Buying a shotgun is a long-term investment, so why choose one without ever pulling the trigger? Instructor and shotgun dealer Peggy Houchin explains why shooting a firearm before purchasing it can make all the difference. In this article, she shares how her personalized "Try Before You Buy" demonstrations help shooters compare different shotguns, evaluate fit, balance, recoil, and handling, and make a confident decision before investing. If you're searching for the right shotgun, this practical advice could save you from buying one that simply doesn't fit you.

If there was one thing that defined the day, it was not the shooting.

It was the energy.

You could feel it from the first round to the last. It showed up in the way women encouraged each other, in the laughter between stations, and in the confidence that grew with every attempt.

From the outside, confidence can look effortless.

A woman steps onto the range, calls for the target, mounts her gun, and takes the shot. In the field, she moves with purpose, reads the terrain, and trusts her instincts. To someone watching, it can seem natural. Practiced. Even easy.

But what most people do not see are the internal battles that happen long before that moment.

Protecting the Second Amendment takes more than legislation. It takes dedicated leaders willing to educate, advocate, and inspire others to get involved. As the Texas State Director for Gun Owners of America, Leigh Gibson is doing exactly that. Drawing from her experiences as a firearms advocate, grassroots organizer, wife of a firearms instructor, and mother of a USA Shooting Junior World Cup Team member, Leigh is committed to preserving the rights of law-abiding gun owners across Texas. In this month's Leading Ladies feature, we highlight her journey, her passion for constitutional freedoms, and the work GOA Texas is doing to empower firearm owners and defend the Second Amendment for future generations.

There’s a moment in every woman’s outdoor journey where she looks around and wonders:

“Am I doing this right?”

Every brand has a mission.

But the ones that matter—the ones that last—are built on something deeper than content.

They’re built on purpose.

There’s a moment every woman remembers.

The first time she felt like she belonged.

For a long time, women in the outdoors learned to adapt.

We wore men’s gear that didn’t quite fit.
We layered awkwardly to make things work.
We sacrificed comfort for function—or style for durability.

In a world that constantly tells women who they should be, one of the most powerful things you can do is decide who you actually are.

Not every woman grows up around guns, hunting, or shooting sports. Many discover it later in life, often by chance.

And for a lot of them, that first experience is transformative.

In a space that has traditionally been male-dominated, organizations like A Girl & A Gun are redefining what the shooting community looks like.

“Balance” is one of the most overused words when it comes to women’s lives. It suggests everything should fit neatly into place. But for women in the outdoors, that couldn’t be further from reality.

Women in the shooting sports are not defined by age, background, or experience level. They are connected by something far more powerful: a shared passion and a willingness to grow, mentor, and lead.