Australian Women’s Shooter

In this milestone 20th issue, we examine the concept of success and how to notch up achievements as an individual. For Laetisha Scanlan, success isn’t linear and accepting that it looks different for every shooter is what makes you a better contender. Suzy Balogh touches on this and highlights advantages women have as competitive shooters. Kath Heiman and daughter Scout continue the family legacy of hunting and shooting by taking the plunge to gain their licence and minor’s permit amid much excitement while Montse Jaime’s review of the Bergara BA13TD in .308 as a hunting rifle might have you planning a purchase. Vegetarian but now game meat enthusiast Shauna Pickin’s love for turning rabbit and deer into meals for the table will inspire you for your next hunt.

In Part 3 of our AWS custom-built rifle with Beretta Australia, we wrap up the series with a goat and deer hunt under extreme conditions. Read how the Tikka .243 WIN performed and our conclusions on a hybrid range and hunting rifle. Testament to ‘mind over matter’, Commonwealth and Olympic Games gold medallist Suzy Balogh focuses on mental imagery as a tool towards better shooting and Laetisha Scanlan reflects on her fulfilling role as an ambassador for the Australian Institute of Sport Mental Fitness Program. And once you’ve decided to take that initial step to fully delve in to the world of shooting and hunting, what happens from there? We document the five-year journey of a ‘new’ member, whose confidence grew at every turn.

Gemma Dunn documents her whirlwind tour of Finland and Sako with Beretta Australia. This amazing country provided many eye-opening experiences, including seeing first-hand where rifles and ammo are made and what the future holds in that regard. But it was her very first moose hunt that stirred up the most emotion. From fear, to concern to elation and appreciation. There were a lot of tears and a lot of amazing memories. Furthermore, Laetisha Scanlan provides an insight into the importance of journaling your shooting, a loving father puts the ultimate plan in place for a milestone rifle combo for him and his daughter and we review the impressive Turkish-made Yildiz Pro shotgun with all the trimmings.

Laetisha Scanlan provides a personal insight to the year gone by and what lies ahead, including Aussie success at the World Championships and Shooting being reinstated into the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Gemma Dunn supports SMART goal-setting for your shooting to help track and achieve realistic goals, with a QR code to access an easy-to-use worksheet. Our fascinating tale of a cherished side-by-side shotgun traverses Europe to incorporate a baroness, a castle, hide and seek, happy hunting and a fond legacy. We look at canvas art as a stunning alternative for your hunting trophy. And there’s plenty of feral pigs out there to hunt, so follow our guide to get started and make a positive difference for our fragile ecosystems.

Laetisha Scanlan covers the technique where Trap shooters count the clays when competing. A loving mum discusses life after giving birth and how getting back to nature and the management of feral pests reinvigorated her. We hit the open road on a father and daughter trip like no other to remote Coober Pedy where exciting comps at SSAA ranges provide outstanding results and ever-lasting memories. Gemma Dunn delves into performance plateaus in shooting and offers guidance for this natural occurrence that can be overcome with practice and persistence. And we feature a long-time married couple who love nothing more than hunting and fishing together, which has proven a real treat when the adventure includes the whole family.

Laetisha Scanlan discusses her European tour with the Australian National shooting team, where she, Catherine Skinner and Penny Smith secured World Cup Gold in Lonato, Italy. Purchasing your rifle is no simple task, so we weigh up the pros and cons with centrefire versus rimfire. Ann Brummell has dedicated her life to sports shooting and we speak with her about being an inspiration to newcomers. In the field, the bond between hunters is special and a proud father reflects on treasured moments spent with his daughter, a keen hunter shares her recent experience procuring impressive stags in South Australia with a crew from ZeroTech and we review a helpful Allen rifle sling for hunting.

Our finished AWS Tikka .243 WIN rifle handmade by Beretta Australia shoots as good as it looks as we brilliantly showcase their firearm customisation service available to all shooters. We review an Aussie Outback Supplies rifle bag that’s exactly what a father and daughter wanted in her first cover. The highest sporting honour has been awarded to Paralympic shooter Libby Kosmala OAM so we touch base with her, while Laetisha Scanlan discusses whether shooting is a dying sport at international level. We also attend a successful SSAA South Australia Girls with Guns – Try Shooting Day and feature the 2022 schedule for Victoria’s fantastic Women on Target events.

We showcase Part 1 of our custom-built AWS Tikka .243 WIN rifle with Beretta Australia, designed from the ground up to suit an intermediate level female shooter for the range and hunting. Join us on different experiences that make up a memorable hunt, whether it’s for a trophy, meat, the testing pursuit itself or a mix of each. The spotlight is shone on a regional Victorian high school where studies are complemented by the sports shooting program. And we extend handy advice from one novice shooter to another, while Olympian Laetisha Scanlan covers training and her advancement over time.