July 18th, 2020
3minute read
Its no surprise to Rob Leatham that he loves shooting handguns.
More surprising for Leatham is that his passion for shooting became his day job.
Probably the best-known competitor on the action shooting circuit, Leatham is a 24-time U.S.
Practical Shooting Association national champion.
His job, then and now?
It really hasnt changed a lot over the last 20-plus years, says Leatham.
How good is that?
Actually, theres a little more to it all for Leatham and other pro shooters.
Theres a relatively small cadre of people who, like Leatham, shoot for a living.
In the past, word of mouth within the shooting industry brought in most team members.
Now, though, Hornady is implementing a more formalized process to better evaluate credentials and qualifications.
Beyond top marksmanship skill, todays pro team shooters also need people skills.
Ive seen people come in to this who just cant talk to other people, says Leatham.
What a company is looking for is promotion.
Winning is good for promotion.
But you have to be able to connect with people, too.
Pro shooters often do in-store promotions.
They may man a company booth at an outdoor show or give a shooting workshop.
It doesnt end there.
Were expecting our shooters will have a big presence on Facebook and other such venues.
Leathams advice to a budding handgun shooter with pro team aspirations?
If you do that, you just might make it.
