LadyShooter LifeStyles DEBUT Issue - Fall 2020

LADYFeatures SHOOTER

Life Styles

FALL 2020

Generations

22 The Age of COVID-19

68 A Trip to the Ozarks

85 COVER STORY A The Day in Many the Faces LifeofOf...

Shooting

Features

8 Cover Story Generations

&

22 A Girl A Gun

4

Contents

Contents 7

Letter from the Editor

14

A Day in the Life Of...

16

Yoga for Shooters

19

21 Things You Don’t Know About Me

Food 20

Wilderness to Table with Bri Van Scotter

Tips 26

Coaches Corner

2

News

28 nd Amendment Discussions

Fashion 30

What’s in My Bag?

32

Fashion Corner

Beauty 34 Hair, Skin, Makeup, Nails LadyShooter LifeStyles

Our passion. Your ambition. A perfect fit.

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For more info visit

SyrenUSA.com or call 410-901-1131

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Stacey Stephens Publisher

stacey@ladyshooterlife.com

Published 6 times per year issn request pending

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Photography & Co-Publisher thaddius@liquidimageinc.com

Regular Contributors: Andrea Bogard Bri Van Scotter Louise Terry

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LadyShooter LifeStyles

Natalia Gonzalez editor

editor@ladyshooterlife.com

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from the editor

Welcome, Ladies W

hen I was 26 years old, I held a shotgun for the first time in my life. Having grown up in Northwest Houston, Texas, I was raised around a lot of kids that lived out in the country – many of them growing up hunting and fishing with their families. I remember hearing stories of deer and dove hunts during essay presentations at school and imagining how incredibly fun it must be to shoot guns.

My parents were not anti-gun, but they weren’t really pro-gun either. We just didn’t have guns in the house and we didn’t really talk about them. When my brother invited me out to shoot sporting clays for my 26th birthday I was, needless to say, thrilled. My first thought was, of course, what am I going to wear? This led into a quick internet search of ‘what to wear to shoot sporting clays?’ which produced basically nothing of value.

I gave up and just dressed comfortably for being outdoors. This is just one example of something I hope this magazine will accomplish.

Long story short, from the moment I broke my first clay, I was hooked. I was like a crack head needing a fix every single weekend. I easily found some people in my network that were into shooting and I began doing everything I could to shoot more. All of them were guys so they couldn’t really offer much in the way of sisterhood. I eventually bought my first shotgun, a Beretta A400, which I still love to shoot.

I was then lucky enough to fall into a group of very talented lady shooters that also became my closest friends. We began travelling together for tournaments, practicing together, and even going on trips just for fun. Without this group of ladies, I would not have continued competing after some grueling defeats and challenges that I faced after turning my favorite hobby into my competitive sport.

Throughout my eight-year journey into competitive sporting clays, I have met some amazing people from all over the world. People that love the game as much they love breathing.

People that do it just for fun when they can. But by far the best people I have met are the lady shooters. They come from all backgrounds – all shapes, sizes, ages, and some even come from shooting royalty. Some of them have parents that shaped the world of shooting sports as we know it today.

As a lady shooter that had no family history of shooting, no legacy of shooting, and certainly no logical reason why I would become a shooter, I often times have to pinch myself and wonder is this really my life? How did I go from sitting in an office for eight hours a day counting down the minutes until 5pm to being on the pro-staff for CZ-USA, the editor of LadyShooter LifeStyles magazine, and a competitive shooter? God and love, the answer is sheer faith and love of the sport. I love how empowering it feels to hold a shotgun and watch a clay break. I love watching other people who share that same passion even more. And the one thing I have noticed is universal amongst the lady shooting community is that we all just want to have fun — and look good doing it!

It is through this magazine that I hope to share our love and passion for shooting as well as to help to educate, empower, and encourage ladies to get out there and shoot! For fun, for sport, for competition, it doesn’t matter why. Just get out there and shoot.

In this first edition of LSLS we hope to bring you a sampling of what is to come for next year.

We are 100% about celebrating ladies and their contributions to the sport. Through content relating to fashion, beauty, health, interviews with inspirational ladies, and even some coaching tips,

we aspire to give you a platform to shine. This magazine is for you, the ladies of shooting, the ones that share your ponytail holders, the ones that hand you a shell when you’ve run out in the middle of your turn, the ones that compliment your hair or outfit, the ones that are too shy to say hi and just smile when you pass by on the range.

I say this last one from experience. There are a few ladies that shoot whom I follow on social media and I can honestly say, I have been too shy to say hi when I see them in person. I know, its silly.

It is with all the passion and love I have for this sport and its participants that I wish you all a very blessed rest of 2020. I know that these have been challenging times with so much being cancelled or postponed, the release of this magazine being one of those. I want to encourage you to keep dreaming, keep planning, and keep shooting. We don’t know what tomorrow holds, but we have today and today is all we need.

Lots of love and God bless,

Natalia Gonzalez LadyShooter LifeStyles

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cover feature

Generations...

A look at what women in the industry have done and are doing for the generations to come

A

t first glance, our cover photo appears to be just another group of happy women, taking a moment to smile for the camera. A closer look would make you wonder what connects them besides the obvious fact that they have shooting vests on and are holding shotguns. They are all different ages, shapes, and backgrounds. They are not related, and yet they do share a bond, a sisterhood. These women share a love of shooting. They are generations of ladies who shoot in the National Sporting Clays Association (NSCA).

When we were discussing choices for the first issue of LadyShooter LifeStyles magazine, we wanted to highlight some of the amazing women who spend their long weekends in the sun, covered in gunpowder and taking home trophies.

But what do they do in between shoots? That’s what I wanted to know. I mentioned Louise Kolar Terry and received a collective “Hell Yes!” from the team. Louise is a prominent supporter of shooting sports and a National Skeet Shooting Association (NSSA) Hall of Fame inductee, she has been a member of the NSSA for over 60 years, and the NSCA for 31 years. Louise has been and continues to be a leader and innovator in shooting sports.

We began to brainstorm other female leaders in the shooting community. Being in South Florida at the time, aka Krieghoff Country, we decided that Kemble duPont was a natural choice for this generations feature. As the daughter of another prominent name in the shooting industry - Hal duPont, who is also a past president of the NSSA - we were excited to get to know more about the woman behind dupont/Krieghoff.

Lastly, we realized we couldn’t really have a generations feature without someone from the latest era of lady shooters to hit the range. With so many amazing young lady shooters out in the sport dominating right now it was a tough choice.

We arrived at Kayla Wilgus, we have been able to watch her grow from the earliest stages of her shooting because of her father being a World Champion. For years we have seen her hanging out in his golf cart and suddenly, she’s got a shotgun in her hand and a shooting vest on. As the only daughter of pro-shooter Mike Wilgus, we have seen this bright young lady blossom from the unofficial babysitter of other pro-shooters’ children such as Cory Kruse, to the B class 5’8’’ blonde that dominates on the range at just 13 years old.

I had the privilege of talking with these fascinating ladies and diving deeper into the history of what began their passion for shooting, their first time pulling the trigger, their daily lives and their plans for the future.

Louise Terry It was to be a stroke of destiny that I was randomly squadded with Louise at the 2019 NSCA Nationals for the main event along with Jay and Linda Delphey. The three of them have known each other for ages and live on opposite coasts of Florida. Having only shot one other time on a female-dominated squad, I was thrilled to shoot alongside two new ladies with many years of experience between them. Within minutes of introducing myself, they decided that my name was too long, so I was nicknamed Natty. I immediately bonded with them, and the following four days of shooting the main event with this squad would soon be held near and dear to my heart.

It became very clear halfway through the first day that Louise was a force to be reckoned with.

My initial thought was, who is this seventy something year old woman, who reminds me of my grandmother, and she’s wielding a custom Krieghoff and running stations like it’s no big

deal. I felt almost ashamed to question her ability just because she was an older woman. She was all business and knew how to consistently crush some targets. She also had no problem telling me to “keep it together” when I would crush the first two pairs and then drop the third. At the end of our fourth and final day, we shot our last station and shared a big group hug. It was then that Louise said, “When do we shoot together next?,” as if the occasion had already been scheduled, and she just needed a reminder of the date. In that moment, I knew I had made a friend for life.

As a full-time Florida resident, Louise is a staple at the Florida winter shoots that kick off the shooting season each year. So naturally I signed up to shoot the Gator Cup 2020 with her. We stayed in touch via email seeing as Louise didn’t do social media nor texting which felt somewhat like having a pen pal. I haven’t had a pen pal since I was 13 so this was refreshing and nostalgic at the same time. When we finally met up again

Louise Terry LadyShooter LifeStyles

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for the Gator Cup it was like seeing an old friend.

I was greeted with the biggest of hugs. Saturday night her husband Bill joined us for the amazing meal that Quail Creek Plantation provided for us, and I got to spend the evening learning all about how they met and a little bit about what it takes to keep a marriage strong for 54 years!

Being the middle daughter of an avid hunter and outdoorsman, Louise (or Wheezie as she is kindly referred to by her friends,) was lucky enough to be born on her dad’s birthday. He, having no sons, took this as having special meaning that she was mean to be his “boy” making her the ideal candidate to tag along with him on all of his hunting and shooting activities.

Born and raised in Ithaca, New York, which is more rural countryside than anything else, Louise spent a lot of time with her dad and their beagle hunting during pheasant season. Armed with an Ithaca Model 37 pump gun, Louise would walk the fields with her dad. However, her favorite thing to do was actually going to the gun club for club night in the summertime and shooting skeet.

This was back in the days of the old single stack Winchester traps which had to be loaded at the end of each round. None of the men wanted to walk up and down to the high house, so Wheezie learned to load a trap at ten years old.

In 1959 at age 13, Louise joined the NSSA just one year after her dad joined. For the first couple of years, Louise was the only female shooter around. It wasn’t until 1962 that she travelled to Montreal to shoot the Nationals (now called World Skeet Shoot) that she shot against a few other ladies. Louise still remembers Kenny Dixon from Texas beating her for the Junior title.

Louise was lucky enough to meet the love of her life, Bill Terry, on the ski slopes at age 16.

They got married at the end of 1966, and Louise was dealt her first dose of “shooting reality,” which meant the beginning of her marriage marked the end of her shooting allowance from Dad. Louise and Bill spent the next ten years building a life together and not shooting. “We were typical newlyweds who were pretty broke,” she recalls fondly.

Interestingly enough, during the ten years that Louise was learning about married life and building a career at IBM, her dad, Larry Kolar, was building a shooting business. Larry invented and manufactured Kolar Tubes, which are sub gauge tubes that shooters use to put inside their 12-gauge barrels. This allows them to shoot smaller gauges without needing to have four different guns. In the mid 1970’s, these tubes LadyShooter LifeStyles

cover feature

Louise with her father, Larry Kolar, in October 2000 at the NSSA World Championship

were going into production, and Larry asked Louise and Bill to help him test-fire different tubes in different guns. This was her way back into her beloved sport of shooting and getting her dad to occasionally foot some of the bill.

Louise made the most of this opportunity.

From 1982-2009, Louise won 20 World Skeet Championship Titles. When I asked Louise who the first person she called to tell about her first World Title, she said “Dad.” They had a deal that anytime he couldn’t make it to a shoot and Louise ran 100 straight, she would call him collect from a payphone. This was back when long distance calling was expensive and most calls were made from a phonebooth or payphone, something Louise thought I might not know about. She lovingly remembers her final title in 2009, just after her dad passed away. It was the first time she couldn’t call him.

After a successful career in business and shooting, Louise has devoted her time to growing the sport. When I asked her why, she gave me such an unexpected answer. As a manager at IBM, she took part in a monthly manager meeting which consisted of the approximately 1000 managers that ran the 10,000-employee facility in New York. Of those 1000 managers, Louise found herself to be the only female. Not one of the only females, but the only one. During her time at IBM, she discovered that all of her male counterparts actually made more money than she did, about 30% more. Having grown up in shooting sports surrounded by “good ole boys,” she decided to bring this up with her

manager seeing as she felt comfortable talking to men about uncomfortable subjects. Of course, she didn’t think it was exactly fair that she and the men that held similar positions did not earn similar salaries. His response was, “you’re a married female, and these men have families to support. You don’t need this job; they need their jobs. We don’t have to pay you any more than that.” She mentioned that when she tells this story to people today, they look at her like she’s crazy, but she just chuckles and says, “That’s just the way it was.”

Through these early experiences, she realized that in order to change things from the way it was to the way it should be, she would have to get involved. And involved she became! I could go on and on about the various boards she’s been a part of and positions of power that she’s held, but this isn’t about her impressive resume. It’s about real women living real lives and making real changes for the better of all future generations of ladies.

In her latest venture into the boardroom, on a mission to enact progress, Louise got involved in the Florida Sporting Clays Association (FSCA) because what else is there to do for a powerful, retired woman? She was sitting in on a meeting where men were saying they wanted to do more for ladies’ shooting and youth shooting. “They would keep talking about it and talking about it, and nobody ever did anything,” she said. Finally, she spoke up in her classic Wheezie way and said, “I have an idea, and I would like you guys to just agree to it and if I need some money, you’ll have to give me some money for it.” Louise’s idea

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“I have an idea, and I would like you guys to just agree to it...”

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turned into a collaborative program that emphasizes qualified women teaching women.

The FSCA Honeybelles have created an environment for women to feel comfortable learning to shoot and keeping the men out of it.

After three years of these innovative clinics, the Honeybelles have successfully introduced and taught over 500 women to love the sport of shooting in Central Florida alone.

What she’s done for women’s shooting pales in comparison to what she’s done for youth shooting sports. Since 2012 she has served as board chairman of the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation (SSSF) which is the parent organization of the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP). “It’s wonderful because it allows these kids to participate in something. Our whole mission for this is creating a team environment where, with qualified coaching, these kids are learning to develop into great citizens. They learn how to interface with adults, and they learn how to be good team members.

They learn personal responsibility, not to mention firearm safety and about the Second Amendment.” Louise adds,” They are going to appreciate our freedoms in this country, and

what that all means. The fact that they are getting to learn it with their rifles and pistols and shotguns is just a bonus in my mind.”

Louise’s willingness to devote her time to serve on these boards and empower women and youth shooting apparently rubs off on people.

One person in particular being Kemble duPont, whom she persuaded to serve on the board of the SSSF with her for 3 years.

Kemble duPont The first time I met Kemble was at the Miami Cup, an international skeet tournament that I was attending at the time. As the name suggests, this shoot was held in Miami, which as we established earlier is in an area also known as Krieghoff Country. So naturally, Kemble and her husband Rollins Brown were in attendance, not as shooters but as supporters of shooters.

They came out just to be there for their proshooters from around the world. When I was introduced to her, I of course recognized the name duPont from my general knowledge of old money families in America. The duPont family name is synonymous with the Rothschilds and the Rockefellers.

The duPont family made its fortune in the gunpowder and explosives industry. It seems fitting that Kemble’s destiny was to work in the gun industry in some way although it was never part of the plan when she set off to SMU in Dallas, Texas, for college. After spending a number of years working in corporate America for a fortune 500 company, she found herself bored, burned out, and unhappy with her career.

Kemble duPont and husband, Rollins Brown

So in 2009 when she called her dad for a normal father-daughter chat, she wasn’t intending to end the conversation with a scheduled interview.

During their conversation she casually mentioned that she was looking for new opportunities and jokingly asked if he was in the market for a “kick ass sales manager.” By the following Monday, she was walking into his office dressed to the nines with a resume in hand. Needless to say, she got the job. By January 2010, she left corporate America behind and was beginning her adventure into the family business. Kemble’s father actually played a major role in the creation of the NSCA, and he spent much of her childhood away at shoots, building our sport into the powerhouse it is today. Up until this time, Kemble actually hadn’t really shot before. It was her boyfriend at the time, now husband Rollins Brown, that said “If you’re going to sell guns, you should probably shoot guns.”

If you have ever met Rollins Brown, then you won’t be surprised by his idea of a first date with Kemble. For one of their first times going out, he decided to take her shooting. During the three hour drive to the gun club, he proceeds to tell her that they are actually on their way to a tournament. Kemble had a complete panic attack, crying and saying “I don’t know what I am doing, I’m going to embarrass myself.”

Basically, all the things women think about, but don’t realize nobody really cares about. Despite the nervousness, she managed to pull out a 32 and still fell head over heels in love with shooting—and Rollins.

“I love my product. I shoot it. And I hope that other people enjoy it as much as I do, and usually, they do,” Kemble says. Whether it’s on the skeet, trap, or sporting clays range, you’re bound to see a lot of Krieghoffs in the hands of experienced shooters, so she is correct. Her father began selling Krieghoff shotguns in 1955 in Vero Beach, Florida. The home office is still there, and they have expanded into four other locations at gun clubs across the country that are staffed when there are big shoots. They’ve also created a mobile air-conditioned showroom that includes a workbench for guns to be serviced and reconfigured for purchase on the spot by their remarkable gunsmith Tim Ward. With 37 years of experience under his belt, he is the perfect technical yin to her business-savvy yang. Kemble humbly shares credit with Rollins for helping her build duPont/Krieghoff into the #1 Krieghoff dealer in the world for three years running.

For the last 10 years, Kemble has been LadyShooter LifeStyles

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Kemble and her father, Hal duPont

running the company since her father fell ill, along with her sister, Virginia duPont Whitehouse. As a devoted mother to two beautiful children, Virginia leaves the day to day operations to Kemble. As an industry leader and avid shooter, Kemble says, “it’s really hard to do both.” Yet, she finds a way to balance it all with a little help from her friends, working with coaches and mental game experts, and of course her husband whom she never shoots tournaments with. Why, you might ask? “My game struggles because if he starts missing, I feel badly for him.

Then I am focusing on him instead of what I am supposed to be doing,” she said. “I am fortunate that my husband’s best friends that shoot all have wives that shoot.” When asked if she still has time to practice, she took a deep breath and smiled.

“So, as much as I would love to take every Friday

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“I’m just a happier person because I get to be involved in the shooting sports with all these great people.”

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LadyShooter LifeStyles

off and go practice, if a customer wants to pick up a gun, I can’t just not be here.” It’s a labor of love. Despite having an amazing team that she has described as “a vital part of our organization, and they treat it as if it’s their own business with their own name on the door,” Kemble clearly is passionate about being present in her business.

Instead of relying on her family name and any of the benefits of being a part of that family, she has worked hard at her business and at her shooting.

Kemble is now a sponsored shooter for Winchester Ammunition and is passionate about learning more of the technical side of things since she has mastered the business side as evidenced by the growing success of her company.

During a brief, post-college job hunting phase of her life, she spent some time working at the duPont Krieghoff office from 2002-2003. During that time, she created the Youth Purchase Program. This gives young shooter “pups,” as she affectionately calls them, the opportunity to get into a lifetime gun without having any credit. Her passion for the youth shooters was evident even way back then. Since then, she has focused a lot of energy on supporting youth shooters, the organizations they are a part of, as well as the parents that lovingly bring their children out to the events. Now that her two stepchildren are showing an interest in shooting, she is even more excited to work with the “pups” and get to spend time together as a family.

When discussing some of the challenges she has faced as a female in this male-dominated industry, she brought up one of my favorite and

most lighthearted complaints - the overly helpful advice givers out on the range. The ones that feel the need to say, “you were over it,” or “under it,” or “give it more lead,” etc. Her response to these well-intentioned gentlemen is, “Thanks for the advice guys, but I am really trying to figure this one out on my own.” Why didn’t I think of that classy shutdown? I usually get annoyed and then shoot worse because I’m annoyed. Perhaps I should give Kemble’s mental coach Henry Hopking a call…

With a standing nail appointment every other Tuesday (because you can’t hand someone a $100,000 shotgun with unmanicured nails), as well as Baron, her calm dog (one of three), whom she brings regularly to the office, it seems like Kemble has managed to fully incorporate her family business and her favorite hobby into her lifestyle leaving corporate America behind. “I’m just a happier person because I get to be involved in the shooting sports with all these great people.”

Her other favorite pastime is needlepoint. “I get to turn my mind off and shut my mouth. I talk a lot.” I don’t know about you, but I say, “Keep talking, Kemble. We are listening.”

Kayla Wilgus Our feature leaves Florida and heads to the opposite corner of the country in Bellevue, Washington, where the Wilgus family lives.

Growing up travelling the world with her family to watch her dad shoot tournaments, Kayla Wilgus has basically grown up on the range. It is no surprise that the first time she actually got to shoot at age seven, she broke her first target on a skeet field. From that moment on, she began shooting local tournaments with her dad and practicing at least once a week. She went from shooting in the 20s to shooting in the 70s in just a few years. With a packed schedule of select basketball, school soccer, and club soccer, Kayla manages to keep it all together like a pro. Despite getting side eyes from her teachers when she mentions that she has to miss school for a shooting tournament, Kayla has managed to remain open about her passion with her peers.

Just the other day Kayla was sitting in class, minding her own business while her teacher was giving a lesson on Quakers and Puritans. That led into a discussion about guns. Her teacher, being a Quaker himself, mentioned that guns were considered “unclean” to touch and very dangerous. Again, minding her own business and

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“Zach Kienbaum always says one day I’ll be a World Champion, and instead of feeling pressure from that, I just feel like that’s a goal that I want to do.

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not wanting to draw attention to herself, she remained silent knowing full well that this was not the time nor the place to get into a debate about guns. Another classmate didn’t agree with the teacher and spoke up, saying, “I think what you’re saying is rude. Kayla’s family shoots guns, and her dad is even a World Champion.” Kayla just shuddered at the thought of what was to come next. The teacher was not pleased with this student’s outburst and gave the whole class a failing grade on their homework. It never dawned on me until she shared this story with me what it must be like to grow up as a shooter in a liberal part of the country. Sometimes I really take growing up in Texas for granted.

Kayla and dad, Mike Wilgus

Kayla loves working with her dad

Despite the negative comments and backlash from some of her peers and teachers, Kayla continues to shoot, practice, and compete in a sport that she has grown up loving and watching.

“I think I am really lucky to have my dad as my coach. People pay really good money to pros for lessons, and I can just ask my dad,” she explains.

Unlike her demeanor at school, she’s very at ease at the range. One of her favorite things about sharing this passion with her dad is the welcoming greetings from complete strangers at shoots. Almost like shadowing a celebrity, being with her dad brings lots of people around just to say hi. People she has never met know her by name because her dad proudly posts things on his social media about Kayla’s progressing talents.

Most would think that having your dad as a coach would come with a lot of pressure. For Kayla, it is the complete opposite. She loves working with her dad and doesn’t mind any kind of extra attention. In fact, she thrives on it. Being a typical 13-year-old girl, she doesn’t always listen to her dad’s advice, especially when it comes to checking scores. Instead of feeling pressure, she feels challenged. She reveals, “I’ve always liked pressure.” Even in her sports, she excels when the heat is on. What about having to live up to Mike Wilgus’s World Champion image? “Zach Kienbaum always says one day I’ll be a World Champion, and instead of feeling pressure from that, I just feel like that’s a goal that I want to do.

I have always wanted to be in a shoot-off,” she shares excitedly. Having only been in one shootoff in my own life, and I can honestly say that

extreme tension does not even begin to cover the emotions I was feeling in that moment. Kayla, I am sure you will have your shoot-off soon enough at the rate you are going, and I have no doubt you’ll win it, pressure and all.

It still amazes me that I grew up in Texas and didn’t shoot a shotgun until I was 26 years old.

Perhaps if my father had been into shooting. All four of us got into shooting because of a man and that is a beautiful thing. The future shows promise to see our sport grow now that women are creating groups, places, and spaces for encouraging other women to shoot. I look around the range at any given tournament, and I see things that just make me smile. It makes me wish I had gotten into this sport sooner. I see families like the Wilgus’s riding around in their golf cart together and sharing some father-daughter time through a love of shooting. I see dear Louise and her welcoming gal pals, shooting their umpteenth Nationals together and loving every moment of it.

I see Kemble living out her father’s legacy, and her crew of young shooters cutting up and having fun. Grandmothers and girlfriends, mothers and children, young and old. We are all here on any given weekend, sweating, concentrating, and crushing targets because we love it. Sharing that one bond that keeps us ladies coming back. The love of shooting. I can only pray that I’m still shooting in my 70s with my best friends by my side. n

LadyShooter LifeStyles

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a day in the life

Balance is a Masterpiece,

BY ANDREA BOGARD

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had someone ask me a few years ago, “how do you balance it all?” At that point, I was a wife, mom, business owner a few times over and shooting instructor as well as a board member of multiple hunting and conservation organizations.

I didn’t give the question too much mental real estate until a few months ago.

COVID was in full swing and school was looking uncertain. I had to ask myself if I had the time and ability to homeschool our two boys, ages 5 and 13.

Even as the question was asked, I knew the answer. Yes. I can do this. So, here we are. I still own a few businesses, write, photograph, teach shooting, travel, serve on a board, and maintain a household. I also homeschool my two boys now. Oddly, it’s balanced. So, what does that balance look like?

Here’s a typical sampling of activities from our daily life!

Homeschooling is serious business.

LadyShooter LifeStyles

y! We art the da indow to st e red squirrel in w e th t on th ching ou placement d bird wat Snuggles an t be discussing shot er… no ed the fe may or may

PE consists of a hike, a biology lesson and crash course in why going over your boots in a mud puddle is a poor life choice 10 minute s into a two-hour adventure

time on the river There’s nothing like e to catch lunch! tim It’s ! with a fly rod ked snacks… pac Good thing we

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a day in the life

perfect d hunt? Those How about a bir need to be d an s iou ec pr e fall days ar enjoyed!

for the Time to hit the range. Preparing rtant as next adventure is just as impo the adventure itself. A little in & practice at 750 yards with Griff on or dmo Cree 5 6 in er land .

Howe High this particular afternoon.

How about some spo rting clays? Got to keep your skills sharp and this Zoli Pernice in .410 is a fun way to do it!

gear for is my array of Pack well. Here /write ph ra to photog a trip last year the in s nt hu of le about a coup , but I ht lig ck pa t didn’ Southern US. I ! ed ed ne I had everything

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Just over a year ago, I w and had just as in Africa harvested th is kudu Toda I am teaching . y, kindergarten and 8th grade.

Not a Snapshot LadyShooter LifeStyles

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LadyShooter LifeStyles

staying healthy

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HEALTH

staying healthy

Yoga for Shooters

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fter a long day at the range it is always good to stretch out your muscles. Particularly the shoulders since you use them not only to absorb the recoil of your shotguns but also to hold them up. Here are five shoulder stretches that should have you feeling ready to go back to crushing targets by morning. Yogic breath is the key to making these stretches work for you. The best way to breathe is in through the nose and out through the nose. Slow and steady wins the race on this one. Practice using your breath to control movement in the body. Connect one breath to one movement. Inhale to contract and exhale to release. Practice these five exercises for one to five minutes each and turn this flow into a five or 25 minute exercise. You can also move through the poses one at a time and end up back at Step 1 in Child’s Pose.

Brought to you by Kendall Knight with HOMe Yoga and Fitness, offering in person and zoom classes for all levels. Contact Kendall at bodyempowerment@hotmail.com n

1.CHILD’S POSE Start with your knees wide apart, big toes together, arms long, and soften the heart into the mat. To work through the shoulders, roll through the brow/forehead from side to side, dipping through each armpit from side to side as you move with your breath.

2. THREAD THE NEEDLE Start with the right arm, inhale, lift the right arm, elbow, and finger tips to the sky, on your exhale, thread the right arm through the left armpit. Tent through the left finger tips, inhale, start to roll gazing over the left shoulder, exhale lower into the right temple, keeping the connection of the head to the mat. Continue on the left side.

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staying healthy

Train like a champion, take the hard shots, and leave it all on the field.

-Julia Stallings team USA Bunker Trap

TRAP SALES RENTALS COURSE DESIGN TRAP ACCESSORIES

3. CHILD’S POSE, ARMS UP. Go back to child’s pose, extend the arms behind you, interlace fingers, keep the arms long, and raise the fingertips towards the sky as much as you can. Then start to roll across the brow again, keeping arms straight. Feel the stretch through the front of the shoulder.

4. PRONE POSITION- SHOULDER OPENING Slither forward into prone position on the belly, extend the left arm out, shoulder-elbow to wrist in alignment. Start to bend the right knee 90 degrees, flex the right foot, so your knee and hip are aligned, inhale, start to roll on the exhale into the left hip, on to the left side body, take the right foot and plant behind you, make sure the right hand is planted out from the chest, either on the palm or finger tips. Push into the ground with the right hand to elevate the chest and roll through the shoulder on a deeper level. Keep the left side of the head connected to the earth for maximum tension release. Continue on the right side.

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5. SPHINX Move into sphinx pose. Float the legs together, extend them behind you, come into the forearms, elbows under shoulders, roll the shoulders up and around the back towards your lower back. Take the gaze up through the brow, chin up, gently open through the neck.

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just for fun

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21 Things YOU ?

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didn’t Know ABOUT ME 1. I hated shooting for about 4 years before deciding to try it again.

2. I want to become a pastor one day.

3. I started competing when I was 15 years old.

4. I practice yoga almost everyday.

5. My gun has a custom engraving on the trigger guard and it’s BLUE!

6. I am a writer for Junior Shooters Magazine 7. I have a pit bull named Lucy who looks like a cow.

8. I have a Youtube Channel

called Her Shooting Journey

g 10. I am a member of the National Honors Society.

11. My favorite time of year to shoot is in the fall.

12. I am allergic to eggs, chicken, turkey and tree nuts.

13. I hate the cold e 14. I know the entire chapter 2 of Luke from the bible by heart.

15. My favorite pre competition “hype” song is Electric Avenue by Eddy Grant.

16. I am hyper

organized and color code everything 17. I started shooting Skeet and Sporting Clays a year ago.

18. I would love to write a book one day.

9. I am an huge advocate for those with disabilities.

19.

I am obsessed with plants and my room resembles a jungle at times 20. I am starting to get into the Olympic disciplines: Bunker Trap and International Skeet.

21. I have close to 40 pen pals that I write with regularly.

My name is Amy Cawley, I am 17 years old and my shooting journey started three years ago. I started my shooting career off in the trap world competing in the USA Clay Target League and in ATA. I got involved with the Scholastic Clay Target Program in the fall of 2019 and began my training with Skeet and Sporting Clays. I was featured on the cover of Junior Shooters Magazine in the winter of 2020 and joined their writing team shortly after. Around that same time I decided to start an Instagram page to

highlight my experiences as a young,female shooter. My account “Her Shooting Journey” took off and it turned into something much bigger than I could have ever imagined.

Now, just nine months later I am able to share my journey and inspire thousands of people across Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. I work hard everyday and I can’t wait to see where I end up! n LadyShooter LifeStyles

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LadyShooter LifeStyles

wilderness to table

21

FOOD

wilderness to table

Smoked Venison Burger with Bacon Beer Cheese

BY BRI VAN SCOTTER OF WILDERNESS TO TABLE

T

he smell of hickory smoked wood fills the air, the leaves are orange and you can practically hear all of the South cheering. It’s fall, which means hunting, football, grilling and gatherings. With hunting season in full swing the best way to celebrate your harvest is with family and friends.

Plus, wild game and grilling are a match made in heaven. There is something so amazing about prepping, cooking and sharing your harvest while gathered with your closest friends. Everyone wants to hear the story of how the meat they are about to enjoy came to the table. Stories told while you have thongs in your hand and gathered around the grill are almost as precious as the memories made harvesting.

Fall is the perfect time for entertaining.

Whether it’s a football gathering to cheer on your favorite team while dressed up in team colors or to celebrate the new grill you just bought for the season—fall has plenty of reasons to celebrate and the best way to celebrate is throwing a gathering based all around your wild game. Wild game is so much more than grilling a backstrap.

It’s the most versatile protein there is, not to mention it packs a punch of flavor that you just can’t get from store bought meats. And there is something magical about the combination of a grill and wild game. I love to cook wild game on my Camp Chef Pellet Grill. Being a chef, I will impart flavor into a dish any chance I get! So, the grill/smoker combination is a great way to go.

Imparting more flavor is one of the biggest tips I can give you with wild game. Imparting flavor will make even the non-wild game eater a wild game believer. I impart flavor into my wild game by using different fats. Whenever I cook bacon it’s a sin to throw out the left-over fat. So, I keep a large glass jar in the refrigerator and dump all the left-over fat into it to use at a later time. Bacon fat truly helps to enhance the flavors of wild game.

Try using it in place of a vegetable oil when cooking your wild game. I like to brush my wild game with melted bacon fat before placing them on the grill. It gives the meat a wonderful salty smokiness that is beyond delectable. If you’re truly an adventurous foodie, try using beef tallow.

When making wild game sausage I always include beef tallow into the mix. It gives it a rich umami flavor and silky texture. And never throw away the caul fat from your harvest. Caul fat whether from a hog or deer pairs perfectly with upland game. Try wrapping upland game in caul fat and throwing it on the grill! The caul fat essentially protects the delicate meat from over cooking. And the rendered fat penetrates the meat, creating super moist and flavorful birds.

Smoked Venison Burger with Bacon Beer Cheese Fondue Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Servings: 6

Ingredients: - 6 Venison Burger Patties - 3 TBS Bacon fat, melted - Beer Cheese Fondue - Spicy Mayo - Lettuce - Tomato, sliced - Red Onion, sliced - Pretzel Buns

the cheese and flour mixture and stir constantly until the cheese is melted and everything is well combined. Then add the chopped bacon to the cheese mixture, then top the burgers with the cheese while hot.

Spicy Mayo: -1 Cup Mayonnaise - 4 TBS Sriracha Sauce -2 TBS Pickled Jalapenos, chopped In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Reserve in the refrigerator until serving.

Burger: Oil the grill of a smoker well and set the temperature to 375°F. Use hickory pellets to smoke. Using a pastry brush, brush each side of the venison patties with the melted bacon fat, then season with salt and pepper. Place the seasoned patties on the grill and smoke until desired doneness, about 5-7 minutes each side.

Assemble: Spread the spicy mayo on both sides of the pretzel buns. Place the cooked venison patty on the bottom half of the pretzel bun. Then top the patty with the Bacon Beer Cheese Fondue. Add the lettuce and tomato, finish with the top half of the pretzel bun. Serve and Enjoy! n

Beer Cheese: 3/4 Cup Beer of Choice - 1 Clove Garlic, chopped - 8 oz. Swiss Cheese - 4 oz. Sharp Cheddar Cheese - 1 TBS Flour - 6 pieces of Bacon, cooked and chopped In a sauce pot, add the beer and chopped garlic.

In a large bowl, add the Swiss cheese, cheddar cheese and flour, use your hands to coat the cheese with flour. On medium high heat bring the beer and garlic to a boil. Once boiling, add LadyShooter LifeStyles

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LadyShooter LifeStyles

featured partner

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featured partner

A Girl and A Gun THE WOMEN’S SHOOTING ORGANIZATION GROWING BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS

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his is the story of two girls and their journey towards a love of guns that has inspired a nationwide organization with over 130 chapters and upwards of 6500 members. Robyn Sandoval and Julianna Crowder seem like they have known each other since kindergarten but surprisingly met only in the last decade. Together they have encouraged, taught, and mentored women from all backgrounds and stages in life. Ladies all over the nation have not only fallen in love with shooting, they have even become competitive shooters, instructors, and advocates for gun rights. They have experienced a surge in membership because of current events. The National Shooting Sports Foundation reported that nearly five million new gun owners have joined the already astounding 100 million gun owners in the U.S. this year. Would you be surprised to learn that 40% of them were women?

A Girl and A Gun (AGAG) is exactly the type of organization that these two million women should be joining.

The synergy between these two girls is captivating—during their interview they couldn’t help but finish each other’s sentences on a level I have rarely seen outside of identical twins. Their obvious love for each other as best friends can be felt in their presence as well as in their events.

They give their whole heart and so much energy into what they are doing, and the passion is tangible. I truly hope that any lady that has an interest in learning more about shooting pistol, rifle, or 3gun will get connected with their local AGAG chapter. I only wish my first experience with a pistol had been with this group of women, perhaps if it had been, I would have shot a pistol more than ten times in my life.

Julianna was raised in California and grew up shooting a family revolver and a BB gun on camping weekends. Then she met her husband John, a U.S. Marine, and her destiny to become such a big part of shooting sports was sealed. John is from Austin, Texas. He comes from a Marine Corps family—also full of law enforcement, Boy

Scouts, and hunters—so firearms were and are a major part of his everyday life. He really wanted her to get involved in shooting with him. She started casually shooting pistol matches and then he encouraged her to get her concealed carry license. After sitting through a 15-hour CHL class, Julianna came out with a better knowledge of carrying a firearm, yet felt unsatisfied. It just so happens that she was transitioning out of her other business as a dance studio owner and she became excited with this new idea that, “we could so do this!”. John got his instructor’s license because he taught firearms in the military, and Julianna ran his office. A year later, she got her instructor credentials. Four and a half years later, she felt so comfortable with teachingthat she started doing it on her own and that’s when she decided to focus more on the women’s market.

She started thinking about what the barriers were for women. What keeps them from coming to a concealed carry course or a pistol match? For some, it was taking money away from the family budget. Some just a lack of time. Some were simply not interested, and some thought they knew enough about guns, which was one of the scariest answers because “You can never have enough knowledge when it comes to firearms,” says Julianna. She began to think outside of the box. She wanted to pair the feeling a woman gets when she can leave the husband and kids behind and enjoy a night out and incorporate shooting into that. That’s when she came up with Girls Night Out. On Feb 28, 2011 she brought her guns, her ammo, and supervision and training, and walked the ladies through those first steps.

“The beautiful thing is when you are able to empower these women to become mentors to others and then eventually, they want to become certified safety officers and then they become certified instructors…we have just exponentially increased so many women’s participation at the range.”

Around this exact same time, Robyn Sandoval was starting to understand the need for guns in the home. A mother of three children and

a strong advocate for gun control, Robyn had been moved by some footage from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In this footage, Robyn saw something that shook her to the core. A mother at the Superdome took her two small children and handed them to a stranger getting on the bus to Houston, and she said, “Please take them. I’ll try to find you in a few days.” Robyn remembers with a glimmer of tears in her eyes, “My heart broke.” When she saw this, she turned to her husband and said, “What do I need to do so that’s never me?” She started storing hurricane survival items, and he reminded her that was smart, but what happens when people break in and try to steal the supplies? What is going to stop them? After years of supporting gun control, she suddenly had no argument.

Robyn’s husband, Mike, had heard from a buddy about a girl’s night out thing with guns and he signed her up to go. This was the third GNO that Julianna held. She didn’t know anyone there, anything about guns, range etiquette, and was quite frankly scared to even shoot a gun. “I was such a fish out of water, and that moment changed my life forever.” Julianna got to be with Robyn when she took her first shots. Robyn laughed saying, “I pretended to know what I was doing.” Julianna added “But she did great, she was a natural.”

It didn’t take long for Julianna to see that Robyn was exactly the partner she needed to make this organization grow. They each have a specific set of skills that when combined is the perfect recipe for not only well-planned events, but a contagious joy and love of shooting that can be felt even through their photos. They’ve been partners for nine years now, and they have Girls Night Out at over 210 ranges across the country.

Every night they have something going on, even virtual events – they usually average about 150200 events a month. The virtual part was going on long before COVID-19 because there was such an influx of people wanting to ask questions, wanting to know what kind of firearm to get, and needing training. “It’s such an exciting time.

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Ranging from chapter to chapter, they are doing such a great job of balancing serious topics like first aid, gun cleaning, maintenance, while also having fun shooting sessions and letting women have that girls’ night comradery that goes along with having a night away from the family and responsibilities,” commented Julianna. So many have come to them for self defense training and they end up getting involved with shooting and competitions. They build up their gear and they end up being involved in it for life. Julianna says “So, whether they’re afraid of firearms or they’re ready to shoot some stuff, and anywhere in between, we can relate to them and we can help them along the way.”

They also take the statement “All are welcome” very seriously. They realize that not everyone who comes to a Girls Night Out has the same political stand, beliefs, or lifestyle, but they really believe in diversity and inclusion. As long as everyone agrees to be safe at the range, they’re accepted. They’ve created such a happy, fun environment for the women who participate.

Julianna says “That’s the whole idea, to get out of your bubble and try something new.”

When asked if they miss competing, they both agreed that they still get their fix when they can.

They enjoy the work that they do so much because it’s fulfilling, and they still have time to sneak away to retreats with smaller groups of women and shoot for fun. Julianna says “We’re very hands-on when it comes to these events, so being available to the girls at any time, so that they can love on us and we can love on them, is more important than us pulling the trigger at these events.”

Having accomplished so much in so little time, this duo continues to make strong marks in the world of getting women shooting. Their

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featured partner

motto is “education, competition, recreation and community,” so to help with the recreation part, they decided to host the very first National Women’s Clay Championship. It was a year ago that they hosted a Claycation retreat in Arizona and Dave Miller, with CZ-USA Field Sports, approached them with an idea. He wanted them to do for sporting clays what they did for 3-gun.

It didn’t take much convincing for these two go-getters and the event ended up being such a well-organized, fun experience for everyone. The goody bags were the best ever! There was coffee, scrunchie, gun cleaning supplies and even a custom embroidered shell bag by Wild Hare Shooting Gear. The ladies agreed that they not only love spoiling their ladies, they “stand behind these brands and the products. These are important items that every woman should have in

her gear bag for safety and convenience. Products we want everyone to have. We’re fortunate they stand behind us too.” These ladies are pros at what they do. “Stepping into the sporting clay world, we were a little nervous. I will say that with the support of CZ-USA Field Sports and Powder Creek Shooting Park, they made us look like rock stars.” They’re already looking forward to next year and so am I. AGAG and the Pro Staff at CZ-USA Field Sports did a remarkable job putting on this event.

August 13-15 consisted of clinics, a 50 bird Trap event, a 50 bird 5-Stand event, and 200 sporting clays targets. There was a fun flurry with CZ-USA Field Sports demo guns for all the ladies to try too. Each morning there were raffle drawings to give away prizes ranging from cool range bags and gift certificates to carefully selected home goods and even some alcohol.

During the meet and greet event the first night of the championship, they gave away ten guns in a drawing made up of each registered shooter. I have personally never seen so much swag given away, along with guns, at an event. This was a lady shooter’s giveaway dream come true. The clinics were put on by the certified instructors on the CZ-USA Field Sports Pro Staff, including Dave Miller. Since many of the women had never shot sporting clays, they were carefully introduced and instructed by the knowledgeable and experienced Pro Staff in order to ensure that they had the best possible time during the competition. Overall, I would say this event was more than a success. I shot all the events, and

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featured partner

every time I looked around, I was met with smiling faces, laughter, and even loud cheering. It was so refreshing to see women support each other and cheer each other on.

Julianna and Robyn may have started this organization but it is the women who participate that make it what it is. The sisterhood that has been established by the energy of these two women has been more contagious than the fear of COVID-19. Five years ago, as the ladies were gearing up for their conference and the sisterhood was put to the ultimate test, as Robyn faced one of the most challenging times of her life as a mother. When Julianna was beginning to tell this story, she turned to Robyn and said with a slight crack in her voice and fighting back tears, “Do you want me to talk about it or are you ok?”

Robyn took over for Julianna and began to tell me the story. Her daughter, Kiara, had just turned five years old and was rushed to the hospital for emergency brain surgery, she had a five centimeter brain tumor. “You know how things happen serendipitously—I believe that all those women were traveling to my city to be there for me, because I had the strongest, bravest, most supportive women on the planet. It was like God had prepared this army and they were exceptional prayer warriors.” Robyn was in the ICU loving on her daughter as she recovered from surgery and the women were calling a cease fire on the range just to send Robyn an encouraging selfie. That’s where their second motto “It’s more than shooting” came from.

When Robyn was finally able to leave her daughter’s side at the hospital for a few hours, she drove to the range and thanked everyone for their love and support. It had been raining all day and the women were gathered under a big tent.

Suddenly someone said “Come outside!” and

there was a huge rainbow to brighten their day.

Kiara is now blind and uses a white cane to get around. This presented some challenges for Robyn because Kiara is now always on her right

side, hindering her strong arm from being able to draw a pistol if needed. AGAG was able to provide training to help her adapt to this new lifestyle. Kiara is such a bright and amazing child—Robyn recalls a funny story. Just recently they were riding in the car and it started to rain so bad that Robyn said “I can’t see a thing” aad Kiara chimed in “Me neither!”

Julianna has two boys and often borrows Kiara for fun girly things to do. In fact, Julianna recently became a certified Pilates instructor and used Kiara as her case study on teaching Pilates to blind people. The bond that these women share is enviable. Despite only living 20 minutes away from each other, they rarely see each other outside of these AGAG events. They get to take these trips together and have girl time. As for their husbands, they couldn’t be more supportive.

Often times they take time off from their real jobs to work harder for these events. The men are LadyShooter LifeStyles

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supportive and a vital part of the inner workings of these events. John decided that the term pack mule no longer served him and decided to call himself a range donkey. Now all the husbands that help out work under John and have even been given their own secret donkey name. John has used his Marine background to encourage and unite the men that back the girls and their guns.

Both Julianna and Robyn are certified instructors, but they don’t teach as much as they used to. Julianna admitted to instructing over 9,000 students in her concealed carry classes back in the day. She’s scaled down her workload for now, but she’s enjoying the break. Robyn was quick to add that Julianna is such a great instructor. “You can basically take someone’s personality or someone’s athletic ability and compare the steps of marksmanship to something they already know and that is kinetically in their body, and that seems to be one of my talents,” Julianna says. Teaching classes reminds her why she fell in love with shooting in the first place.

Robyn has her own strengths as well, dealing well with the women who are scared of guns and

LadyShooter LifeStyles

featured partner

putting them at ease. Wanting to share her story, she’s involved in a lot of advocacy work with members of Congress and projects in Washington, D.C. Because she’s been anti-gun before, people can come to her in confidence and share their fears and beliefs on firearms and Robyn can give them alternatives.

They have experienced a spike in membership because of current events. From new gun owners that have been flooding the organization for guidance and training to Virtual Girls’ Night Out for the chapters with members who aren’t comfortable being out in public—the work of AGAG never stops.

As women, as moms, as wives, and as friends, Julianna and Robyn have successfully balanced their love of family, their passion for shooting, and their commitment to community. They continue to share their passion for life and shooting with everyone they meet. They are always striving for better events, more participation and, of course, the best swag in the goodie bags. n

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LadyShooter LifeStyles

coaching corner

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coaching corner

Evolution of Focus

BY VICKI ASH

C

onsistency is the reason so many of our students come to see us for lessons. One day they shoot lights out and the next not so much. They don’t know who is going to show up today.

The first question we ask is what is your cue to pull the trigger? What is the sight picture you see when you are pulling the trigger? Then we get that blank look of “I don’t know” or “I see the target and if I miss it, I just look harder at the target”. If you don’t know what it looked like when you pulled the trigger, then how do you consistently repeat or correct the shot? How do you look harder at the target? The bigger question is, did you know what the shot should look like before you close the gun and call pull?

The eyes don’t see the brain does. The eyes gather the information and send it to the brain and then the brain’s circuitry does the work.

Everything we do is a brain thing and the clearer you can be to the brain on what you want it to see the better it can be in giving you the outcome you

want. So, what should the shot look like? The more detailed your movie of how and where you want the shot to come together the easier it becomes to shoot WITHOUT THINKING! You need to predict the shot and then execute the prediction. If the target is coming from the right, you must have the target on the right side of the barrel to break it. If it is coming from the left, the target must be on the left side of the barrel.

When this happens, the gun will always be in front of the target and then go the same speed as the target and when that happens—take the shot.

Prediction then execution goes straight to the long-term memory part of the brain so you can pull it back out when you need it. Without prediction you will neither be able to self-correct or be consistent in your results unless missing is your goal!

If there is something that has always been a mystery to you email me at vicki@ospschool.com and we will discuss it in upcoming columns. n

Tired of hunkering down?

Maybe it’s time to stop and smell the gunpowder at an OSP Shooting Clinic!

Shoot on over to ospschool.com/classes

for a menu of dates and locations for upcoming renowned OSP Clinics.

281.346.0888 ospschool.com LadyShooter LifeStyles

LadyShooter LifeStyles

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2nd Amendment

2nd Amendment Discussions WHY BEING INFORMED IS THE BEST DEFENSE

BY ANDREA BOGARD

W

hat’s a lifestyle? “The way in which a person or group lives.”

As shooters, what does that mean? It means that firearms and shooting aren’t merely a hobby or a pass time, they are literally how we live.

Whether you are a registered clays shooter, a 3-gun competitor, a freezer-filler or a Saturday afternoon plinker (and everything in between) there is a right that protects each of us in our pursuit and fulfillment of that lifestyle. It’s called the 2nd Amendment, and it’s something we all need to safeguard.

“A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

I am frequently surprised at the ability many of us have to compartmentalize our attention towards that which we believe doesn’t impact our individual lifestyle. As a competition sporting clays shooter, do you pay attention to proposed firearms legislation dealing with bolt action rifles or handgun magazine capacity?

If the answer is yes, then that’s great! If the answer is no, read on and we’ll talk about why it might be a good idea.

I had a conversation recently that surprised me. I was chatting with a gentleman whose sole source of income comes from shooting. He is a competitive shotgun shooter and was referencing a piece of legislation that proposed limiting magazine capacity in bolt action hunting rifles.

He was very much in favor of this action. He had conveniently forgotten a recent competition where he had removed the plug from his semiauto shotgun and added a custom tube to participate in a trick shoot with six shells in the gun (all perfectly within the rules and scope of the

game). Should this legislation pass, shotguns could very well be next, thus impacting his lifestyle.

Agree or disagree, see the validity or not, the point is this: protection of the 2nd Amendment is the responsibility of EVERY shooter, regardless of discipline. Over the course of the next several issues, we will discuss different pieces of current legislation, what they mean both now and in the future and potential impacts to OUR lifestyle as lady shooters.

For today, we will discuss an interesting trend present in our country. During a time of division, just under five million Americans can agree on one thing – it’s time to purchase a firearm for the first time. If you’ve spent any time on social media recently, the concept of five million Americans agreeing on anything is mind boggling. It’s also encouraging.

According to the FBI NICS stats, at least 640,000 Americans bought a gun for the first time in August 2020. The speculation is that there are a few factors in play leading to this. The presence of a pandemic, an economic downturn, the rioting taking place across the country and the fact that we are approaching a presidential election create a perfect recipe to solidify the importance of the 2nd Amendment through new gun owners.

It also opens up great opportunities for those of us who live this lifestyle every day to educate, equip and empower those first time gun buyers with the tools to be safe and successful shooters.

It is our responsibility to be informed advocates for the 2nd Amendment. Our lifestyle depends upon it.

Stay tuned for what’s happening in 2nd Amendment news! n

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A

range bag is an every day essential for me, even if I don’t necessarily plan on being at the range; I usually almost always have this thing with me….

Because you can never be too prepared, right?

In this bag of tricks you will find my safety glasses that the beautiful Granny Sherman of PMS Firearms helped me to pick out (and the assortment just seems to keep on expanding, no matter how many times I tell myself I have enough). Within the glasses case are custom earplugs that were made by Granny, and an extra

What’s in my Bag?

What’s in My Shooting Bag?

THE GRACE CALLAHAN EDITION

set of foam ones because my dad either forgets or loses his every single time. I also like to keep a multi tool with me (thank you Quail Creek from the Gator Cup), and Barrel Mitt made the perfect ¾ scabbard to protect my barrels just in case it rains. Next, I have my Syren vest that I keep loaded with my favorite B&P Competition One shells (1 oz, 7.5 shot, 1160 fps), a White Flyer visor, and a rag. To stay hydrated I keep water on me at all times and to avoid hanger I always pack a snack like an apple, hard boiled egg, or some trail mix.

Grace Callahan n 25 years old n 4-Time SCTP National Championships Lady Division Champion n PSCA Pro Tour Stop 3 Lady Champion n North Central Regional Championships Lady Champion 2018 n U.S. Open Lady Runner-Up 2019 n New Jersey State Lady Champion 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 LadyShooter LifeStyles

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ADM Gun and Rifle Makers Southlake, Texas (817)442-4861 www.admgun.com

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The Huntress This lady loves to be stylish but still comfortable. She likes good quality products that will stand the test of the field and time.

Rich leather and made in America goods are a must.

GET THE LOOK: Blaser Travel Hat, $178, Gordyandsons.com | Winchester Double Dangle Earrings, $34.99, spentrounddesigns.com | Axis Deer Shell Bag Single, $245.00, birdstrap.com | Shooting Sweater, $240.00, shopmckennaquinn.com | Upland Pants, $298.00, shopmckennaquinn.com | Sperry Saltwater Boots, $129.95, zappos.com | Duck Hunter Cross Necklace, $69.95, etsy.com/ shop/SportingFaith | Southern Sportsman Needlepoint Belt, $175.00, Smathersandbranson.com

LadyShooter LifeStyles

fashion corner

fashion corner

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The Patriot This lady loves America and shooting. She enjoys being comfortable so she can shoot her best scores. She likes a little bling and color but keeping it classy with dark neutrals.

GET THE LOOK: Castellani Rio Mesh Alcantara Vest, $180.00, ultimateshootingaccessories.com | 5.11 Natasha Tight, $49.49, 511tactical.com | Keep Guns Great Hat, $20.20, packnheatproducts.com | Custom Crystal Sparkle Earmuffs, $185-$285, packnheatproduts.com | Brooks Launch 7 Athletic shoes, $99.95, zappos.com | Lipstick & Reload Pouch, $24.99, stylemetactical.com | Winchester 45 Bullet Ring, $49.99, Etsy. com/ OnTargetJewelry

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BEAUTY

beauty

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Skincare Made Simple

s an esthetician I have seen faces young and old. I have seen women come in almost in tears because they feel so frustrated that their skin isn’t looking the way they would like. Their issues vary from mild to moderate acne, hyperpigmentation, dry skin, oily skin, and the list goes on. With advertisers constantly marketing to us the latest and greatest product in anti-aging, acne care, and skin tone correction it can be overwhelming trying to decide which route to go. We won’t even go into the cosmetics side of skin care which happens to be a $49 billion per year business. Just the skin care industry alone is a $135 billion market annually.

When it comes to skin care, I like to keep it simple. I am a firm believer that less is more.

When you are trying to correct an issue such as acne or hyperpigmentation, you must figure out a plan and stick to it until the issue is corrected.

Sometimes that plan will include visits to an esthetician or a dermatologist in addition to products to use at home. Understanding the internal balance of your body is just as important as the external products and care given to your skin.

How does one achieve beautiful flawless skin?

Well this is an interesting question. I have found there are many people who achieve this with very little help from the outside. Leading a balanced and healthy lifestyle partnered with good sun protection and lots of water can go a long way.

However, for those of us that need a little help finding that balance here are my tips for skincare made simple.

Sunscreen A good mineral sunscreen with ingredients such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide will protect your beautiful face all day long. I prefer to use a Tinted Moisturizer with sunscreen also known as a BB cream. Proper use of a good sunscreen

BY EDITOR, NATALIA GONZALEZ

throughout the course of your life will help prevent the typical signs of aging.

Hydration A product containing hyaluronic acid will help keep your skin looking young and fresh.

Hyaluronic acid has a molecule capable of absorbing 1000x its weight in water. This means that daily use of a product containing HA will act almost like a temporary filler, plumping your skin full of hydration.

Antioxidant Products that have been categorized as Vitamin C or having ingredients such as green tea, which has the highest level of antioxidants around are the key to brighter more even skin tone. High levels of antioxidants will help protect your skin from free radicals. Free radicals are responsible for breaking down our skin’s collagen, eventually resulting in the need for Botox and a facelift (for those that believe there is nothing wrong with a little help from science and modern medicine.)

Moisturizer This is the most diverse and complicated product to choose. Everyone requires different levels of moisture for their skin. For example, when I travel to Coyote Springs in Tucson, Arizona for a shoot, I travel with some heavy-duty moisturizer.

The humidity of the climate you are in, your age, other skin care issues, these are just examples that affect what type of moisturizer you need.

For more tips and skin care related questions please follow me on Instagram @luxebeautyhouston or contact me on our website luxebeautyhouston.com n

MEDICAL GRADE RAW MATERIALS

Micronized Zinc Oxide, Green Tea Polyphenols, Vitamin C, Antioxidant Defense Systems + more Facials | Products | Peels

Est. 1994

Skincare made simple

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