Knowing how to handle and use a gun safely is a fundamental life skill that should be widely taught. That might be a view not commonly heard, but after talking to a professional shooter like Julie Golob, it makes perfect sense. She adamantly believes that anyone should be able to pick up a gun, check to see if it is loaded, and unload it. People should not be afraid of guns but have the skills to know how to use them safely and effectively.
Julie Golob is an expert on shooting—she has so many championship shooting titles that she’d almost need a separate room for all her awards and trophies. What started as fun time in the field and at the shooting range with her father has turned into a career as a brand ambassador, teacher, writer, and advocate in the arena of shooting sports as well as gun ownership.
“Influencer is a good catch-all to explain the many hats I wear sharing safe, responsible gun ownership and a passion for hunting, shooting sports and the outdoors,” Golob said.
As a wife, mother, competitor and communicator, Golob lives her life at full blast, and her energy and enthusiasm are infectious. One of her main messages is that the shooting sports are a great hobby or passion unto itself.
“There are so many benefits to participating in a shooting sport,” she said. “There’s such a huge amount of confidence that you end up building as you progress as a shooter, whether it’s as a competitor or as a hunter.”
Hence, the sport is not just for hunters wanting to improve their success rates. It’s a popular and growing hobby, says Golob, and that’s backed up by the numbers (see graph below).
Golob has a lot to teach us about the shooting sports as well as how to live a good life. Here’s her story.
The goal of perfection from a young age.
“I started shooting with my dad when I was 14,” said Golob. “When I started, I had this dream of being the best.” Her goal was to win a women’s national title with the U.S. Practical Shooting Association.
“Every weekend we could, my father and I practiced and competed in local matches,” Golob said. “By the time I was a junior in high school, I earned a slot to compete at the nationals. I attended and it was there I caught the attention of one of the Army Marksmanship Unit’s (AMU) coaches. They gave me a letter of acceptance to the AMU and I joined right after I graduated.”
Golob served in the U.S. Army for nearly eight years at Fort Benning, Georgia. Thanks to the Army, she traveled throughout the U.S. and abroad, won her first nationals and was named U.S. Army Athlete of the Year in 1999.
THE VALUE OF COMPETITIONS
Golob admits that she’s a bit of an overachiever, but that certainly gives her a competitive edge in tournaments. She has won over 50 world and national titles in seven different shooting disciplines. Why does she love competitions?
“Once we get out of school, whether high school or college, so many of us stop challenging or testing ourselves,” she said. “Competing offers that opportunity with a tool that could save your life, or in the case of hunting, provide for you and your family.
“I love the challenge of performing when it counts. Setting a goal on the range in practice is one thing, but putting yourself out there and showcasing your skills on demand, it takes shooting to the next level. It’s huge for building confidence in your gear and most of all in yourself.”
Golob is most proud of winning Gold at the International Practical Shooting Confederation (IPSC) World Shoot in France.
“It’s like our Olympics in that it only happens once every three years,” she said. “I’ve been competing at world shoot events since 1999 and was a bridesmaid many times. In 2017 I shot in the Ladies Classic Division at the IPSC with a single stack 9mm 1911, a gun that suits my hand size and is customized for me. The combination of a lot of hard work and an ideal firearm made it possible to finally achieve a goal I set for myself many years ago.”
LIFE AT HOME AND AT WORK
Golob lives in Kansas City, Missouri. Her husband is in law enforcement and is an accomplished shooter, and her daughters enjoy going to shooting events and hunting.
“My oldest (16 years old) loves to hunt, and aside from whitetail has also been successful on elk and pronghorn. I’m a proud mama,” she said.
Golob is a brand ambassador for Smith & Wesson. Next year will be a big anniversary as she will have been with Smith since 2005.
“They were also my first firearm sponsor when I was a junior competitor so many years ago,” she said. “I also proudly shoot for Federal Premium, Trijicon, PHLster, CCW Safe, Caldwell and Tipton.”
Golob’s passion for her sport led her to accomplish her dream of being an author. She’s rightfully proud of her books, starting with SHOOT: Your Guide to Shooting and Competition.
“Toys, Tools, Guns & Rules: A Children’s Book About Gun Safety is near and dear to me,” she said. “When potential partners and publishers weren’t interested in the project, I decided to go ahead and self-publish.”
The book’s success meant a lot to her because it can help save children’s lives.
GUNS, MORE GUNS AND WOMEN’S BODIES
Golob owns many guns, but she does not have a favorite firearm.
“It’s like asking a girl what her favorite pair of shoes is,” laughed Golob. “Whatever I’m shooting at the moment is my favorite.
“Some guns are near and dear because they were my dad’s. Others are simply work tools. Some are beautiful and I appreciate the craftsmanship. My most used and handled firearms are my workhorses, my carry guns, competition firearms, and hunting guns.”
Golob explains that women are being more successful at shooting sports because the industry is changing to recognize their differences.
“I just came back from TacCon, a tactical conference in Texas, where I spoke about the differences between men and women in shooting and why it’s important to personalize guns and gear,” Golob said.
As she explained, in sports such as golf, tennis and basketball, the gear is specifically designed for women. Now that personalization is happening in the shooting sports. For example, on average women’s hand and wrist sizes are smaller than men’s. Hence, gun grips are often too big for women’s hands.
“There’s good data that grip strength and upper body strength make a big difference [in shooting sports],” Golob said. “Women excel and shoot better when the gear fits them.”
Golob advises shooters to try a variety of firearms on the shooting range. Then shooting in competitions teaches shooters even more about those firearms. She personally took the time to learn how firearms work and watched gun-smiths customize them. All that close attention helped her gain an understanding of firearms as tools and what they are capable of in speed, power and accuracy.
“That knowledge is extremely difficult to glean from reading a couple of books or watching a YouTube playlist,” she said.
As for purchasing your first gun, Golob has a few suggestions on that too:
“I’m always a fan of trying a gun before you buy it. If you have access to a range that offers rentals, that’s a great way to narrow down your choices. Some people are content with choosing one firearm for their main purpose. I find that the more you shoot, the more you learn what features matter to you. The first gun you buy may not be the one you stick with over time. It’s very personal.”
THE BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATING IN SHOOTING SPORTS
The benefits of shooting skills are wide-ranging, from increased confidence to increased longevity. Golob said that many skills come together during shooting, including balance, eye coordination and body awareness. Then there are the benefits of fresh air and sunshine.
Golob also cites the camaraderie and the ability to set goals as other pluses of the sport.
Moreover, medical studies show that the stronger your grip strength, the more likely you are to live longer. Golob recommends the book Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia for information on this topic.
Golob dislikes some of what she sees on social media concerning the constant state of comparisons or the pressure to get sponsored in the shooting sports.
“Not every youth shooter can be a champion,” she said, “but every single one of them can feel valued and have fun.”
WHERE TO START IN SPORT SHOOTING
Golob has excellent advice for those folks wanting to take up sport shooting, starting with the equipment.
“I am a huge fan of starting new shooters with airsoft and rimfire,” she said. “It’s an excellent way to learn the fundamentals of shooting without the distractions of noise and heavy recoil. It allows a new shooter to build a foundation of what they need to see and feel to make a good shot that they can apply later to firearms of any size and caliber.”
She also stresses the benefits of attending events or finding a local range with a women’s league or ladies nights. Or participate in one of the many programs for beginning shooters, from 4H or Scholastic Shooting Programs to state agency programs for hunting.
Julie Golob offers shooting tips in videos on her website julieg.tv.
To get your kids involved, Golob admits “it can be tough to get kids involved and maintain their interest with all the other things going on in their lives. Make the time. Be encouraging. Keep it fun. Make shooting and hunting things you share as a family.”
A STEADY HAND ON THE THROTTLE OF HER LIFE
Golob is a hard-working and hard-playing inspiration. How does she keep up her energy? She has a personal motto, which serves as a motivational tool. Her motto is “work hard, share knowledge and showcase a winning spirit through a blend of kindness, ferocity and humility.”
“I’ve always liked the idea of living your life fully loaded,” she said. “I think it’s too easy to sit back and watch people hunt, shoot or do things via the Internet and not try them. When you live fully loaded you take the steps to be ready for the moment, whatever that is.
“I’ve taken some big leaps in my life and they’ve paid off well, like joining the Army to shoot for the Army Action Shooting Team. Hard work truly pays off, and when you give your best effort with a humble and grateful heart, it allows you to set goals, achieve them and most of all appreciate the things you’ve learned along the way.”
GROWING NUMBERS OF SPORT SHOOTERS
Participation in sport shooting continues to increase in the U.S., according to Bill Brassard, Senior Director of Communications with the National Shooting Sports Foundation. He provides the following information from NSSF’s 2022 report called Firearm Ownership and Shooting Sports Participation in the U.S.
- The number of shooters grew from 34 million in 2009 to 63.5 million in 2022.
- Non-hunting target shooters continue to make up the largest segment of the overall population of hunters and shooters.
- The study noted large increases in the percentages of new shooters who are younger and female and from a large city or suburban area.
- About a third of sport shooters in 2022 were female, the highest portion This is up from 2009, when females made up just 25.8% of all sport shooters.
- Among new target shooters, 20% did not hunt in 2022 while 14% stated they did hunt in 2022.
Shooting Tip Video – Use Your Smart Phone: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SeIPbFWLmg
World Shoot Competition Footage: youtu.be/DvdQMyhura0?t=369
Grip & Stance Tip: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQyAIN5GCOk
Firearm Safe Storage Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_cP3zkm2_M
Carry Optics Division Footage: youtu.be/sZoccOCEPR4
Wyoming Women’s Antelope Hunt: www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9CekF6yiSM
