What is in Shooting Prodigy Mallory Nichols’ Range Bag?

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 your 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 6.5×47 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.

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