casner.

Ashley Daniel, a dispatcher at the Rochester Police Department, admitted she was reticent to shoot a gun for the first time.

“I feel very ignorant when it comes to any sort of weapons, especially guns,” she said.

After shooting a few rounds with a .22 pistol and then making five consecutive hits on the trap shooting range, she was a convert.

“I was shaking and sweating, but it’s gotten better throughout the day,” Daniel said. “I’m actually to the point where I think I want to do this more often.”

Jacqui Dary of Wareham also had a positive response to the training.

“You’ve totally changed my perception,” she told Fredericks.

Dary, a teacher, came to the training because her daughter Kaitlin, the graduate of a criminal justice program, wanted a License to Carry.

“We’re not going to get our nails done, we’re going to do this. It was a nice mother-daughter bonding,” she said.

But still, Dary had reservations.

“I bought into ‘guns are dangerous,’” said Dary.  “What people need is more information.”

She was also surprised to find the gun club so open to women and willing to teach them. She wants to share the experience with people in her community. She and her daughter will also consider joining the club, she said.

That is the exact response Fredericks hoped for when he brought the program to Rod & Gun Club.

“We hope it’s more than a bucket list. We’re all hoping that they’ll pursue this after the day is over,” he said.

Although many women planned to get a gun license following the training, those who choose not to still had a valuable experience, said Fredericks.

“Even if you don’t do it again, you have much more in depth understanding.”