Our friend Anette Wachter (aka 30CalGal) is profiled this month on the NRA Family website. Annette talks about how she got into the shooting sports (though a challenge from her ex-husband), and how she has advanced along the way. She is now one of the top female Palma shooters in the nation. She also now competes regularly in Precision Rifle matches — tactical style competitions. She enjoys the challenge of PRS events, and she also competes in 3-Gun matches, with pistol, rifle, and shotgun.

Anette writes about the shooting sports for many publications. She also offers tips and gear reviews through her popular website, 30CalGal.com.

Here’s a sample of Anette’s NRA Family interview:

NRA: What type of shooting do you do, and what makes you like it so much?

Anette: Mostly long-range rifle disciplines. I don’t shoot High Power much anymore, but of course I am on the U.S. National Rifle Team and the Palma Team, so that occupies much of my time. My new love is Precision Rifle. This is the new hot and trendy shooting sport that is taking over the industry. It is like a sniper challenge. All unknown distances and usually the matches are out in the field. I also compete in 3-Gun, which is a ton of fun.

NRA: What advice do you have for new shooters who want to get into these sports?

Anette: If you want to get in to any discipline of competition I always suggest going to a local match to watch first. With the Internet you can find out your state competition information. Look for local organizations like the USPSA. See the type of equipment shooters are using and how the sport is run. Ask a lot of questions. Shooters are a very generous culture as well, in my experience. When I started out I was loaned almost everything to try it out.

NRA: From what you have seen, are there a lot more women getting involved in the shooting sports these days?

Anette: I started shooting and competing in 2006. I remember going to NRA Nationals at Camp Perry and, out of almost a thousand competitors, I was one of maybe 20 to 30 women. At local matches I would be one of two. In the past five or six years and especially in the last three, I have seen the numbers jump like crazy. Three years ago a few women in the 3-Gun market decided to put on the first Ladies 3-Gun ProAm in Georgia. We were wondering if anyone would show up. Over 200 women competed. Any of us that had extra guns and equipment were loaning them out. For many of the women it was their first match ever. It changed lives.

In this video Anette offers smart tips for shooting with bipod:

About the 30 Cal Gal
Life is short. Go Shoot! — Anette Wachter
Along with being a talented competitive shooter, Anette has her own Gun Blog, 30CalGal.com, and she writes for several gun publications including GunUp Magazine, Shooting Sports USA, Sure Shots Magazine, and Wide Open Spaces. She also designs and crafts custom jewelry items, many of which utilize cartridge cases or other shooting-themed components. You can purchase Anette’s jewelry through her AW Collections webstore.

Are you an NRA member whose membership will expire in the not-too-distant future? Then here is an attractive Membership Renewal Offer from the NRA. You can save money on your renewal while getting a useful bit of gear. With a one-year renewal, you get the 50-Cal bottle opener, a definite conversation starter that has been hugely popular with NRA Members. With a two-year renewal you get a nice folding knife, and with a three-year renewal you get a versatile range bags. This multi-pocket bag is big enough to carry a small spotting scope on the inside plus ammo boxes in the pockets. This Editor just renewed his NRA membership — maybe you should too!

NOTE: To change your NRA magazine subscription, change your mailing address, or set other preferences, go to the NRA Member Services Website.