MEC Outdoors

by Shari LeGate There’s a huge influx going on right now. One that hasn’t gone unnoticed — the growth of women in the shooting sports. Just recently, a report was released showing that in the last decade, the number of women who target shoot has increased by nearly 70% (67.4% from 2003 to 2012) to more than 6 million. The number of women who hunt has increased 43% to 3 million. That’s a big jump. With that many women coming into the shooting sports, there’s a another great opportunity that shouldn’t be passed up; A chance to share not only the fun of reloading but the knowledge of reloading as well. When I started shooting, women were not as prevalent as now and a woman reloading was even more unheard of. I mentioned in one of my earlier blogs, when I wanted to start reloading, I asked many fellow shooters to steer me in the right direction. Find a reloader, teach me the process and simply just give me a better understanding about the art of reloading. Well, that was a lot to ask ba

by Shari LeGate You might be thinking to yourself why should I reload?   It's cheaper and easier to just buy ammo, especially when there's a great deal at Walmart or some other big box store. Sure, it's easy to just buy ammunition, but you're missing a big part of the overall shooting experience. When I started reloading, I learned about the cycle of shooting. Yes, like the cycle of life, there is a cycle to shooting and reloading completes the cycle. I would reload a shell, go out to the range the next day, drop it in my gun, shoot it, watch the target break, keep the empty hall, and then reload it again that evening, starting the cycle all over again. It made me feel I was a part of the entire shooting process. It also gave me great confidence in my ammunition. I knew I loaded that shell and I knew it was good. I started with a 600 Jr. I loaded on it for a few years, upgraded to a Grabber when I became more proficient and then finally a 9000. Reloadin

By Patrick Flanigan - Xtreme Sport Shooter Being a solid and accurate shooter requires dedication, discipline and many rounds of practice. However, to be a great speed shooter would require those same attributes in addition to a significant rhythmic understanding and feel for shooting. On April 3rd of 2007, I set a speed record with a non-modified Winchester SX3 auto loader by firing 12 rounds in 1.4 sec. This is equivalent to a Browning M-2 belt fed machine gun. Many individuals questioned whether the SX3 is stock or modified and argued that it just is not possible. Well, I will tell you now that it is possible and it’s possible to make it shoot even faster. Here is my secret. I have been a drummer for twenty plus years, longer than I have been shooting firearms and as you all know a successful or accomplished drummer must have solid rhythm. My rhythm, like my shooting, is very instinctive and natural. Yes, I had to work to develop it. However, I feel as though I have always had it in

By Shari LeGate “My ritual is the same before every game…. Maybe I play cards with the guys or watch a movie on television, but all day I’m going back and forth between thinking about those things and thinking about the game. I start picturing the way I want to play…..”   Michael Jordan, NBA All-Star No matter what sport we compete in, we have to prepare ourselves, and so we do all the exercises that prepare our bodies. In shooting, we do stretching exercises limbering up our arms and legs, twisting our backs and waists to be able to rotate to that hard left or right. But while it’s important to physically prepare, it’s just as important to mentally to prepare. I know most of us say we do it, but seriously ask yourself ….do you…..really? Too many of us think mental preparation will happen automatically, because we want it to. What separates the good shooter from the great shooter is those who purposely prepare both their mind and their body. “It’s hard to separat

by Shari LeGate A few weeks ago, I was at a local shooting range for a trap match.   This is not a small range. It’s one of the biggest ranges in the country and has a 5-star rating. There was also a sporting clays match going on as well so there were several hundred people milling around and shooting. There were two sporting courses and both were being used. One on each side of the trap fields, not on the sides of the trap fields, but in front and behind the trap line. It was time for my squad to shoot and as I walked up to the trap line, I noticed about 300 – 350 yards out in front of this trap field was a 25ft. berm. Standing on top of the berm were several sporting clay shooters getting ready to shoot the sporting course. I pointed this out to the trapper remarking this was a huge safety issue, not to mention enormously distracting but was told it was fine. The range does this all the time when running multiple matches. I was told the berm is outside of the shot fall zone and