Jessie Harrison — Greatest Lady Pistol Shooter on the Planet
To understand the heart and mind of a champion, watch this video profiling Jessie Harrison. This talented lady is arguably the best female action pistol shooter in history. No other woman has amassed as many championships or set so many speed-shooting records. Over the past two decades Jessie Harrison (who has also competed with with married names Jessie Duff and Jessie Abbate) has earned dozens of major titles including twenty-two U.S. Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) Ladies Championships. Jessie won her 22nd USPSA title at the 2021 USPSA Race Gun Nationals in Alabama.
Jessie is one of the hardest-working athletes in the shooting game. Jessie is America’s “leading lady” — perhaps the winningest female pistol shooter in the game today. The drive and dedication that has made Jessie a success are revealed in this video from Weatherby.
Jessie Harrison’s Will to Win
Jessie explains how hard work brings titles: “To prepare for a championship, I’m on the range constantly.
My office is the gun range — that’s where I do my work.
I travel the country pullin’ the trigger, makin’ brass, smelling gunsmoke. I have to make sure that I’m in control because… there is no other person on the line with me, helping pull the trigger.
I have to pay attention to my foot placements, my set-ups, my positions, gettin’ the gun clean out of the holster, my reloads. I can’t think about it when I’m shooting. I can’t think about these small things. I have to focus on the sights and pulling the trigger. It’s just me and the gun.
[When] I step out on to the range, I simply have to be perfect — I have to be the best… I won’t settle for anything less.”
First-Ever Female Grand Master
Jessie Duff is the first woman in history to earn the title of USPSA Grand Master (GM), the highest rating conferred by the U.S. Practical Shooting Association (USPSA). To earn this prestigious ranking, Duff had to maintain an average above 95% in shooting classification courses, something never before achieved by a lady shooter. Jessie finished 2013 with a 95.39% average.
