We had the chance to sit down with Mandy Bachman, one of the Wilson Combat Shooting Team’s newest shooters. Mandy is steadily accruing strong performances and wins, so we asked for a behind the scenes look at what went into her early success as the only female on the shooting team.
Two matches and two wins seems like a great start to the season. How happy are you?
Mandy: I’m very happy. I’m very thankful for the opportunity to shoot for Wilson and grateful for the support they’ve given. I’ve put in a lot of hours, and with the training of several great instructors I have experienced this success comparatively early in my shooting career. It also helps to have great teammates who are always pulling for me. I know the other guys are always there for me when I have questions or need some encouragement.
Tell us a little about the guns and gear you used to win these matches?
Mandy: At both matches I shot my Wilson Combat CQB Elite in 9mm using Wilson ETM mags and the Wilson Tactical Assault holster.
Well, from the sound of that gun, that would put you in the Enhanced Service Pistol division, correct?
Mandy: Yes, ESP. The CQB 9mm is pretty much the perfect gun for that division.
What About Ammo?
Mandy: For ammo, I use Wilson’s remanufactured 135 grain ammo with the new Berry’s flat nose bullet.
Interesting. Why did you choose the 135 grain bullet?
Mandy: Well, it shoots really soft, feeds easily and is very accurate. It’s a lot like having some of the benefits of the 115 grain or 124 grain bullets, but it’s still subsonic, so less noise and less recoil.
Tell me about the Mountain Valley Sportsman’s Association IDPA match where you first won the High Lady award?
Mandy: The Mountain Valley Regional was quite the experience. There were a lot of great people there, from the Safety Officers who were all very helpful and kept the match moving, to the competitors, and even the spectators. This match had stages set up for speed with a lot of quick shooting that could easily make you lose your focus on accuracy. This made the match difficult because it was very easy to underestimate a stage. I took a nasty fall on the third stage of the day in a bay that had some water build up, but I jumped right back up and continued to shoot. I finished it with a strong time and was “down zero.” I ended the match with a High Lady win, 4th place ESP Expert, finished overall 19th out of 167 shooters, and dropped a total of only 24 points for the match.
And you went on to take the High Lady award at the Arkansas IDPA State IDPA match too?
Mandy: Yes I did. I won High Lady and 2nd place Expert in ESP division shooting the same gun as before.
So what’s next for you?
Mandy: Next up is the Badlands Regional and Oklahoma State match this weekend and the Alabama State IDPA match at the end of the month. I’m excited to shoot a new match in a new place and hopefully have another good day.
Best of luck to you, Mandy and congratulations on the wins.