With multiple National Championships, national records and Grand Slams, this 14 year-old can do it all
Fairfax, Virginia - Mallory Nichols isn't your typical 14 year-old. When the "How I spent my summer" essay comes around at the beginning of the school year, she has a lot to share.
Three years ago Mallory decided to follow in the footsteps of her mother and grandfather by becoming a competitive shooter. The shooting sports didn't transform when she picked up a rifle, but it just might by the time she puts it down.
After only a few years, Mallory has made quite the name for herself and is turning heads. With multiple accolades and a sponsorship by Lapua, it seems like the sky is the limit.
Recently, Barbara Baird of Women's Outdoor News caught up with Mallory to get an exclusive scoop for Shooting Sports USA: What's in her range bag?
With 36 state, regional and national
championships in Smallbore and
Highpower Silhouette, 14-year-old
Lapua team member Mallory
Nichols knows how to pack her bags
for competitions. This Arkansas
teenager owns five national records in
Smallbore Silhouette and earned
the Grand Slam in both Smallbore
Hunting and Standard rifl e. She shoots
an Anschütz 1808 custom for smallbore, and a 6.5x47 Lapua on a custom
Stiller TAC 30 action for high power.
“For silhouette, we shoot in shooter/
spotter teams, so we have a lot of
equipment we carry with us,”
explained Mallory. She packs the
following items:
- At least a brick of ammo –
“I shoot Lapua Center
X exclusively.”
- WileyX shooting glasses – two
pair clear and one rose-shade.
- Cleaning kit containing
patches, bolt grease, a piece of Weedeater line
for a pull through
and Eezox, “the only
cleaner we use on our
smallbore rifles.”
- Timers (2)
- Leupold lens pens and
glass cleaning kit for
scope lenses.
- Ibuprofen and Burt’s
Bees lip balm, along
with a few bobby pins
and ponytail holders
to hold my hair back if
it is windy.
Mallory also packs extras in
her Winstead shooting vest. A bonus!
She added, “Attached to the zipper
of my vest are some things given to
me by my friends that I have made
from all over the world through
shooting in competitions. I have
small stuffed animals from Australia,
Canada, Mexico and the United States. Keeping these close to me when
I shoot reminds me of those friendships that are so very important
to me.”
After competition season ends in
October, Mallory and her “papa,” aka
Grandfather and Lapua Coach John
Neihouse, will deer hunt and shoot
pistols and ARs for fun.
It seems like Mallory has both the talent and the attitude to make it big in the shooting sports. We bet, and hope, you'll be hearing a lot more of her in the years to come.