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A Junior Shooter at the 2008 U.S. National Steel Championship
Posted by Junior Shooters
By: Ashley Bolda (13), aka Shooter
(Junior Writer – For Kids By Kids)
Some kids think of vacation as being at a place like Disney World or Six Flags Great 
America. But my idea of a great vacation is spending time with my shooting family. My shooting family are the people in my life that teach me not only how to shoot my guns, but also how to be a straight shooter in life. They are just like any other genetic family, they are there for me no matter what. When I hear that I am going to California, South Carolina, or Arizona, (It’s me, Ashley Bolda – 13 years old aka: Shooter)
I count the days on the calendar until I leave to see my shooting family. This time I counted the days to South Carolina.
We went to Skip J Range, where the 2008 U.S. National Steel Championship was being held. There I shot my new .22 Browning Buck Mark with all of the Tactical Solutions pink accessories.
(One of the very difficult stages)
The day that we arrived, I practiced all day with my coach, Mike Setting (who I call my uncle Mike because if he were in my real family, he would be just like my uncle). My uncle Mike played a major roll in the custom design of my Browning Buck Mark .22 pistol.
Like most shoots, the first day started very early. I got up at 5:45 a.m. so that we could have some breakfast, and make it to the range my 8:15. The shooters’ meeting was at 8:30, and off we went, all the squads to their stages. My coach, uncle Mike, helped the entire time, at every stage. It was especially nice because I was shooting alongside my mom all day.
(Training with my Uncle Mike Setting )
It was very exciting when I was shooting one of the stages, and the camera crew from Shooting USA filmed me for an upcoming show on the Outdoor Channel.
For those of you who do not understand what steel target competitive shooting is, I will give you a short explanation: 
There are usually a few different stages everyone has to shoot – in this competition there were eight stages. Each stage has five steel targets that you have to shoot. Whoever shoots the targets the fastest is the winner.
Since I was only competing the first day of the three day competition, I thought that I would interview some famous speed shooters for this article. (My mom is one of my biggest supporter along with my dad. Right under the Tactical Solutions banner who is one of my sponsors!)
So, who better to interview first than Uncle Mike Setting.
Q: How has shooting changed your life?
A: Shooting has made it possible for me to meet many different people and see many different parts of the country.
David Sevigny from Glock-
Q: Who did you look up to as a kid?
A: My mom and dad because they were hard workers. (I loved this answer because my mom and dad also work very hard).
(I took a shot with one of the demo rifles they had just for fun.)
Jesse Abbate from Glock-
Q: How has shooting changed your life and how did you get started in shooting?
A: Shooting has taught me how to have self discipline, set goals, and how to achieve them. I got started in shooting with my dad and my husband in cowboy action shooting.
(This is Jesse Abbate of Glock. She is the lady Glock shooter and I hope that I can shoot as well as she does one day.)
Doug Koenig, World Champion Speed Shooter-
Q: What advice do you have for young shooters?
A: Be safe, have fun, and enjoy yourself. But most of all, always be safe!
K.C. Eusebio, U.S. Army-
Q: How old were you when you started shooting and who got you started?
A: I was eight years old and my dad got me started shooting.
(Max Michele of the U.S. Army. me, K.C. Eusebio of the U.S. Army and Doug Koenig, a world famous shooter.)
Michael Voigt, President of USPSA-
Q: What is your advice for young shooters?
A: Anytime you have to choose between accuracy and speed, you should always choose accuracy. But, safety is always your first concern.
(It’s me with my .22 pistol with the pink barrel from Tactical Solutions.)
Although I interviewed many shooters, my favorite quotes came from Chris Marten and my uncle Mike Setting. Christ Marten of GT Targets said, “Do whatever it takes to let your parents keep you shooting, whether it?s keeping your grades up, doing your homework, doing your chores, whatever it is, do it. Just do whatever it takes.” My uncle Mike Setting said, “Remember to shoot for enjoyment and never take the competition too seriously. But, take the practices seriously and most importantly – safety first.”
Oh, and just in case you are wondering how I did at this match, I came in fourth place in the Junior Pistol Open Rimfire Division. But the best part of all was that I beat my mom!
There were shooters from the age of nine all the way up to seniors, and most of them were much better shooters than I. I still had a great time and will continue to shoot because I love the sport.
I just want to say think you to my sponsors, Tactical Solutions, Lapua, and Competition Electronics. (Awards Day!)
I also want to thank my coach, uncle Mike Setting, who has taught me so much about safety, competition, and having fun in this sport. I’d also like to thank Junior Shooter for allowing me to write about my experiences at the competitions I am attending this year. Last but not least, I want to thank my mom and dad for making it possible for me to do what I love to do, that is shoot! But most of all, I want to thank God.
For anyone who wants to ask me a question about how to get involved in this sport, please email me at: www.shootergirlinpink@yahoo.com. Who knows, maybe your question will be answered in my next article! Thanks for reading my article, and always be safe.
(Another stage sponsored by Para USA.)
Contact Info:
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Competition Electronics: www.competitionelectronics.com
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Kaltron Outdoors: www.kaltronoutdoors.com
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Lapua: www.lapua.com
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Tactical Solutions: www.tacticalsol.com
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Copyright & Published By Junior Shooters and Junior Sports Magazines Inc. January 2009
Great article. This girl can shoot! How about an article on juniors and cowboy action shooting?
[…] junior lady shooters competing in this event.? Lena Miculek (Kay and Jerry’s daughter) and Ashley Bolda posted impressive scores.? These talented young ladies are the future of the sport and it’s […]
[…] junior lady shooters competing in this event. Lena Miculek (Kay and Jerry’s daughter) and Ashley Bolda posted impressive scores. These talented young ladies are the future of the sport and it’s […]