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Shooting Lessons From My Father
by Marilyn Schmiedel

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I have and will always be my dad's little girl.  He's the kind of guy who knows how to fix things, and will help friends and family without asking for anything in return.  I inherited his sense of humor and quiet nature.  As I grew up, he was the proud, protective father, and I was his little princess.  So, this is how I ended up with a .357 magnum at midnight on a Saturday, shooting a paper target for the first time.

I went to college an hour from my home (I later learned that my father did not want me to go away to school, but my mother convinced him).  Before he retired, my dad was a guard and weapons instructor in a maximum security prison, and that made him view the world through a different lens.  He told me scary statistics about the city where I went to school, and gave me some heavy duty pepper spray that I think may have had more than just pepper spray in it.  While walking through campus during parent orientation, he asked if I jogged in the woods visible from the main walkway, and then told me rape statistics for the area.  I was used to his protective nature, so every time he said something like this I rolled my eyes and mumbled a sarcastic "Okay, Dad."  When we walked through the engineering building, packed with nerds, he pointed out an exceptionally nerdy kid walking close to the wall.  "See how he's walking so close to the wall.  Sociopaths do that," he said quietly.  Nerds do that, too.

I bought a bike for school.  It was beautiful, candy apple red with a removable front wheel and a U-lock for the bike rack at school.  It was nothing like the garage sale 10-speeds with chain and padlock I had as a kid while all my friends had that awesome pink and purple Huffy.  This new bike was perfect for riding to a god-awful programming class in the building farthest from the dorms.  I rode all over the place, through those dangerous woods, and straight into the elevator of my dorm if I perfectly timed it as someone was walking out.

The next summer, I was home riding around on my bike while my 8 year old brother played hockey in the street with his friend.  My grandmother was sitting on her porch across the street with my mom.  A man walked up with a BMX bike and a kid around my brother's age.  He said they were moving and were selling the bike for $45.  My grandmother said that was too much.  Forty-five dollars??  That was nothing, and my brother didn't have a good bike.  I had a summer job and piped up, "Grandma, if you don't want it, I'll buy it for him."  I had no idea she was trying to bargain with the man.  I repeated myself and finally she agreed to pay $45 for the bike and gave it to my brother.  I was excited, but I knew she only bought it because I said I would, so I felt a little guilty. 

The next day I woke up and my bike was gone.  It was put away in the shed the night before, but sometimes I just looped the lock through the latch instead of pushing the lock closed.  My candy apple red beautiful bike was missing.  My parents knew immediately that the guy selling the BMX bike had probably stolen it, and then saw mine and came back later for it.  All I had left was a nail polish sized bottle of candy apple red touch-up paint and a U-lock.  It was the first big thing I had purchased and lost.  I was mostly angry with myself for not locking the shed.

That night, my dad told me we were going to the range.  A gun range?  I had seen my dad cleaning his guns often and thought nothing of it.  I wasn't scared of guns, but I had no interest.  And now my bike was stolen and he was going to teach me to shoot.  I guess this was in case someone tried to rob me, I could point my finger at them and yell "Bang!  Bang!"  I went along, but had no idea why I was there.  It was midnight, so the range was closed, but my dad had a key.  I knew a few things about gun safety and he showed me how to hold the gun and how to breathe while pulling the trigger so I wouldn't stumble backward from the recoil of each shot.  I wore ear protection for the alternating pin-drop silence and the booming sound I could feel in my chest each time I fired.  And I was good.  I scored 98 out of 100 points from over 30 yards away.  I was still upset about the bike, but I was pretty pumped that I was so good at something I previously hadn't considered trying.  And I could tell my dad was proud. 

After that, we went for a walk on the pier near the canal downtown.  There were two cars in the parking area and used condoms and wrappers all around.  My dad said this parking area was a place people took hookers, and that the two cars probably had people in them.  We walked past and took a 20 minute walk to the end of the pier.  I have always had to use the bathroom at inconvenient times and, at the end of the pier, I had to go.  My dad asked if I could wait, and I couldn't, so he said to stand on one of the rocks next to the pier where there was a tiny bit of privacy.  He walked far enough away that I could go privately in the canal as water splashed loudly against the rocks and misted my face.  I had to say goodbye to my socks, and then I put myself together and caught up to my dad.  We stopped at a doughnut shop on the way home so I could use a real bathroom (and make sure I got a good wipe), and then we each had a doughnut and went home. 

I walked to all my classes the next year at school.  I missed that shiny candy apple red bicycle, but I'd take making memories with my dad over riding a bike any day. 
by Cynthia Alvarado

Back in 2010, I hadn’t shot a gun in 20 years (and had never shot a gun without my husband Lupe) when I saw this club on Facebook called Hot Shots. I thought Wow, I'd like to try that! So, Lupe got out an old Ruger Mark 1 out of the closet and showed me how to load and operate it. I headed to a Monday night Sure Shots practice (when we used to meet on Mondays) and I had a blast! Back then, there were only a few ladies—the group started small and grew with every meeting! I’m proud to say I was one of the first 10 Sure Shots. We even had ID cards! Once we changed the name to Sure Shots and moved practices to Wednesday the group just kept growing. It was great to be able to shoot all kinds of different guns and calibers (9mm, .40, .45), plus it is always fun hanging out with the ladies. I made a lot of friends that still keep in touch with when I can't make it to practice.
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The original ID cards, only 16 were made!
14-year-old Cheyenne Dalton of Lockwood, MO has been shooting Rimfire Challenge for two years and is currently in her first full season in USPSA. And if that wasn’t enough, she is going to start 3-Gun this fall! Cheyenne is definitely one to watch—follow her progress at facebook.com/cheyennedalton.competitveshooter

Women in the Industry

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This month in our spotlight of Women in the Industry, we would like to introduce you to the owner of Midwest Tactical Applications Group (M-Tag) HEATHER CHANEY. This busy lady used her extensive background in construction management to turn her passion for shooting into a successful business with her husband... Now that's teamwork!

Sure Shots Magazine: Please tell us a little about your company, M-Tag (Midwest Tactical Applications Group).

Heather Chaney: M-TAG offers comprehensive range design, development and construction services and tactical firearms training.

SSM: How long has your company been in business?

HC: We started the company in 2012.

SSM: Have you always been involved in the shooting/tactical/firearms community? 

HC: I have been around firearms my entire life.  I am the only child to a retired FBI agent and have been shooting since before I could ride a bike.  Being Daddy’s little girl, I grew up shooting and hunting with my Dad and have always loved this community.  My husband, and partner in MTAG, is a retired Marine of 22 years who is the Director of Training for the Ohio Tactical Officer’s Association.  Our passion for this industry is why we do what we do.

SSM: Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your background. 

HC: First and foremost, I am the proud wife of a retired Marine.  We have 5 kids, 3 girls and 2 boys, the oldest of which is 20 and the youngest is 14. Our oldest daughter is in college studying to be a special needs teacher, my oldest son is currently in Marine Corps boot camp and my middle daughter just joined the Navy with aspirations to be a naval doctor or nuclear engineer. Our youngest daughter is a sophomore in high school hoping to be a nurse in the Air Force and our youngest son is in the 8th grade.

I started my career 25 years ago with a civil engineering firm in Virginia.  Moving from design into construction, I now specialize in range design, development and construction of tactical and weapons training facilities for commercial, law enforcement, and military installations across the United States to include Hawaii. My projects with the Marine Corps also span to Okinawa and training facilities in Australia.  Having provided corporate management for a multimillion-dollar firm including strategic planning and business development I have a good understanding of my commercial clients needs when it comes to the business side of running the ranges.  

SSM: What made you decide to start M-Tag? 

HC: We started M-TAG in 2012 as a vehicle for firearms training, but since July of 2014, we have expanded our services to include the Range Design, Development and Construction Consulting Services, which is my specialty.  My husband is the Tactical Range Advisor. He’s able to provide an operator’s point of view, which combined with my designer’s opinion, provides a unique perspective to our team. 
SSM: What is the best part of your job? 

HC: Getting to be a part of new ranges, both indoor and outdoor and working with clients that share my passion for the shooting/tactical and firearms industry!

SSM: Have there been any lessons your work life has taught you? 

HC: Integrity is always the best trait you can have! This business is about relationships....which are best developed through hard work, dedication to quality and customer service.  You have to have a passion for what you do, it shows, in everything you do and people appreciate that!

SSM: So, if you could choose anyone, who would you pick as your mentor? 

HC: That’s a really tough one!  I have so many people that have influenced my career and my path over the past 25 years.  I would honestly have to say, that within the past 10-15 years that my husband, Phil has become my mentor and most trusted confidant.  His willingness to share all of his experience and insight with me has made me truly successful.  He is a true American hero!  He is the most humble man I know, a true silent professional.  In an industry plagued by egos, he never tells his story.  He listens intently, is always willing to offer praise and rarely takes credit for anything.  He exemplifies all of the Marine Corps leadership traits. He is truly someone that I respect, admire and hope to emulate in my professional life.  I’m not only honored to work along-side him, but I am blessed to be his wife!

SSM: What is your primary weapon and why? 

HC: I have a new M&P Shield that I got for Christmas that I love for concealed carry.  My weapon of choice for home defense is a good ‘ole pump shot gun…there is some degree of deterrent for an intruder when they hear that racking of the shell!

SSM: What are some important lessons you have learned while running M-Tag? 

HC: Teamwork and learning from others in the industry is a crucial part of my success.  I am honored to be associated with some of the best minds in the industry when it comes to the design and development of shooting ranges and facilities.  Every client brings their own personal mission to each project.  There is no one design that works for every range.  Learning to listen to the goals and aspiration of the client helps me add value to their team and help them build the facility that meets their needs on every level.  At the end of the day, it’s like building someone their dream house, they have to live in it, pay for it, and make it work for them, it can’t be just my opinion or ideas, it is truly a team effort, and I am just happy to be a part of the team that makes that happen.

SSM: What do our readers have to look forward to in the future from M-Tag? 

HC: As our industry continues to grow and more and more ranges are constructed across the US, there is more opportunity for shooters to find the perfect facility for their type of training.  I hope to build my reputation as the company to come to if you’re looking to build a range!

SSM: What is the best shooting advice you have been given that you feel might be important to share with our readers? 

HC: When it comes to choosing a weapon, make sure it’s what works best for the reason you’re buying it.  Guns are like a good pair of shoes, what works for someone else, might not fit your needs!  When it comes to shooting, the more the better!  It’s a perishable skill!!  If you want to be a proficient shooter, you have to train, often!  One of our moto’s is “Train Hard – Fight Easy”.  

SSM: Where do you see M-Tag in 5 years? 

HC: My goal over the next five years is to grow our client base both in types of ranges as well as geographically.  We have worked on projects from New York to California, but the more we do, the more we learn.  I would like to get more involved with the NSSF and NRA and continue to grow both personally and professionally.

SSM: And for our final question… If you could be any character in a movie to be who would it be & why? 

HC: That’s a tough one.  When I was younger, I always thought that being Laura Croft in Tomb Raider would be awesome. She was out to save the world, traveling across the globe, the most insane array of weapons and tactics!  To find the role of a woman that is smart, independent, beautiful, sexy, compassionate, nurturing and deadly is one that all women would like to be.
Check out M-Tag's training courses and facilities on their website, www.midwest-tag.com. Or check out their Facebook page.