Sure Shots Magazine

ARCHIVE - ISSUE SIX- JAN 2014 FEATURE PICTORIAL - TRAINING - LIFESTYLE - REVIEWS ARCHIVE - ISSUE SIX- JAN 2014

Niki Jones
Editor-in-chief

Deano Jones
Art Director,
Photography

Carrin Welch
Copy Editor

Nikki Raye
West Coast Correspondent

On the Cover,
Cover girl Sure Shot Emily is a PhD candidate in plant biology at UT Austin, where she specializes in plant community responses to wildland fires.
See more pics from the cover photo shoot!

To Be or Not To Be… A Tac Girl!
by Mellissa Gilliland

Mellissa getting into it. Photo by HBL Prod.

To be or not to be, that is the question.

While attending SHOT show 2011, I was approached by Mike Manuel and Tony Dean, owners of the Tactical Girls calendar. For those of you that do not know about the Tactical Girls calendar, let me give you some background about them.

“Tactical Girls™ happened with the intersection of a professional photographer, a military history buff and the owner of a business specializing in legal NFA, Class III / Title 2 weapons. With the arrival of the female action heroine in our movie theaters in the last 30 years, these movies and TV series have made it clear that women could hold their own, kick ass and look outstanding doing it. A photo of a bikini girl with a Lamborghini is cool, but then the question what is the top speed of the car? We wanted to answer the same question about the guns in the calendar, so we committed to specifications and firearms trivia from the beginning.

Team Mellissa

Our content is PG-13 and we often show less skin than the cover of Cosmopolitan Magazine or the female contenders of the TV series Dancing with the Stars.
In our first year, we started something called the Major Mick Chang morale improvement program. Mick was commanding MiTT units training the Iraqi Police and Army in Northern Iraq. We donated calendars to him that he handed out to his men and used to build goodwill with his Iraqi counterparts. Mick had an M-14 and an experienced SF Sniper on his team, but no mount and no optics for the rifle. He did have a serious issue with an insurgent sniper in his area of operations though. We introduced him to AmericanSnipers.org and they sent him a mount and optics for the M-14. Soon after, Mick’s insurgent sniper problem was alleviated. We have had great success working with Officers and Senior NCOs in creative ways to donate calendars. In 2010 an Air Force Airlift Squadron helped us place donated calendars into supply drop pallets that covered remote bases across Afghanistan. We adopted AmericanSnipers.org as our non-profit of choice and they share our masthead as a demonstration of our commitment. We donate calendars for their care packages that end up in combat zones and they use the donated calendars for fund raising activities. We have consistently increased revenue to them in the past couple of years. We now have a stated policy of donating 10% of our print run to organizations like AmericanSnipers.org or other registered non-profits that support those who stand on the walls we sleep soundly behind."

[Read more]

To a Gunslinger's Daughter by P. Petersen

In the arms of a Sniper

I know that I am gone often and that, in my line of work, I may not be fortunate enough to watch you grow up into the wonderful woman that I know you will be. So, I have a few things to tell you while I still have the time…

Be confident. Pretty soon, television, magazines and maybe even kids at school will try to convince you that you aren’t good enough, pretty enough, or skinny enough. Weak people, people who lack confidence in themselves, will bend to that pressure. Watch how miserable they become, constantly trying to be something they are not, in an effort to impress people who, in the grand scheme of things, don’t matter anyway. From the first time I laid eyes on you, you have been the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. Know that. And, know that your mother and I instantly fell in love with you. Be confident in the fact that you deserve that. Demand that. Hopefully, you have seen that your mother demands love and respect from me, and I freely give it. Never settle for someone who doesn’t treat you the way I treat your mother. And, please, when ending a relationship… From now til eternity, people will walk into and out of your life. Never chase the ones walking out. They don’t deserve to be there in the first place.

Be adventurous. Travel and see the world. Never let the naysayers hold you back. You should never be bored. This world has too much to offer for you to ever be “bored.” A much smarter man than I once said, “The unexamined life is not worth living,” and he was right. But, learn from one of my mistakes: hold onto the keepsakes from along the way. Of all of my adventures, I have nothing but fading memories to show for them. Take pictures and keep mementos of where you’ve been and what you’ve done.

Be well-rounded. Be at home at High Tea and at the gun range. Wear diamond earrings and a baseball cap. You are as capable as any other person on this Earth. When someone asks you why you want to go do “boy things,” the ONLY answer you need is, “because I can.” Life is made up of a million situations. Be prepared for them, by experiencing everything that you can. Debutante balls and camping trips are each fun in their own right. Learn to change tires and cook. Learn to throw a bridal shower and a football. There is nothing on this Earth that you are incapable of doing. Never pigeonhole yourself into a stereotype or category.

Be fun. And, don’t be around people who aren’t fun. Far too many people put off living because they think they can make up for it later. They can’t, and even trying will only lead to regrets about the things you “coulda” done. Go for drinks. Stay out late when it’s appropriate. Tailgate on game day. Always have a bicycle close by. Oh, and if you ever find yourself dating a man who won’t dance with you in public, dump him. Trust me.

Be responsible. With your actions. With your money. With your treatment of others. With whom you share your time. You are responsible for you, and ultimately, the burden of your actions will fall upon.

P. Petersen is a law enforcement officer who is currently assigned to an investigative role. Former positions include Field Training Officer, DWI Unit and SWAT Sniper as well as Designated Marksman in both Iraq and Afghanistan as a civilian contractor.

Secret Squirrel No More
by Niki Jones

Leader of the pack, Miss Nikki Raye!

Consultant. Designer. Brand Developer. Marketing Guru. Social Media Maven. PR Pro. Sure Shots Magazine West Coast Correspondent. Full-time Mom.

Who is this Super Woman!? Nikki Raye, of course!

Months ago, Nikki piqued our interest when she began referring to a "Secret Squirrel" project in the works. And recently all was revealed: She had designed a new covert rifle pack from 2 Vets Arms and London Bridge Trading (LBT), and it's AWESOME.

How did this collaboration come about? Nikki explains, "I've had the pleasure of knowing Loren Simpson, the COO, of LBT for the past four or so years through other projects we have both been involved in. When 2 Vets Arms approached LBT about doing a pack, I fell perfectly into place to help with the design process from a female's perspective on the 'tactical' side of things. The design process lasted about four months, with the amazing team at LBT and myself going back and forth on making this the best pack out there. I led a team of expert evaluators during the test and evaluation process to ensure that everything was just right. I also spearheaded the after-action review process that led to form, fit, and function recommendations. Amber Brandly (co-owner of 2 Vets Arms) and I spearheaded the pack evaluations for women—with her on the hunting side of things, and me on the "tactical" side of things. I wish still had a picture of it somewhere, but at one point in time in one of our many conferences we were discussing zipper placement and wanting to incorporate something to signify the partnership between LBT & 2 Vets Arms. It led me to a brainstorming session at home with the shell of the pack and my Hello Kitty duct tape which I used to simulate zipper placement. This ultimately led to LBT doing the two zippers in a 'V' shape on the front of the pack."

So, not only is this pack female-functional, ergonomic, and aesthetically awesome—it's also multi-functional. While its intended purpose is to be able to carry a rifle covertly to or from the range, hunting, traveling, etc, it can be used as just a day pack on its own as well. The neat thing about this pack is rather than your rifle having a secure place in the main compartment, it instead gets broken down and placed into a sleeve that then gets slipped into the main compartment of the pack. This allows you to be able to use the pack for many other purposes rather than just being a home for your rifle. It can also simplify the storage and organization of rifles. For example, each one of Nikki's rifles has its own sleeve, complete with mags, accessories, and whatever else is necessary. "When I go to the range I open the safe, grab a sleeve, throw it in the pack and I am good to go!", Nikki says. One other design feature that this pack has is a concealed carry compartment in the lower back. "This is one feature I was most instrumental about for I wanted a pack that I could carry a back up weapon or my primary weapon in to where I could have easy access and be able to draw from if needed. And it allows me to do just that."

The pack will be on display throughout the entirety of SHOT Show in the LBT Booth for anyone who is interested in checking it out or purchasing while at the show. You can also view and purchase the pack on 2 Vets Arms website: 2vetsarms.com.