SURE SHOTS MAG | ISSUE 18 | Sept 2016
14 FEATURE
GOOD GIRLS GONE BAD Niki Jones and Rachea Pendley give their account of some serious—and scary!— simunitions training.
22 FEATURE
Blindsighted Blind Sure Shot Nikki Nobles describes the steps she is taking to ensure her self-protection.
TRAINING 06 TAKING AIM AT WOMEN SHOOTERS 08 THe sure shots ar-15 build project: Sure Shot Leia builds a 300BLK 10 mini sure shots training day 2016 13 one to watch: faith collier
Feature pictorial by dustin meyer 26 1 4-year-old competitive shooter and sure shot Kyleigh Hayworth proves that she ain’t afraid of the big bad wolf (or anything else)!
LIFESTYLE 32 style me tactical: Camo streetwear 34 Recipe: Wild Boar Tacos 37 Women in the Industry: lucretia free 39 dream job: getting into the firearms industry
Photo by Niki Jones.
41
GOTTA GET: the coolest bar set ever
REVIEWS 43 silynx clarus pro 44 BURKETT 3GN-S 47 G-Sight Laser Training Cartridge KYLEIGH HAYWORTH’S AR-15, customized by Archer Mfg.
FROM THE EDITOR
M
y favorite part of the year has always been the change from summer to autumn. Every year, come September, I get super-invigorated, inspired, and especially motivated to get out there and train! While it was ridiculously hot (after 11 summers in Texas, I still can’t seem to get used to the heat), we certainly didn’t pack away our guns and gear—there were plenty of matches, and this summer the Sure Shot Junior shooters REALLY made huge strides—their accuracy and speed has been improving by leaps and bounds. Two of these shooters are featured in this issue: our covergirl Kyleigh, who is a 14-year-old 3-Gun competitor and just an all-around cool kid, and Faith Collier, our just-turned-11-yearold competitive shooter who has been nailing sub-four-second stages at Steel Challenge matches. Faith is one-half of the famous “Collier Gun Girls,” whose videos are taking the internet by storm, so make sure y’all check them out!
We’re extremely excited to explore one aspect of shooting we don’t often see addressed anywhere: shooting by the blind. One of our Austin Sure Shots shares with us in this issue what it’s like to create a personal defense plan while lacking sight completely. The effortlessly-cool Style Me Tactical blog author Emily Valentine gives us some Do’s when it comes to wearing camouflage in everyday life. And since autumn marks the beginning of hunting season, it was perfect timing for us to share an exclusive and delicious recipe for wild boar tacos. There are already so many phenomenal events on the calendar, and we have so much planned. We cannot wait to report back in our next issue. But until then, we hope you enjoy this one.
Shoot straight! -Niki
Faith Collier and me goofing off at the Sure Shots picnic Best cover shoot team ever! Carrin Welch, Kyleigh Hayworth, me, Jenna Johnson, Dustin Meyer.
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Photos by Niki Jones, Emily Valentine, and Donna Hayworth.
Style Me Tactical’s Emily Valentine always looks cool, especially when she’s hitting the range.
Founder and editor-in-chief
Niki Jones associate editor and webmaster
Carrin Welch Copy Editor
Jenna Johnson Content Lead
Becca Spinks contributors
Cassandra Aitken Faith Collier Lucretia Free Donna Hayworth Kyleigh Hayworth Amanda Lynn Mayhew Miranda Stadnisky Mayhew Dustin Meyer R. Kent Morrison Leia Mutchler Nikki Nobles Ken Nobles Wendy Ogle Mike Pendley Rachea Pendley Rae Urwin Emily Valentine Jessica Aline Wright
Sure Shots Magazine is a free publication. For submission requirements, email sureshotsmagazine@gmail.com All content Š2016 Sure Shots Magazine. No part of the magazine may be reprinted or duplicated without permission. Visit us online at sureshotsmag.com. For ad sales contact SureShotsMagAds@gmail.com.
TAKING
AIM
AT
WOMEN SHOOTERS BY ama n d a ly n n may he w
Why do women make such good hunters and shooters? Ask a gentleman this question at any seminar and their answer will be “patience.” I am not sure if I agree with that, as I personally have no patience. I think women are dedicated to proving their worth in the male-dominated sports of hunting and shooting. There seems to be even more motivation to stand up (or sit in a treestand) and say, “I can do this and I am going to show you!” Within the media, women always seem to be proving themselves, and hunting has been no different. I remember 15 years ago I was stopped in the bush in Northern Ontario and asked where my husband was. I replied with, “I am not married and I am here solo.” The look on the male hunters’ faces was pure astonishment; they were surprised that I was even walking in the bush alone. Now, had they been my hometown boys, there would have been no surprise, as me hunting alone is a regular sight. In my experience when it comes to educating women about firearms, I’ve found that women are incredible at following instructions (and happen to be very accurate shooters). The enthusiasm they exude is contagious, which inspires other women to follow suit and jump in on the sport. Women’s bodies are built differently than men, with wider hips and a lower distribution of weight, which provides us with more balance and control. History proves that just because fewer women shoot guns doesn’t mean that we aren’t a force to reckon with when we are properly trained. There are many different opinions in this subject and I asked a few female shooters to share their own opinions on this topic...
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“I think women are often more compassionate and not willing to risk poor shots. We would rather wait to guarantee a good shot, than risk injuring an animal. I think patience comes in to this as well, and we have the patience to make that decision. Not that many men wouldn’t as well, but for myself, I would rather lose than chance the shot. I think there is also a certain sense of attention to detail that woman have that add to success in our shots.” - Cassandra Aitken
“In my shooting experience, the pressure of proving myself in a typicallymale environment really helped. Knowing that all those eyes were on me expecting a mistake or a miss helped me to focus on perfecting my shot on the military range. Later on, just shooting for sport, I found the quiet meditative state was easier to achieve because I was used to being around a noisy household full of kids, and learned how to tune out background noise.” - Miranda Stadnisky Mayhew
“90% of the people I’ve taught how to shoot over the past six years have been women, and I will say that compared to men, they are WAY more methodical, and seem to have an inherent desire to listen and do it right.” - Niki Jones
“ Multi-tasking comes naturally to most women and it is a critical skill in shooting. Aiming, breathing, posing are all necessary elements of proper shooting.” - Amanda Lynn Mayhew
Photos courtesy of Amanda Lynn Mayhew, Rae Urwin, and Niki Jones.
“Women have a fine attention to detail when it comes to keeping their equipment clean, maintained and all particulars taught when learning are well paid attention to. Women tend to have extended patience so waiting for that perfect shot is almost a personal challenge for us. As a woman in a male dominated industry, I always find I challenge myself more to be just as good if not better than the man I compete with.” - Rae Urwin
sureshotsmag.com | 7
THE SURE SHOTS
AR-15
Build
Project
The Sure Shots AR-15 Build Project is an ongoing project where the ladies of the Sure Shots build our own rifles—basically, our “dream guns!” Featured here is Sure Shot Leia’s 300 Blackout, which is comprised of the following: Delta Team upper receiver Delta Team 16” fluted barrel Delta Team 12” handguard Delta Team MIL-SPEC tube kit Lower Parts Kit from donated parts 3D-printed Nylon CF grip with trigger guard 3D-printed steel muzzle brake 80% lower: Tactical Machining Sights, BCG and Gas block and tube: had on-hand
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“ familiar platform Due to the
and
ease of use
of the modern sporting rifle, I decided to build a
300 Blackout.
Photos courtesy of Leia Mutchler.
I find the caliber interesting because it’s an
effective hog-hunting round and it’s very
easy to suppress.” sureshotsmag.com | 9
JESSICA, 13 JENNA, 13
ANNA, 10 CHLOE, 11
KYLEIGH, 14
VIVIAN, 13 BECCA, INSTRUCTOR
FAITH, 11
VANESSA, 10
NIKI, INSTRUCTOR MEG, 8
JENNA, 9
KATE, 4
Mini SURESHOTS STORY AND PHOTOS BY CARRIN WELCH
Austin Sure Shots has a lot of moms with kids, so it’s no surprise that these responsible gun-owning parents want to share their love of shooting with their kids. I think we can all agree that it is incredibly important to teach kids of all ages about firearms safety; it takes away the “mystery” and encourages healthy respect of firearms. Our Sure Shots Junior Shooters program (nicknamed “Mini Sure Shots”), started as exactly this—a way for our ladies to get guidance and instruction for their kiddos. Whether they’re just starting to learn about gun safety or they’re moving into the shooting sports, we have instructors and sponsors who get together and host a special training day at the range for these young ladies. It’s even become an annual tradition; this year was our fifth year, hosted by the firearms training and security company BSG Security Services. This summer’s event was a typically hot Texas summer day on the range, but all 11 of the girls who attended were total champs and toughed it out! The event is always a family affair, as parents must attend too—after all, it’s important that everyone in the family treat firearms safely and with respect. All the parents, kids, and instructors had a really good time, and it’s clear that everyone enjoyed the friendship and camaraderie. This year we had some special guests: French journalist Delphine Bauer and photographer Moland Fengkov braved the heat with the girls and spent the day on the range talking to everyone about the part that firearms play in their lives, and everyone was thrilled to see the results: a beautiful story and spread in the French magazine Madame Figaro. 10 | sure shots mag | issue 18
Story on the Sure Shots in Madame Figaro
“I really liked getting to spend so much time with my shooting friends. The best training of the day for me was to remember that my shooting stance can change how I shoot. If I’m standing bad, my shot will tell on me.” —Vanessa Aguilar, 9
“I liked how the coaches split us up into two different groupsnew shooters and competitive shooters. That way, each group could each train to their own skill levels.” —Kyleigh Hayworth, 14
“The 2-gun drill was my favorite part of training camp because I liked practicing disengaging and engaging the safety and making quick transitions. Coach Becca helped me improve my speed and accuracy.” —Faith Collier, 11
“The best part of the Mini Sure Shots Training Day was learning the appropriate standing position when shooting an AR-15. All of the coaches were so patient and supportive. It was a really fun day, and I’m so thankful for the Sure Shots!” —Jenna Jones, 13
“I liked learning how to do the double tap! The Sure Shots camp was fun because I got to meet new people!” — Jenna Collier, 9
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ONE TO WATCH
FAITH
COLLIER BUDA TEXAS Age: 11 Grade: 5th Age started shooting: 9 Competes in: Steel Challenges and local steel competitions. “I hope to start competing in 2-Gun and any other competitions that will allow 22lr real soon.” Competition gun: Ruger 22/45 Favorite gun and why: “My favorite gun is Ruger SR22, because I’m comfortable handling it, shooting it, and it was my first gun.” Future goals for shooting: Continuing to be safe, improve accuracy and speed Future non-shooting goals: Get accepted into the United States Air Force Academy Other hobbies: Choir, dance, Girlstart, student council
Photo by Carrin Welch.
Sponsors: Austin Sure Shots, Sure Shots Magazine, Red’s Indoor Range, High Speed Gear, Lantac USA, Froglube, BSG Security Services, Hard Core Tactical, On Your 6 Designs
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story by Niki Jones and Rachea Pendley Photos by Rachea Pendley, Mike Pendley and Niki jones
“Hey. I got a job for you.
Wanna be a bad guy?” It’s not the question you’d expect to get from a law enforcement officer. But it certainly was intriguing... The invitation had good intent. Mike Pendley, a local police officer who also works as a firearms instructor for HEX Tactical Resources and assists with Sure Shots training classes, needed several volunteers for an upcoming Active Shooter training collaboration that would benefit a few local police departments. The job? Be a bad guy for a day and let the good guys shoot at you. Two of the Sure Shots answered the call of duty, and this is their after-action account of the most badass volunteer job. Ever.
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Niki: YES. HELL YES. Yes yes yes. YES! Rachea: I’ll do it, as long I don’t get shot in the ass this time. Niki: Honestly, I couldn’t wait. I had been a big fan of Simunitions training since I first did it in 2013. I’m forever recounting to the Sure Shots how the first time those rounds started flying at me, I’d about lost my mind, along with every tactic skill I’d acquired. Rachea: That’s exactly why Simunition training is so important. It puts you into a realistic force-on-force scenario and you really have to brain your way through the observational awareness, the adrenaline, the tactics, and ultimately, there’s the decision on whether or not to use deadly force. You add it all up, and that’s a HUGE amount of mental processing that police officers have to go through when they’re in a situation with an armed suspect, or multiple suspects. This training is vital to their success if they get into an active shooter situation while on the job. Niki: We rolled in to Taylor, Texas —population of 15,000— bright and early one sweltering July morning, ready to rock. The scene: an old abandoned high school building that the city of Taylor still uses for situations like this. Rachea: …and random senior activities like quilting and folk dancing.
Niki
Niki: Yeah, oddly enough, that was going on downstairs while we were upstairs having shootouts. Awkward!
Niki: Regardless of their time in, we were about to put them all through the equalizer: active shooter scenarios. Rachea: —where they’d be forced to deal with US! Each scenario would require them to go in—either solo or in teams— and they would be tested on their weaknesses and strengths in the given situation. Niki: After getting acquainted with the teams— Rachea: —which kind of went along the lines of, “Hi, I’ll be shooting you today, sorry in advance!” Niki: —our trainers and fellow volunteers set up the first drill. Rachea: The first run-through was a dry drill, just to polish up some tactics. Niki: Teams of four rotated into a mock office where we set up a scene of an active shooter in progress. On this first go-round, we[bad guys] simply stood in our locations and allowed the officers to assess the situation while applying their tactical training as a team.
Rachea
Rachea: Even though we weren’t firing any rounds in this scenario, it was easy to see what weaknesses some of the officers had. Niki: The most common was failure to engage, or having a timid approach. Mike set to correct this immediately and the officers improved ten-fold.
Rachea: And when we say ‘correct,’ we really mean that Mike used us in an example where he went from goodhumored instructor to full-on-beast-modeRubber from the face mask mixed with sweat gunny-sergeant-yelling-machine, without Niki: Totally. Anyway, the building was is supposed to be good for your skin, right? pretense. “ON THE GROUND, HANDS in pretty bad shape. UP, DO IT NOW, DO IT NOW!” The effect took flinching to a new level— everyone in the room was shocked by Rachea: The place has really fallen into disrepair, and it’s superMike’s Jekyll-and-Hyde effect, and honestly, that was exactly the idea: evident in many of the rooms on the second floor, which made our Speed, Surprise, Controlled Aggression, and Violence of Action. training all the more intense. Rachea: It was a little awkward having the whole ‘oh, don’t mind us’ disclosure as we were getting started.
Niki: It absolutely looked like something out of a horror movie production. Rachea: Fallen-in ceiling tiles, deteriorated, water-stained concrete walls, scratched dirty windows…
Niki: Assertive commands and controlled aggression can make the difference when a suspect is deciding to comply or fight. It’s important that the officers learned to utilize this tactic to their advantage. Rachea: Made me want to comply. Immediately. No questions asked!
Niki: And no A/C!
Niki: No joke! Then, after that introduction to being assertive, it was show time!
Rachea: Yeah, that sucked. But it made me appreciate the dedication of these officers even more. They were really ready to learn, no matter the environment we were in.
Rachea: That’s when the training got a little more real. Niki: This is when we got to break out the Sims.
Niki: After being triple-checked for weapons and ammo (a simple but brilliant system where each person that checks you secures a different colored zip tie to your shoe, for a total of three), we went in and met the various teams from different local police departments. There were a total of 28 participants, and it was nice to see several women among them.
Rachea: Safety, first though. We had to spend a few minutes pulling on our super-sexy protective gear. Long sleeves, long pants, Kevlar vests…
Rachea: They all had different levels of experience: some guys had been on the force for over 20 years, and one of the ladies had only been out of the academy for two days.
Rachea: Did we already mention there was no A/C?
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Niki: … topped off with 5.11 Hard Time gloves, protective hoods with built-in goggles, and wrap-around neck guards.Thick, heavy… and sweaty.
Niki: There needs to be a word for “hot,” multiplied by a million—
Rachea asseses her position in the auditorium.
The training location looked like it was straight out of a horror movie. The tables are turned as Niki gets to play the part of law enforcement in this scenario.
sureshotsmag.com |  17
Niki surprises a female officer during “The Gauntlet.”
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l a c i t c a t e h t d a h s y u g d a s b e e n o W e h t e r e w e W . e g a t n … a t i v a ad w n i g n i y l , g n i k c i r t , g . n e i s o l hid o t g n i h t o n d a h e w d n a
“
”
sureshotsmag.com | 19
Rachea: —gazillion—and that doesn’t even account for the anxiety we were about to ramp up.
Niki: Since there’s no ‘by-the-book’ scenario, we tried to mix it up for each group that came through.
Niki: Once we were all suited up, it was time for the first run: “The Gauntlet.”
Rachea: It was the officers’ opportunity to observe, assess, and decide on an action, given the situation. Some scenarios started with us bad guys arguing loudly in the middle of the room, and paying no heed to the officers as they arrived. We would mouth-off, be noncompliant, and we would split off in different directions when the officers approached, making a ‘run for it.’ Some of us bad guys were just runners, but one or two of us might be armed and fire on the officers. In several scenarios, I fully embraced my inner miscreant and screamed“I’ll make you famous!” while getting into the officers’ faces with my cell phone. One of the teams did an excellent job taking me down (not shooting me) and detaining me so I wasn’t distracting them while they cleared the rest of the room.
Rachea: I think you and I can agree that this was our favorite. Niki: Definitely my favorite! One-by-one, each officer had to emerge from the holding room and make their way down a long, dark hallway, looking for and engaging possible armed suspect or suspects. Rachea: That was us; we hid in doorways and in the shadows of corners, ready and waiting. Niki: As the officers crept down the hall in their deliberate search for us, you could sense their terror. Rachea: It’s the “haunted house effect”—they know something bad is going to pop out, they just don’t know what it’ll be and when it will manifest itself. As the bad guys, we had to force these officers to overcome their instinct to hesitate or freeze with anxiety by introducing them to their own emotional response in the safety of the training environment; so if (and when) it happens in the real world, they already know what it feels like and how they can work through it. It’s called stress inoculation. Niki: My first “inoculation victim” in the Gauntlet did a great job. As he approached my position, I popped out to fire upon him, and he immediately shot back in response. It was one of the few hits I received the whole day—a close-range shot to my bicep that really left a mark. But he got my bullet in his belly button. Yowch! Rachea: Even though Simuntions rounds are non-lethal, it completely sucks to get hit. Sims are made out of a hard, colored soap pressed into a plastic projectile and they’re fired from speciallydesigned guns that look and feel like the officer’s duty guns. Different shooters can use different colored sims rounds to help track hits and accuracy when the drill is over. Niki: So there wasn’t any hiding whether or not we were hitting our marks. Rachea: I always feel a little guilty surprising and shooting at the trainees—at least, at first. After a few runs through the Gauntlet, you remember that you’re there to give them something to think about, and you can start embracing the bad-guy job description a little more. Niki: After a few hundred rounds, I really felt like I was able to improve on my point-shooting skills! Rachea: So evil!! But, yeah. It was a bit of a point-shooting perk. Niki: After lunch and a ton of hydration, we moved into the school’s auditorium where we were really able to stretch into the bad guy roles. Rachea: We started most of the auditorium run-throughs by breaking the officers into teams of four. The officers were staged in the holding room, and they were given minimal “radio chatter” details about a possible active shooter in a school. Rather than a long hallway, like the Gauntlet, the auditorium runs were set up to give our good guys a chance to clear a large, open room, and engage and diffuse multiple threats within.
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Niki: I’m going to fully admit that being one of the bad guys in these scenarios was really, really fun. I hate even saying that, because the reality of what the training was actually for has nothing— NOTHING—fun or funny or lighthearted about it. But I did understand that from a psychological standpoint, in order to be effective, we had to proceed with suspension of disbelief (*believing a premise which you would never accept in the real world). Rachea: In most of the scenarios, the officers were able to quickly determine who the most pressing bad guys were and eliminate us, if it was necessary. But there were a few officers that we ended up being able to shoot because they hesitated or got distracted. Being shot in the training environment opens up a huge opportunity for them to build a new mindset, so there are no judgments. Only learning. Improving. That’s the hard part. As bad guys, we had the easy part! Niki: The simple explanation of why it was easier is this: We bad guys had the tactical advantage. We were the ones hiding, tricking, lying in wait… and we had nothing to lose. Rachea: We didn’t have any rules. The officers did—they had to concern themselves with team safety, areas of responsibility, and making sure they used the appropriate amount of force when identifying and engaging a threat. It’s a lot. And believe it or not, we weren’t done adding to the list of stuff for them to deal with. Niki: We used the rest of the day running additional drills; one set of drills involved scenarios where the officers would not only have to eliminate an active-shooting situation, they would also have to save one of their own. Rachea: Anyone who remembers the Hollywood Bank Shootout knows that officers can just as easily become victims; these scenarios where created to force a team to handle a critically wounded team mate; all while being fired upon themselves. Niki: This was the great thing about a collaborative training effort. Prior to these scenarios, the Taylor Fire Department and local EMS Tac Medics stepped in and led a mini-course in self-aid/buddy-aid for the officers. Rachea: So, during the drills, the officers had a chance to break out chest seals, combat gauze, and tourniquets and they got to practice utilizing them under duress (courtesy of the bad guys shouting threats and randomly firing shots). I hope they never need to do it, but if they ever need to put a tourniquet on a partner (or even themselves), they now know how it looks and feels to do so. Afterall, if an officer goes down in an active shooter situation, no one comes into save them – they have to save themselves.
Niki: As the day came to a close, there was one more scenario we needed to run. Rachea: Even after all the drills of the day, the last one was the most intense. Niki: Mike and the other instructors decided to let us switch roles with the officers, and let them be the bad guys and we got to be the good guys. Rachea: Karma time… Niki: They set up the scenario into the auditorium and we went in as a team. IT. WAS. TERRIFYING. Rachea: Heart racing, quick breathing, sweat everywhere. Niki: I completely hesitated going in to the auditorium, and lagged behind the rest of the team for a beat as they went in and engaged. Suddenly, I felt like a jerk for having mentally armchairquarterbacked the timid approach of some of the officers back on the very first drills of the day.
Rachea: I’m grateful to have had a chance to gain the officers’ perspective. Pushing into a room where people are being injured by unknown assailants pretty much goes against every survival instinct a human has. The pressure of making split-second decisions that could make or break your life is enormous, and I think that this part of an officer’s job description goes completely unappreciated. Niki: While it’s a sad reality that there is a need in this day and age for reality-based active shooter training, it’s great to know that there are some real solid programs for officers out there, and even better that great instructors, like my friend Mike, are teaching them. Rachea: I’m so glad that Mike invited us to take part in helping these officers hone their skills. We don’t expect these officers to leave perfect – but after dealing with us, I think they’ll definitely leave as better versions of themselves.
* Source: mediacollege.com
Apprehended! Officers take down the shooters in the auditorium.
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BlindSIGHTED BY NIKKI NOBLES
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SHOoTING
WITHOUT
SIGHT AUSTIN SURe SHOT NIKKI NOBLES isn’t letting anything get in the way of self-protection.
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Hi, my name is Nikki.
I’m a wife, a mother, and a grandma.
I’m 39 years old.
I am also
totally blind. I was born a preemie and was visually impaired from birth—my left eye never worked, and I wore coke-bottle-thick glasses growing up. Needless to say, I was bullied quite often. At age 17, I was diagnosed with glaucoma and told that I would go totally blind at some point, as there is no cure for glaucoma. I graduated high school in 1996 and went on to study at a community college in Beeville, Texas. I was pursuing my dream of working in law enforcement and with children, studying criminal justice and child development. My ultimate goal was to work for the FBI. When I was 22 years old, I noticed my vision was getting considerably worse, so I moved to Austin, because there were more resources for the blind. Upon arriving, I went to work for the Austin Lighthouse for the Blind. It was there that I realized I was not alone, and was not a freak. I met my first husband at the Lighthouse, and shortly thereafter, I got pregnant with my daughter, Jessica. My sight continued to get worse. Jessica was 13 months old, and the pressure and pain in my right eye was excruciating. I went to my eye doctor and he sent me to the hospital, where they put a valve in my eye, and when I woke up, I was blind. While still maintaining a job and being a parent, I managed to go to Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center to learn how to survive and function as a blind person. It was a whole new world. When Jessica was four years old, her father and I divorced, and I moved to Corpus Christi for a few years. Prior to moving, I had met my current husband Ken at the Lighthouse, and we maintained a friendship. After his divorce a few Nikki puts her husband Ken in a submission hold while daughter Jessica looks on.
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years later, we started dating, and I moved to Kyle, where Ken and I bought a home together with my daughter and his son, Michael. We married a year later. Shortly after combining our families, we went looking for a martial arts school for Jessica, and while talking with the instructor, Jayson Pena of Street Smart Self-Defense, I told him that I had not been able to find anyone to teach me because of the blindness. Jayson said if I was willing to try, so was he, and we began what turned into a great success. I’ve now been training with him for almost four years, and now we are like family. Jayson and I discovered what worked for me and what did not, and we also discovered that there were no programs for the blind like the MMA that I was training, so Jayson, my husband and I started Blind Sighted Self-Defense System. Blind Sighted Self-Defense System is geared mainly for the blind, but can be taught to the sighted as well. When the student is blind, the cane is used as a weapon. The training program we developed consisted of the boxing, kickboxing, joint locks, ground defense, knife and Filipino stick, as well as using elbows, knees and shins like a Thai fighter. I utilize my white cane in as much of my training as possible, since the cane acts as my eyes, and I do not let it go. As a woman with a disability, I am not at all defenseless. Training in the martial arts has given me the confidence to know that I am able to protect myself. My husband has been shooting firearms his whole life, and one Sunday two years ago, he decided to go to the range. I asked if I could go along, so we went to Red’s Indoor Range in Austin. On almost a whim, my husband asked the range officer if I would be allowed to shoot, and they said yes, as long as he was with me, so my first time shooting was a Ruger .22. Look at those shots! Nikki’s very first shooting lesson.
Training photo by Wendy Ogle. Other photos by Niki Jones.
In May of 2016, my husband was training with Central Texas Combatives Training Group and noticed a young lady wearing an Austin Sure Shots shirt, making a connection to a banner he had seen at Red’s Indoor Range. Becca Spinks, one of the Sure Shots leaders, and a competitive shooter, encouraged Ken to bring Jessica, now 13 years old, to shoot with the Sure Shots. A week later, we took her to her first Sure Shots practice, and Sure Shots Founder Niki Jones promptly took Jessica under her wing and began teaching her how to shoot well. The next week, something even more noteworthy happened: One of the Sure Shots instructors, Kent Morrison with BSG Security Services, took me under his wing and began to teach me how to shoot as well. Each week, Kent and I work on drills that are customized for me. We are constantly discovering new ways to help determine what works for me, and due to the Sure Shots (and Kent’s) guidance and training, I have hit a bulls eye two weeks in a row with a Beretta U22 that my husband surprised me with for my birthday this past June! There are always going to be additional challenges I will face as a blind shooter, but we are consistently working on ways to determine what I am shooting at, what is beyond the target, whether the gun is loaded or unloaded, getting lined up on the target and sight alignment. Since I can’t see the sights, it requires lots of practice, repetition and muscle memory. Austin Sure Shots has accepted me completely, they don’t care that I’m blind. All the ladies have been welcoming, gracious and supportive, and proud of me! They, too, are beginning to feel like family. My motto is “I’m blind, not helpless,” and the ladies (and men) of the Sure Shots definitely agree!
Teaching a Blind Shooter
Teaching people is so much more about understanding how a student learns and what works for them. When I first had the opportunity to work with Nikki, I had not worked with a visually impaired student in a number of years. We both had a learning curve to master, and some variables to understand. My first task was to learn a bit about her condition. Was she totally blind, or did she have any sense of light/colors? She is totally blind. Had she always been blind, or had she lost her vision? She had lost her vision about 12 years ago. This helped me establish what I like to refer to as her “physical reality.” Some students are extremely flexible and some are stiff as boards. Some students are very strong and fit, and others less so. We all have a different physical reality, but everyone has the right to learn how best to provide for their own safety. Nikki’s case was no different. Her physical reality is that she cannot see and depends on her other senses to cruise through life. I had to develop a plan to teach her how to shoot using her heightened senses of hearing and touch, along with helping her learn some muscle memory techniques. We knew going in that this was never going to be about teaching someone to take long distance shots. This was about helping her expand her ability to defend herself and her family. She is already an avid practitioner of various martial arts skills, and good luck to anyone who closes in on her, thinking she will be an easy target! This helped immensely because it let me know she already had a defensive mindset, so all we had to do was help her to incorporate a firearm into her overall selfdefense plan. We started with an overview of the firearm. Her ability to manipulate it 100% by feel was critical. We spent time going over her selected pistol, making sure she understood where all the controls were located, how they functioned and how to determine the condition of the firearm solely by touch. I actually found myself closing my eyes and trying it by feel before explaining to her what it should feel like, and realized this helped me explain it in non-visual terms. I found her to be very good at understanding the mechanical aspects of what was happening with her firearm based on feel, so it made explaining the process much easier. Next, we worked on the feeling of how to hold the firearm in proper alignment to develop the muscle memory required to eventually inherently know where her shots were going to go. I did not
by R. Kent Morrison
deviate from the technique of bringing the gun to the level of her eyes, because even if she cannot see, she intrinsically knows where her eyes are. I wanted her to focus on repeatability and there seemed to be no value in teaching her to randomly hold the gun at some vague point in space in front of her body. It became an exercise in helping her get her arms, hands and her firearm into the exact same position time after time, so she could learn what it felt like to hold it in the right spot. Eventually this would translate into a variation of “point-shooting,” which is, in essence, the only type of shooting she will ever do. One task that was a bit more of a challenge was helping her learn what was happening with the end of the gun— the part that was past her grip. It is challenging enough for sighted shooters to get the bore of the barrel to the proper orientation. Without the visual clues the average shooter can take from the front sight, Nikki had to learn very tiny adjustments to her grip/ wrist angle in order to get the nice straight line of “sight” and to master the proper sight alignment we were working on. Make no mistake, I was not easy on her even from the start. I insisted she carry her own gear and fend for herself getting to and from the range. Having worked with blind shooters, I knew how to offer an elbow and guide her to the firing line, but she had to schlep her own equipment! I made sure she had a path, and always tried to provide a running commentary to aid in her learning, but she had to do the work. If I did too much for her, it would only be a disservice to our ultimate goal of self-reliance with shooting. When we reached the firing line, we used a trick I had picked up previously. I placed a small piece of tape in the very center of the bench, allowing Nikki to orient herself to the middle. Next we worked on getting her positioned so she was aiming at a 90-degree angle to the bench. This took some trial and error, but from the start, she was consistently making shots on target with a minimal amount of corrections from me. After each session on the firing line, we made sure to lay out her target and let her feel how close to the center her best shots were. I am still not sure who was more proud of some of her great shots—Nikki or me! I gave her tasks to work on at home. I suggested she work on her grip angle and repeatability of shooting stance. I suggested she use dummy rounds to work on loading, and she quickly became a pro at tasks, such as setting up her firearm and topping off her magazines. We have already talked about the next steps, and we hope to get to an outdoor range very soon. We plan on working with audible feedback of firing a .22 at steel plates and aiming for the gong. We are also going to repeat an often-taught drill in BSG classes of engaging from “zero distance,” which simulates drawing and engaging a threat from no more than an arms’ length. This drill already stresses striking the threat and “point shooting” from a close-hold position, so it will hopefully be one we can translate to someone who is already so adept at taking tactile clues. This has been an interesting and exciting teaching experience, and I hope Nikki has learned half as much as I have. It is always great to get outside your comfort zone, and I look forward to continuing the process.
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INTO THE
WOODS
PHOTOS BY DUSTIN MEYER
O
ver the river and through the woods, it takes skills for a girl to be able to defend herself from the Big Bad Wolf while bringing her basket of ammo to Grandma! Kyleigh Hayworth is a 14-year-old competitive shooter and an Austin Sure Shot. This Texas girl began shooting at age 8, and started competing in local steel competitions at the age of 13. Soon after, she began shooting 3-Gun and acquiring sponsors at lightning speed. Kyleigh is a high school freshman, taking pre-AP geometry and biology classes. When she’s not competing, she enjoys hunting, four-wheeling, shopping and hanging out with her friends. Featured in the photos are Kyleigh’s three competition guns: Beretta 1301 Comp 12 gauge shotgun customized by Hayes Custom Guns; Springfield Armory XD(M) 5.25” Competition Series 9mm; Custom-built Archer Mfg. AM-15.
Kyleigh’s impressive and ever-growing list of sponsors include Archer Mfg., High Speed Gear, Inc., Hard Corps Tactical, Estrada Tactical, Axelson Tactical, Team Never Quit, Veterans Family of Brands, Westone Audio, ESS Eye Pro, Seal_1, Vortex Optics, Ledwave USA, Austin Sure Shots and Sure Shots Magazine. Learn more about Kyleigh at kyleighshoots.com.
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Style Me Tactical
CAMO
STREETWEAR
I remember the days when camouflage clothing was limited to the likes of hunters & military personnel. The colors & patterns were harsh and aggressive while the style was all too masculine. Simply put, camo was not cute. Over the past ten years camouflage clothing has slowly made its way onto runways, and designers are reinventing the print to make it very fashionable. It’s now a justifiable fashion print and something I consider a neutral. The print has been updated and the colors are more muted, softer, and feminine. The key to wearing camo is all about how you style it. You obviously want to avoid wearing it head-to-toe, so pick an item and center your outfit around it. -Emily Valentine
1. Velvet by Graham & Spencer army vest The perfect all-season layering piece that will look great with jeans, shorts, skirts, and dresses. $209, nordstrom.com 2. Missguided clutch This purse has a chain strap, so it can be worn over the shoulder or used as a clutch. $32, missguidedus.com 3. Illesteva ‘Leonard II’ round sunglasses Switch your standard black- or tortoise-framed sunglasses for this fun camo pair. $290, nordstrom.com 4. Hudson Jeans ‘Nico’ ankle skinny jeans These jeans are so cute paired with ankle booties for going out with girlfriends or hitting the range. $198, nordstrom.com 5. Missguided Riot camouflage shorts Whether you’re hitting a weekend bbq, chilling on a boat, or just running errands these shorts will certainly keep you cool in more ways than one. $40, missguidedus.com 6. Alternative ‘Meegs’ racerbank tank This tank is adorable layered under a black blazer for happy hour. $32, nordstrom.com
7. MZ Wallace yoga bag Carry around your yoga mat in style with this carrier. $125, nordstrom.com 8. Aquazzurra Sexy Thing cutout sandal What better way to add some flair to your jeans or little black dress than with a hot pair of metallic camo heels? $595, neimanmarcus.com 9. Honeydew Intimates Terry sweatshirt and shorts This cute summer PJ set is perfect for lounging with your coffee on weekend mornings. $28, nordstrom.com 10. Topshop canvas shopper Everyone needs a good weekend tote, and this one is perfect for traveling or for a day of errands. $70, nordstrom.com 11. Zara bomber jacket Conquer Friday-night-cool with this patchwork bomber jacket. $70, zara.com 12.Topshop ‘Sandy’ camo-print shirt jacket A camo shirt jacket is another great layering piece to wear over a top or tied around the waist. $85, nordstrom.com
Check out the Style Me Tactical blog: stylemetactical.com | Follow Style Me Tactical on Instagram: @ stylemetactical
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Compiled and laid out by Style Me Tactical. *Some items may no longer be available.
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R A O B D L I W
S O C TA og i s h a ause c e b us? t o i s c u i de l ys j a e s b o t ’ SON Wh an JOHN c A N it N l by JE fe ra photo recip
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e an d
Ingredients
Directions
3 to 5 lbs. wild boar shoulder
Place the meat in a large bowl and pour over the buttermilk. Let it sit covered in the refrigerator overnight (this will help remove any “gamey” flavor). In the morning, rinse the excess buttermilk from the meat and place in a slow cooker. Add the chopped onion, garlic cloves, jalapeno peppers, salt & pepper. Pour over the bottle of beer (if you don’t like beer or don’t have any on-hand, you can substitute 2 1/2 cups of chicken broth with a tablespoon of vinegar). Put the lid on the slow cooker and leave it on the low setting for 9 to 10 hours. Once the pork shoulder is finished cooking, carefully scoop it from the slow cooker (it should be fall-apart tender). Shred the pork with two forks and serve on flour or corn tortillas. Top with your favorite toppings: sour cream, hot sauce, avocado, tomatoes, pico de gallo—whatever makes your mouth water!
2 to 3 cups of buttermilk 1 large onion, roughly chopped 4 to 5 cloves of garlic, whole, peeled 2 to 3 fresh jalapeno peppers 1 bottle of your favorite beer (the lighter the better) Salt and pepper to taste
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1 - 8 7 7 - H U N T- s a F ( 4 8 6 - 8 7 2 3 )
WOMEN in the INDUSTRY
Owner and Publisher OF The American Woman Shooter
LUCRETIA FREE
When we met Lucretia Free at SHOT 2016, we noticed her calm presence and professional demeanor, so it makes perfect sense that she has had a successful career in the publishing industry for 20 years and counting! —Niki Jones SSM: The mission of The American Woman Shooter, according to the website, is to “Positively change the perception of women that enjoy guns and expand the market by appealing to women who do not currently shoot.” How long has The American Woman Shooter been in business? LF: I began planning for the magazine in 2012. Our first issue was published in the fall of that year. SSM: Have you always been involved in the shooting/ tactical/firearms community? LF: No! I am a relatively new shooter. The first time I went to the range was in 2012. SSM: Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your background. LF: I’m from rural Ohio—a township of about 700 residents. I didn’t grow up around guns, but my father had a hunting rifle in the back of his closet that my sisters and I knew we were not to touch. I lived in San Francisco as a young parent, raising my kids, and my friends and I formed a parent support group where we discussed many issues regarding child rearing. I remember how we strategized to evade invitations from a mom known to have guns in the house. Fast-forward to Tucson, where I now live, and a friend invited me to go to the range. I thought he was nuts! Shooting a gun was the last thing I thought I would enjoy. I’m not proud of how I thought back then. I thought gun people must be crazy and guns were crazy. Nothing could have been further from the truth. This industry has been so welcoming and supportive. This interview is just one more example of that.
Photo courtesy of Lucretia Free.
SSM: What made you decide to start The American Woman Shooter? LF: Well, thank goodness, I did eventually go to the range with that friend, and it changed my life. I saw families, women with kids, couples, women’s groups, etc. I thought, why isn’t the story of the women I met at the range that day being told? Of course, my publication is not the first, or only, women’s gun magazine. I believe there is room for us all. Each one tells the story of the woman shooter from a slightly different perspective. We are all doing well! SSM: What is the best part of your job? LF: Without question, it is working with the amazing women featured in the publication. As a newer shooter, I recognize that am not qualified in terms of experience to teach women about shooting. I can speak to my own experience and share that with other new shooters. Also, I know how to produce a magazine from start to finish and find the women who do have the necessary expertise. I stand on the shoulders of so many who have gone before me. It is truly an honor.
SSM: If you could choose anyone, who would you pick as your mentor? LF: I don’t have a particular person selected, but I appreciate the collective wisdom and guidance from women who are the true pioneers in our industry. Some are well-known names and others will never be known. Today we have magazines, gun clubs… many resources by comparison. The women who started in the industry 50, 60 years ago are a true inspiration. The challenges they faced to be taken seriously were significant. They are my heroes. SSM: What is your primary weapon and why? LF: I have a Sig 2022 9mm, which I use at the range. I do not currently carry, but I enjoy shooting at the range on the weekends. Eventually, I want to learn to shoot long guns and would love a Syren rifle! SSM: What are some important lessons you have learned while running The American Woman Shooter? LF: I publish the local community newspapers in my area, so I have been in publishing for over 20 years. The lesson is always the same: Value your team. Appreciate them, support them, trust them. It is really that simple. SSM: What do our readers have to look forward to in the future from you? LF: I am thrilled to be launching WomanShooter.com, an online information center, this fall. There is a lot of wonderful information online for women who shoot. Too often it can be hard to find. I am working with women’s shooting magazines, gun clubs, instructors, etc., and pulling content together in an online resource. We have categorized content for women who have never shot a gun but want to, new shooters, competitive shooters and more. It is great to work with so many talented women! SSM: What is the best shooting advice you have been given that you feel might be important to share with our readers? LF: I was included as a “Game Changer” in Field & Stream’s August issue this year. I wasn’t careful enough about the picture I selected for inclusion. I chose a picture of me with an incorrect grip. This diminished a great article about women and the strides we have made in the industry. I immediately wrote a corrective piece on the importance of fundamentals. I hope new shooters learn from my mistake. SSM: Where do you see yourself in five years? LF: I’d like The American Woman Shooter to be known as a must-read magazine for women who love to shoot! SSM: And for our final question… If you could be any character in a movie to be, who would it be, and why? LF: One of my favorite movies is Hannah and Her Sisters. I have two sisters and very much relate to Mia Farrow’s character. She is the one who illuminates problems and helps to solve them. That’s what I like to do. sureshotsmag.com | 37
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DREAM JOB LANDING A GIG IN THE
FIREARMS INDUSTRY BY jessica aline wright
Photo courtesy of Jessica Aline Wright.
You always hear the stories of people starting their own business and making it a success. In the firearms industry, we hear of those amazing women who break the mold, but starting up these businesses isn’t what this story is about… Unless you have been living comfortably under a rock, or off the grid with no form of communication, you are aware that recently the price of oil again hit an all time low. This affected major oil’s project pipeline, so to speak, causing many canceled projects and budget cuts. This, in turn, made for job cuts. Being a Texan and living in a major oil city, I was flying by the seat of my pants when it came to my job security for quite sometime. I managed to make it through two rounds of lay-offs. Then it came. My boss came knocking on my door. “Hey, you got a sec?” Uh-oh. I knew it was coming. He shut the door, began to turn red, and was practically shaking. The higher-ups had decided on job cuts this time around, and unfortunately I didn’t make it. I remember leaving the office thinking what a sick April Fool’s joke! Yeah, that’s right: I was laid off on April 1st! Sadly, I never got a follow-up “APRIL FOOLS!” phone call or message. I left the office that day feeling shameful. I wasn’t bad at my job, and even people who had been there for 20-plus years were laid off. While I didn’t take it personally, my pride was still wounded. I had never been fired or laid off before. Most of my adult life, I had worked in finance or operations, and frankly, I was sick of it. Spending each and every moment of my day sitting at a desk, practically wasting away as I dreamed of shooting practice, my next match or just being around firearms was starting to wear on me. I was tired of being unhappy. Sure, I made good
money. I loved those that I worked with and was well taken care of, but I didn’t love what I did, which sometimes made for a feeling of being lost. I was waiting for that big breakthrough to happen, only for it to never come around. So, I made a vow to myself that April 1st that I wasn’t going to rush into the next job because I was desperate—I was going to get the job that I wanted and that I had been dreaming of in the industry that I love: firearms. While I waited and applied to almost every firearms I attended the company in this great nation, I focused on training for NRA Annual matches and all around practice. I attended the NRA Meeting in Annual Meeting in Kentucky with my resume printed Kentucky with out to hand out to companies. Everyone I saw, I hit up: my resume “You know of anyone looking for a job?” I threw the printed out line out there with the bait on the end, but never got a to hand out nibble. I started to get discouraged and began looking to companies. for non-industry jobs. Being the daughter of a business owner, I know the importance of supporting local businesses. In search for a new rifle for the 2017 shooting season, I began to hit up the local area builders. I got in touch with F-1 Firearms through a sponsored shooter of theirs. F-1 sent me to a local gun range that had one of their rifles on hand for me to try. Upon asking for said rifle, I was looked at as though I had two heads— apparently this “unicorn” rifle was not at this gun range for me to try out. I called F-1 Firearms to let them know, and they felt bad. Since they were not far from the gun range, they said I could swing by to try one out. After testing out their AR15 3-Gun model (which I wanted to casually walk out the door with) they asked, “Is there anything else we can do for you?” Now, if you know me, you know I am one of the most sarcastic, smart-mouthed people you will probably ever meet, and with that I replied, “Yeah, you can give me a job!” To my surprise, they were looking for someone. I emailed my resume to them before I even left the shop. I got a phone call about half an hour later, asking details of my resume. Later that evening, I received an email about coming in for an interview. My first day in shipping and receiving was the next Monday—August 1—exactly four months after I was laid off. Never give up on your hopes. Never give up on your dreams. They may not happen right away, or at the pace you want them to, but if you stick with it and don’t lose sight of what’s important to you, they will come true. So if someone tells you your smart mouth will get you in trouble one day, refer him or her back to my story and tell him or her in the most mature manner, “NUH-UH! Dreams do come true!”
Thank you to Lan and Michael for always letting me pick your brains and being such great mentors to me. Always, thank you to my amazing and supportive sponsors Trop Gun Shop, Vigilance Tactical, Nordic Components, Lucas Oil Outdoor Line, Warne Scope Mounts, Invictus Practical, Lantac USA, CMC Triggers, ESS Eye Safety Systems, Dissident Arms, Notchgear and Sure Shots. Facebook: facebook.com/powerhousemouse | Twitter: @powerhousemouse Instagram: powerhousemouse | YouTube: youtube.com/c/JessicaWrightpowerhousemouse
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Finally - A Firearms Course Designed Exclusively For The Thinking Woman
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GOTTA
GET When we saw this badass bar set from Lucky Shot USA, we not only had to have it, but wanted our readers to be able to have it too—and just in time for the holidays. Gun enthusiasts and whiskey afficianados alike will love this wall-mounted wood “Ammo” box, which includes a 30mm whiskey flask and three 30mm shot glasses, all made from once-fired 30mm autocannon rounds. It’s the perfect gift for the guy or gal who has everything—or, better yet, just buy it for yourself!
Photo by R. Kent Morrison.
The 30mm A-10 Warthog Cannon Round Bar Set with Flask and 3 Shot Glasses retails for $129.99 and is available at luckyshotusa.com.
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100-yard indoor range
redsguns.com
Photos by Niki Jones.
Silynx CLARUS PRO For the past six years I’ve been regularly shooting, I have been on what seemed like a never-ending quest for ear protection that I love. Originally I began with Howard Leight® Over-The-Head Impact™ Sport Earmuffs, and while I loved how they performed, the fit over my ears was never right—I happen to have very small ears—so, by midday I’d find myself adjusting the set constantly. Next I’d moved on to Peltor Tactical 100 Over-The-Head electronic earmuffs, and while the fit was much better, I’d still find myself switching to non-electronic SureFire EarPro Sonic Defenders Variable Noise Reduction Shooter’s Ear Plugs, which fit well (once I determined which size I was), but were frustrating because I couldn’t hear range commands as well as I could with electronic ear pro, understandably. Earlier this year, Silynx Communications, a company I had seen in passing at SHOT Show but didn’t know anything about, sent me a pair of Clarus Pro electronic hearing protection. I’ll admit that at first I was skeptical that they’d be comfortable in my small ears, as well as concerned the wire and battery pack/control might get in the way while I was moving and shooting. I was wrong on both. The Clarus Pro’s control unit, which is a battery compartment that takes just one AAA battery, is small and light enough that you don’t feel it when it’s clipped on to your person—I have worn it clipped to the back of my sports bra, as well as on the back of my pants. The clip is strong and doesn’t slide around or pull off easily. One button controls On/Off, as well as four different volume settings: Low, Medium, High, and “Super-Normal-Hearing” (a setting where you can practically hear a leaf hit the ground in the next bay). I prefer High volume. The technology is such that it cancels the noise of gunshots while amplifying any other noises (similar to most electronic ear protection). The audio on the Clarus Pro is extremely clear, and I have not heard any static or feedback during the 10-plus times I’ve used it since I received it. The foam ear tips, which are removable, come in two noise level options and three different sizes, and are available to buy separately (3 for $8.95), which I think is a great idea, as inner-ear-protection tends to get dirty quickly, especially on an outdoor range. The way the wire is positioned on the ear bud allows it to comfortably go over the top of your ear, and around the back, where the rest of the wire drops down. There is a “nape adjuster” to control the slack and position of the wires, so you don’t have them bouncing around as you move. I adjust them to come together right between my shoulder blades, so they don’t pull one side out when I turned my head. The Silynx Clarus Pro is the first set of hearing protection I’ve ever had where I am blissfully unaware of them throughout an entire day of shooting—the last time I wore them, the match had ended and I had taken all my gear off, packed up, and was heading to the car when someone had to remind me I still had them in. If THAT isn’t a testament to comfortable ear pro, I don’t know what is!
The ear bud fits comfortably and the wire is low-profile.
The entire unit fits in a neat little case.
Silynx Clarus Pro retails for $249 and are available at silynxcom.com. —Niki Jones sureshotsmag.com | 43
As a 3-gun newbie, I’ve quickly come to the to building the gun, the struggles of managing conclusion that it isn’t the kind of sport one simply a one-man business such as Predator Tactical, “ jumps into.” As it turns out, 3-gun is a very gearand the design upgrades currently underway on heavy hobby. In order to be truly competitive, one the new shotgun. Not only did Matt offer to help must first acquire a great deal of equipment, the me with achieving the gun’s maximum competimost important of which is three guns! I began tive potential, but he spent a full 45 minutes on my journey into 3-gun equipped with only a pistol the phone with me, offering me his advice on and an AR-15 rifle. A shotgun, however, seemed everything from ammo loads to dealing with frustratingly out of my reach. The price tag of a sponsorships. I ended the call with a new personal 3-gun-ready shotgun was easily $3000, well above internet domain (free of charge!) and a respect for what I was willing to spend at this point in my life. the ridiculous amount of effort required to bring a I spent the first several months of my 3-gun journew shotgun to the 3-gun market. ney borrowing shotguns from others. I shot a difNow that I’ve explained the backstory, I’ll get ferent shotgun at pretty much every match, which to the good stuff—the gun review! Most comI quickly learned makes shotgun competency very petition shotguns currently on the market are difficult to master. When I was offered a brand not truly competition ready right out of the box. new competition ready shotgun, the new Burkett Some critical additions and modifications are 3GN-S, from Predator Tactical at a discounted required to gain a competitive advantage. These rate, I was thrilled! Finally, I mods include an extended would have a shotgun to call my tube to allow the gun very own. “The gun was lightweight, to hold more rounds, a Predator Tactical was modified loading port to but to my surprise, had founded by Matt Burkett, a make loading faster and very little recoil.” well-known and highly decoeasier to accomplish on rated professional shooter often the move, an extended credited as being one of the very lifter in order to reduce first 3-gun shooters. Indeed, Matt was 3-gunning the risk of thumb injury while loading, and many before it was cool. Known for being blunt and more. Adding these upgrades to the stock shotguns unapologetic, he is a man with much to say about commonly used for competition can cost a lot the progression of the currently exploding sport of money and require you to send your gun to a we know as 3-gun. Several years ago, unimpressed shop and wait for the work to be completed. Matt with the shotguns currently offered on the comsought to solve this problem by offering a shotgun petition circuit, Matt set out to develop a superior that is truly ready to go right out of the box. The competition ready shotgun. His research and Burkett 3GN-S is painstakingly well-built and development efforts led him all the way to Turkey, with the exception of the stock and sights, includes a country well-known as a world leader in shotgun no injection molded or plastic parts anywhere production. Working with a team of engineers, on the gun. The safety is extended on both sides, the Burkett 3GN-S was developed, and a two-year making it easier and safer to engage quickly and struggle for Federal approval to enable him to sell while dumping it into a barrel. The barrel matethe gun in the states ensued. The 3-gun commurial has been designed with tremendous rigidity, nity waited somewhat impatiently for the Burkett allowing accurate shooting of slugs out to 100 3GN-S to hit the market. Red tape made for a yards (a common 3-gun match requirement). The bumpy journey down the road to successful imporBurkett 3GN-S is the only shotgun I’ve ever seen tation. Before too long, the shotgun had arrived in come with front and rear fixed fiber optic sights. the states. A rough prototype, Matt painstakingly This makes aiming incredibly easy, as there is identified several opportunities for improvement no need to line a bead up with the black vent rib and made his way back to Turkey to discuss design when making tough shots. One of my favorite updates with the team. features of the shotgun is the set of extended and Meanwhile, a few lucky souls here in the USA color-coded chokes included with the gun. Many had acquired the new prototype— myself includstock shotguns require the owner to purchase ed. The need for design upgrades was apparent, add-on, non-color-coded chokes that cost around even to a rookie such as myself. Thus began my $150 extra. These chokes often force the shooter to relationship with Matt Burkett. It started with a look down the barrel of the gun to determine the simple message to the Predator Tactical Facebook choke setting (no thanks!). With the color-coded page. I was promptly asked for my phone number, system, one glance tells you all that you need to and to my surprise, received a personal call from know about the expected spread of your shot. In Matt soonafter. I learned all about his journey addition, the knurling makes it easy to install and 44 | sure shots mag | issue 18
Photos courtesy of Flashbang. Photo courtesy of Predator Tactical.
BURKETT 3GN-S
very own shotgun, I sent the gun back to Matt’s shop so he could further upgrade the gun free of charge. Among the design improvements identified by the team in Turkey were an extended lifter, further modification of the loading port, and a stainless steel monotube. For the hassle, Matt threw in a brand new tactical black receiver, reanodized the gun, and laser engraved it for me at no charge! Predator Tactical is currently in the process of expanding their color selections for the receivers, and charge only $100 for the color upgrade. Custom laser engraving (any design you can dream up) is also available, so you can make sure your gun stands out from the crowd. It is true that you sometimes take a chance when purchasing a brand new design from a small company. In this case, I’m glad I took the risk! Not only do I have a unique shotgun that I love to shoot, but I also feel I’ve gained a lot of knowledge from Matt during this process. He was endlessly patient with my admitted ignorance of shotgun mechanics and function, and took the time to explain every feature to me in great detail. I highly doubt I would have had the same experience dealing with “big box” manufacturers. The Burkett 3GN-S is now available for purchase, complete with all the design improvements outlined above, for an MSRP of $1,495— about half of what the most popular competitors charge, and without the added inconvenience of having to modify and upgrade the stock gun for competition. Once you’re ready to make the purchase, give Matt a call! He’ll talk your ear off, but isn’t that sense of camaraderie what the shooting community is all about? The Burkett 3GN-S retails for $1,495 and is available at predatortactical.com.—Becca Spinks
Photo by Becca Spinks.
uninstall by hand, eliminating the need for a special tool. There are many other design improvements as well, such as a serial number positioned far away from the loading port. This seemingly minor detail can prevent the serial number from wearing down or even being accidentally machined off during port modification, potentially saving the owner a huge legal headache! It’s the little details such as these that make the Burkett 3GN-S a truly superior shotgun system. Several months of shooting other people’s shotguns at matches gave me a great platform for comparison. No matter the gun, or the price tag, it was always trade-off of weight for recoil. The lightweight guns were easy to run with and dump in barrels, but they left my poor shoulder bruised and beaten. The heavy guns weren’t quite as brutal to my shoulder, but weighed me down and turned my arms to noodles! When I got my Burkett 3GN-S, it was love at first shot. The gun was lightweight, but to my surprise, had very little recoil. Because it runs on a gas-piston system as opposed to an inertia-driven system, it shoots like a dream and will cycle as quickly as you can pull the trigger. It honestly felt like I had a pillow on my shoulder while shooting it. The big downside to a gas-piston shotgun is that, unlike its inertia driven counterparts, it has a tendency to malfunction more often and be picky about which ammo loads it will shoot consistently. Malfunctions are a 3-gunner’s worst nightmare, as a bad one can cost you the match. These potential issues have been mitigated by using top of the line parts such as steel gas rings rather than rubber, a strong forward-locking lug, a nonrotating bolt, and other design improvements that ensure a smooth action and an extended lifespan. After thoroughly enjoying my first shooting experience with my
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G-Sight Laser Training Cartridge the time chasing the cartridge around the floor after each rack of the slide, so I wasn’t able to make more than one shot for every 5 to 10 seconds that went by. That really felt like a waste of time. You could get multiple cartridges to fill up your magazine to save time between shots, but with an MSRP of $49.99 per cartridge, it seems a bit excessive and costly. Third, I (and many other instructors) advocate that you should train like you shoot—you should be focused on your front sight as you take each shot. Since the cartridge sits in the chamber of the firearm and the laser beam “shoots” out of the barrel, I didn’t see the laser hit the target on the majority of my “shots.” Even when I turned down the lights in the room to make the laser more visible, the “shots” on target were below my line of sight. If I peeked over the sights as I made the shot, then I could see the laser. But when training, you want to make sure that you’re shooting exactly how you would be shooting in a match, on the range, or any other shooting situation; not introducing bad habits like peeking over your sights to see where your shots hit. Also, the “shots” from the laser are not retained on the target, so you are not able to see where the “shot” hit afterwards. The only scenario that I really think this could be of any use is if you’re training with a partner, and then they can see where the laser hits on the target, but only if they are paying close attention, because it’s only a very short burst of light—one blink and it’s gone. All in all, with the issues that I discovered and at the current price per cartridge, the G-Sight Laser Training Cartridges really seem more like a novelty item and not worth the money. The G-Sight Laser Training Cartridge is available at g-sight.com. -Jenna Johnson
Photo by Jenna Johnson.
I was contacted by the incredibly nice guys at G-Sight after SHOT Show, and they offered to send me, free of charge, two of their laser training cartridges to test out and review. While I didn’t see this particular product while I was at the convention, I’m always willing to try out a new product on the market. I received both a 9mm and a .223 REM training cartridge. Since each cartridge is made to fit in the chamber of the firearm, they need to be specific to the firearm with which you’ll be training. Each cartridge is made of a high quality brass casing and has a laser that is activated by the firing pin striking the rear, in the typical primer location. The red light laser makes just a quick burst, to simulate where your shot would hit, and then it’s off again, needing to be struck again by the firing pin before it’s reactivated. The G-Sight Laser Training Cartridge is advertised to make up to 3,000 “shots” before the batteries in the cartridge will need to be replaced. I have not tested the limits of the batteries at this point. After several weeks of testing out these cartridges, I’ve noticed several issues with this product. First, since the cartridge is designed (and directed by the manufacturer) to drop down into the chamber, there were times, especially with my pistol, that it would be out of battery when I dropped the slide. Worried about damaging the extractor on my favorite competition pistol, I placed the cartridge in the magazine and let the slide pick it up from there. This solved the out-of-battery issue. Secondly, the cartridge can only be activated by the firing pin. So once you take the “shot,” you have to rack the slide to reset the trigger to make the next shot. This removes the cartridge from the chamber. So then you have to set the cartridge back in the chamber (or back in your magazine like I did). I spent half
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