Amateurs and Experts

The Easiest Way To Start Your Shooting Journey with Sheila Hoekstra

Amateurs and Experts Season 3 Episode 2

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0:00 | 23:05

Have you ever wondered why women might learn to shoot differently than men? The "Amateurs and Experts" podcast hosts, Jessica Adanich and Erica Chin chat with firearms instructor Sheila Hoekstra about her career and the unique world of women in shooting. She explains that because men and women are built differently, having a female instructor can make a big difference. Sheila talks about her time with "Babes of Bullets" and how grateful she is for the strong, supportive, and kind community of ladies she's met.


The hosts and Sheila also talk about the new "Staccato Vegas" range, which is more than just a place to practice. It's an adventure spot with activities like "Rolling Thunder," where you shoot from a moving vehicle. This fun and humbling experience shows that anyone can be a great shooter if they have the right attitude. Sheila and the hosts end by saying that their passion for shooting has given them a "living bucket list" of amazing experiences and friendships.

A special thank you to Otis Technology for providing an amazing space to make podcast magic at SHOT Show 2025. Links:


  • Take aways

    • The Value of Female-Specific Training
    • Living Bucket List
    • The Humbling Power of Unique Experiences
    • Community Over Competition
    • The Evolution of Firearms Training


    Key words

    • SHOT Show 2025
    • Otis Technology
    • Amateurs and Experts
    • Babes of Bullets
    • Sheila Hoekstra
    • Women in shooting
    • 3- Gun match
    • Hillsdale College
    • Prairie Fire
    • Staccato Vegas
    • Law enforcement
    • Military
    • Civilians
    • Limp noodle
    • WOMA
    • She Never Quit
    • Bucket list
    SPEAKER_00

    Welcome to Base with Bullets. Oh my bullets. What? Where are we? Amateurs and experts. I'm so nervous. You guys, I guess I'll do it.

    SPEAKER_01

    I guess we got the amateur part down, don't we?

    SPEAKER_00

    We are amateurs. We're just two chicks with microphones. Yes. And then Otis and then Deb Deb kind of talked Otis into giving us this booth. No, I don't know. They graciously. I mean, this is freaking amazing.

    SPEAKER_02

    Okay, okay.

    SPEAKER_00

    Okay, okay.

    SPEAKER_02

    Serious. Okay. All right. Welcome to Amateurs and Experts. We are coming to you from SHOT Show 2025 from the Otis Technology booth. It is their 40th anniversary.

    SPEAKER_00

    Yes. And this booth is amazing. Um I mean, it makes us seem like we're experts. And a lot cooler than what we really are, I feel like. Yes, it makes us cool.

    SPEAKER_02

    It might give me a complex by the end of the week. Like I'm more special and famous than I really am.

    SPEAKER_00

    Yes. Yeah. But I'll take it. I'll take it. I'll take the complex. It looks good on us.

    SPEAKER_02

    It does. It does. I want to take it home with me.

    SPEAKER_00

    We're here with Sheila Hoekstra. And she is a true rock star. Oh my gosh. Amazing trainer. Great personality. If you don't know her, you need to get to know her. Yes. Welcome, Sheila.

    SPEAKER_01

    Well, hello. Thanks for having me here.

    SPEAKER_00

    We uh we met, I remember the first time we met was a babes with bullets three gun match. And after I it was the first one I had ever Louisiana, right? Yeah. Yep. And um afterwards you're like, hey, let me give you some pointers. And I was like, I took them. I was like, this is this is my last stage, and I am so tired. And you really, I mean, it was everything I needed to hear. Wow, that's awesome.

    SPEAKER_02

    I I think of the first time I met you too, and you gave me the best shooting tip probably anyone's ever given me, aside from the second one that Lanny gave me. But shooting as a female. Yeah, yeah, all I had to do is just motion. That when you were so used to often women are taught by men, and you raise your arms up and you squish the front of you, and it's uncomfortable. And Sheila looks at me, she's like, girl, just lift up and over. And I was like, Oh my god, it was like the biggest light bulb went off in my head. Yeah, and it's the simplest thing. But had you not, had it not been female, the female, men don't think about that.

    SPEAKER_01

    No, men will not tell you that. No, no, but it's funny, I've had to use that on a few men too. I have. Then they laugh and giggle too.

    SPEAKER_02

    People do come in all shapes and sizes. They do.

    SPEAKER_00

    Yeah, they do. So, Sheila, you were um a big instructor with babes and with bullets.

    SPEAKER_01

    Yeah, so I was I was fortunate enough to be able to be one of the instructors with the babes with bullets. That was an amazing experience teaching with those ladies. Um, I got to do that from 2008 to 2019 when they retired. Um, but I still get to use the credentials that I'm a babes instructor, right?

    SPEAKER_02

    Yes.

    SPEAKER_01

    Um that was an amazing, amazing experience. Um, well, you know the ladies. I mean, being able to teach with Kay and Lisa and Deb and Annette and Sheila Bray. I mean, I can go on and on.

    SPEAKER_00

    And I know, I can't even believe that uh I know those people.

    SPEAKER_01

    And I know you and Maggie. Maggie's here today, too. I just got done seeing Maggie Reese. She was awesome, right? You know, and um, but yes, it's been life-changing. It's been amazing. Um, and then my next adventure, I ended up uh got to teach at Hillsdale College. Um, did a women's program, uh, Liberty programs there for about 10 years. That's it. That was amazing. Yeah, and then I was it was fortunate enough that I got to bring in a few of the instructors that I taught with from babes into there. So where I was where they were my mentor, I got to bring them in as my where I was the boss. It's like okay, this is weird. Yeah, it was very strange. But uh yeah, now uh and now Lanny uh reached out to me and uh I'm gonna start teaching with her at uh Prairie Fire. So cool. Hence, now Prairie Fire just had a name change, so it's gonna be Staccato Vegas.

    SPEAKER_00

    So cool. Very exciting.

    SPEAKER_01

    Yep, yep, looking forward to it. So we're gonna start doing uh ladies' adventure weekends. So cool. Tell us about it. Yeah, so it's basically it's gonna be all inclusive. Uh, you're gonna show up on Friday. Um, meals start Friday night to Monday morning, um, but everything's inclusive. We'll even pick you up from the airport, um, and you'll be able to do um uh different sorts of adventures out there. So what's cool about the uh the staccato range is it's not just a teaching range, they're gonna do experiences.

    SPEAKER_00

    And and we were out there, um, we've been I've gone a couple times, and it's not like your typical range. I mean it there's um uh whether it's a ropes course, whether it's uh I mean, they have a ropes course, which is amazing in itself at a gun range. Yeah, um, but they also have natural terrain.

    SPEAKER_01

    Um they have so we did uh rolling thunder, which is shooting out of a side by side with a PCC, which is a lot of fun. They do some of the night shoots, so you can either shoot pistol or shotgun at nighttime, which is awesome how often you get to do that.

    SPEAKER_00

    Tell us about rolling thunder a little bit more than just shooting out with a PCC.

    SPEAKER_01

    Like yeah, so that is like you say it like everybody does it every day. Like, yeah, you can do that. Yeah, you have to shoot out. I don't know. So I I just came off of range days yesterday, right? And that was the event I got to work. So I we probably put over a hundred people through that event yesterday. Wow. Right. So yeah, so in my mind, everybody should know about it by now. Yes, right, yes. Um, so basically, um you're in a side by side and they've got it set up to where there's like a um, I don't want to say uh there's some bars on there so you can't break the 180, right? So it's very safe. Uh-huh. Um they got a really nice seat that you're sitting in and you're facing out the side of the, it's not just a regular side by side. They've they've done it up a little bit. You've got to have a seatbelt on so you're strapped in so that you, you know, you can't um bounce around all over the place, right? Right. And then um basically you're just gonna, you're gonna go. Yesterday we went anywhere between eight to sixteen miles an hour, depending on the skill level. And you're shooting at steel targets that are down in the canyon. So they're kind of in the natural terrain. So it's really kind of cool. You're as you're moving, you gotta kind of keep looking for them. And and uh it was very uh My mouth is hanging open right now.

    unknown

    Yeah.

    SPEAKER_01

    So so That sounds awful for me for me being able to have everybody go through yesterday, what I found was um it was very humbling to a lot of shooters, right? I think there was a lot of people that are like, oh, I got this, I can do this. The next thing you know, they get to the end and they're like, holy crap, that was harder than I thought. And it's like, yeah, because you're bouncing around, the dots moving around. I'm just like, yeah, there is no um bullseye shooting with this. I said it's uh what is your acceptable sight picture and pull the trigger? Yeah, because there is movement.

    SPEAKER_02

    So and fast movement. Yeah. So it wasn't. Humbling, that's a very good word to use. I would imagine that it also puts in perspective those that work in the field, law enforcement, military. I mean, we I was talking to a friend the other day about, you know, you sit on your teeth, your your couch, and you watch like training for like special ops and things like that, and you're like, oh, I can't do that. But like when you try something that you're like, oh, I really could not do that.

    SPEAKER_01

    Right, right. But you want to know what's funny. We had those military guys, and we had some of the law enforcement there yesterday. You want to know who did the best? Civilians. The ladies that have not been shooting very long. Yes, they did.

    SPEAKER_02

    Yeah, because they probably didn't overthink it, and they didn't take in their overdrive of training.

    SPEAKER_01

    Well, and it's like we've said for years. I mean, you know, we've known each other for years and taught together. It is a matter of women will suck up the information, they will take it in and they will absorb it, and they will not have the attitude of, I already know what I'm doing. I don't need to listen to you. Right. Yeah, right. I mean, and you asked any any male instructor that I've talked to nationwide, that's all they want to do is teach women because they're just so open to it.

    SPEAKER_02

    We're like little kids in that way.

    SPEAKER_01

    We are, right?

    unknown

    Yeah.

    SPEAKER_00

    Or sponges. Yes. I think also it's important. Uh when I first got into three gun, um, Arnold, my husband, he was like, You go learn from somebody else, and learning from women is it's totally different.

    SPEAKER_01

    Yes, totally different. And I use that line all the time. Um back home, which is in Kalamazoo, Michigan, um, I work at a local gun store. Right. So I get to see that average person all the time, right? And it's it's I look at the husband so many times and go, I can tell her things that you can't. Right. Right? Like I can tell her to hang on to the gun a little bit tighter with a little bit of force, and she's gonna be like, Oh, that's what I gotta do. And if you tell her to hang on to it, she's gonna be like, Well, I am. Right.

    SPEAKER_02

    And it's not a negative thing, totally different and it's not a negative thing. No, it's just literally it's science. Yeah, men and women are physically built differently, the way we see things differently, even like trap, ski, the way that women perceive the target is different than men do. So it makes sense to have a female teach you because just men don't think about those little things.

    SPEAKER_00

    The other thing is when you hear something from your husband, it's like you're you're you're kind of tuned out. Yeah, I would go to trainings and I would come back and say, Oh my gosh, this is what I learned today. And he's like, That's what I've been telling you to do for three months. And I would be like, Oh, yeah, but it just clicked today.

    SPEAKER_02

    Because yeah, yeah, I heard wah wah wah wah. And today I heard you should do this. It was English acting.

    SPEAKER_01

    Yes, yes, yes. Absolutely.

    SPEAKER_00

    Well, we're excited.

    SPEAKER_01

    Yeah, you know, I think the biggest part of it is doing um even talking to the ladies about the guns. We want education. We want, give me details, right? And if the guys just they kind of like to talk over your head sometimes.

    SPEAKER_00

    I've been to gun stores and either been totally ignored or listening to a guy talk louder and slower to a female and give her a 45 and say this is the gun for you. Yes, yes. It's like, what?

    SPEAKER_01

    Yes. My my favorite thing to do is I'll hear that, the 45, or I'll hear the uh the little 380 revolver. Yes. Oh, honey, this is what you need, and I'll pink one. And yes, and I'll walk up behind them and I'll go, you know what? That gun's gonna kick your butt. You ain't gonna like it. And they look at me, and and the guy the guys look at me and I'm like, Have you actually shot the gun? Well, yeah, it's not bad. I said, Yeah, but you're not female. It does have some kick. I said, now the fact that I'm telling you that it has it, you're gonna be prepared now, and you will be able to shoot it just fine. Right. But if I told you it didn't have anything, you're gonna hang on to it like a limp noodle and never shoot again. And that's where the problem comes in. Right. Yes, yeah. Just talk to them. Yeah, yeah. So absolutely. So, yeah, so um just to finish up on those uh ladies' adventure camps, um, if you go to the website um for geez, this is bad. They just had a name change yesterday, so it was Prairie Fire. But it's gonna be Prairie Fire. Google's Chicago Vegas, yes, Chicago Vegas. And um, we by we should have a whole bunch of dates up on the website. Um if you need to come um contact Lanny Barnes, she's the one in charge of the program there. Do you know how many ladies? Like, is this gonna be a big weekend? My understanding, the the housing there um is gonna be for 10 ladies.

    SPEAKER_00

    So this is like smaller and it's gonna be more inclusive. So that's amazing because everybody has nine nine friends that they can say, hey, let's go. Absolutely. This isn't like a huge weekend where you're meeting people. I mean, you could meet. It's not like a cruise ship type situation. It's uh that is amazing because um if you guys all all go together, how much fun is that? Oh, you know, or if you want something that is different, that you want to meet different ladies, then maybe you could put something out there or um and you know in my understanding too, it's not gonna be limited to 10.

    SPEAKER_01

    It's just the housing we have at the range is 10. And let's say there's a bigger group of ladies that want to come in, then we just gotta figure out some other housing. Yeah, or we don't want to put a limit on that, right? Right.

    SPEAKER_02

    And I I like that as well because it is that one-to-one training experience. Yeah because I think, and we talk a lot about that this on this podcast, that many people who have never shot before, especially females, get intimidated by getting into this sport. Yep. And so by maybe going with a group of friends that half have shot, maybe half haven't, they feel comfortable, they're with people that they trust. It's an intimate setting. Okay, I can now maybe lower my guard a little bit and do this and have that confidence that I can do it and have fun.

    SPEAKER_00

    And the fact that, I mean, staccato, prairie fire, they're known to have um like really great trainers, right? Right great products. And so um the fact that you're out there, I mean, that just lends credibility to um the the caliber of training you will get during the weekend.

    SPEAKER_02

    Fun intended, yeah, caliber of training.

    SPEAKER_01

    Yeah, and and you know, the the other thing too that I I've learned over the years, don't let the uh um our knowledge and how long we've been teaching be intimidating at all because our favorite people are the people that have never touched a gun before and just want to learn and have fun, right?

    SPEAKER_02

    And I into that I was very, very intimidated when I first came to the WOMA and started being around these competition shooters because it is intimidating, but then you're like, oh wait, they're also people. Exactly, and they like me for me and they want to help me.

    SPEAKER_01

    And you know, that's I think the the most awesome thing about the group of ladies that we with the WOMA with uh the babies to bullets, all of it is is we're just so down to earth. We are just average people enjoying what we love to do.

    SPEAKER_00

    And I'm grateful for that. And everybody leaves doesn't have an ego. No, I mean the women that come and and the instructors are for she never quit, are um champions, you know, and nobody has an ego. Everybody uh we had this conversation at She Never Quit where I said, I can't even believe that I'm in a in a room with all these people that are um you know world champions, international, national champions, Olympians, yeah, and that you guys actually know my name, you know, and you said I'm still doing the same thing today.

    SPEAKER_01

    I'm here at Shot Show 2025. I've been here, I was here in 2010, and I'm walking around going, oh my gosh, what am I doing here again? This is freaking amazing, right? I you know yes, it's very it's very surreal.

    SPEAKER_00

    It is, yes, yes, and I mean to be in a room with with all these ladies and everybody feels the same way. We're just here to for the mission, and um, nobody has an ego. Everybody is so compassionate, so encouraging, and and when you say who's who's the biggest badass, everybody points to everybody else. Exactly, exactly.

    SPEAKER_01

    Yes, yes, yeah. Well, I gotta tell you what, ladies, this has been amazing. I said this is the way for me to start out SHAT Show with you two ladies. This has been awesome.

    SPEAKER_00

    Um, us too. It's our honor. Yes, we we pinch ourselves all the time because we can't believe, first of all, that um we bought these microphones off of Amazon and now we're here at SHOT Show in this booth.

    SPEAKER_01

    Right.

    SPEAKER_00

    Yeah, it's it's bizarre. I don't know who I am. But it's pretty cool to see everybody walking by and get to interview. Like, I think our our um guests are like the best of the best. And um to be able to just sit down for for a couple minutes and and have them uh like you take 20 minutes, 30 minutes out of their shot show, which is once again. Very hard to do. Sometimes you don't have time to drink water or go to the bathroom. Right. Right. And I mean, I just I feel so um honored, yeah, you know, to have have some of these people, especially you, come on. Um, it's always great to see you and it's and it's always fun. I mean, you're just hilarious. And uh I know I walked out of the booth and I was like, oh my god!

    SPEAKER_02

    And we hugged for like five minutes. I'm gonna get another one of those before I leave. Obviously, you weren't getting a choice on that yet.

    SPEAKER_00

    But it has been great. Um, so uh kind of tell us a little bit more about what what is gonna go on at um stagato staccato Vegas as far as not just the women stuff, but um you know, how how is that gonna go?

    SPEAKER_01

    Do you see more range days, more I know that yesterday was I guess I'm not really the one to ask that one, right? Because I'm kind of more with uh the ladies' programs and Laney's having me come in one one week a month to come in and help teach out because I don't live out here. Um but I do know that it's not gonna be just focused on teaching, it's not gonna be just a training place, they're gonna focus on the experiences as well, which is awesome. I mean, because they do um anything. They do again, we already talked about the night shoots, the rolling thunder. Um, I have never seen so many steel targets in my entire life. Right. You painted them. I painted them for the range day.

    SPEAKER_02

    I went through Did you have gloves on? Because your nails look impeccable.

    SPEAKER_01

    Are they amazing?

    SPEAKER_02

    They are amazing. I did my nails for a shot show. Yes, yes, so they look awesome. No, but I if I spray painted that many steel targets, my nails would be jacked. I know, but trust me, I was cautious about it. Okay.

    SPEAKER_00

    When I saw her the other day, she's like, I my hands don't work. I'm spray spray painting.

    SPEAKER_01

    I had to have gone through 25 cans of spray paint. That is a lot. And I didn't even paint, I was not the only one painting targets. That tells you how many targets were out there. Wow. Yeah, it's unbelievable. Well, there wasn't even close to me. I maybe did half, not even half.

    SPEAKER_00

    There's long range out there.

    SPEAKER_01

    Yeah, so they got the long range rifles, so you can even shoot up to a mile. Isn't that amazing?

    SPEAKER_02

    There's only a few of those ranges in the country exactly.

    SPEAKER_01

    Yep. Yep. So they but they've got not just a mile, they I believe it goes up to 1400 on a regular range, and then they've got the range that you could do a mile. Yep.

    SPEAKER_00

    They've got um helicopter, yes, shooting out on a helicopter.

    SPEAKER_01

    I'm not sure how often that's gonna be there, if it's just gonna be like special occasions, but I'm sure it'll be on the website. But yeah, they had the helicopter sitting up there.

    SPEAKER_02

    We were talking about that last night. I was like, excuse me, what you can you can do what? That's now added to my bucket list along with hugging a baby kangaroo. So, you know, that's a good one. Added to the list. And petting a shark. Yeah, yeah, that's up.

    SPEAKER_01

    You know, that's funny. My husband asked me the other day, what do you want to do? You know, when like when we retire and stuff, and I'm like, honestly, I have no idea. I don't have a bucket list. Oh, you gotta get one. I have been living my bucket list. I was gonna say, right? I have been living it, being able to teach with everybody and travel and do what I love to do. I've been living my bucket life. So I'm not sure. So when I hear other people talk about that, I'm like, you know, we are getting close to retirement. I do need to start thinking about certain things that I want to do, but what compares to this? Right. True. I don't know. I don't know. I don't think it gets much better than the friends that I've made and and you know, things I've gotten to do. But then again, it keeps getting better.

    SPEAKER_00

    I know there's always a new adventure though. Hang out with Deb, she'll take you somewhere.

    SPEAKER_01

    That's why I always hang out with her. I think a little bit of her chaos rubbed off on me when I seen her the other day.

    SPEAKER_02

    So it just being in the orb of it, it is.

    SPEAKER_00

    Yes, yes. I know um Kay Micheleck told me one time, she said, you know, you can say no to Deb. And I said, Why would I? I I would miss out on so many adventures if I did, but my life would be so boring.

    SPEAKER_02

    But I also feel that it's one of those like out-of-body experiences. Your body goes to say no, but your mouth goes, yes, in like the no, in the no form, but it says yes to. And in your mind, you're going, Oh god, what did I just do?

    SPEAKER_00

    What did I just do? It always seems better, like when you're thinking about it, like, yeah, I got this. And then you go to do it, and you're like, wait, and other people are telling you that you're crazy. Yep. And you're like, wait, wait, I'm c I'm crazy? Wait, what did I agree to? And it always works out.

    SPEAKER_01

    Yeah. I I hope she realizes how many lives that she's changed throughout the years.

    SPEAKER_02

    We remind her of that often. Yeah.

    SPEAKER_01

    Quite often. Yeah.

    SPEAKER_02

    Yeah.

    unknown

    Yeah.

    SPEAKER_01

    There's just so much more positive in this world because of her.

    SPEAKER_00

    Yeah, absolutely.

    SPEAKER_01

    Yeah. Absolutely.

    SPEAKER_00

    Yeah. And we're we're gonna keep on um just you know, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her along.

    SPEAKER_01

    Oh, I see in the next thing, maybe, well, 15 years, maybe 20 with her. Oh, absolutely. We might be pushing her around in a wheelchair in 20 years. That's fine. But she'll still be out there. She's gonna have a motorized thing that goes up to 50 miles an hour.

    SPEAKER_00

    You're right. And she will tell she will run people over. It's gonna be a golf cart. She said that she went through shot show one time in a cart because she broke some with her foot. Yeah, she broke her ankle or something. Yeah. And um, people were running, I mean, like jumping out of the way because she would not slow it down.

    SPEAKER_02

    We're gonna okay, so ladies, we're gonna have to start training now, like running to keep up with said cart. Yes.

    SPEAKER_01

    We we may be the younger ones in the bunch, but I think we're gonna have to pay for it once they get older.

    SPEAKER_00

    Yes, yes. She has energy. Yeah, I mean, yeah, yeah. Anyway, it's been great having you on, Sheila. Yes, yes.

    SPEAKER_01

    So that it's awesome being here at Chat Show, but I'm looking forward to the next uh She Never Quits event.

    SPEAKER_00

    Yes, I'm so I mean, we love having you there. The ladies absolutely love you. You have great energy, and um, and you know, you're just one of those people that really um can can get people focused on, you know, how do I do this?

    SPEAKER_01

    You're so encouraging, authentic, passionate, patient.

    SPEAKER_00

    I mean, I I you're the great package.

    SPEAKER_01

    Well, thank you. Thank you. Yeah, I think I try to keep it simple and keep it to the basics, right? Absolutely. I mean, when you talk to guys about stuff, they just confuse the hell out of me with.

    SPEAKER_02

    And I'm just like, wait, this is a PCC with 57 grams of 87 over over top under top.

    SPEAKER_00

    So far, good, buddy.

    SPEAKER_01

    Exactly. Keep it simple. Keep it English. Something I understand.

    SPEAKER_02

    The bullet comes out this end. Don't point it at anybody. Exactly.

    SPEAKER_00

    Oh. So in order to get a hold of you, just contact Prairie Fire or uh Staccato Las Vegas. Yep. I'm sure there's gonna, it'll be on Staccato's website, I'm sure. Um or have their own.

    SPEAKER_01

    Yep, Laney, it'll be under the ladies' programs at um yeah, staccato, vegas. I'm assuming that's what they're gonna change it. Everything is so you can look up staccato vegas or prairie fire and be able to find it either way.

    SPEAKER_00

    Yep, yep.

    SPEAKER_01

    All right, exciting, fantastic.

    SPEAKER_00

    Well, this has been great. Thank you for being here. We love you. Uh love you ladies too. Thank you. Awesome. Thanks for having me.

    SPEAKER_01

    Yeah, and have a great show. Yep, thanks.