Posts by North American Outdoors

By Heidi Lyn Rao UNDERSTANDING THE COMPLEX Understanding chokes can be very perplexing unless you get rid of the mindset that “all improved cylinder chokes pattern like all improved cylinder chokes”, “all modified chokes pattern like all modified chokes,” and “all full chokes pattern like all full chokes.” Just because a choke is stamped or…

The author describes what it was like to be up close with some of the most important firearms in the professional hunting world. My Close Encounter with One of the World’s Most Famous Rifles – NRA Women.com Have you ever been face-to-face with a piece of history? If you have, you start asking yourself “who…

Educate yourself on as much firearm terminology as possible—both new and old—to keep yourself relevant when the topic turns to guns. Knowledge is Power: Joining the Gun Conversation with Both Barrels – NRA Women.com Anyone who has been around firearms for at least 50 years, or who has made a living with guns since the…

Being a Range Safety Officer can be fun and rewarding, but it also comes with its share of daily challenges. Here’s how to handle three of the most common scenarios.  The Highs and Lows of Being an RSO – NRA Women.com Range Safety Officers (RSOs) are the unsung heroes of the gun-range industry. They perform some…

When teaching a new shooter how to deal with a stoppage, it is important to remember that they are a beginner. How To Teach “Dealing with Stoppages” in an NRA Basic Firearms Class – NRA Women.com Anyone who regularly shoots firearms has, or will eventually have to, deal with some type of stoppage. A stoppage…

Follow these tips to keep your training classes fresh and your reputation as a quality trainer intact!  4 New Year’s Resolutions for Firearm Instructors – NRA Women.com Has your firearm training business grown with you over the past year? Now is the time to think of this year’s New Year’s Resolutions to improve your effectiveness…

By Heidi Lyn Rao 4 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT STEEL SHOT Individuals who enjoy shotgun shooting or those individuals who are just getting into the sport, are immediately faced with the dilemma of which ammo to shoot: lead shot or steel shot. These two types of ammunition are not the same regarding their properties or…

In December 2024, the Boone and Crockett Club announced it was creating a new big game category for javelina. Javelina: America’s Newest Big Game Animal – NRA Women.com Javelina, also called the collard peccary, have been part of the Central American landscape for millions of years. These feisty little critters migrated to the southwestern United…

Not only can reloading be a very rewarding activity, it can be financially beneficial. How to Prep Brass for Reloading – NRA Women.com If you like to shoot, reloading can become a money-saving hobby. There are four components that make up a pistol or rifle cartridge: the case (brass), primer, powder and bullet. Of these…

By Heidi Lyn Rao GERTRUDE CLAUS: SANTA CLAUS’S BETTER HALF It’s that time of year again – Christmas! For most people, both young and old, it is the most magical time of the year. Many images of this time of year are formed when we are very young, and we carry those same images throughout…