NRA Women

5 External Factors that Affect a Firearm’s Performance

By North American Outdoors / January 25, 2026 / Comments Off on 5 External Factors that Affect a Firearm’s Performance

Even the best rifle and scope combination is no match for Mother Nature. Here are ways to deal with each challenge. When choosing a firearm, you can do your research and purchase the best gun on the market for its intended use. The problem is that the best rifle and scope combination is no match…

4 Internal Factors that Affect a Firearm’s Performance

By North American Outdoors / January 15, 2026 / Comments Off on 4 Internal Factors that Affect a Firearm’s Performance

Want maximum output from your firearm? Follow these tips to ensure your gun is a keeper. A firearm is only as good as its internal components, design and relationship with the cartridge for which it is chambered. There are internal factors that can either make a gun great, or factors that make a gun destined…

5 Reasons Instructors Should Start New Shooters on a .22 LR

By North American Outdoors / January 9, 2026 / Comments Off on 5 Reasons Instructors Should Start New Shooters on a .22 LR

This little cartridge can be one of the most powerful tools for teaching the fundamentals that create safe, confident and successful shooters. As a longtime NRA Instructor, one of the best tools I have found to use with new shooters is a .22 LR. The NRA Training Department encourages instructors to utilize the .22 LR…

3 Ways a Firearms Instructor Can Become a Better Teacher

By North American Outdoors / December 18, 2025 / Comments Off on 3 Ways a Firearms Instructor Can Become a Better Teacher

You can be the best shot in your chosen firearm discipline, but if you are not a good communicator, you may not be an effective teacher. NRA Firearms training courses advise new shooters to seek out the advice of knowledgeable shooters when researching and purchasing their first gun. Gaining knowledge is only possible through education. We have…

Identical Twin Cartridges – the Exception to the Rule

By North American Outdoors / December 10, 2025 / Comments Off on Identical Twin Cartridges – the Exception to the Rule

Exceptions include cartridges that have identical size dimensions, bullet weights, and powder charges but have different industry recognized names. Safe shooters know the importance of using the correct ammunition in their firearms. NRA Certified Firearm Instructors are expected to teach the importance of matching the correct ammunition to the firearm in Lesson II of all…

Gertrude Claus – Santa Claus’s Better Half

By North American Outdoors / December 3, 2025 / Comments Off on Gertrude Claus – Santa Claus’s Better Half

It is said that behind every successful man is a great woman, and that includes the jolliest of men! It’s that time of year again—Christmas, the most magical time of the year. Images of this holiday season form when we are very young, which we carry throughout our lifetime. There is nothing like the memories…

3 Great Reads for Firearms Instructors

By North American Outdoors / November 30, 2025 / Comments Off on 3 Great Reads for Firearms Instructors

For the holidays or anytime, these books make great gifts for any hunter, shooter, firearm instructor or trainer. Do you have a firearms instructor in your life? Are you looking for that perfect gift for him or her? Or are you a firearms instructor looking for that gift for yourself that is not only entertaining,…

Two Great Choices for Quick Release Scope Mounts

By North American Outdoors / November 23, 2025 / Comments Off on Two Great Choices for Quick Release Scope Mounts

If you have ever gone into the brush for a quick follow-up shot on game, you understand the importance of this type of mount. Many species of game animals can be hunted throughout North America, ranging from the Gulf of America to the Arctic, and from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. There are also…

5 Often Misunderstood Common Cartridge Terms

By North American Outdoors / November 23, 2025 / Comments Off on 5 Often Misunderstood Common Cartridge Terms

Whether you are a firearms instructor, competitive shooter or just practicing at the range, it is important to learn and use the correct terminology when referring to firearms, ammunition and their components. It seems that the longer that I teach NRA firearms courses, the more firearms and ammunition vocabulary I am learning. It does not…

My Gun Has an Identity Crisis

By North American Outdoors / November 20, 2025 / Comments Off on My Gun Has an Identity Crisis

Things aren’t always what they seem—even with collectible firearms. Have you ever looked a firearm and said to yourself, “That is such a cool gun!” Chances are that others may think the same thing about that same gun. This is one reason why some older firearms cost more than others. There are several factors that…