Amsj april 2016

2016

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$16 Million Gun Range Best Spring Hunts

GUN

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GLOBAL GUN LAWS How Foreign Laws Vary

GUARDIANS AIR FORCE

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American Shooting Journal // April 2016

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American Shooting Journal // April 2016

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American Shooting Journal // April 2016

A MERIC A N

SHOOTING JOURNAL Volume 5 // ISSUE 8 // April 2016 PUBLISHER

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April 2016

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Pasco, WA TRAC Center Missoula, MT Missoula County Fairgrounds

April 2 – April 3 April 8 – April 10

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April 15 – April 17

Butte, MT Butte Civic Center

April 22 – April 24

Richland, WA Shilo Inn

ON THE COVER Alexandria Kincaid is a nationally renowned Second Amendment and gun-rights attorney, as well as a war historian. She authored this month’s feature story on international gun laws. (PHIL WHITE)

April 30 – May 1 MEDIA INDEX PUBLISHING GROUP WASHINGTON OFFICE P.O. Box 24365 • Seattle, WA 98124-0365 14240 Interurban Ave. S. Ste. 190 • Tukwila, WA 98168 OREGON OFFICE 8116 SW Durham Rd • Tigard, OR 97224 (206) 382-9220 • (800) 332-1736 • Fax (206) 382-9437 media@media-inc.com • www.media-inc.com

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American Shooting Journal // April 2016

CONTENTS

VOLUME 5 • ISSUE 8 • APRIL 2016

74

EVA SHOCKEY AT LARGE

Blazing her own trail and staying true to herself as a woman who hunts, Eva has come a long way since first tagging along in her famous father’s tracks.

(OUTDOOR CHANNEL)

special issue: women of the american shooting world

more features

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57

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WOMEN IN HIGH-THREAT SECURITY Women in high-threat security and dignitary protection? Oh, yes, they do exist and are a group unto themselves. See what it takes to make the grade in these roles, and how women have changed the hearts and minds of their fellow teammates.

HAMPTON’S ROAD In an issue celebrating female roles in the shooting world, Cecelia Hampton is one who inspires us. A biologist, teacher, grandmother and hunter, this Virginia woman’s life path has been an interesting journey.

107 BLACKPOWDER SHOOTRESS: DIANA MITCHELL Check out Diana Mitchell’s take on blackpowder cartridge-rifle silhouette challenges and see how she aces the game. You’ll be dropping rams and chickens in no time at all!

115

PROFILE: HIDING HILDA From stalked and afraid to women’s gun-industry go-to gal, Dawn Hillyer shares her story of empowerment and what it took to stand strong.

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TONYA GORIN TAKES AIM Who better to have as your sales manager? Meet the woman who not only tracks XS Sights products in the marketplace, but is a pretty sharp shooter herself!

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JUST BARRELING ALONG Nowlin Arms is known for making precision parts and barrels for 1911s and Glocks. We chat with Angela Reagan, the company founder’s oldest daughter and current coowner, to find out what’s new at one of the nation’s leading gun-parts manufacturers.

167 ‘TO FIERCELY GUARD AND PROTECT’ Meet Rachel Trexler – she’s one tough mama!

BEHIND THE BADGE: GUARDIANS OF THE AIR FORCE, PART I OF II Known as the FBI of the Air Force, the Office of Special Investigations has rolled with the times and reinvented/expanded its mission over the years. Meet special agents on the cutting edge of USAF law enforcement, a job that takes them around the world.

101 ROADHUNTER: SPRING SEASON Scott Haugen shares a secret: Fall may get all the hunting glory, but there’s plenty of game to chase in spring too!

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WHAT IS BLACKPOWDER, PART II OF III: LOADING AND SAFETY Take a walk through time and enjoy our second installment on blackpowder – we cover the loading techniques and safe use of this historic and volatile grain.

AMERICAN SHOOTING JOURNAL is published monthly by Media Index Publishing Group, 14240 Interurban Ave South Suite 190, Tukwila, WA 98168. Display Advertising. Call Media Index Publishing Group for a current rate card. Discounts for frequency advertising. All submitted materials become the property of Media Index Publishing Group and will not be returned. Copyright © 2016 Media Index Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording by any information storage or retrieval system, without the express written permission of the publisher. Printed in U.S.A.

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American Shooting Journal // April 2016

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ALSO INSIDE 22

27 29 127 135

144

Win Prizes From Us At 2016’s NRA Annual Meeting & Exhibits!

Product Review: RamRodz GUN REVIEW: Czechpoint USA’s vz. 58 Carbine Product Review: XS Sights Range Review: NWTF’s New $16 Million Shooting Complex Tips For Bagging Spring Bear

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(OLEG VOLK)

GUNS ABROAD

CONTENTS

DEPARTMENTS 17 19 21 25 88

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Editor’s Note Competition Calendar Gun Show Calendar Top Shooters Salute to America’s Armed Forces

American Shooting Journal // April 2016

People in other countries have guns too, but what are their laws?

Alexandria Kincaid compares and contrasts firearm regulations abroad and here at home. The similarities may surprise you.

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EDITOR’S NOTE ear readers of the American Shooting Journal: I come to you this month with hat in hand, shoulders slumped and a defeated look upon my face. I might even have been seen kicking a can.

Last month we featured an article titled Get The 4-1-1 on Rule 41F on the new changes to the gun-trust laws. I was so excited to have this story and get it out to you that I overlooked a very important detail.

One could say that the job of an editor is to ensure that punctuation and spelling are perfect. One might say we are fact checkers. One could go so far as to suggest that a basic working knowledge of the English alphabet would play into the job somehow. Ahem, this is where I failed. The cover of the March 2016 issue of American Shooting Journal says Get the 4-1-1 on Rule 41B. Clearly this is off by four letters. I could insert a number of excuses such as my cat ate my notes or I was shooting low and left, but it does not change the glaring fact that the cover of a national gun publication is out of its mind.

So, for all the folks out there who’ve been scouring the Internet or making inquiries and wondering what on earth Rule

D

41B is, my friends, I am sorry. If you do find out what it is, please let us know so we can provide the 4-1-1 on Rule 41B. In the meanwhile, you will just have to suffice with background on Rule 41F – which is brilliantly written, I might add, and by a highly skilled attorney who is clearly more accurate than I am [drops microphone and shuffles off stage].

[Leaps back on stage exhuberantly] But wait! Did you know you have the Women’s Executive editor Danielle Breteau Annual in your hands? This issue is chock-full of stories from around the nation about women in the gun industry from those who support it, drive it and move and shake it. This issue is all about the ladies – OK, not all about the ladies, we do mention a few turkeys – and it is thanks to you, our readers, that we found them. A-plus job, everybody! Enjoy this issue and their stories.

americanshootingjournal.com 17

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American Shooting Journal // April 2016

Presented By:

COMPETITION C A L E N D A R

Eleven-year-old Nicholas (last name redacted) takes the 3-Gun world by storm during the 2015 FNH 3-Gun Championship at Peacemaker National Training Center in Glengarry, W.Va.

(SNIPPETS OF LIFE PHOTOGRAPHY)

April 2-3 4th Annual Karstetter Memorial Field Match Wilbur, Wash.

TBA – Charity Match

April 9-10 NM Precision Rifle Championship Albuquerque, N.M. Zia Rifle And Pistol Range

April 15-17 Battle of Breakneck Broadwater, Neb. North Platte River

April 22-24

April 23-24

April 29

NorCal Tactical Bolt Rifle Challenge Sloughhouse, Calif.

Sacramento Valley Shooting Center

Peacemaker Precision Shootout Gerrardstown, W.Va. Peacemaker National Training Range

Rock Lake Rifle Range PRS St. John, Wash.

Rock Lake Rifle Range

April 1

April 2-3

April 29-30

Not So Top Shot Shoot Fairfield, Calif.

Twin Sister’s Gun Club

Southern Regional Championship Hoover, Ala. Brock’s Gap Training Center

Sheriff’s Charity Challenge Farmington, N.M. San Juan Wildlife Federation

April 2-3

April 9-10

April 23-24

Southeastern Regional Championship Unadilla, Ga. Southeastern Arena

Virginia State Championship Doswell, Va. Meadow Event Park

California Quicksilver Shootout Turlock, Calif.

Hoffman’s Arena

March 31-April 3

April 13-17

April 28-30

Florida State Championship Bradenton, Fla. Ancient Oak Gun Club

Western Regional Tucson, Ariz.

Coyote Springs Clays

Utah State Championship Hurricane, Utah Purgatory Clay Sports

April 1

April 9

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East Regional Tyler, Texas Rose City Flying Clays

Skeet Classic Lewisville, Texas Dallas Gun Club

Sporting Clays Classic Decatur, Texas Fossil Pointe Sporting Grounds americanshootingjournal.com 19

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American Shooting Journal // April 2016

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American Shooting Journal // April 2016

PRIMER

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Rose Hill Range in Union, S.C., has itself a seriously straight shooter in Robert Alan Campbell, here with his 1911. (ROBERT CAMPBELL)

Barbara “The Thing” Ann wards off invaders with her Thureon Defense 9mm Carbine. (ROBERT CAMPBELL)

We love Moriah Combs, who shoots all sorts of firearms, and just took first place in the Jackson, Ohio, Senior Rimfire SPP state championships. Woot woot!

Thirteen-year-old Alexander (last name redacted) says the USPSA Florida Open match in Frostproof, Fla., is super cool.

(OLEG VOLK)

(ALEXANDER’S DAD)

americanshootingjournal.com 25

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American Shooting Journal // April 2016

USE THE

RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB RamRodz Introduces New Barrel Cleaners For .30/.308/7.62mm, 12- And 20-gauge Shotguns

RamRodz offers caliber-specific, low-lint, industrial-grade and highly absorbent cotton heads designed to quickly and easily clean barrels, slides, receivers, chambers, magazine housings, breeches and more.

R

amRodz Incorporated just announced three new rifle- and shotgun-sized RamRodz: .30/.308/7.62mm, 12- and 20-gauge. If you didn’t know, RamRodz offers caliber-specific, low-lint, industrial-grade and highly absorbent cotton heads that are designed to quickly and easily clean barrels, slides, receivers, chambers, magazine housings, breeches and more. Just keep them out of your ears, OK? For messier people like me who cannot seem to handle a crayon without getting it on every surface in my house, RamRodz will not drip or splatter – just what I need!

Imagine not having to use old-style patches any longer.

I know a lot of gunsmiths already use RamRodz, and we all know gunsmiths; they are often pretty set in their ways,

and when something works, that’s what they will use forever.

This is a truly revolutionary product that elevates gun cleaning to a new and higher standard not achievable by old methods – not that there is anything wrong with the olden days and ways, mind you. It’s just nice to streamline the process and do a better job with less effort. What is also nice is that each bag of rifle- and shotgun-sized RamRodz comes with a free adapter that allows you to attach the 3-inch flexible bamboo handle to any standard cleaning rod so you don’t have to get all new stuff. I’m sold!

For more information, you can visit RamRodz at ramrodz.com, and tell them you would like to step into the 21st century of gun cleaning. americanshootingjournal.com 27

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American Shooting Journal // April 2016

gun reviews

CZECH OUT THIS GUN Petite vz. 58 Bridges The Gap Between Submachine Gun And Rifle REVIEW AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY OLEG VOLK

T

Czechpoint USA’s vz. 58 Carbine in 7.62x39 is the equivalent of the Czech automatic weapon model 58 with a few modifications: an extended 16-inch barrel with shroud and the automatic capability removed.

he Samopal vzor 58, or Automatic weapon model 58, was put into Czechoslovak military service in the late 1950s. A very lightweight 7.62x39 carbine with a short-stroke piston action, it was one of the first Czech arms to use the Soviet cartridge instead of the longer native round. Lighter than the AK-47 by 1.3 pounds, it also used alloy magazines that weighed half of the steel AK-47 mags. Although similar in overall size to the AK, the slimmer pistol grip and stock gave it a more dainty look.

Besides Czechoslovak army use, the rifle was exported to about 20 countries, mainly in the Third World. With the 15.4-inch barrel extended to 16 inches with a shroud and automatic capability removed, it is now available in the US americanshootingjournal.com 29

gun reviews The action design is a short-stroke piston that acts on a locking block, which is separate from the bolt and carrier but attaches to both. It’s almost like a rifle version of the Walther P38 or Beretta M9.

through Czechpoint USA of Knoxville, Tenn.

SINCE THE FIRST 1915 Fedorov’s Avtomat chambered for the 6.5mm Arisaka cartridge, Russian, then Soviet and later Eastern Bloc countries made little terminological distinction between submachine guns and light automatic rifles. What they termed automatic rifles were full power 7.62mm types, while the PPSh41 and AK-47 were both commonly termed avtomat. A technical term for submachine gun existed, but it wasn’t in common use. The doctrinal niche for the early automatic rifles was almost the same as for the pistol-caliber SMGs. To that end, the Czechoslovak vz58 was designed more along the lines of an MP5 or XM177 than an M16 or a Sig550. It’s handy in close quarters and usable further out, a more defense-oriented design than the rifleman’s ideal rifle of certain military branches that 30

American Shooting Journal // April 2016

The lightweight magazine holds 30 rounds, and 10-round magazines are available for bench shooting or for restricted states. The magazine can also be topped off with stripper clips.

gun reviews is only usable up close as an afterthought.

The action design is quite unusual: a short-stroke piston acts on a locking block that is separate from the bolt and the carrier, but it attaches to both. It’s almost like a rifle version of the Walther P38 or Beretta M9 in that regard. The lugs of the locking block engage with the steel rails inside the machined aluminum receiver.

The lightweight magazine, externally similar to the AK mag, holds 30 rounds and rocks in the same way, though with far less effort required for proper alignment with the receiver. With the action locked open after the last round or manually with the plunger near the trigger guard, the magazine may be topped off with stripper clips. Ten-round magazines are also available for bench shooting or in restricted states. The magazine may be safely used as a hand-hold, and there is absolutely no play in the lockup.

wood stock by preference. Because of the short length of pull and relatively light weight, the carbine can be effectively run by 10-year-old kids. Felt recoil is very mild, even below that of the heavier AK-47, and the rotary safety is easy to reach, at least for right-handed shooters. While manual bolt hold-open is provided, bolt release requires operating the charging handle integral to the bolt carrier. All major action components, including the bore and the gas piston, are chrome-plated for better corrosion resistance.

IT’S ONE OF THE MOST PLEASANT RELIABILITY IN MY USE has been INTERMEDIATE CARTRIDGE 100 percent over about 1,000 rounds without cleaning.

RIFLES TO USE The rifle runs extremely

THE RIFLE IS AVAILABLE in three variants: with a fixed resinimpregnated wood stock, a folding-wire stock and a collapsible stock with railed forend. I mainly use the fixed

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American Shooting Journal // April 2016

cleanly, and the receiver contains minimal carbon residue even now. However, the lightweight barrel and the operating system does impose tactical limitations, the most obvious being accuracy and heat endurance. The rifle can fire about 60 rounds in a row before the forend gets uncomfortably hot. For military use, that can be an issue, while for personal defense less likely.

With the stock iron sights, I and other shooters got groups around 5 minute of angle with Comblock military surplus and Russian commercial ammunition, and about 4MOA

americanshootingjournal.com 33

gun reviews

The rifle runs extremely cleanly, and the receiver contains minimal carbon residue even after 1,000 rounds. The lightweight barrel and the operating system seems better suited for personal-defense.

with premium US and European brands, like Federal and Fiocchi. The constraint is almost certainly the sighting.

The railed forend on the tactical version proved too unsteady for the red dot. Other forend options exist for this rifle, but I have not upgraded it yet. Neither of my carbines have side rails for optics. People who set up their vz58 rifles with magnified optics and raised cheek rests report 3MOA dispersion. That makes sense: The 5.56mm version of vz58 with a red dot yields about 2MOA, thanks to the relatively heavier barrel – the outer diameter is the same and the bore is smaller. I left my 7.62 carbines unscoped, but replaced the front sight post with a Hi-Viz fiber optic for quicker acquisition. The rear-sight leaf marked from 100 meters to 800 meters is an exercise in optimism for single shots, but reflects the old military doctrine of creating beaten zones at long range using small arms.

In my mind, the best niche for this carbine is selfdefense. It’s reliable, handy and may be fired with one hand if necessary. I have yet to find a record of a nonmilitary self-defense situation in which 4MOA or the two magazine rapid-fire heat endurance would have been deal-breakers. Using the tactical version with a vertical foregrip extends the heat endurance to about 100 rounds – the barrel can take more heat than the shooter’s support hand. The 2011 tactical version I have was not a 34

American Shooting Journal // April 2016

success overall: the current Czechpoint offering uses a modified Magpul forend instead for much better ergonomics.

THE RIFLE FEEDS SOFT-POINT and hollow-point ammunition reliably. So far, the best defensive loads I found are Corbon DPX, G2 Trident Ripout and Federal Powershock. All give substantial expansion – up to 0.9 inches with Trident – and 16 to 20 inches of gel penetration. While the vz58 classic has no flash hider, it produces minimal illumination with these loads. The tactical model comes with a needlessly concussive pinned-and-welded muzzle brake best replaced with a flash hider by a gunsmith. Vz58 is very suppressor friendly, despite the gas system without a manual regulator. One of the demo rifles used by Czechpoint is a short-barreled suppressed version that they run very hot during range events.

Vz58 appears to be what the Ruger Mini-30 was supposed to become, a light and handy .30-caliber carbine for short-range use. It fills the same niche as the M1 carbine, providing a little less accuracy but more power.

The vz58 handles out of proportion to its specifications and proved reliable with a wide variety of ammunition. It’s one of the most pleasant intermediate cartridge rifles in range use, and I recommend it as one of the basic choices for self-defense.

OTHER COUNTRIES

OWN GUNS, TOO International Guns And Gun Laws STORY BY ALEXANDRIA KINCAID

Gun laws around the world vary greatly. Many countries have very lenient gun-ownership laws, and statistics show that they benefit from very low crime rates. (ERIC KINCAID)

“COUNTRIES WITH THE STRICTEST GUN-CONTROL LAWS BOAST THE HIGHEST ILLEGAL GUN-POSSESSION RATES AND CORRELATING MURDER RATES IN THE WORLD”

P

icture a tiny, Christmas town filled with classic Alpine chalets and surrounded by mountains, with the citizens working dutifully to contribute to the common good, and you will envision Zermatt, Switzerland. Zermatt is a picturesque tourist town that would fit the typical political progressive’s idea of utopia on earth: modern, clean and government-controlled. Environmental preservation is key.

Residents pride themselves on the pure, glacial water flowing through the town. Cars are banned, except for the few licensees who are permitted to drive electric vehicles. I spoke with a shopkeeper who explained the government’s protection of 36

American Shooting Journal // April 2016

the Swiss deer. If you hit a deer on the road, you had better report it and pay your fine. Unlicensed deer murderers are not tolerated. Switzerland’s per-capita income is extremely high, but according to this shopkeeper, much of her taxes fund government programs.

On our first morning in Zermatt, my husband and I, like most tourists, gazed at the Matterhorn through our hotel room window and eagerly stepped out for a walk. This walk is where the progressives’ utopia would end: Within five minutes of leaving our hotel, a young man with a rifle slung over his shoulder passed us heading in the opposite direction. No one

was staring. No one was concerned. No one got hurt. The man, in fact, was the epitome of normal. He looked ruddy and healthy, and was clean-shaven and well-dressed.

years. The Swiss also receive pressure from the UN and the European Union, to which Switzerland does not subscribe, but from which the country will apparently be influenced.

In 2013, anti-gun organizations attempted to ban army rifles from homes altogether. To the relief of Swiss gun owners, the change was rejected by 56 percent of voters.

However, some changes to the laws were implemented, such as a list of now-forbidden firearms.

Despite the recent changes, Switzerland still has a relatively lenient gun-ownership system. Approximately 2.3 to 4.5 million military and private firearms are estimated to be in circulation in Switzerland – a lot of firearms for a country with a population of only eight million people.

While citizens wishing to purchase a firearm from a dealer must obtain a government-issued permit, the government routinely and without hassle provides these permits to applicants who do not have a criminal background and are not mentally ill.

Transfers between private individuals do not need a government permit, but the buyer and seller must create a written record of the transaction, keep the record for 10 years and provide a copy to the government. No government background checks are required on these private-party transfers.

FIREARMS IN SWITZERLAND are no cause for concern. Until recently, the Swiss could own almost any kind of firearm, including anti-aircraft guns and howitzers. Since 1291, it has been said that Switzerland does not have an army – it is an army. With a “rifle behind every blade of grass,” the same was thought about the United States years ago.

Swiss men undergo mandatory military training, which is voluntary for women, and until 2011, these militia men and women ranging in age from 20 to 42 were even required to keep their military rifles at home. In 2011, the laws were changed and now allows the militia an option to keep their rifles in a local armory.

Like the US, Switzerland’s leniency towards firearms has taken a bashing from gun prohibitionists in recent

WHILE THE EXACT NUMBERS differ depending on who is counting, the conclusions about Switzerland’s gun ownership and crime rates are the same: gun control laws are relaxed (virtually any citizen can own a firearm), gun ownership is high and crime rates are low.

In 2011, the Swiss Federal Police compiled statistics on gun-related crimes which showed that during 2009, the police investigated 236 homicides, of which 55 were allegedly committed with a gun. During the same year 524 aggravated batteries were reported, 11 of which involved gun use and 3,530 robberies were reported, of which 416 were committed with a gun. Switzerland has a population of 7.9 million. Switzerland also has the third-lowest homicide rate of the top nine major European countries. americanshootingjournal.com 37

While visiting Switzerland, I came across a local gentleman walking down the street casually carrying his rifle. This is common here, and not considered a cause for alarm. (OLEG VOLK)

IN OUR QUEST for more information on both history and firearms, my husband and I traveled to Poland to visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps. How could the Poles not own guns? After all, it was the few Poles with firearms – just 10 handguns – in the Warsaw ghetto who were able to resist and begin the uprising against the Nazis.

If the Polish people, comprising a population of about 45 million, each had owned even a single firearm, they could prevent an atrocity like the Holocaust from ever happening again. These prison camps have enshrined several tons of human hair, the prisoners’ eyeglasses, luggage and other belongings behind glass. We stood in the same spot as did the helpless, disarmed victims who were taken off the trains like cattle and sorted to live or die. I grew up listening to stories from my German grandparents of the horrors of World War II in Europe. The Poles, I thought, must own firearms. Not so.

“AUSTRIANS ENJOY THE ABILITY TO FREELY PURCHASE MANY FIREARMS” Polish gun ownership is the lowest in the European Union. Yet, while recent changes to their gun laws would allow virtually any Pole to acquire a firearm, not many of them choose to take advantage of this newfound ability.

Perhaps this will change in the future.

To date, Switzerland has not hosted a school massacre.

This is true, despite kids and guns mixing freely in the Swiss culture. The traditional Swiss Knabenschiessen is an event for boys and girls age 13 to 17 years old in Zurich where they enjoy the pleasure of competing with Sig SG 550s.

The event has taken place since 1657. The Swiss support this mix of kids, Sturmgewehr (the “SG” in Sig SG), Alps, cowbells, music and rifle fire as an event the whole family can enjoy.

Contrary to popular belief, Switzerland is not alone among European countries in its relaxed gun laws and low crime rates. Numerous Europeans own guns. Luxembourg, Finland, Lichtenstein and Belgium are a few other countries that allow citizens to obtain firearms after getting a permit; however, the applicant must generally provide a reason such as hunting, sport shooting or collecting. Self-defense licenses allowing a person to carry outside their home are generally more difficult to obtain but are available. Austrians also own quite a few guns. Austria maintains an expensive training, testing and permitting process. However, Austrians enjoy the ability to freely purchase some firearms, including certain bolt-action firearms and shotguns, provided they are registered within six weeks after purchase.

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EUROPEAN COUNTRIES with stricter gun-control laws include Germany and France. Despite this, Germany still has a high rate of firearm ownership – millions of firearms are legally possessed with a Waffenbesitzkarte (firearms ownership license). Hunting and sport shooting are held in high regard, although self-defense is not deemed an appropriate reason to receive an ownership permit. Better than the Oktoberfest, the German’s annual Schützenfest in Hannover attracts over 5,000 marksmen every year. The

Many people across Europe own firearms, and shooting events are highly anticipated community and family affairs. (OLEG VOLK)

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highest scoring sharpshooter is crowned the Schützenkönig amidst the parade (the longest in the world), bands, rides and beer tents.

France restricts the types of weapons and magazine capacities for firearms and requires a government-issued permit to own a firearm. The French do not have the gun culture found in other countries like Germany or Switzerland. After the Paris terrorist attacks in 2015, Americans were quick to point out that if anyone had

I expected my journey to countries with high numbers of Nazi concentration camps, such as Poland, to have citizens armed to the teeth in case they should have to defend themselves against such atrocities again. Not the case. While Polish laws are lenient on firearm ownership, citizens do not naturally opt to own them, and this country has some of the lowest gun ownership rates in Europe. (ERIC KINCAID)

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been armed, the death rate could have been much lower.

Americans also pointed out that the gun-control laws banning certain firearms, limiting magazine size and emphasizing hunting and sport rather than self-defense did not prevent the terrorists from bringing guns into the country and slaughtering over a hundred people. Despite France’s gun-control system for citizens who obey the laws, the terrorists in Paris used AK-47s that were illegally possessed and illegally transported into the country. It appears that Europeans are reassessing their situation.

While the Knabenschiessen and Schutzenfest attest to the fact that many Europeans view firearms and shooting as a wholesome community activity, the increase in defensive weapons sales also attest to the desire of Europeans to use firearms in self-defense.

In fact, after the influx of Islamic refugees to Germany in 2015, guns began “flying off the shelves,” according to a Czech TV report, in the countries where citizens could purchase them, particularly in Austria. The increase in crimes, including rapes and assaults, in countries where these immigrants are welcomed and where they are passing through has made citizens stop and think about their personal safety. Austrian gun stores reported being sold out.

When in fear for their safety, Europeans, like everyone else, desire the right to defend themselves, but some of these countries’ progressive laws have made their citizens vulnerable to attack from individual criminals and

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terrorists because some deny gun ownership to people wishing to own firearms solely for self-defense reasons. If the high rate of firearm purchasing in countries where this is possible is any indication, Europeans wish they had a Second Amendment.

COUNTRIES WITH STRONGER gun-control laws include Australia, Brazil, Great Britain and South Africa. After a mass shooting in Australia in 1996, the government instituted strict gun control through the National Firearms Agreement, which restricts possession of semiautomatic and automatic firearms, requires registration, permitting and instituted a buy-back program (which brought in over 650,000 guns from the citizenry). Previously, only handguns needed to be registered in Australia.

Similarly, after highly publicized criminal activity including a mass shooting in the late 1980s, the United Kingdom enacted new gun-control laws that included banning certain firearms such as semiautomatic rifles, creating a strict licensing and registration system and instituting a buy-back program. An outright handgun ban was passed after another mass school shooting in 1996.

Despite these laws, crime rates continued to rise, and recent facts – checked by Politifact – indicate that England and Wales have more than double the violent crime rate of the United States (comparing violence with injury against a person, serious sexual crime and robbery).

All firearms in Brazil are required to be registered with the government, and self defense is not a valid reason to request a permit. All guns are registered, confiscations occur and permits to legally own guns are routinely denied.

This has not stopped Brazil from being a world leader in homicide, a fact supported by the Crime Prevention Research Center.

South Africa is another country with a strict permitting

Switzerland holds a traditional annual event for boys and girls ages 13 to 17 called the Knabenschiessen where they enjoy the pleasure of competing with Sig SG 550s. (OLEG VOLK)

In the back of a little antique store in Sainte-Mère-Église, France, among much WWII paraphernalia, I found this fantastic war-related rifle collection. The town is just a few miles from Utah Beach. (ERIC KINCAID)

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system for legal gun ownership, and a professional hunter described to me how the right, let’s say, “motivation” for owning a gun, as well as certain financial incentives, is what will ultimately decide who can possess a firearm. Despite the strict permitting laws, South Africa’s gun violence stems from the illegal possession of firearms by the people who do not respect the law and disregard the permitting process.

This seems to be a reoccurring theme.

All of the countries with strict gun-control laws also boast higher violent-crime rates than countries with higher rates of legal gun ownership. England and Australia have virtually banned gun ownership, but have the highest rates

of robbery, sexual assault and assault with force. Britain has the highest rate of violent crime in all of Europe – higher in the early 2000s than the United States or even South Africa.

In addition, these countries may have low legal firearms ownership rates, but the possession of illegal firearms can be very high, particularly in Brazil and South Africa.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, guns are part of life the world over.

Countries with gun cultures that respect firearms and integrate ownership and responsibility into daily life and sporting events enjoy high rates of legal gun ownership and lower rates of violent crime. In other words, there is no correlation between legal gun ownership and increased crime rates. Instead, countries with some of the strictest gun-control laws boast the highest illegal gun possession rates and correlating murder rates in the world, such as Brazil. Even with high rates of legal gun ownership, the United States and Switzerland do not lead the world in violent crimes, homicides or gun violence.

Instead, it correlates to low rates of crime. These facts are laid out plainly in research that has been conducted and compiled by the Crime Prevention Research Institute and in additional fact-checking supported by Politifact. In summary, you can own firearms in many other countries, and in some a wide variety that are not readily available to US citizens. The laws often created by a country’s history and culture define the rule.

Alexandria Kincaid (OLEG VOLK)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alexandria Kincaid is a nationally renowned firearms law attorney and author. Her expertise on gun laws and the Second Amendment is relied on by gun owners, businesses and gunrights organizations across America.

Kincaid’s history with firearms started when she was young.

Her law-enforcement father taught her to shoot at the age of five. During her career, she’s relied on firearms for self protection amidst threats from the criminals she prosecuted while serving as an elected district attorney. Her favorite firearms are World War II collectibles, and her favorite shooting activity involves long-distance challenges from her deck at home in Emmett, Idaho. To order a copy of her latest book, Infringed or for more information visit alexkincaid.com.

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T

here are thousands of security contractors operating in high-threat environments, and within that group there are a handful of women. They sport the same body armor and equipment, have to uphold the same physical requirements and are expected, by their male peers, to do the exact same work – protect people from danger, up to and including losing their own life.

On the subject of whether women should be in elite military forces, the jury is still out; however females in high-level close protection who cover a range of clients from foreign dignitaries and ambassadors to government and corporate employees and their international guests are holding their own. They are widely accepted within the elite cadre of close-protection specialists and have a significant role to play. The average current ratio is one woman to one hundred men, but it is growing.

In high-threat protection, the primary role is to

“I TEND TO JUDGE FEMALES COMING INTO THESE ROLES MORE HARSHLY THAN MEN DO” avoid conflict. This requires a thinking approach.

Forethought, flexibility, contingency planning and the ability to seamlessly make changes on the move are paramount. One cannot passively wait for an event to occur and then try to come up with a solution – not well, anyway. This proactive form of protection is all in the training and preparation.

Male or female, everyone must be on constant alert and in top physical condition.

While there aren’t many women in these roles, they are around and they are awesome in their own right. You’ll find an array of backgrounds as equally

Though Rare, Women In High-threat Security Exist STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY DANIELLE BRETEAU

Women in highthreat security is not a myth, and they can be found in some of the most austere environments.

They are expected to protect their charges with the same strength, stamina and tactical capabilities as their male counterparts.

americanshootingjournal.com 51

Once a capable woman has established herself within a team that functions cohesively, the gender lines blur.

diverse as with the men. What sets these women apart is obvious: they stand out in the crowd amongst their peers; they don’t blindly follow expectations; and have taken their own paths. These alone say a great deal for the personality, composure and perseverance of the ladies in these roles.

OTHER SECURITY ROLES WOMEN CAN PLAY While high-threat protection is its own category of security, and is often titled as such based on the austere locations and level of threat in an area, there are many other possibilities where women can and do excel in protective security roles.

Positions such as executive and family protection are at the top of the list, especially for clients looking for a lowprofile signature. Most executives and dignitaries comport themselves in a low-key, quiet manner and prefer to remain

As the designated M249 SAW gunner, I was expected to handle, keep and maintain the SAW along with my other weapons.

There is no special treatment for women in high threat, nor should there be.

The term “high-threat” is an appellation given by the United States to certain areas in the world. The designation determines factors from the type of gear one might be issued, to protocol and even pay rate.

under the radar. In contrast, these people differ from, say, music celebrities, whose requirement is to be seen and recognized, as well as protected. The protection professional in this case is up front, easily identifiable, often physically large and may even wear a shirt that says security.

Protection is not only about physical protection, but also about avoiding unpleasant issues or any number of troubling matters one can encounter throughout the day. Women

“THAT’S NOT A GIRL, THAT’S DANI, SHE DOESN’T COUNT”

Areas such as Kuwait are still considered high-threat areas, although this country has stabilized considerably since the Gulf War.

can offer not only a security element, but the appearance of an assistant or administrator who can blend easily into the background, allowing for an excellent vantage point to watch over the client. Oftentimes, women readily offer the ability to deftly mitigate a negative situation simply via, potentially, a naturally disarming presence.

High-income families commonly need a discrete signature.

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be much easier for a woman to blend in with the family.

POSSIBILITIES FOR WOMEN IN PROTECTIVE SECURITY Often when considering protective personnel, the preference is that the candidate comes from either a law-enforcement or military background; however, that isn’t always necessary.

There are quite a few reputable companies, like Gavin de Becker, and government agencies such as the US State Department and Department of Homeland Security that train and hire their own candidates. This is not a comprehensive list and research on your own will open up all sorts of possibilities.

Major corporations, the entertainment industry, government subcontractors and the United Nations usually require extensive previous background in protective services, which can be obtained by some of the examples above, but there are schools specifically designed to certify people for personal protection. The level of threat dictates the requirement.

men. My colleague, immediately confused, asked “Where?”

When his wife pointed at my image, he laughed and said, “That’s not a girl, that’s Dani, she doesn’t count.” I saw this comment as his acceptance of me in the team. I have always been proud of working with these men and have remained bonded buddies with almost all of them over the years.

In complete honesty, I tend to judge females coming into these roles possibly more harshly than men do. The last thing I want is the wrong type of woman stepping into these roles with their high mental and physical requirements.

A female, or anyone for that matter, who cannot handle critical-thinking situations, is a whiner, cannot tough it out and make the mission work by putting aside their needs for the beneift of the team does not deserve to be there, in my opinion. Women are expected to be a burden to these teams, therefore it is imperative that they aren’t. I am proud to say that I was the first female qualified as a tactical commander on a world-renowned high-threat contract and followed it up by

The experiences, traumas and tribulations a team will go through together, bonds them. People who have been in the military or similar high-stress situations are very familiar with this connection. (Inset, top right) Traveling is a major component in protection, domestic and internationally. Oftentimes, on domestic contracts, it is specifically while traveling that the client desires protection.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE I have been in protective security and dispatched to numerous locations in the Middle East, Southwest Asia and South America over the last 14 years. My initial background was founded in law enforcement where I was on a SWAT team. In each location I worked with all facets of former military personnel to include Special Forces, Army Rangers, Navy SEALS, Marine Recon and others.

Once integrated into a team, I found that teamates, after their initial discomfort, accept me as one of their own. I have always taken this as the ultimate compliment. I also made a point to never complain, make sure I was squared away and helped anyone I could.

A teammate once told me a story of his wife’s jealous reaction when she saw a photo of his team in Baghdad. She noticed and was upset that there was a female amongst the 54

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becoming the first female shift leader to lead a team of men on a high-threat contract. I have no tolerance for someone who plays in a role they are not qualified to handle. That may sound harsh, but I feel that any woman who works in these positions need to be a role models to their team and future women.

I hold on strongly to my femininity, take great pleasure in being a proper girl and have the bows and dresses to prove it – my husband approves. However, working in austere and dangerous locations requires constant focus and clear thinking. Not only are the lives of our clients in our hands, but also those of our teammates. All the women I have had the honor to work with are a different breed. We take our roles seriously and often work harder than our male peers just to be accepted, yet we still manage to remain feminine – and bake a mean batch of cookies.

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BEHIND THE BADGE

GUARDIANS OF THE AIR FORCE PART I OF II Inside The U.S. Air Force’s Office Of Special Investigations – ‘The Eyes Of The Eagle’ STORY BY TROY TAYSOM

The Air Force Office of Special Investigations is often considered to be the FBI of the Air Force. Their roles in investigating crimes around the world ranges from fingerprint processing, just like special agent Adam Deem is demonstrating, to countering drug trafficking, insurgent explosive devices and gang activities. (USAF)

I

n 1947 the world was rebuilding after the most devastating global conflict we’ve ever known had ended. The importance of air power had been proven with the destruction of Tokyo, Nagasaki, Hiroshima, Berlin and Hamburg. The importance of owning the skies above the battlefield led our nation to form a new branch of the military; on September 18, 1947, the United States Air Force was born.

Just one year later, a new career field was created within

the USAF. Modeled after the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI or OSI) was formed in August of 1948. The impetus for its formation would propel OSI agents to the forefront of professional fraud investigations.

AT THE END OF WWII, Major General Bennett E. Meyers, in americanshootingjournal.com 57

BEHIND THE BADGE that the second most requested field is OSI. The amazing charge of procurement, fell victim to one of the seven deadly thing is that the field has less than 3,000 agents and just over sins – greed. He saw how much money was being spent 300 of those are officers. The majority are enlisted personnel, and how little oversight was present, and took advantage followed closely by civilians. of his position. An anonymous letter floated around the SAs go through a rigorous selection process that includes military and the FBI for years, written by a junior-ranking an exhaustive background investigation, an in-depth officer explaining what this general was up to. Legend says polygraph and then basic federal agents’ school in Glynco, that the letter remained largely ignored because of unclear Ga. After basic training, the SAs split off into their own OSI jurisdictional matters. The letter finally saw the light of day academy to learn the capabilities and pillars under which OSI during Senate hearings, and exposed the inadequate system that the Air Force had for such investigations.

In April 1948, this Senate committee made a Agents carried Smith & Wesson’s .38 Chief’s Special between the 1950s and 1970s, but these days may carry personal handguns on an approved list. (USAF) recommendation: “A competent investigative unit should be established at once to act as a watchdog over the huge and continuing expenditure of public funds by that important arm [Air Force] of the military establishment.” OSI was formed with a three-pronged dictate: investigate fraud, criminal activity and perform counterintelligence.

AFOSI FUNCTIONS MUCH LIKE the FBI, but only within the confines of the mission of the Air Force. Special agents (SA) don’t wear uniforms and rank is hardly spoken of. AFOSI reports directly to the Inspector

The military is a microcosm of society, which means if society has it, the military has it as well, just on a smaller scale.

Many of the crimes OSI investigates, such as drugs for example, are among the wide swath of responsibilities under their umbrella. (USAF)

General of the Air Force, and is not beholden to base and wing commanders like all other Air Force personnel. It’s not because they are privileged or entitled; it’s to ensure a safety gap exists in the event that the base or wing commander is the one under investigation. This separation ensures that rank is not used to intimidate the enlisted agents as they investigate potential crimes.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the number one requested career field by newly commissioned 2nd lieutenants is pilot training. However, it may surprise some 58

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operates. According to OSI, their cornerstones are: • Vigorously solve crime; • Protect secrets; • Warn of threats; • Exploit intelligence opportunities; • And operate in cyberspace.

AGENTS HAVE A PLETHORA of weapons they use in the field. From the early 1950s until the late 1970s OSI agents carried .38 Smith & Wesson Chief’s Special (which was renamed the Model 36) 3-inch revolvers. In the late 1970s, OSI decided to switch to the M1911A1 .45 ACP. They acquired surplus guns that the Navy had deemed unserviceable and customized them. The barrel and slide were shortened by three quarters of an inch and the frame by a half inch. The shortened frame required a custommade, six-round magazine. Many agents praised the change to a better caliber, but the gun was plagued with slide cracks, failures to feed, as well as stove-pipe failures, according to one retired agent I spoke with. It is estimated that it only cost the Air Force $100 per gun to make changes to the .45s, making the project highly economical.

The Colt proved to be a good stop-gap between the old

BEHIND THE BADGE 3-inch .38s and the new 9mm adopted by the armed forces in 1985. Not long after the military adopted the Beretta M9, OSI started issuing them to the SAs. The M9 was liked by many and hated by probably just as many. For an OSI agent the biggest issue was concealability. The M9 was not designed to

be carried as a concealed firearm. It was a battlefield back-up gun. OSI needed something more in line with their missions, including undercover investigations and protective details.

Ultimately OSI adopted the Sig Sauer M11, or P228 in civilian terms, just like US Army pilots and other aircrews.

However, in November 2015, the AFOSI commander, Brigadier General Keith M. Givens, announced a new weapons policy, which allowed SAs to carry privately owned weapons (POWs) as long as they are on the list Special Agent Nathan Sessler (left) with another agent and local children in Iraq. This is just one of many locations around the world where OSI operates. (NATHAN SESSLER)

OSI agents destroy weapons in Afghanistan that were seized during operations. (PHOTOS USAF - SRA MARCI BOOZER)

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BEHIND THE BADGE of 27 approved models. Brig. Gen. Givens explained, “One of the main driving forces behind this change was the desire to provide each agent the option to employ a weapon that best suits their individual body type and hand size for preference and concealment concerns. Now, OSI Special Agents will have that flexibility.”

Agents are also trained with the Remington 870 and the M4. Agents who deploy in counterinsurgency rolls have the chance to qualify with other weapons like the M203, M240 and M249.

Agents working protective details have used everything from Remington 870s with a folding steel stocks to Uzis and MP5s, depending on what part of the world they are in.

ONCE AN SA HAS COMPLETED training they are assigned to a detachment somewhere in the world to undergo their probationary period. During this time a more senior SA will work with them on criminal investigations, including fraud,

AFOSI CAPABILITIES • Protect critical technologies and information; • Detect and mitigate threats; • Provide global specialized services; • Conduct major criminal investigations; • Engage foreign adversaries and threats offensively.

narcotics, sexual assaults, murders and any other serious felonies that present themselves.

AFOSI HAS A REPUTATION of working closely with their civilian counterparts. One famous incident involved three airmen from Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The airmen robbed a hi-fi-type store in Ogden, Utah, a town close to the base. During the robbery they held several people hostage and committed heinous crimes, including forcing some to drink liquid Drano in hopes of killing the witnesses. When this didn’t work they shot each of the hostages. One man still didn’t die and they resorted to kicking a pen into his ear and choking him – he lived and crawled outside where he was found. A tip from a fellow airman led police to Airman Dale S. Pierre, then 21 years old, and Airman William Andrews, age 20. Evidence was recovered from a dumpster next to the base and with the help of OSI, a search warrant was issued and executed in the barracks. The stereo equipment was recovered, and the two stood trial and were convicted on multiple felonies including capital murder.

Pierre was executed in 1987 and Andrews in 1992.

Former SA Nathan Sessler told me that during his time at Pope Airfield, N.C., he worked closely with the Fayetteville Police Department to learn more about street gangs. Street gangs wouldn’t seem to be a problem in the Air Force, but SA Sessler pointed out that the military is a microcosm of

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BEHIND THE BADGE After 9/11, many OSI agents were sent to the front lines to work human intelligence (HUMINT). Searching for weapons caches was among the many duties of this special agent. (USAF)

society – if society has it, the military has it too, just on a smaller scale. With his new training he was able to identify members within the Air Force and get the local police to verify gang membership.

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In Texas, OSI found that members of the “Bloods,” a known and violent gang, had joined the Air Force and were working in the post office on base, using it to smuggle and transport narcotics.

americanshootingjournal.com 65

BEHIND THE BADGE OSI agents report directly to the Inspector General of the Air Force. SA Smiley takes in the sights in Afghanistan. (USAF)

OSI has always excelled at investigating fraud. Back in the late 1970s and early 1980s, a chief master sergeant stationed at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., was investigated for stealing flight-line generators and using them to help high-ranking officers build summer cabins in the countryside.

At around the same time a master sergeant working in a supply supervisory role was caught using government funds to furnish his private rental units. The investigation uncovered $200,000 worth of ill-gotten furniture, fixtures

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and equipment in his apartments.

DURING MY INTERVIEW with SA Sessler he mentioned a case where a topographical-map printer, valued at $13,000, was stolen from an air evacuation medical unit. The printer didn’t turn up until the spouse of an airmen was involved in a domestic battery.

She told his commanding officer and police that her husband had stolen a printer from his squadron.

SA Sessler went to the home to investigate and located the printer. What came next shocked the seasoned OSI veteran.

The wife casually asked, “Would he (the husband) be in trouble if he had stolen other stuff from the Air Force?” “Yes, ma’am,” responded Sessler. She led him to the couple’s threeThe future looks bright for OSI. There seems car garage that was packed to be no end to their expertise and ability to floor to ceiling and wall to reshape their section of the Air Force to adapt to changing times. (USAF)

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BEHIND THE BADGE wall with stolen and misappropriated merchandise. The man was an E-7 with 19.5 years of service and was a unit purchaser with a no-limit government credit card. He showed his subordinates how to reconcile the books by simply selecting the approve-all button in the software. In 18 months the master sergeant had stolen $392,000 worth of material. His subordinates were charged with dereliction of duty and he received an eight-year imprisonment, loss of rank, forfeiture of pay and a bad-conduct discharge.

OSI has also jumped into the world of computer crimes as well as counterinsurgency. These crimes include everything from attempts to steal sensitive data to child pornography.

SA Sessler was one of the agents who got a confession from an E-6 who had been creating and distributing child porn while stationed in the US. He was arrested at Pope AFB. Airman Nathan Wogan was sentenced to life in prison, thanks to the efforts of AFOSI agents like SA Sessler.

UNTIL 9/11, OSI WASN’T HEAVILY involved in counterinsurgency.

During the war on terror many OSI agents were sent to the front lines to work human intelligence (HUMINT). This is no different than working narcotics cases with informants and insiders. In fact, OSI was able to get one of the most prolific improvised explosive device (IED) makers in southern Iraq off the streets. Several SAs had been discussing problems

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American Shooting Journal // April 2016

they were having in the area with IEDs. One of the agents suggested they work the case just like they would for narcotics. They did and worked their way up the ladder, so to speak, and were eventually buying directly from the IED maker, ultimately taking him into custody. After the operation, the number of IEDs in that area dropped to nearly zero.

In December of 2015, four OSI agents were killed doing counterinsurgency work in Afghanistan. Even though they are not considered front-line units like Rangers, Special Forces, SEALS and Delta Force, the job that OSI agents do is vitally important to the safety of our air assets and the lives of those who serve in the Air Force. Make no mistake, however, theirs is a dangerous job and always will be.

In OSIs 68-year history, they have lost 14 agents in the line of duty – four in that single day in 2015.

Editor’s note: Next issue, in part II of this series, we will profile other very important USAF law enforcement agencies that protect military assets and help keep our country safe.

Author’s note: Special thanks to the following retired OSI agents for their tremendous help with this article: Mike Brunson, Steve Rivers, Nathan Sessler, Michael Taysom, Bill Yurek and many others.

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PRETENDER ONE ON ONE WITH EVA SHOCKEY, A HUNTER IN HER OWN RIGHT STORY BY LARRY CASE • PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF OUTDOOR CHANNEL

T

he 2016 Archery Trade Association (ATA) show was in full swing at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, and it was packed to the gills.

I stood amongst a throng in a long line that did not seem to be moving.

A guy next to me was telling no one in particular how beautiful Ms. Eva Shockey was – for the fifth time! Another Eva admirer standing in front of me was giving a running commentary of her career in the outdoor and hunting industry – he seemed to be well informed.

Eva Shockey is the modern image of women who hunt. Having grown up immersed in the hunting industry and around her Outdoor Channel, TV-celebrity and wildlife-icon father, Jim Shockey, has not kept Eva from blazing her own path.

As I have never been good at waiting for anything, I considered bolting from the line before someone could say “Hey! Don’t you want to see Eva Shockey?”

Well, of course I wanted to see her, but like a cottontail rabbit kicked out of brush pile, I jumped out of line and sprang full speed down a crowded aisle. I guess I am a bit of a coward. I was supposed to procure an interview with Eva, but chickened out again.

EVA SHOCKEY HAS BECOME the face of women in the hunting movement, and that is a big deal. There have been exactly two women to grace the cover of Field & Stream magazine in the last 100 years: the first lady was Queen Elizabeth; the second Eva Shockey.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation reported that the increase in hunting participation from 2008 to 2012 among males was only 1.9 percent; among women it was 10. In those four short years, the number of female hunters jumped from 3.04 million to 3.35 million. Did Eva have anything to do with that? Many would say yes!

Being the daughter of Outdoor Channel-icon Jim Shockey and often appearing with him on his programs did not hurt her start in the industry. But even in the limelight of her father, Eva is developing and blazing her own niche in the hunting world.

These days, Eva is considered a women’s hunting advocate superstar, not just Jim’s daughter. I saw this time and again as I walked the aisles of the ATA show. Passing by a booth where she was signing autographs and taking pictures with adoring fans, many of them young

girls and ladies, it seemed clear she had a special bond with them.

I didn’t think I had much hope of landing an interview with her on my trip, but I made a call to a lady who knows everybody. “Be over here at our booth at 4:30,” she said nonchalantly. “You’ve got fifteen minutes for an interview.” I showed up early, still not believing it, and within few minutes, here came Eva and her manager – pretty as you please.

They are both polite and gracious as can be. To be honest, that was not what I expected. There are celebrities in the outdoor world who act like rock stars. This is not the case here, and soon Eva and I were sitting at a table talking as if we were on the front porch having sweet tea.

AMERICAN SHOOTING JOURNAL What is your life like right now?

EVA SHOCKEYVery busy and exciting because every day I learn new things, talk to new people and try new products. I just got married in June (2015), and have a wonderful husband named Tim Brent who is also a hunter and a professional hockey player. So, between his hockey schedule and mine, it is pretty hectic!

ASJ Did you grow up hunting?

ES I grew up around hunting. My dad has been a hunter for my entire life, and we’ve had TV hunting programs for 15 years (currently Uncharted and Jim Shockey’s Hunting Adventures – all on Outdoor Channel), so I was always on his trips. I didn’t actually start hunting seriously until after college when I traveled for my first big-game hunt in South Africa. Since then, I have not stopped.

ASJ Did you enjoy hunting from the beginning?

ES I loved it. I was always curious about it, and wanted to do something to spend time with my dad. He

Eva wanted to spend more time with her father, so she took steps to learn about his biggest passion – hunting – and immediately became a fan herself.

americanshootingjournal.com 77

Eva spent a lot of her formative years tagging along with her father while he filmed TV hunting shows, but did not start hunting herself until she was 21 years old.

was obviously very passionate, and I wanted to see what it was he loved so much. The first animal I hunted was a warthog [laughs], because I was not sure I would like it, so I wanted to hunt something that was kind of ugly [laughs again]. After that I was hooked and jumped into all of this rather quickly. I didn’t intend for this to become my career.

ASJ Do you enjoy archery and bowhunting?

ES Yes, I love archery! I have been shooting a bow for a while now, but in the past three years I’ve becoming more serious about it. People who bowhunt know that it takes more time to hunt this way than it does to hunt with a gun. I split my time 50-50 between bow- and gun hunting, but I am growing more and more in love with my bow.

ASJ There are more and more young women who seek you out and follow you as an inspiration. What do they tell you and what do you share with them?

ES The number of girls involved in hunting has really increased from just seven years ago when I started. I often hear that they appreciate me because I am a lady who hunts, and I don’t go into the woods pretending to be a guy. I don’t start swearing and spitting as soon as the hunt starts. I don’t want to be a guy. I stay true to myself – as ladylike as I can [laughs a little], classy as I can. I’m still me just wearing camo. That’s my biggest thing! You don’t have to be masculine to hunt, and you can just be yourself and love the outdoors.

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American Shooting Journal // April 2016

Larry Case sat down with Eva at the Archery Trade Show in Louisville, Ky., and she couldn’t help but goof off – funny girl. (LARRY CASE)

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ASJ That really hits

We may not know what is around the next corner for Eva, but you can be sure she will stay true to herself and make her next chapter epic.

home with the ladies, I bet.

ES I think so. There are different kinds of girls who hunt, but for me, this is just who I am. I don’t think anyone should have to apologize for being a woman who loves being in the woods while wearing camo and doing the same things that any guy out there does.

EVA DOESN’T HAVE to apologize, indeed! She is the face and the voice of the greatest force to reach the outdoor and hunting arena in the past century – women hunters.

The industry is lucky to have her.

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HUNTing

HAMPTON’S ROAD LEADS TO THE WILD

From wildlife and fishery science and tiger muskie breeder to mother, teacher, outdoorswoman and hunter, Cecelia Hampton is an inspiration to strong women everywhere.

Southern Belle, Mother, Teacher And Hunter Cecelia Hampton Loves The Outdoors

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY WALT HAMPTON

I

was a mountain boy from Appalachia, she a Southern belle from west Tennessee. We met in my junior year at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, in the first forestry class of the fall quarter. I was late getting to the auditorium that morning, and every seat was filled except one – in the front row – and this beautiful young woman was guarding it with her elbow extended across the desk.

When we made eye contact she winked at me.

I graduated in June of 1977 and she followed in December of that year, both of us with Bachelor of Science degrees in Wildlife and Fisheries Science. We were married a month later, in January of 1978. We’ve been together ever since that first day of class.

You come to know a person fairly well if you live with them for four decades. From the start, Cecelia was the pure definition of an outdoorswoman; she was raised by a mentoring father as a dog lover, horse fanatic and americanshootingjournal.com 85

HUNTing As a full-time fourth-grade teacher, Cecelia might race off to the woods after school to hunt with her husband or play hooky with Whiskey, one of her two quarterhorses.

accomplished fisher and hunter, our time together has revolved around the natural world. Her first job after we married was also with my employer, the Virginia Game Department, as a fisheries specialist raising tiger muskies.

Our two sons were born with two ready and willing outdoor guides, and our adventures took us across the country.

“[WOMEN] ARE MUCH MORE ATTUNED TO DETAIL THAN MEN” IF YOU WILL PERMIT ME, I have a few observations regarding women hunters based on my experiences sharing my hunting passion with this lady. What I say may not be politically correct, but our real-life experiences have 86

American Shooting Journal // April 2016

taught me these two certainties: The outdoor life of loving firearms and hunting is not reserved for one gender, and the involvement of women in the world of firearms sports is not a new thing.

When our boys were small we had the opportunity to hunt deer in military areas that I managed. Fixed hunting stands were readily available, which for our novice sons was the perfect situation. We would each take a boy – switching them around every other trip – and head for a stand. Rarely did we come away without game. For the most part, however, Cecelia, the boys and I hunted “on our hind legs,” either on our home property or Buck Mountain in Virginia, and we did not use fixed stands or blinds.

Hunting from the ground by our stalk-and-stand method is much harder than sitting in a blind or elevated stand; it is hunting in its elemental form, and while not as successful as blind hunting, we love it for the challenge it presents.

After all, it is the hunt and not the kill that adds character to one’s life.

americanshootingjournal.com 87

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HUNTing Cecelia teaches fourth grade now and her deerhunting time is limited to holidays and weekends, but thank heaven we have long seasons here in the South and Sunday hunting, which allows us to hunt any Sunday throughout the year on private property. I often pick her up from school and head straight to the hunting grounds just to get that last hour or two in the woods. While we do share a sit on occasion, she most enjoys sitting by herself – and is dead serious in her hunting. Many evenings I will not even load my gun. I’ll just sit where I can hear her shoot and stand ready to gut and drag. Her excitement and enthusiasm are infectious and hunting with my wife always brings me a smile.

“[ANIMALS] DESERVE THE RESPECT OF A SPORTING HUNT AND A HUMANE SHOT.” Cecelia believes that if anyone wants to know about the outdoors or hunting, they should never be afraid to ask a lot of questions.

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FOR MAXIMUM SUCCESS and enjoyment in the shooting sports, the gun must fit the shooter. This is true for all firearm users, but is particularly important for women who hunt. If the huntress has a game gun, rifle or shotgun that

americanshootingjournal.com 91

HUNTing fits her unique pull and is comfortable to use, she will be successful. We made sure that Cecelia’s guns fit her by adjusting the pull length of the gunstock.

Important also is the choice of caliber and gauge. “If it’s not fun, why do it?” are words I live by. Since hunting for Cecelia is usually one shot and done, she easily handles the brutal recoil of her Savage ML10-II smokeless-powder muzzleloader. Topped with a Leupold 4.5-14x42 Vari-X III, it drives a 250-grain sabot bullet at 2,300 feet per second.

Her preference, however, is her Ruger Model 77 MKII bolt rifle in 7X57, shooting our handload that delivers a 140-grain Sierra bullet at 2,700 fps, and which has a Swarovski 3-10x42 scope and generates a quarter of the recoil of the smokepole.

This comfort principle is also true with shotguns, and while she has no problem with her Spanish double-barrel 20-gauge on squirrels, she prefers her Brazilian-made double-barrel 28-gauge for doves, where multiple shots are the rule. Cecelia learned early that it is where the shot goes, and not the size of the hole in the barrel, that is important. That’s a lesson every hunter should learn.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH CECELIA and other women shooters is that they are much more attuned to detail than men. I see this when we hunt together and invariably she picks

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Author Walt Hampton and Cecelia met in university while they were both working on their degrees in Wildlife and Fisheries Science. This photo was taken in 1977 with their setter Penny.

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HUNTing

Cecelia can often be found hunting with either a Ruger Model 77 MKII bolt rifle in 7X57 (top) or her Spanish side-by-side 20-gauge shotgun (bottom). On her hip is a S&W J-frame Model 36 (right), and her Savage ML10-II smokeless-powder muzzleloader (not shown) is never far away.

up target animals before I do. When shooting, Cecelia is precise, and although it takes her a few seconds longer to ďŹ re a shot, I can tell you that will be a killing shot. She prides herself on being a deliberate and accurate shooter,

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and if conditions or circumstances are not right, she simply will not shoot.

Very, very admirable in my opinion, and if you will excuse a non-politically-correct term, very sportsmanlike.

americanshootingjournal.com 95

HUNTing WHEN IT COMES TO CLOTHING Cecelia’s layered wardrobe is designed to keep her warm, dry and comfortable for a long sit if necessary. In southwestern Virginia where we hunt, the elevation is above 3,500 feet and cold weather is the norm during November and December. Cecelia uses a compact backpack to carry a snack, water and extra coveralls for extreme weather. She likes a short-legged folding seat to keep her butt off the ground and religiously uses collapsible shooting sticks for a rifle rest, the kind that can be extended for standing shots, should the need arise. She swears by good binoculars and would forget her gun before forgetting her 10x42 Zeiss glasses when heading for the deer stand. She always carries a handgun.

Her carry gun is a J-frame Smith & Wesson Model 36 with a 3-inch barrel.

I ASKED CECELIA if she had any advice for young women aspiring to the hunting world to close this article, and she said: “Find someone to help you. Dad, brother, husband, maybe even a sister who hunts, and bug them until they know you are serious. Watch them carefully when they take you out; you can learn just as much by their actions as by what they say. Learn everything you can about

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CHEROKEE WOMEN When our European ancestors first encountered the Cherokee Nation in the southern Appalachians, they were amazed to find out that the women of the tribe usually ran the show, and regularly hunted with the men or on their own. Their society revolved around this equality and Cherokee women were considered beautiful and fierce in the Native American world. Over the years, we have romanticized these first North American humans and continue today to dehumanize them with the concept of “noble savage,” leaving out the part where men and women were partners in the enterprise of life. Today the hunting world is finally getting it right and the participation of women in the outdoors is strengthening our sport and commitment to conservation. If you are a hunting man, make an effort to get more of the opposite sex into the firearms world; we will all be better for it.

the outdoors, forestry, animals, guns and hunting so you know what questions to ask – then ask them! And you must practice, practice, practice with your gun!

Remember that pulling the trigger is the last point in a long journey. The animal you choose to kill does not know that you have pink fingernails. They deserve the respect of a sporting hunt and a humane shot.”

americanshootingjournal.com 97

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ROAD HUNTER

SPRING HUNT FEST There Is No Shortage Of Areas And Game To Hunt STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY SCOTT HAUGEN

The author’s son, Braxton Haugen, with a nice cinnamon-phase black bear taken in Idaho. Black bear hunting opportunities abound in the spring, and yield some of the best eating game meat out there.

S

pring is here, and so is hunting season. Most people think of fall as kicking off hunting season, but if you are willing to hit the road, spring can be every bit as busy. Spring marks bear season in many Western states and turkey season nationwide. This is also a great time for varmints or a trip overseas.

BEAR BONANZA Bear are one of my favorite animals to hunt, and there are many opportunities to pursue them around the West. If you’re looking to hunt over bait, where success rates are high on mature bears, Idaho and Alaska offer high-percentage locations with lots of public-land access. Ideally, you need to give yourself a couple days prior to actually hunting them, to let them find the bait. Setting trail cameras on active baits will let you see exactly what size bears are hitting. If you’ve never sat over a bear bait, either in a treestand or on the ground, it’s pretty exciting.

What I like about baiting bears is I can size them up, hold out for a big one and there is never mistaking sows with cubs for boars. This is also a great time to get some wonderful eating meat, a favorite in our household.

There is some great spot-and-stalk black bear hunting along the Oregon Coast, throughout the Rocky Mountain states and into the Southwest. Some states offer over-thecounter tags, while others require spring bear hunters to score a tag through a lottery draw. Brown bear hunting in Alaska is also a spring passion. Spotting and stalking the world’s biggest bears is a thrill. Nonresidents must hire a guide for this. I’ve hunted twice with Bruce Hallingstad of Becharof Lodge, taking a brown bear in the fall and one in the spring. The spring hunt is my favorite, and is when I took my biggest bear – a 10-foot 9-inch giant that aged out at 23 years. This guy made the record books.

GOBBLE, GOBBLE Turkey hunting continues to be one of the fastest growing segments of the industry nationwide. Before you blindly head out of your state to hunt, do some research. Find out how many tags a nonresident can acquire and what publicland options are available.

For instance, in my home state of Oregon, hunters can take three turkeys each spring. In some states, hunters can take only one during the season. In others, multiple birds are allowed in a single day. How many birds you can get may

dictate where you choose to hunt.

Turkey subspecies can also decide location. For instance, if you want to hunt Osceola turkeys, your only option is Florida. If you want to pursue Rios, they range throughout much of the country. Merriam’s live out West and eastern turkeys, as you would imagine, throughout the Eastern states.

The hardest part of turkey hunting can be finding a place to go because many birds gravitate to private land. Be sure to ask for permission prior to setting foot and hunting on private lands. Calling state fish and wildlife departments well ahead of the season can help get you going in the right direction.

HOG QUEST Hog hunting continues to thrive in popularity, and with prolific populations of swine continuing to grow in numbers and range, hunting options abound. Florida boasts loads of hogs, and given the dense, lush habitat they occupy, they’ll never be overhunted. Here, it’s still possible to knock on doors and gain permission to hunt, because hogs are decimating farmland at an alarming rate – ranchers want them gone!

Texas holds an ever-growing pig population, though most of the hunting is restricted to private lands. Texas is more of a pay-to-play deal when it comes to hogs, but often multiple hogs can be taken within a day or two, yielding loads of fine meat. Night hunts in Texas are very popular and effective, and can be thrilling to take part in.

California’s burgeoning hog numbers are still out of control, and pigs can be hunted year-round. Northern California is the place to concentrate, with the hubs of Redding and Red Bluff as great places to start. Like in Texas, americanshootingjournal.com 101

ROAD HUNTER hogs largely gravitate to private lands, of which many are tied up by private parties and guides. Parry Cremeans, one of the best hog guides I’ve hunted with, is based out of Redding and has loads of prime real estate to hunt.

VARMINTS GALORE Spring is one of the best times to get after varmints. Not only can some high-volume shooting be had, but there is an opportunity to help farmers salvage crops.

Take eastern Oregon, for instance. From Baker City to Lakeview, it’s nothing to have each shooter go through 1,000 rounds a day on Belding’s ground squirrels, aka sage rats.

These varmints thrive in alfalfa fields, and farmers want them out of there. The thing is, their numbers are so high that fields can be shot from daylight to dark for weeks on end and it doesn’t seem to dent the population.

Throughout the Western states, marmots – what we also call rockchucks – can be hunted from the high hills to farm country. Many long-range shooters are capitalizing on the chance to practice on these worthy targets in the open country they call home. Back East, groundhogs can also be hunted in many places, though mostly private land, in spring.

Prairie dogs are one of the country’s most popular varmints to pursue. From the Dakotas to the Mexico border, prairie dogs can be hunted, with high-volume shooting

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Scott Haugen with a prized Osceola turkey, which can only be hunted in Florida. Other subspecies of turkey abound in every state but a few, making for great spring hunting opportunities.

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ROAD HUNTER Belding’s ground squirrels, affectionately called sage rats by locals, do millions of dollars of damage every spring to alfalfa crops, irrigation and farm equipment. Shooting thousands of rounds a day is common when targeting these varmints in eastern Oregon.

being the norm. Find a ranch invaded with prairie dogs and you’ll likely find a place to shoot.

Since varmints can cause so much damage to private lands, state fish and wildlife offices are often kept abreast of which farmers need the most help managing them. A few phone calls before leaving home can often help secure solid shooting ground.

EXOTIC ADVENTURE Exotic big nonnative game thrive in many states – especially Texas, Florida and Hawaii – and offer great opportunities throughout the spring.

Axis deer, feral sheep, goats and more are fun to hunt and yield good eating meat too.

If you want to go north of the border, black bear hunting in many Canadian provinces can be second to none. If looking for warmer climates, Mexico offers phenomenal turkey hunting for ocellated and Gould’s, as well as javelina and brocket deer this time of year.

Africa is always an option and still offers the best bang for the buck for traveling hunters. Here, multiple biggame species can be taken on a single safari at a fraction of the price paid for a big-time elk hunt out West.

Australia is also a great destination in coming months. Head north for water buffalo, banteng and wild hogs and to the central part of the country for rusa deer, red stag, fallow deer and more.

Feeling fit? Consider New Zealand, where high-country hunts for tahr and chamois are incredible to experience.

Red stag, fallow, axis and sika deer hunts can also be had, along with feral rams, goats and some great bird hunting.

With spring comes no shortage of hunting opportunities. In fact, if you take advantage of all that’s out there, spring hunting can be every bit as busy as fall – and with nicer weather.

Editor’s note: For signed copies of Scott Haugen’s big-game hunting adventure book, Life In The Scope: The West, visit scotthaugen.com.

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Brought To You By

BLACK POWDER

BLACKPOWDER’S DAUGHTER

Meet Diana Mitchell, a Sharps-shooting lady immersed in the world of blackpowder and competing with shots that will knock your rams down. She is seen here firing an offhand shot at closer range chicken silouhettes.

Diana Mitchell Regulates The ‘Chickens,’ ‘Rams’ On The Blackpowder Cartridge Rifle Silhouette Trail STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY MIKE NESBITT

W

atching Diana Mitchell shoot a Sharps rifle in .40-65 caliber with some pretty serious shot-for-shot accuracy while at the NRA’s blackpowder cartridge-rifle silhouette matches, you start to see just how fun this sport is.

Mitchell is fierce, but does it in a way that speaks well for friendly competition.

Mitchell told me she got started and hooked on the silhouette matches by spotting for her husband Dennis for two years before getting a rifle of her own in 2008. For those of you who haven’t been to one of these matches, each shooter has a spotter who watches where the shots are going through a spotting scope. The shooter and spotter act as a team, so spotting for a shooter is a rather important job.

“We have enjoyed traveling to Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Arizona and to the national matches in New Mexico over the last several years,” says Mitchell. “The monthly matches here at Eatonville, Wash., are the most fun and the only serious practice for the out-of-state matches that we do.”

Mitchell’s rifle stock is decorated with the entry stickers from several of those shooting matches, testifying to her experience.

WE TALKED ABOUT Mitchell’s rifle in detail. It’s a Shiloh Sharps Model 1874 with a 30-inch half-round barrel and a shortened pistol-grip stock. The standard length of pull on these rifles is about 14 inches, but Mitchell’s rifle was shortened to 13¼ inches to give her a better fit and control. Her rifle is equipped with Montana Vintage Arms sights both front and back.

Like many blackpowder silhouette shooters, Mitchell uses two different loads for her shooting. The chicken targets are the smallest and the closest – only 200 meters out. Those targets are fired from the offhand position.

For her chicken loads Mitchell shoots a 333-grain bullet cast from a custom Steve Brooks mold, loaded over 45 grains of Swiss 1½Fg blackpowder in PMC cases. That’s a fairly light load, which americanshootingjournal.com 107

BLACK POW POWDER WDER A close-up shows Mitchell’s midrange MVA Soule rear sight.

Mitchell’s Shiloh Sharps ’74 in .40-65 caliber. This is a very popular silhouette rifle.

adds to comfort when shooting.

But that chicken load is too light (too chicken, if you will), as Mitchell will testify, for confidently knocking down the targets at longer ranges, especially the rams. And in the silhouette game you only get credit for knocking down the targets, not just hitting them. So, to pack more punch, Mitchell uses heavier loads for those longer range shots – a 427-grain Creedmoor-style bullet loaded in Starline .40-65 cases over 58 grains of Swiss 1½Fg powder. Both of her loads also include a .060-inch vegetable-fiber wad from John Walters, and she favors Federal’s match primers for ignition.

Longer range targets include pigs out at 300 meters, then turkeys at 385 meters and the rams at a full 500 meters. To quickly but roughly convert those distances to yards, simply add 10 percent, which puts the rams out at 550 yards.

In between relays, shooters are required to go forward and pick up all of the targets they had just knocked down.

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While Mitchell was on target duty, Dennis told me how he bought her rifle. He and a partner were going on an antelope hunt and they stopped in at the Shiloh shop in Big Timber, Mont., along the way. There it was, just sitting on the ready rack waiting for a buyer. Dennis mentioned to his friend that if that rifle was still there on their way back home he would buy it. They were lucky! The gun was still there. It is very rare to find a Sharps rifle readily available at Shiloh’s, but this one seemed to wait for just this moment.

WHEN I ASKED MITCHELL ABOUT their favoring Brooks Tru-Bore bullet molds, Mitchell explained, “After winning a Brooks

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BLACK POWDER

These .40-65 loads with Creedmoor-style bullets are mostly used for longrange shots.

mold in a Montana match a few years ago, Steve and Gail Brooks invited us to their place and he custom designed the molds Dennis uses to cast the bullets for my guns. I am pretty spoiled.” She was grinning! “Because he does all the casting and loading for the both of us, after he loads my cartridges, I use the sizing die to bump the necks down just a little. Then they’re ready for shooting.”

Mitchell continued to tell me more about her shooting background. “I learned to shoot with an MVA 28-inch scope just four years ago, and found it more challenging than I thought it would be. Iron sights seem to hold steadier, and I have a Crossno barrel liner for my other gun (another Sharps in .40-65), which allows me to shoot .22-caliber ammo.

“We really enjoy shooting with our friends, Beth and Steve Morris (see She Ain’t Shootin’ No Girlie Guns! June 2015 issue of the American Shooting Journal) who also use .22 barrel liners, and have competed in the 17-ring Schuetzen winter league using our BPCRs. On occasion I have shot my husband’s flintlock and percussion rifles, but never in competition. In the past we’ve competed in the blackpowder silhouette match in Poulsbo, Wash., where they only shoot up to 200 yards and use reduced-size targets, but it is fun!” Mitchell continued, “I have encouraged many of my girlfriends to try shooting over the years, and this discipline is great for new shooters because of the relatively slow

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BLACK POWDER

As silhouette shooters and a married couple, Dennis and Diana say having the same spotter for every match makes life a lot simpler.

pace. It is a great sport for couples and there are certainly advantages in having the same spotter for every match.”

THE DAY THE PHOTOS accompanying this story were taken, Mitchell took first place in the AA class iron sights. That was no surprise, and one of the best things about shooting with her is how she is always stands at the ready to help new shooters.

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Distances in the BPCR matches range as far out as 550 yards.

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Flipping The Switch The Story Of Why Dawn Hillyer Started HidingHilda STORY BY DAWN HILLYER PHOTOGRAPHS BY REBECCA KOVERMAN, SAAL

americanshootingjournal.com 115

HidingHilda offers top brands of CCW handbags and accessories designed to safely conceal a weapon, self-defense items, holsters, books, jewelry and CCW clothing.

M

y story begins in October 2006 when I became the target of a ruthless stalker – Michael D. McClellan.

In March 2012, he was ultimately convicted of two felony counts of stalking, and sentenced to 10 years in prison – not eligible for parole until February 2017. This was the first felony stalking conviction in Indiana, and the events leading up to it were terrible. Over five years my life was uprooted. I was let go at work and filled with uncertainty and fear, living in seclusion, hiding from my tormentor.

During this time, all of my online presence was under the name HidingHilda – Hiding, because I was hiding and Hilda, which is a combination of my full name, Dawn Hillyer. At the time guns were not a part of my world. Hiding was my natural instinct, and I just wanted to crawl under a rock. The humiliation, the fear – and not only for myself, but everyone around me – was just too much. Once McClellan was incarcerated I decided I wasn’t going to live that way when he got out, so I took charge of my own safety. I took gun classes, got my concealed-carry permit and purchased a Glock .380 that I named Hilda.

Now, I am always and literally hiding Hilda.

concealed firearms is not something to take lightly. Safety and protection are of the utmost importance, and being a business professional I also had an image to maintain.

Fringe and studs weren’t going to cut it.

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who are obtaining their concealed-carry permit grow substantially. There is a strange and amazing confidence that comes with knowing you’ve got this, whatever “this” may be.

Last April, my stalker was recently and unexpectedly released two years earlier than expected, and with no notice to me.

Apparently, if you get your college degree while incarcerated, you can not only shorten your sentence, you can skip the parole board as well. He ended up serving just three years of his 10-year sentence.

It was time to put my money where my mouth was. I was determined never to live afraid or in hiding again. I will continue to talk about it, live out loud and, if need be, I Supporting women in all facets of the gun owning/shooting/carrying process, HidingHilda donates to scholarship funds that teach people how to work with stalking victims, a subject very near to Hillyer’s heart.

Hillyer is thankful for her life and the support she receives from her family and husband Chris.

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Hillyer’s Glock .380 is her daily concealed-carry piece.

She named it Hilda and she’s now literally hiding Hilda.

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will be my own hero.

LAST NOVEMBER I got a call letting me know about the stalker’s release and that I could possibly be in danger. The caller stressed that I needed to be vigilant.

Indeed, McClellan was arrested for violating his parole the Monday after Thanksgiving. Found guilty of violating his parole on two counts, he was released with time served.

I’m not running or hiding. I’m going about my life with Hilda at my side.

During the initial trial, it was determined that McClellan had stalked his ex-wife before me, as well as someone after me. Since the trial, I have been contacted by a number of people across the country going through similar experiences and who are afraid for their lives. I am now speaking for a lot of people. HidingHilda is personal.

It’s a part of who I am.

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Co., a series on NRA News, regarding women obtaining their licenses, guns, protection and how it relates to domestic violence. I speak at stalking/domesticviolence conferences and training seminars, as well as oer support and resources to other stalking victims.

HidingHilda also donates proceeds to provide scholarships for training those who work with stalking victims.

My business isn’t the only positive outcome stemming from a devastating beginning. I am also an advocate for stronger stalking laws, which included adding stalking to the 45day victim notiďŹ cation requirement that went into eect July 1, 2015. In an interview with Katie Couric, the story of my experience with a stalker aired nationally on Investigation Discovery’s Stalked: Someone’s Watching in their season-four opener in December 2013. I am now the chapter leader for the Hilda Fort Wayne Chapter of The Well Armed Women. I have also been on The Gun Guy, as well as several local stations.

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IT IS AMAZING WHERE all of this has taken me. I never would have thought that in my 40s I would go back to retail or work gun shows on the weekends, not to mention drive a pickup truck just so I can haul around my purses. I couldn’t do this without the support of my family and friends, in particular Chris, my children and my parents. They have been at my side through this journey. They provide strength, support, love and motivation through it all.

It has been God with runway lights – I couldn’t have ever dreamed this is where I would be. I love putting women’s departments in gun stores, holding Ways For Women To Carry classes, seeing a ďŹ rst-time shooter hit their target and empowering women in general. I love providing a source of strength to those who need it. Â?

Editor’s note: If you would like more information about HidingHilda, you can visit them at hidinghilda.com or Facebook.com/hidinghilda.

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TAKING

AIM

D N I H E B N E M O WITH W Tanya Gorin And XS Sight Systems THE SIGHTS

XS SIGHTS PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF STORY BY FRANK JARDIM •

X

S Sight Systems in Fort Worth, Texas, has carved out a unique niche for itself by modernizing and adapting two classic sighting systems to modern times: express and ghost-ring aperture sights.

Their improved express sights employ a front sight consisting of a larger-than-usual white dot (⅛ inch or 3/16 inch) with a glow-in-the-dark tritium dot at its center. The rear sight is a broad, shallow “V” with a vertical white line or glow-in-the-dark tritium vial inlay at its center. When properly aligned, the stripe of the rear and the dot in the front form a dotted eye in darkness and a lollipop in the light. The alignment is instinctive.

Tonya Gorin As a firearms enthusiast, my father’s primary concern was gun safety, followed by the desire to share his passion. While both of my sisters enjoyed plinking with Dad, I led the family involvement for competition. I became more involved, with my dad’s interest in coaching and competing alongside me, and my mom supported my growing talent and let me practice dry firing and air rifle in the house.

WE HAD A CHANCE TO TALK with Tanya Gorin, the commercial sales manager at XS. She grew up in Mesa, Ariz., and fired her first rounds at age five. It was love at first shot.

Beginning with an NRA small-bore junior program, her interest and skills progressed and she later got involved in high-power rifle and air rifle. She was accepted to Texas Christian University on a rifle-team scholarship and graduated magna cum laude in 2009 with a bachelor’s in mathematics. Following her true passion, she sought a job in the firearms industry, landing an internship at XS Sight Systems. From there she moved to CDNN Sports (an online firearm retailer). In 2011, she rejoined XS, revamping their database and implementing a live inventory system that allows customers to know exactly what XS products are in stock at any given moment. Today, her job includes maintaining and building new relationships with their wholesale distributors.

ASJ Fresh out of college and looking for work in what has traditionally been a male-dominated business, were you

American Shooting Journal How involved was your family in shooting sports?

ASJ Do you have a favorite gun?

TG That would be my Rock River Arms National Match A2 service rifle. It was a gift from my parents on my 16th birthday, and it’s the rifle I shoot high-power with to this day.

Tanya Gorin is an integral member of the XS Sights team, keeping the Texas-based business running smoothly and efficiently. She has alsoo been shooting and competing since the age of five. americanshootingjournal.com 127

taken seriously?

TG I was taken seriously because I took myself seriously.

Growing up on the range with all the guys made it my comfort zone. Men are increasingly open to the idea of women doing serious work in the gun world. While there are the occasional cat calls and ungentlemanly remarks made at shows, I’ve tried to find a balance of when to say something and when it’s not worth it. Intelligent, motivated female professionals, as well as competitive female shooters have helped establish credibility for us. Shooting is not just for guys; it’s for us too.

ASJ How did you break into the shooting industry?

TG Persistence and cold calls. Right after my TCU graduation, the NRA was holding their Annual Meetings and Exhibits near my hometown. Since I believe that opportunities present themselves not only because of who you are, but also who you know, I knew the first step was getting on the show floor. I wanted to learn everything I could about the firearms business. A contact from one of the companies that sponsored my junior high-power team had recently transferred to Lapua. He offered to let me help at the booth, and I jumped on the opportunity to gain that experience.

I was able to make several contacts that led me to a new mentor. He suggested I start with the massive SHOT Show vendor listing and sift through it to find the local companies (I wanted to stay in Fort Worth). He then suggested the ones

The XS ghost-ring rifle sights include a vertical white stripe of glowing tritium inlay in the front sight post and an enlarged ghostring aperture in the rear.

I should call. Many cold calls and interviews later, I had a few possibilities in the works, but decided on a temporary analyst/internship position for XS Sights.

ASJ Why did you choose XS? TG The company impressed me, and I admired the late owner, Ed Pastusek. He interviewed me and created a position based on a unique aligning of their needs and my skills. I studied their data, created reports and found information that proved trends within their business. After that internship ended, I kicked off a six-month search and landed a job in dealer sales for CDNN Sports. I worked there for two and half years with a great mentor. When my branch relocated,

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THE LATEST ON XS SIGHTS FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY, the express sight has been the first choice for African dangerous-game hunters, not only due to its speed of acquisition but for a far better down-range field of view than any other style of open sight. The smart folks at XS recognized the potential the express sight had for use in close combat and set about developing a day and night version that represents the final, perfected evolution. Despite its relatively large size, it is still capable of allowing the user to achieve all the accuracy required for defensive shooting. It really excels in poor or no light at close range – less than 25 yards – when speedy hits are what you need.

The XS Sights express sight is readily recognized by its large largerthan-usual white dot with a glow-in-the-da glow-in-the-dark tritium dot at its cente center and broad shallow “V” rear sight.

IF THE SHOOTER is accustomed to the common notch-and-post style of sights, the express “V” can take some getting used to, but with a little dry-fire transition time, the advantages of the system become readily apparent. New shooters find this sight easier to use in darkness than the three-dot system. In reduced light, one

I decided to remain in Fort Worth and search for the next step in my career. After careful consideration, I elected to rejoin the XS team. They had a challenging project for me. Their data was stored in dated software that needed a refresh. I wasn’t a computer-science major in college, but I did understand logic thanks to my math degree, and could effectively translate between the sales and programing worlds. Those skills, coupled with my understanding of XS’ business, let me select and implement a database, while

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also taking over all large account sales.

ASJ What do you like best about working at XS? TG I like the people. They embody our good-guy mentality.

The owners want all of their employees to succeed, whether it’s with XS or another firm. They also allow us to take care of our customers. We’re supposed to do what’s right by the customer. In most cases we don’t need to ask for permission, they just trust us to solve the problem in a

KNIVES

dot is easily confused with another dot, creating doubt in the shooter’s mind whether or not they have things correctly aligned.

The XS sight is simpler. The dissimilarity of the vertical line and dot mean there’s no mistake between front and rear sight, and stacking one atop the other creates one line that is then pushed out to the threat/target. They can even be installed on revolvers, and last year the company added a line of taller sights for use on suppressed pistols.

THE XS SIGHT SYSTEMS improvements to ghost-ring rifle sights include a vertical white stripe or a stripe of glowing tritium inlay in the front sight post and an enlarged ghost-ring aperture rear sight. The smaller 0.191-inch aperture is for more all-around conditions, while the larger 0.230-inch aperture is at its best in low light. By comparison, the .075-inch aperture ID on a WWII M1903A3 Springfield is tiny and the thick-walled ring blocks a lot more target area from view. The XS ghost ring’s larger inside diameter and thinner ring obscure less of

fair and responsible manner.

ASJ Do you think you are typical of women in the industry today?

TG I think so, as far as the drive to be here and prove our worth in this industry, show our tenacity and, most importantly, our passion for shooting and the Second Amendment.

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the shooter’s down-range field of view. You can use this sight at the same range where your eyesight can manage iron sights, but it truly excels in fast shooting in the woods where a scope would be a hindrance.

Sight adjustments are made using opposing set screws in the rear sight base of the ghost rings; or on the express handgun sight, by the usual tapping one way or another in the rear dovetail and then locked down with a set screw. XS isn’t about delicate, clickadjustable target sights for a day of punching paper on a sunny range. They are about speed, compactness and durability in tough shooting situations.

XS has made various express and ghost-ring sights for popular tactical rifles and all types of shotguns. Some of their most notable innovations for AR platforms include the Xpress Threat Interdiction offset express sight. Mounted out on the handguard (either side) and zeroed for close range, with a simple roll of the weapon, a shooter can shift from their long-range sights to sights optimized for dealing with targets at handgun distances.

ASJ What opportunities do you see for women in the industry today TG As our industry embraces more women as customers, companies are looking to hire them to help tap into that market. XS is among several firms that are on the forward edge of the trend to employ women. XS Sights Systems is a second-generation, majority-female, family-owned business. We are a company for shooters by shooters.

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WORLD-CLASS SHOOTING COMPLEX The National Wild Turkey Federation Changes The Game With South Carolina Range, Facilities STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY RICK ROSS

L

Dedicated to wildlife conservation and shooting sports, the National Wild Turkey Federation is constructing a $16 million, world-class shooting facility called the Palmetto Shooting Complex in South Carolina.

iving in rural Edgefield, S.C., definitely has its advantages. We have clean clear air, great neighbors, it’s quiet and we are close enough to larger metropolitan areas so that shopping isn’t an issue. I even have enough land to have a small shooting range in my backyard in one of my wife’s horse pastures.

Granted, it is better when the horses and I don’t use the area at the same time, according to my wife and the horses.

When I learned that the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) was constructing a $16 million, world-class shooting area called the Palmetto Shooting Complex (palmetto, aka cabbage palm or sabal palmetto, being the state tree) only 15 minutes from my home, I could hardly contain my excitement. A quick call and a tour was arranged.

“WHEN COMPLETE, THE FACILITY WILL BE THE BIGGEST SHOOTING COMPLEX EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI” The Palmetto Shooting Complex is open but not complete. Ultimately, the range will boast two dedicated sporting-clay courses, five trap-andskeet fields, six pistol bays, a 200-yard or longer rifle range and a 3D archery range, all nestled on 800 acres.

There is currently a 9,300-square-foot pavilion at the facility, and plans for an additional 9,500-square-foot round house containing a pro shop, restaurant and large indoor area are in the works.

OK, first things first. For those of you not familiar with the NWTF, you should be. Their mission is not only to enhance the wild turkey population, but also the continuation of hunting and quality wildlife habitats for countless other species.

THE PALMETTO SHOOTING COMPLEX opened to the public in October 2015 and currently consists of two dedicated sporting-clay courses, five trap-and-skeet fields and a 9,300-square-foot pavilion, all of which sits on 800 acres.

Over the next few years we will see the completion of a 9,500-square-foot round house containing a pro shop, restaurant and large indoor area for relaxing, and all with views of the shooting fields. In addition, a 3D archery course, at least six pistol bays and a 200-yard or longer (let’s hope) rifle range will be added, with the potential for a second pro shop dedicated just for rifle, pistol and 3D archery sportsfolk. When complete, the facility will be the biggest shooting complex east of the Mississippi. Current costs for americanshootingjournal.com 135

RANGE SPOTLIGHT Currently the Palmetto Club is currently hosting an average of sporting clays, trap and skeet are very 10 youth groups a week, and will soon host 3-Gun, IDPA, Glock reasonable, running from $6 to $52 a GSSF, IPSC and other well-known shooting sports. round, depending on membership level (membership in NWTF is not necessary to shoot). Volunteers at the range earn free rounds!

Since opening, the Palmetto Shooting Complex has hosted numerous events and groups including shooting teams from local high schools – Strom Thurmond High for one – the local 4H Clubs’ shooting teams and other youth clubs, averaging about 10 youth groups a week. There have already been many corporate events and tournaments held at the facility to date, as well as a plethora of individual shooters. A calendar of events on the web page will be available shortly to announce upcoming events, and once the rie and pistol areas are complete, they will be able to host 3-Gun, IDPA, Glock GSSF, IPSC and many shooting sport competitions. It is projected that in its ďŹ rst year targets. Keep in mind that the complex is still developing (ending October 2016) they will have thrown a million clay and that number should grow once the complex is fully

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RANGE SPOTLIGHT To promote kids in the shooting sports NWTF has a program called Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship, or JAKES.

Each sporting-clay bay comes equipped with a Promatic card reader. This allows the shooter to preload a set numbers of clays, arrive at the bay, swipe and shoot.

completed and they actually start promoting themselves.

Apparently, they haven’t spent any money on advertising as of yet. Folks, start your engines!

SPORTING CLAY ROUNDS are thrown and tracked by a Promatic system with a card reader. You preload the card with a

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specific number of clays for each station. When you arrive on station, you swipe the card and the machine will spit out your number of clays. This type of innovation means lots of lead down range. Luckily for the environment, operators will be participating in a lead-reclamation program, and the efforts don’t stop there. A large 400-acre area is included

RANGE SPOTLIGHT as part of the complex to promote conservation, education and introduce new shooters to the sport via mentored hunts.

To promote kids in the shooting sports, NWTF has a program called Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship, or JAKES. To encourage more female shooters, a program called Women in the Outdoors is up and running, as well as Wheelin’ Sportsmen, which makes these sports accessible to those in wheelchairs including our wounded warriors. Each sporting clay station is wheelchair accessible with ramps and fold-down panels to allow easier access. Brilliant!

THIS PLACE IS WORTH being a destination location. If you are ever in west-central South Carolina, visit the Palmetto Shooting Complex at 535 Gary Hill Rd., Edgefield, SC, 29824. For more information, you can visit them at nwtf.org.

Author’s note: I’d like to give a special thanks to the South Aiken Baptist Christian School’s shooting team! Coach Jim Blalock and shooters Grace Poole, Britney Yarnell, Baker Yarnell, Chandlor Murry, Noah Murphy, Tristin Widener, Zach Berry, Patrick Lown and Cody Cain allowed me to follow them and take some great photos!

A large 400-acre conservation area is included as part of the complex to promote education and introduce new shooters to the sport via mentored hunts.

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Editor’s note: Rick Ross is an NRA Life member, GSSF and IDPA competitor and AR enthusiast. He is not a rapper, but should be.

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Bear season is upon us and many places in the nation will boast some easy pickin’s for hunters.

The Pacific Northwest offers some challenges, but knowing the tricks will bring down your bruin.

BEAR

HAUNTS

BBruini Hunters H Need N d To T Know K Th Theiri Weather W h And A d Terrain T i STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY TROY RODAKOWSKI

B

ear hunting, with El Niño weather patterns affecting the US, requires hunters to pay close attention to when bears will emerge from their dens and begin to feed.

Snowpack is key to this and throughout the Western states, last fall bears in many locations denned up later than in previous years.

In 2015, bears near the Western coast remained active

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throughout the majority of winter; however, further inland, in the mountainous regions of the Rockies and even further east, hibernation was in full swing by November.

Hunters in the North and Northeast who have seen high snowpack, will see bruins emerge from their dens later this spring, and should be focusing their efforts on locations with ample food supplies.

Bear country can be rugged, so being prepared with the right clothing, gear and food will help you become a more patient hunter, a necessary trait to chase these amazing animals.

Salmonberries are a bear favorite in the spring.

“MOST SHOT OPPORTUNITIES ... WILL BE AT FAIRLY CLOSE RANGE” IN THE SPRING, bears are eating machines and are constantly feeding on fresh grasses, broadleaf herbs, skunk cabbage, carrion and grubs and other insects. They will look for just about anything to put in their stomachs and are quite

opportunistic. These bruins can be found anywhere food is plentiful, and they will find it so keep that in mind.

JASON KIRCHNER, A STATE wildlife biologist in Newport, Ore., expects the 2016 season to be another good one for hunters in his area. However, he points out that last year’s drought, which hurt the berry crop, put some stress on bears. Much of the same holds true for the rest of the Pacific Northwest and has affected bears’ feeding habits and hibernation patterns.

With hunting success rates near or below 5 percent, bear hunters will have to be patient and persistent to find them. americanshootingjournal.com 145

“There are very good populations throughout most of southwest Oregon’s wildlife management units, with numerous complaints to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife from landowners well through the end of 2015,” says Kirchner. Searching near streams, open meadows, clearcuts, old grass-covered roads and other riparian areas will put a hunter in or near good locations where bears travel. Torn-up logs and root wads with scratch marks will show a bear has been working nearby. Places like these are not only quiet, but males will seek these areas out to look for sows.

Being patient, above all, will lead to a notched tag.

Bear country is often steep and usually very brushy. Taking time to pick it apart with good optics is a must for success.

A hunter should climb to a good vantage point that overlooks pastures, meadows and rangelands. This extra effort can pay big dividends. Also, a hunter may be surprised to hear that some of the best times to find bear are cool, misty

Creek drainages are favorite feeding and travel areas for bears.

“HUNTERS NEED TO BE PATIENT SINCE MANY SOWS HAVE VERY SMALL CUBS THAT ARE SOMETIMES HARD TO SPOT” or frosty mornings and later in the afternoon when the sun has warmed the ground. During the middle of the day, bears will travel in old-growth timber or deciduous stands of trees where they feel safe to move about. Using rabbit distress calls, fawn bleats, calf calls or other such attractions can entice a bear to come into view. Use calls sparingly, however, while listening and watching through your optics. Most shot opportunities presented in these scenarios will be at fairly close range. Hunters also need to remember to be patient before pulling the trigger since many sows have very small cubs. They are often hard to spot in the taller grasses or other vegetation. The use of tree stands near a game trail or food source is also a great strategy for thick, brushy locations.

MOUNTAIN BEARS will seek warmer hillsides, drainages and ridges where food is most abundant. Hunters setting up in advantageous locations when calling can usually spot an incoming animal much easier when glassing from a high point. Glassing with good optics is essential here as the terrain is more open and bears can be spotted from very long distances. In these instances, bruins will often be on the run in search of that distressed animal to relieve their grumbling stomachs.

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Part II of III – Loading And Safety STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY BOB SHELL

W

e began this three-part series on blackpowder last issue, where we covered its invention, refinement and today’s four grades – five, counting a special Swiss version.

This issue we turn to loading the powder and safety, and wrap up next month with tricks of the trade.

There are a few things that you should be aware of to get best results. First, always make sure your gun is empty. If you buy a new muzzleloader, then you can put a

rod down the barrel and mark the rod to establish the depth that indicates an empty barrel. When preparing to load a used muzzleloader, remove the nipple where the percussion cap would be placed, and make sure you can see clearly through to the inside of the barrel. If it is blocked, the gun won’t fire, and the only thing you will get is a small pop from the cap.

A method often used to clear or establish a clear nipple channel is by firing a couple of caps without any powder in the barrel. Simply place a

piece of paper or something light on your bench, and then aim the end of your barrel at the object and fire. The piece of paper should move when your channel is clear because the percussion cap alone is enough to cause a tuft of air. Once you have established that, you have a clear barrel and you are ready to load.

PATCHING When loading a round ball, a patch must be used in order for the ball to be accurate and prevent blow by,

“HE SHOVED THE POWDER DOWN THE BARREL, INSTANTLY LOSING MOST OF HIS RIGHT HAND” americanshootingjournal.com 151

Loading blackpowder may seem like a simple process, but there are inherent dangers if steps are not completed thoroughly and methodically.

which would rob the shooter of power and accuracy. You can buy precut patches or experiment with your own. An old sheet makes good patch material because it is both tough and consistent in thickness. The patch should be placed on the muzzle, then the ball seated on top of it. It should have some resistance to seating but not an excessive amount, as you might end up with a ball stuck halfway down the barrel. There are signs that help to indicate if you are using the proper amount of patching. You can usually find the fired patches on the ground, especially if you are shooting a number of rounds. If the patch shows rifling marks without excessive tearing, then it is probably the right size. If there are no markings from the rifling, then this might indicate that the patch should be a little larger. If you do get a 152

American Shooting Journal // April 2016

bullet stuck in the barrel, you can pull it out with a bullet-removing screw.

However, this can be quite a chore.

BALL LOADING You should always use a measuring device to pour the powder into the barrel – never do it from a flask containing a large amount of powder.

If there is a live spark from a previous firing, this will cause an explosion.

Pouring a small amount of powder down the barrel will help minimize the harm if there still happens to be a smoldering cinder. This does happen – to the careless! There are adjustable measures made just for this operation.

This practice is especially necessary if you are shooting patched balls, because some of the cloth might stay lurking in the barrel and can cause mischief. You can swab between shots to avoid that

problem, but don’t count on this to thoroughly rid your barrel of hazards.

I knew a guy who participated in reenactments. He was on a crew that was operating a cannon with a 2-inch bore. His job was to swab the barrel then push the bag of powder down afterwards. The bag of powder weighed 1 pound. One time after the team fired, he swabbed and then shoved the powder down the barrel, instantly losing most of his right hand.

There was still a cinder in the barrel from the previous bag, and when he pushed the powder down, it went off.

The long rod with a disc he was using to push the powder down was the same diameter as the barrel. When the canon went off, the disc removed most of his hand because it became a projectile. Safety requires methodical steps and preparation.

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Muzzleloaders come in all sorts of varieties, calibers, styles and ignition systems. The one thing they have in common is the way they are loaded, hence the name. Fifty-caliber Lyman caplock (top left), .50- caliber Lyman flintlock (bottom left) and an original pair of 1837 French military caplock pistols (right).

Once the powder is in, you can seat the bullet. Initially, there will be a little resistance, but it shouldn’t be excessive. If it is, find out why before attempting to push it the bullet in too deep. A bullet stuck in the barrel is a pain to remove, although it can be done usually with a corkscrew-type device.

After you get your round started,

follow through using your long rod to seat it. The bullet must be tight against the powder. If there is no resistance from the bullet going down the barrel, it might move forward creating some airspace, so be wary of that. This could destroy the gun and cause injury.

I knew someone who destroyed a .45-caliber that way. He required medical attention caused by splinters

lodged into his forearm. If you are unsure, flick the rod against the load a couple of times. If the rod bounces, then it is ready to go. You can mark the rod with a piece of tape if desired for future loading once you establish your load.

Sometimes people forget to put the powder in first. This is a pain, but it can be resolved. Just take off the

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Blackpowdermeasuring tools were created for very specific purposes and are a much safer way to load a muzzleloader.

Top to bottom above is a priming tool, powder measure and primer measure.

nipple and work some powder into the barrel. You should put at least 15 to 20 grains to have enough to shoot the ball completely out the barrel. Make sure that the projectile exits before trying a regular load. Compressed air can also

americanshootingjournal.com 155

be used to push the ball out. There are two types of people who shoot muzzleloaders: those who forgot to put the powder in and those who will in the future.

PRIMING Just in case you bump or drop your gun, it is not a good idea to prime before you load. With a flintlock, just prime the Powder horns were and are still common among muzzleloaders.

The horn is strapped to the shooter and stores the bulk of their powder.

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pan and you are ready to go. For this article we will stick with conventional muzzleloaders as opposed to inlines.

BACK TO THE POWDER If you are new to this game, you might wonder how much powder to use. Ideally, a new shooter would spend some time with an experienced blackpowder user. There are also

books that can help. Blackpowder doesn’t produce as much velocity as the smokeless variety, no matter how much you use. At some point the powder just won’t burn and will simply come out the end of the barrel.

You can put an old sheet on the ground in front of the gun It is imperative the bullet to determine if that is solidly seated you have too much to the powder the chamber. powder. This test can in Otherwise, serious be very informative. damage can occur the firearm and In my .50-caliber to shooter.

Hawkins, I use 90 grains of FFG black with a 370-grain maxi ball. My velocities run almost 1,300 feet per second, and the load is very consistent and accurate. I have tried more powder but the gain was negligible, thus wasn’t worth the extra powder. If you are

americanshootingjournal.com 157

Bob Shell smoking up the range with his .50-caliber flintlock.

shooting a .45-caliber with a ball, 70 grains is a good starting point. If you are using a .58-caliber rifle with Minié balls, then 60 grains is a good place to start. I find that lighter loads in these guns generally produce better accuracy.

Just like reloading, you might experiment with your gun to see which combination works best. There are several brands of powder out there, so if you like to experiment, try what is available in your area. If you order online, be prepared to pay a hefty hazardous material fee, so ordering a large quantity helps cut costs. I order it by 25-pound cases. There are also fees for just smokeless powder and primers, but not loaded ammo.

BULLET OPTIONS The round ball is the basic, most widely used bullet and has some advantages.

It is often very light for the caliber, which reduces the amount of powder needed for workable velocities.

Another advantage is it reduces recoil.

Properly loaded it is very accurate and is used for all types of target shooting.

For hunting, it’s OK for certain types of deer, but might lack the penetration for large, heavy-boned game, especially past 100 yards. Due to its low density, it doesn’t carry or penetrate well.

However, a .36-caliber ball makes a splendid small-game round.

There you have the basics of muzzleloading blackpowder. Stayed tuned for part III of What Is black Powder, where we cover tricks of the trade.

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americanshootingjournal.com 159

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Nowlin Arms is a family-operated gun-industry leader known for some of the best 1911 components available, but that is only part (pun intended) of the story. Angela Reagan co-owns Nowlin Arms along with her husband Jerry, son Jerad, boxer Titan and Rottweiler Molly.

BARRELING ALONG

Reagan uses the same techniques that her father used to create what was then and now one of the best and most accurate barrels on the market.

Where Nowlin Arms Got Its Mojo And How Angela Reagan Keeps The Legacy Alive INTERVIEW BY GARN KENNEDY • PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANGELA REAGAN

I

n a world where precision is everything, one with required specifications so minute as to need micrometers, Nowlin Arms is known as an industry leader in the 1911 professional shooting world. Their focus has been on creating quality tools, parts and barrels for the 1911 auto platform, and their precision has expanded to Glocks as well.

John Nowlin Sr., was known for manufacturing some of the most accurate 1911 barrels and developing parts, gunsmithing tools and fixtures that set new standards for customizing the 1911 auto. He, along with his children, spent their lives competing in shooting sports such as US Practical Shooting Association (USPSA), Bianchi cup and the International Defenseive Pistol Association (IDPA) putting their rounds where their mouths were, proving that their equipment was created for the best of the best.

Today, Angela Reagan, Nowlin’s oldest daughter, is co-owner (with her husband Jerry, a captain with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol) of Nowlin Arms, and with her 22 years of experience in law enforcement (she retired as the deputy warden of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections) and a Bachelor’s in Business Management,

this lady is a powerhouse in the gun industry.

Reagan sat down with us and gave us some insight into what makes up one of the nation’s leading gun-parts manufacturers.

American Shooting Journal How did Nowlin Arms get started?

Angela Reagan My father John Nowlin started it in 1978 after retiring. He decided to pursue his love of the 1911 from his days in the Air Force. Shortly after beginning his competitive-

Speed Demon II Action Kit americanshootingjournal.com 161

shooting career, he discovered that he could not find a pistol up to his standards. Calling on relatives in the machining and racing industry – my grandfather Angelo Howerton, was a Tulsa, Okla., racing legend having won four stock-car titles in 1955, 1956, 1958 and 1963 – Nowlin Arms was born. In short order, my father also found that the available parts were not up to his standards, so he just started making those too.

Knowing that the heart of the 1911’s accuracy is the barrel, he fell down the rabbit hole of the best barrel known to man.

ASJ Tell us about the quality of your barrels and what separates you from the pack.

AR Well, simply put they are the best! Dad found that the cleaner the bore the better the accuracy, and with electro-cathodemachined rifling, we’ve got an internal finish that a shooter simply must have. We keep our chambers tight and bores clean and that is where accuracy comes from. Well, there is more, but I will keep the family secret. We simply make the best barrel money can buy.

For someone to fully understand the impact of our barrels, all they have to do is look at past FBI shooting

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trials. Springfield Armory won for both accuracy and longevity using our barrels. Those same barrels are still shooting reliable, tight groups to this day. My father discovered that the way we built barrels back then would allow the barrel to remain accurate for a lifetime.

Since we follow his same prints and procedures today, Using an electro-cathode-machined to manufacture their barrels, Reagan says there shooters can are other family secrets that she is not at liberty expect any Nowlin to share.

Arms barrel used with good-quality ammunition to last a lifetime, and we will stand behind it shot after shot.

ASJ Who is currently using your barrels?

AR It’s hard to say what the full impact is, but we sell to other

americanshootingjournal.com 163

1911 manufacturers, competitors, custom builders and untold numbers of people who use their pistol every day.

It is best not to forget the FBI’s special response team units and other (government agency) operators who use our barrels as well.

ASJ I know you are sponsoring competitions and shooters.

Tell us more about that.

AR Every year we give a ton of barrels and discount certificates away at USPSA matches around the country. We support NRA programs, and starting this year we will be working with IDPA and 3-Gun Nation to do the same. We just want to do our part to help shooters and the shooting sports. After all, that is how we started.

ASJ As more and more women get into shooting sports, what do you think the future holds?

AR More and more ladies are going to the range. I also know more women are carrying and buying guns than ever before.

If we don’t continue to see more [women] on the ranges, then we are doing something wrong. With my background in law enforcement, I know that having more legal gun owners and shooters is a good thing. Now, we just need a few more ladies in gunsmithing.

Reagan has 22 years of law enforcement experience and retired as deputy warden for the Oklahoma Department of Corrections. Between first-hand experience and a genetic aptitude for perfection, she is one cool lady.

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‘TO FIERCELY GUARD AND PROTECT’ The Reasons Women Carry Are Diverse – Here’s Why Veteran, Cop And Mother Rachel Trexler Does STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY RACHEL TREXLER

“T

his is my rifle. There are many like it, but this one is mine.” The Rifleman’s Creed vibrated through my bones the day I became a United States Marine, and has recently taken on a whole new meaning.

As the years have passed by, I find it challenging to recall the entire creed, which has intermittently faded over time.

However, that first phrase always remained near my heart and astonishingly enough, relates to my children. I know that might sound different – the words gun and children combined together – but just like my rifle, my children are mine, there “are many like” them, but these two are mine.

My name is Rachel Trexler and I grew up in the rural backcountry of Mims, Fla., I am a Marine Corps veteran and a mother of two adorable hell-raising tiny humans: my son, four-year-old Rylan, and his nine-month-old sister Raven. As I kiss their faces, my warrior heart echoes the reminder that there is no limit to the fierceness with which I will protect my family, which is why now, as a stay-at-home mom, I still choose to carry a gun in my day-to-day life.

Rachel Trexler is a modern-day woman by all standards, and represents what is fast becoming the norm across the nation. What many do not realize is the journey she took to go from girl to badass, with the credentials to prove it.

I WASN’T RAISED AROUND FIREARMS. It wasn’t until the age of 14 that I fired my first gun. I can recall being anxious – it was a revolver – and I was qualifying my horse to receive a lawenforcement certification. It is necessary to train any horse that might be used in a law enforcement capacity, to include search-and-rescue and crowd control, to be accustomed to gunfire, a condition known as being “gunfire neutral.”

Years later, I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Forensic Psychology and an Associate of Science in Crime Scene Technology. However, it was when I answered the call to join the ranks in the military that cemented the magnitude of our country’s freedoms, and the sacrifices others have made defending them. I can unequivocally say being in the military made a huge difference in becoming the woman I am today. It is not to say a woman has to be trained by the military to appreciate and/or own and shoot guns, but I still have fond memories of the M-16A2 service rifle with old iron sights. There is nothing compared to learning to shoot day in and day out – and it was all about you and your rifle. I memorized its statistics and range, I field stripped it, cleaned it and put it back together a million times over – I literally slept with it pretty soundly too, if you ask me.

I HAVE SINCE HONORABLY DISCHARGED from the Marine Corps, but have not stopped improving my shooting skills, and I now practice the art of tactical accessorizing. Much like

After college, Trexler joined the ranks of United States Marine Corps, which solidified her natural tendency towards patriotism and protecting people. On the left is her drill instructor Sgt. Parrish at her USMC graduation on Parris Island in South Carolina. americanshootingjournal.com 167

the awesome feeling of getting a new pair of heels, I felt like a newly crowned beauty queen when I was gifted an Eotech Holographic sight for my AR-15 – was it Christmas Day? Being fashion conscious, I can’t leave the house without my Emerson Karambit knife. For Valentine’s Day, I was the girl who got a Tiffany’s dog tag with my children’s and fiancée’s initials inscribed, as well as a Gerber Ghostrike blade to take down the mountain with me as I shred on my snowboard. Outstandingly, women are now influencing the firearms market, which at one point exclusively targeted male consumers. I’m proud to be one of these women. Not all people choose to carry a weapon. Some choose to carry nothing at all, and that’s OK in my eyes. This is one of the rights protected by the United States Constitution. Anyone can choose.

FOR ABOUT EIGHT YEARS, I was head of security for a restaurant/bar in the historic downtown district of Melbourne, Fla. Closing in the dark and very early hours of the morning, I was grateful for my Second Amendment rights, as I retrieved my

After honorably discharging from the Marine Corps and spending several years in security, not to mention becoming a mother, Trexler wasn’t finished.

She put herself through the law-enforcement academy in Florida.

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It was clear in the academy that Trexler was not only serious but skilled, taking second place in a shooting competition – second only to a former Army Ranger. It would be hard to beat that guy, no matter who you are.

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a .40-caliber that can be worn on the waistband of my yoga pants and offers the luxury of a low recoil. The fact that two perfect worlds – gun carry and yoga pants – collide with my 5.11 range/yoga pants solidifies that women have made their presence known and manufacturers are listening.

As a strong supporter of our Second Amendment rights, not only does Trexler enjoy shooting as a hobby, she is often found armed to the teeth in daily life. The bad guys would choose poorly if they targeted her.

Smith & Wesson M&P Shield from the safe and headed for home. While the current debate on the legal right to carry intensifies, the number of women who are choosing to bear arms is increasing exponentially. My Shield is a prime example of this; gun manufacturers continue to increase products geared towards the ladies. After all, it’s

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IN BETWEEN HAVING my son and daughter, I chose to attend the police academy, ultimately achieving my law-enforcement certificate. It was during one of these academy days that I found myself competing against a fellow veteran – former 1st Battalion Army Ranger Nicholas Worthy (see American Shooting Journal’s Behind The Badge feature Heart Of Bronze in the July 2015 Issue) – in the tactical shooting challenge. Even though I took second in that competition, it was that decorated ranger who took first. He is now a field training officer with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office in Florida and my handsome fiancée. Our beliefs run parallel – whether you are purple, minion blue, male or female,

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everyone is equal.

The Second Amendment, by varying degrees depending on the state, has recently led to a controversial topic – open carry. In Florida, legislators are introducing bills that would allow citizens to carry weapons openly. In my own rationale, any person who carries a gun also bears the very heavy yet necessary burden to carry responsibly.

This responsibility extends to whether I carry openly or concealed. However, if Florida does pass open-carry laws, I just might be able to accessorize a few new holsters that would match my daily wardrobe.

As my wardrobe collection expanded, I found a convenient place for my Heckler & Koch P2000 SK .40, which is now secured under my steering wheel. It’s kind of the same to me as Burberry in the fashion world, and I love them both. There are plenty of other mothers like me, such as my children’s godmother, Deputy Michelle Sweet.

She works for the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office and was a stay-at-home mother for 10 years. One day, she put on a pair of combat boots, pulled up her hair and enrolled alongside me in the academy. Deputy Sweet’s importance to the law-enforcement field is magnified because she is a woman and her leadership cannot be overstated.

Because of women in strong roles and their resilience in a historically male-dominated career, other women confidently set their sights on similar positions, and are getting the opportunity to serve alongside male

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A mother of two and engaged to marry former Army ranger Nick Worthy – the man she met in the police academy who bested her in a shooting competition – Trexler is at the top of her game these days and a great person for ladies who want to be inspired.

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counterparts in all areas of formerly male-only jobs, including military combat roles, SWAT teams and other special operations units. This is proof that we as a society are evolving when it comes to understanding the capabilities women possess.

IN 1788, RICHARD HENRY LEE proclaimed, “To preserve liberty, it is essential the whole body of people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them ... ” It is pertinent that those of us who carry and train with weapons aid in the next generation’s safety, so mothers like us will practice, as well as teach our children the importance of gun safety and awareness. What is the best part of being friends with other mothers who carry? I don’t need to discuss why I just locked my purse up in her safe and opened that bottle of wine for a girl’s night in. The responsibility to maintain our guns in a safe manner falls directly on our shoulders.

Practicing safety is paramount; there is no room for error.

When it comes to shooting, my family-owned Armalight AR-10 will always leave me smiling like I’m back cheering on the football field. My Burris 8-32x44 scope is excellent at spotting the rounds I’m sending down range. After all, it’s a long, long walk to that target. That unmistakable sound of a .308 or 7.62x51 will turn heads like a woman in a red dress.

What’s so exciting about our present day is there is no longer a norm for how things should be. Our rights protected under the Constitution are applied equally to

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everyone, as they should be MY NEXT MISSION IS LAW SCHOOL, although now that military infantry divisions are open to women, a girl could be tempted.

Going forward, I’ll be keeping a close watch on the evolution of new gun laws that may allow firearms to be carried on school campuses. Human beings have an inherent right to protect ourselves, our families and our properties. Our founding fathers placed such importance on this, it is second only to my freedom of speech.

Our first president, George Washington, declared, “Firearms stand next in importance to the constitution itself … They are the American people’s liberty ... ” The Bill of Rights is just as ingrained within my veins as my blood type. The Second Amendment, withstanding all opposition thus far, still remains to ensure that individuals who wish to bear arms can do so. And with that, the numbers of women who choose to legally own, carry and shoot guns will continue to multiply.

THE REASONS A WOMAN CHOOSES to carry are often as diverse as women themselves. But for me, I carry because I choose to be a wife and mother who will always be at the ready; to fiercely guard and protect those I love. I’m the woman who chooses to accessorize with an extended mag in my everyday carry, because the cop I’m marrying just simply wouldn’t fit in my purse.

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