I read the first review of my book by Massad Ayoob waiting in line for a quick breakfast at the SHOT Show. I will be honest I was a bit overwhelmed by it, especially from one so widely respected in the industry. Another wonderful review by J. Scott Rupp of Guns & Ammo Handguns and Nick Hromiak on Examiner.com had me very excited. This week ITS Tactical reviewed Shoot and there’s even a chance to win an autographed copy!

Click here to view the embedded video.

To read more on what they’re saying about Shoot: Your Guide to Shooting and Competition, check out the new page on my site – Shoot Reviews.

Smith & Wesson has a new clothing line that debuted at SHOT. With built in concealed carry features and details firearms enthusiasts can appreciate, it’s also fashion forward. I love how modern yet classic looking the clothes are. And an actual line for women??? Happiness!
   

I had a nice time chatting with Glenn Klecker who stopped by the Smith & Wesson booth for an autograph and I learned about one of his products, the Nathan’s Knife Kit. The kit is a working, softwood model of a lock-back, folding pocket knife. I just love the concept of this craft project and how it can be used to teach kids about knife safety. I can’t wait for the right time to build this with my munchkin!

Big news at the Benelli booth was of course the new, ready-to-race, Benelli 3-Gun M2 from the Performance Shop. I even got to play with it!

What else caught my eye at Benelli? The new additions to the Franchi line! Don’t get me wrong, I love my Benelli semi-autos! I have a Super Sport for busting clays, the Vinci for bird hunting and my 3-gunning masterpiece, the awesome M2. The Franchi Instinct SL over-and-under is well, just plain svelte looking. For a girl that doesn’t have an over-and-under and with an MSRP at $1349, it’s on my wish list!

ASYM ammo launched ASYM PRECISION SOLID DEFENSE X^TM (SDX) a couple of month back. I was definitely picking Stan Chen’s brain about it in the ASYM booth. 9mm, 1200 fps. out of a 4″ barrel with a Barnes TAC-XP bullet! Soft shooting stopping power ideal for compacts? What’s NOT to love about that?

Thanks to my honey, who was also at the show this year, I scored a copy Brad Thor’s The Athena Project. It’s even autographed!!! [INSERT BIG SMILES]

Smith & Wesson is channeling the feminine warrior with a fun new gun, the S&W M&P 15-22 in what I call glamo-camo. Not only do I like it, but I am so looking forward to the day I can plink in pink with my little girl. When she saw the photo of it she said, “Mama, I want that pink gun!” YES!

JulieG Podcasts February 2012

Additional Links…
Smith & Wesson IDPA Indoor Nationals
IDPA
Smith & Wesson M&P9L
Warren Tactical Sights
USPSA Nationals
IPSC Moscow Open
Field to Fork

What else do I love about SHOT? The people. SHOT Show is always packed with the grassroots heroes of our industry otherwise known as the gun and gear dealers, the many manufacturing and sales reps, and, of course, members of the media. You never know who you are going to run into. In a lot of ways it’s like a four day happy hour! Continuing with my favorite moments from SHOT, this post is all about just some of the über cool people at the show…

All the folks I have had the pleasure to meet from NRA News  are super nice. But just how far does “super nice” go when you’re standing there with a big camera lens right in front of your face that resembles a portal into the abyss? Well, Cam Edwards, Cameron Gray and John Popp have mad skills for getting people to chat with them even in the presence of the soul sucking camera. I am always hard on myself for these types of appearances, but these guys are truly pros and every time I have had the chance to talk with them, it has been so comfortable.

Case in point, at SHOT Show I had the opportunity to sit down with talented women from Women’s Outdoor News – Barb Baird, Mia Anstine and Sara Ahrens. We were on to talk with Cam Edwards about women and the industry. With each of us coming from different backgrounds, we were able to relate to our areas of expertise. Cam expertly lead the discussion, allowing us to share our experiences with dedicated members of the NRA in such a fun way. After that, a follow up interview on SHOOT with Cameron Gray in the hallway and I was all smiles heading to my next booth appearance.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Another master of the interview, I completely SCORED when I was able to sit down with Tom Gresham, LIVE and right on the show floor in the Crimson Trace booth to talk about SHOOT. Not only was it just an amazing way to share the book and its SHOT Show debut, but I love how Tom asks questions on Gun Talk Radio. He really has understanding of what his listeners want to hear and so though it wasn’t a traditional call in show, he steered our conversation in a way that we were able to share the experiences listeners can relate to. I just love that! Here’s a link to the entire clip and listen for me to come on at 33:36.

If you follow me on facebook or twitter, you probably know that I am a big Top Shot on History Channel fan. A closet reality TV show junkie, I actually find the drama entertaining, but the best part of the show for me has to be the challenges. After I watch an episode, I am just filled with envy. I so want to try every one of ‘em – yes even rock throwing!

I am also a Colby Donaldson fan. Last year, my friend and Benelli teammate Taran Butler introduced me to him. Since then I have had the chance to chat with him a few more times at various trade shows and such. He is so friendly and you can just tell he loves to be able to work on a show that features guns and shooting in such a huge way. Talk about a fav moment at the show – when I was at the Smith & Wesson booth Colby popped in to say hello… to meeee! It was one of those OMGosh-how-awesome-is-this moments!  <INSERT BIG SMILE>

One thing that always strikes me about SHOT is how the tip top tier of management, big time stock holders and company exec’s are right there on the show floor, hanging out and contributing in such a personal and personable way. That’s huge! Show participants could actually talk with Ginger Chandler, Vice President of New Product Development at Smith & Wesson about the S&W M&P. They could approach Stephen McKelvain, Vice President of Marketing & Communications at Benelli USA, with their marketing and branding questions. They might have even had their photo snapped by Chris Dolnak, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at NSSF, who expertly demonstrated that it is indeed possible to tweet, walk and talk all at the same time.

For me personally, being able to spend time with my sponsors and teammates is a major highlight. (More about that here.) Despite bouncing around every one to two hours, I was so happy to run into good friends like Jay Christy from my days at the AMU, Todd Green from Pistol-Training.com, and so many fun fellow lady shooters who I won’t name for their privacy, but they know who they are! It was wonderful to be able to catch up with Kathryn Mennone from Skyhorse Publishing at the SHOOT signings. I was also able to share SHOT Show with my husband which made it REALLY SPECIAL ❤❤❤

Meeting and talking with those who are passionate about shooting, hunting and the outdoors just further shows that the people in our industry are THE BEST.

JulieGPodcast – 2012 SHOT Show

I covered this in the podcast, but one of the greatest moments for me was my book signing for Shoot: Your Guide to Shooting and Competition. Walking down the aisle on my way to the Rumpf Outdoor Titles booth for my first ever book signing, I was so nervous. All these thoughts were racing through my mind like… Would anyone be there? Will people like the book? Is it going to be well received? I wasn’t able to recon and find the booth before the signing so I was worried about getting lost and being late. I was totally stressing!

When I saw the booth and that there were actually people there waiting for me to arrive, I was just overwhelmed. In fact seeing everyone, having my dear friend Yamil Sued along with so many friends and supporters there, it was all I could do to not get all girly and weepy. Internally I was scolding myself, “you better not start tearing up in front of all these people!”

It was so great to be able to connect with people about the book, talk with them about their shooting goals and answer questions. People introduced themselves from their Twitter and Facebook profiles. We chatted about different matches and getting new shooters involved and before I knew it, the hour flew by.

I had three sessions scheduled over the first three days of the show and a big pile of books to sign thanks to Rumpf Outdoor Titles and Skyhorse Publishing. I can’t tell you how incredible it felt to find out that we ran out of books, that it was that successful! People were so understanding too and I am very glad I thought to bring bookmarks to give away for those who weren’t able to get a copy of the book. To everyone who stopped by, thank you SO MUCH for making it one of the most memorable moments of the show and my career!

SHOT Show is still exciting for me. I still feel like a kid in a candy store but now it’s also a chance for me to visit with my sponsors, learn about new products and most of all, it’s a way to connect with the dealer. What many people don’t realize about SHOT is that one of the main purposes of the show is to provide an opportunity for the local gun shop owner or gear dealer to get out and have a hands on, face to face connection with their current and potential suppliers, all in one place – Vegas, baby!

For companies this is an equally important show and they pull out all the stops. Members of the media – both industry and mainstream – are there to capture all the latest news. It’s a place to show off new products, services and provide a personal connection. That’s where sponsored shooters and celebrities come in. Companies use these personalities to showcase and in many cases demo their products. And that’s also how I get to attend!

This year’s SHOT Show is going to be the busiest yet for me. I have demos and signings at several places through out the show.  Of course, I will be at Smith & Wesson. I will be doing a demo on just some of the awesome features of the Smith & Wesson M&P pistol.  That and I look forward to the chance to hang out in the Performance Center section of the booth with my fellow teammates and shooting legends Jerry Miculek and Doug Koenig meeting so many new people of the industry!

I am also excited to be a part of the Benelli demos. In 2011 Benelli launched Team Benelli 3-Gun and signed an incredible group of talented shooters that race with Benelli’s fast and reliable shotguns.  Check out the lastest Team Benelli 3-Gun video. I think I have watched it 20 times already!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Safariland is also on my schedule. Just look at the poster of Team Safariland and you can see how many shooting stars use the company’s gear.  With pistol and shotgun demos at Smith & Wesson and Benelli, I love that with my Safarliand ELS rig I have a simple presto chango to prep for each demo. Just like in competition – I can do it all with just one rig!

What else? I have an interview with Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk Radio and it’s both an honor and just an all around great time talking with Tom. There’s the unveil of new products and the first recipient awarded the Prois Award in the Prois booth. I’ll be spending some time at Gemini and can’t wait to see what they have new for 2012.  A trip down to the ASYM booth to visit with Stan Chen is must on my list to help showcase the awesome pistol and rifle ammo (and to drool over Stan’s outrageously gorgeous 1911′s).

I am also giddy, giddy, GIDDY with excitement to have my first ever book signing with Rumpf Outdoor Titles and Skyhorse Publishing with literally the first copies of my book available at the booth!
When I am not booked, I will bouncing around to take the time to thank all my sponsors for their generous support. It’s a whirlwind week and I love it! If you’re going to SHOT  and you see a flash of Smith & Wesson blue running through the aisles, chances are that’s me running to my next gig. Here’s my schedule so far and please consider stopping by to say hello wherever I am and be sure to check out the products in these booths:

If you’re using the NSSF’s nifty SHOT Show planner, here’s links to information and times…

Smith & Wesson Demos & Signings with Jerry Miculek - Product Demonstration – “It’s your chance to watch S&W Champions Jerry Miculek and Julie Golob in action with S&W revolvers and the M&P! You won’t want to miss it. Demos start at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday and 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Stick around for photos and autographs with the champs and to check out all of Smith & Wesson’s products in booth #13731.”

Smith & Wesson Champions Signings – Celebrity Appearances – “Meet, greet and get a personalized autograph with the Smith & Wesson Champions – Doug Koenig, Jerry Miculek & Julie Golob at the SHOT Show. The champs will be in the Smith & Wesson booth (#13731)for signings from 2:30-4:00 on Tuesday, 10:30-12:00 on Wednesday, 2:30-4:00 on Thursday and from 1:00-2:30 on Friday. See you there!”

Benelli Demos & Signings – Product Demonstrations – Members of Team Benelli will be in booth #13356 through out SHOT Show to offer tips and advice on 3-Gunning with Benelli shotguns. Look for me there from 8:30 – 10:30 Tuesday through Thursday and from 10:30 – 12:30 on Friday.

SHOOT: Your Guide to Shooting and Competition Book Signing Session at Rumpf Outdoor Titles - Celebrity Appearances – “Julie will be autographing her new book Shoot- Your Guide to Shooting and Competition in the Rumpf Outdoor Titles booth 1962 on the 17th 18th and 19th from 12:00-1:00 p.m.”

Safariland Demos - Product Demonstrations – “Please join many of the world-class Team Safariland members at the Safariland SHOT Show Exhibit (Booth #12762) as they perform on stage, provide product demonstrations, give prizes away, visit and sign posters.” I’ll be at the Team Safariland Stage Performances at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday.

ASYM Ammuntion – I’ll be hanging out in the ASYM booth #2243 at SHOT Show from 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday and I am looking forward to checking out the new 9mm SDX – SOLID DEFENSE X – 115 Barnes TAC-XP +P!

Gemini Sports Marketing – I will be in the Gemini booth (#1818) to see the new products they have planned for 2012 from 9:00 – 9:30 a.m on Friday. Rumor has it there’s going to be give aways too!

Prois Award Announcement & New Product Review – Join me and many other Prois Pro Staffers on Tuesday, January 17th at 4:30 p.m. to see the unveiling of the new line-up for 2012 in booth #10223. Prois will also be introducing the winner of the 2012 Prois Award!

Not going to SHOT? I’ll be posting updates on Twitter, Facebook and Google+ leading up to and during the show.

11. Adventures in 3-Gunning – I took a big leap out of my comfort zone this season and explored the sport of 3-Gun.  Many years ago I shot a few multi-gun style matches, but this sport has greatly evolved since then. I have a lot to learn about racing with the Smith & Wesson M&P15 and Benelli M2 and though 3-Gun is still very much in its infancy, it is a challenge I definitely want to pursue in 2012. Read more about my adventures in 3-gunning here.

10. Shooting Industry Masters – Some approach the FMG’s Shooting Industry Masters as a “serious” competition. For me, it’s more about the people who make the industry tick.  From chatting with those who work tirelessly behind the scenes to deliver products and services in the shooting, hunting and outdoor industries to trying out new things like shooting a crossbow to raising money for the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s First Shots program, I had a great time at this event.  Here’s a post I wrote up on it for Women’s Outdoor News.

9. Benelli On Assignment Texas Turkey Hunt – I jumped at the opportunity to go on my first ever turkey hunt with Joe Coogan and Benelli USA in March. Not only did I get to learn how to use a slate call and hunt turkeys, I ended up shooting my first gobbler and got to do it with a wonderful group of fun and talented women!

Click here to view the embedded video.

8.  2011 USPSA Ladies Production National Champion – I had no expectations for this year’s USPSA Production Nationals. For me it was a test run for the IPSC World Shoot with my stock Smith & Wesson M&P9L and Warren Tactical Sights against more customized production guns with lighter triggers. I shot my own game and I think this was my most successful match of the season. I felt strong and confident. Being able to bring home the title after finishing second for the past couple of years definitely rates as one of my top moments of 2011.

7. Duck Hunting with Mike Irvine of Shooting USA –  Getting to know Mike Irvine over the years, well, his eyes just light up when he talks about waterfowl hunting. This December I had the chance to step into the blind for the first time, where Mike is the expert.  What fun! I totally caught the bug and was excited to be able to share it with an old friend from the US Army Marksmanship Unit and Olympian, Shawn Dulohery. I have been so busy over the past few weeks that I haven’t had a chance to blog about it, but stay tuned. This is one experience I will be writing more about.

6.  SHOOT: Your Guide to Shooting and Competition – I never realized how much work goes into writing a book until I found myself staring at my laptop wondering where to begin.  Writing Shoot gave me the opportunity to learn more about shooting sports I have never competed in. It also allowed me to combine two of my passions – shooting and writing – into a book I am very proud of. Check it out at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

5. 2011 USPSA Ladies Revolver National Champion – I wasn’t able to coordinate all the components to make it happen in 2010, but in 2011 I was determined to compete in the Revolver Division at the USPSA Nationals. With the help of good friends Rob Leatham and Seiichi Ishikawa, I was able to not only compete in my first ever Revolver Nationals, but win the Ladies National Title against the sport’s most enduring women’s revolver champion (and all around wonderful person), Annette Aysen.

Click here to view the embedded video.

4. My First Mule Deer – In case you haven’t guessed it, I love to hunt. It is a hobby my dad and I shared when I was young and moving to Montana I take advantage of all the hunting the Treasure State has to offer every chance I get. After a hectic shooting season, being able to head to the field with my husband is a pastime I look forward to all year. This year, we hit the plains near the border of Canada to hunt for my first mulie. Thank you, my love, for an amazing time.

3. RUSSIA! – Shooting has taken me all over the world and I have been able to enjoy the sport in six of the seven continents.  Just last month I had a once in a lifetime opportunity to travel to Russia for the IPSC Moscow Open.  I have a blog post in the works (and possible article for Front Sight magazine), but truth be told I am still mentally absorbing it all.  A huge thank you to my hosts, Svetlana Nikolaeva and Stanislav Novoselov, for an incredible experience I will never forget.

Click here to view the embedded video.

2. World Shoot XVI – An IPSC World Shoot is unlike any other event in the action shooting sports. First, it’s huge with a cadre of range officers, volunteers and, of course, hundreds of competitors.  I love meeting shooters from around the world and to be able to do it with my teammates from the USPSA Ladies Production Team, Sara Dunivin, Kippi Leatham and Maggie Reese, it is one match experience I will always treasure. Here’s a link to all my blog posts on the event.

1. USPSA Six Division Champion – When I signed with Smith & Wesson, it opened the doors to a wealth of shooting opportunities.  I realized I could do something that had never been done – win a national title in all six divisions of USPSA (Open, Limited, Production, Limited-10, Single Stack and Revolver).  Having the support of my family, friends, even complete strangers who were sending me well wishes through Facebook, Twitter and my blog, made this achievement all the more special.

Photo Courtesy of Paul Cabigao

It sounds cheesy, but being able to share all this with you has been such a highlight of my year. Thank you for all your well wishes, kind words and support. Here’s to an amazing 2012!

And I have to thank all my subscribers and followers who have been with me on this journey.  I am running a little thank you give away with autographed photos as a way to say “thanks so much” for all your support.

What to do:

1. Like, follow or subscribe to me on Facebook, Twitter & You-Tube.
2. Share my Facebook, Twitter and You-Tube Pages with your friends and encourage them to like, follow and subscribe.
3. Complete the subscription form here http://eepurl.com/hIMT2 and use the Giveaway Code: 20YR
4. Keep sharing! The more follows, subscribes and likes – the more I give away!

How it works:

For the next 20 days (December 20, 2011 through January 8, 2012), each time there are 20 new followers on twitter (starting at 2560), new “likes” on facebook (starting at 6680) and new subscriptions on You-Tube (starting at 1160) I will send out an autographed photo to a randomly selected person from those who submit/update their info and include the Giveaway Code: 20YR through the link at http://eepurl.com/hIMT2.

In order to be eligible, all you have to do is visit the link, enter your info, include the Giveaway Code: 20YR, and submit. If you are selected, I will contact you via the info you provided. The only bad news is that even if you are lucky enough to have your name pulled more than once, for this give away only one photo will be sent per randomly selected person. But, if you are picked more than once, I will definitely drop you an email in case you want to go buy a lotto ticket!

Thanks so much once again, everyone! Enjoy the rest of your holiday season and here’s to a wonderful 2012!

I call my recipes my “Field To Fork” creations. My husband serves as my taste tester, providing his feedback in what I call his gourmet gauge.  The gauge is based on how many m’s in “Mmmmm” my dishes inspire. M is Good. Mm means yummy. Mmm translates to delicious. Mmmm inspires a, “shh… I need a moment to savor this.” Finally, Mmmmm is the highest praise – dangerously delectable with high risk of food coma.

A good friend of mine gave me the idea of running a blog series on what dishes I prepared from the mule deer buck I took this hunting season. I loved the idea and for the series I plan to take my mule deer on a culinary world tour.

For my first dish, as you probably guessed from the title, I decided to cook venison heart. Often relinquished to the gut pile left in the field, deer heart isn’t usually on the menu for many households. It’s a dense meat with deep flavor. If it is not cleaned thoroughly it can have a mineral, metallic taste not unlike the very liquid it pumps.

Some people I know shudder at the mere thought of consuming heart, classifying it as offal and resort to name calling with another word that sounds almost the same. Thankfully my husband isn’t one of them!

Gourmet magazine’s archives revealed a recipe from 1944 for calf heart and lungs that was considered a delicacy. The text after the recipe says it all, “This exclusive recipe is pulled directly from Gourmet’s archive. It has not been re-tested by our food editors since it was published in the magazine, but it’s a pretty good indication of the kinds of things we once cooked—and ate—with great pleasure.”

And I did feel pleasure in not wasting this portion of my mule deer and for the chance to make a delicious hearty dish – à cœur vaillant rien d’impossible!

Passion and decadence are two words that come to mind when I think of the word heart. At the surface, matters of the heart seem simple but dig deeper they are indeed quite complicated. What dish embodied all these things? Simple ingredients prepared in a complicated way with rich decadent flavors? The French classic Beef Bourgninon.

A little history on the dish thanks to Wikipedia, “Beef bourguignon is one of many examples of peasant dishes being slowly refined into haute cuisine. Most likely, the particular method of slowly simmering the beef in wine originated as a means of tenderizing cuts of meat that would have been too tough to cook any other way. Over time, the dish became a standard of French cuisine.”

A quick recipe search on the internet, yielded some promising results like this one from Food Network’s Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten. I used this recipe as a guide, but made some variations of my own.

Out came the cutting board. I chopped up two carrots, two stalks of celery and a medium sized yellow onion. I ran six cloves of garlic through my garlic press next and then prepared to tackle the heart.

Deer heart can be chewy so I wanted to remove any portion that had fat, arteries or that hard, outer coating. The first step was chopping it in half and then removing the top portion with the aorta and such.

Next I took the heart to the sink and made sure I cleaned it thoroughly of any remaining blood. Back to the cutting board, I used my knife to remove the thin outer layer.  The exposed meat looked a lot like, well, any other meat.

I cut the heart into one inch cubes and placed them in a bowl. I added two tablespoons of lemon juice to a cup of white wine, stirred it and then poured the liquid into the bowl, making sure the meat was covered.  The wine and lemon juice served as a short marinade.  Any remaining blood in the heart also settled out, so I think this is an important step.

I got out my dutch oven (it’s Smith & Wesson blue) and set it on a burner at medium heat.  I added two tablespoons of butter and let it melt.  The celery, carrots and onions followed and I cooked these for nine minutes, stirring often. After that I tossed in the pressed garlic and cooked for another minute before adding a cup of white wine. I popped the cover on it and let it cook for another ten minutes.

Why white wine instead of red in a “burgundy” dish? I chose to incorporate white wine because I didn’t want the red wine flavor to be too bold. I knew the dish would be rich in flavor already with the heart meat.

Next up, on another burner, I heated a skillet on high heat with three tablespoons of olive oil. I strained all the liquid from the meat and when the olive oil was rippling, added it to the skillet. After searing the meat on all sides, I poured in one cup of dry red wine. I let this cook for one more minute before pouring the contents of the skillet into the dutch oven.

One teaspoon of salt, one half teaspoon of pepper, two bay leaves, one half teaspoon of dried thyme and ten small golden potatoes went in next.  I stirred the mixture thoroughly reduced the temperature to low heat, covered and let cook for an hour and a half.

I didn’t happen to have any fresh mushrooms on hand but I keep an assortment of dried mushroom in my pantry. I prepared them per package instructions by boiling two cups of water and pouring that into a bowl with a cup of the dried mushrooms. After letting them sit for five minutes I removed the mushrooms from the water, chopped them up into smaller pieces and added them to the dutch oven.

Finally, to thicken the liquid in the stew, I melted one tablespoon of butter with one tablespoon of olive oil.  I stirred in three tablespoons of flour.  I added this and the cloves from a head of roasted garlic to the stew and stirred gently but thoroughly.

Another 15 minutes on the burner, it was ready to serve with some fresh baked wheat bread. How did it rate on the Mmmmm scale?

Mmm – DELICIOUS!

For a printable, pdf version of this recipe click on the thumbnail below and bon appetit!