Instructor’s Corner: Mark the Locations of your Sight and Rest

Instructor’s Corner: Mark the locations of your sight and rest on your bow

Having good quality equipment is a must for every archer. Some archers baby their equipment while some fall under the bull-in-the-china-shop category. No matter which category you fall into or what your skill level might be, equipment failure is a problem for all.  Allen heads tightened by the strongest of bow experts will move from normal wear-and-tear or from the sudden unexpected fall walking through the woods. Archers cringe at the thought, but it just happens.

I picked up a great tip while shooting competitive archery: take a permanent marker and mark both sides of anything that could move. I carried this technique over to my hunting bow and have used it on many occasions. Consider it as a type of insurance policy. You’re walking through the woods or down the archery range and for whatever reason, you drop your bow. After you get up and knock the dust off, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Did my sight move? Is my rest still OK? After a few short looks at all your marks, you either will have peace of mind in knowing that nothing moved, or have to get busy adjusting your sight and rest. Pictured below is an example of one of the many moving parts on  a typical sight. Make sure to mark both sides. If anything moves it will be obvious when your marks do not line up. Good Luck & Shoot Like A Girl!!

Cristy Crawford is the Operations Officer for Shoot Like A Girl. Read more about Cristy at http://www.shootlikeagirl.com/prostaff.html

An 'Accidental Activist'

From left to right: Maria Heil,
Sandy Froman and Linda Walker
The Speakers at the NRA's
New Energy Breakfast

I recently heard the term “accidental activist” at the NRA’s Women’s Leadership breakfast at their National Convention from NRA board member Linda Walker.  That term resonated with me on so many levels, because Shoot Like a Girl has given us a platform to talk positively about shooting sports, conservation and safety. When I started Shoot Like A Girl, I didn’t realize that this accidental activism lay just around the corner, and I am thankful that we live in a country where we can promote our passions, even though (and especially since) some people oppose them. It is because of that opposition to our way of life that I ask you to also be “accidental activists”. 

The word activist brings different connotations to different people. To some, it may bring back memories of Marsha Brady tying herself to a building with a wrecking ball swinging in front of it, or mass protests and marches in the streets.  Webster’s defines activism as “a person who uses or supports strong actions to help make changes in politics or society.” “Strong actions” don’t have to be the extreme; strong actions can be all of our voices carrying the positive message about shooting sports, conservation and safety. I encourage you to talk to your friends who hold different views on shooting sports about the positive rewards that come from it, about the conservation value gained from hunting and about the importance of safety in doing both activities.

I have found that we can make a difference. I’ll share one example that comes to mind about hunting. While on my way to an elk hunt in Montana, I sat next to a person who had a very negative view of hunting and hunters. He was surprised that I was one of “those people” that hunted. (This is where we women really can make a difference.It is unexpected socially that we are shooters or hunters, so our words matter.) He said that he lived in Colorado, and had a giant herd on his land, and he would “NEVER” let anyone hunt it. I told him that was his right as a landowner, but had he noticed the herd getting larger? He said yes. I mentioned that too large of herd could be bad for the environment and the animals. I suggested he have a wildlife biologist visit his land and assess his herd. My guess was he would need to cull it, in the name of conservation. I suggested that he allow hunters to hunt the land and donate the meat to the poor. He lit up. He said, “I have never looked at hunting that way!” The fact of the matter is, people just don’t understand our way of life; together we can educate them on the value of shooting sports, conservation and safety.

Again, I encourage you to speak up and become an “accidental activist,” too.  Together we can ensure the preservation of shooting sports. Also, if you haven’t joined the NRA, I encourage you to do so; your $25 can make a difference at https://membership.nrahq.org.  

Karen Butler is the president and founder of SLG2, Inc, DBA:  Shoot Like a Girl.

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Come See us at the World Deer Expo in Birmingham Alabama!

Survey shows ‘Shoot Like A Girl’ concept appeals to new shooters

Athens, AL – June 10, 2014 – If the official Shoot Like A Girl (SLG2) trailer appears at an outdoor/shooting-related show, odds are it will draw in female participants to shoot guns and/or bows and consequently, a majority of these new shooters will go home and buy this gear.
SLG2 utilizes a state-of-the-art, 52-foot trailer where women can participate in a revolutionary introduction process, called the Test Shots ™ and Test Flights ™ programs, as they shoot a 9mm pistol, .223 rifle and/or compound bows in a safe, controlled environment in a short amount of time. It features a military grade firearms simulation system and a live archery range. The trailer is wheelchair accessible.
“We are growing the number of women who participate in shooting sports. To date, our surveys show of the nearly 1200 shooters we have put through our program 67% of them will purchase guns.  That equates to 850 gun sales as a direct result of our introductory program, and 69% are new, infrequent or inexperienced shooters,” said Karen Butler, president of SLG2.


Cristy Crawford, Karen Butler and Jennifer Blake, onsite with the trailer in Las Vegas last January at SHOT Show’s Media Day

“Our archery results show that 41% of new bow shooters bought bows,” added Butler. Knowing that the survey has a reliability factor of .005%, Butler feels confident that what she sees reflected in the sales after the experience in the SLG2 trailer is accurate.
The SLG2 trailer will be onsite at the World Deer and Turkey Expo in Birmingham, Ala., from July 18 through the 20 and at Buckmasters Expo 2014 in Montgomery, Ala., from Aug. 15 to the 17.

For sponsorship information or to learn more about SLG2, visit Shoot Like A Girl online, or visit at Facebook and Twitter.

About Shoot Like A Girl:
Shoot Like A Girl (SLG2, Inc.) is a company dedicated to growing the number of women in shooting sports by empowering them to participate with confidence.  With the help of our corporate sponsors, SLG2, Inc. thanks its valued corporate partners who share the mission to grow the number of women in shooting sports by empowering them with confidence:  Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Hunter Safety System, Ammo To Go, Bear Archery, BowTech, Charter Arms, Colt, Crimson Trace, Danner, Game Plan Gear, GLOCK, Inc, Hogue, Hoyt, Hunt Force, Elite, Lethal, Lumenok, Neet Archery Products, Mammoth Coolers, Mathews Inc, Mossy Oak, Powder Hook, POV Action Cameras, ScentBlocker/Tree Spider, Smith and Wesson, Sonic Boom Targets, Stedi-Stock, Taurus, ThermaCell, Trijicon, Triple Crown Outdoors, Trophy Hunting Products, TRUGLO, PSE, Women’s Outdoor News, Upper Canyon Outfitters, and ASA.