Unless you’ve been under a rock this past year you’ve noticed more women are talking about firearms and the training that’s helped them to succeed. Julie Golob is no exception; her shooting career has been successfully moving forward for more than twenty years and she has the championship titles to show for it.
Julie’s now got a book out that will not only help new shooters become more educated and better prepared, but her book can also help shooting sports enthusiasts confidently take the next step into competition.
SHOOT by Julie Golob
I first found out about SHOOT: Your guide to Shooting and Competition in November of 2011 after reading about it on Women’s Outdoor News. I had been searching the Internet for firearm training resources geared specifically toward women and was excited to stumble onto what sounded like a great book. As I’ve read through the chapters I’ve not been disappointed.
As I mentioned, Julie has a wealth of experience when it come to shooting. Her experience is evident in the confidence communicated through her text and with the level of detail she includes in every section. Safety is a prominent message in the first chapter of the book and throughout, which reiterates to any level of shooter that the most critical component in any shooting sport is safety. Anyone who has visited a public range has seen someone throwing caution to the wind while a firearm is within reach, so I appreciate it when experienced shooters take that extra time to make sure they discuss safety and not assume it’s common knowledge.
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TIP and LINGO sections scattered in every chapter include helpful details, such as what can help new shooters counter flinching while on the firing line, to explaining what an ECI (empty chamber indicator) is. Julie’s review of commands and industry standard terminology were also very helpful to me as a newbie to the shooting world since oftentimes I’m participating in firearm related conversations but I don’t always know the acronyms or references more experienced shooters are throwing around.
Basic fundamentals such as stance, grip, sight alignment and trigger control are each expounded on with text, photos, tips and insight that made me feel more like I was getting direct instruction in a one-on-one format instead of from pages in a book. Julie’s writing style is also conversational and relaxed so she’s very easy to follow.
Breaking it Down
[flickr id=”6881388269″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”false” size=”medium” group=”” align=”right”] Another chapter of the book that was extremely helpful to me and is part of what will make this book a permanent resource in my library, was the one dedicated to breaking down guns and ammo to their most basic units. While reading SHOOT I learned the difference between centerfire and rimfire ammunition, which greatly helped me understand signs posted at an outdoor sportsman’s club we recently joined without having to ask my son or husband for details. I also learned about the types of ammunition that can be reloaded, that firearms can be categorized by how ammo is loaded, as well as the literal anatomy of handguns, rifles and shotguns. I just can’t express enough how awesome of a resource this is for me.
For anyone interested in learning about competitive shooting options, several chapters are dedicated to breaking down the various types of shooting sports and divisions available to men, women and junior shooters. Julie even recommends a good starting point if budget is dictating what shooting sport you can participate in. Instruction on determining eye dominance, what is proper range etiquette, shooting on the move and drawing are also addressed. I’m really not exaggerating when I say that this book has a ton of valuable information included in it.
Win a Free Copy!
Julie was gracious enough to donate an autographed copy of SHOOT as a giveaway for one of our ITS Tactical readers, but you can also purchase your copy here. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to add this book to your arsenal of tactical resources.
To enter for yourself or even to give it to your significant other, simply leave a comment here in the article with “I’m In!” We’ll let the contest run through Midnight on Sunday, February 19th, 2012 and announce the winner on Monday the 20th.
A huge thank you to Julie for her continued support and allowing us to give an autographed copy of her book away! Be sure to check out her Website and her podcast for more information and resources!