Spotlighting: Becky Yackley

Becky Yackley is a World and National Champion Shooter. She started when she was just 5 years old, becoming a competitive shooter at 14. In her shooting career, spanning over 20 years, Becky Yackley has shot across more disciplines and divisions than most competitive women. Get to know Becky Yackley in our SPOTLIGHTING series.

SOCIALS: Instagram @beckyyackley

H&B: Who or what got you into shooting?

My father worked as a gunsmith for Krieger Barrels (makers of world-class rifle barrels and good family friends) and with him and my mom, several of us took a class geared toward high-powered rifle shooting taught by former USMC Rifle Team coach, Jim Owens. After that, it was competing on the rifle team in college that kept me going. That’s where I met my husband and we have continued competing with our three sons.

What is your favorite type of gun to shoot?

People ask this question all the time, and I usually say that whatever discipline I’m focused on at the moment seems to be my favorite.

I think the “favorite” aspect of shooting any gun can be summed up in something I’ve come back to over and over again the last several years: being outside, with friends, doing something enjoyable—when I’m doing that, it’s my favorite.

Some friends have access to a secret “heaven on earth” sort of “park for people who want to spend time outdoors with guns.” It’s private and peaceful, and you can ring steel at a distance—couple that with green grass and a snack, and I’d die there happily.

What is your choice for a competition pistol? Ammo?

Competition pistols are really particular to the discipline and division, and then to the person. I’ve competed with everything from a Glock 34 to custom 2011s. My favorite pistol (and here’s a great story) was built by Matt McClearn. Last year, my sons and I were comparing the best pistol triggers with friends and two of us said our pistol was the best, so we went to grab our guns to prove it. They were both built by McClearn and both were bought from the same guy. All I have to say is Lance (the guy that connected me to the purchase), you sold the best pistols ever, thank you.

As for my choice of pistol ammo, it’s no secret that my family works with Winchester Ammunition. For competition, the USA Ready line is tough to beat. And when we reload, we’re using a lot of Winchester components. For training, it’s AAs for shotgun and Winchester White box for pistol and rifle. The AA quality is tough to beat, and who doesn’t love an American brand? Seeing Winchester’s plant where they make .50 BMG for our military and the women flipping belts of it as they inspect it…I don’t ever want to buy another brand of ammo.

What gear can you not live without?

Good eye protection. Guns and ammo are the bread and butter of my work. But things that make it enjoyable to use them matter. The Wiley X Detection glasses that I use are great for everything from shooting shotguns and having as much field of view as possible to mowing the lawn. And the value of the scratch resistance is huge. I’ve worn all the brands, but theirs scratch the least. And my family is pretty tough on glasses.

If money were no object…pick any gun—pistol, shotgun, rifle, anything, brand new or antique—to add to your collection. What is it?

I think if I could buy any gun ever made, I’d go for something historical from one of the pioneers in firearms engineering. If you can ever get to the Cody Firearms Museum, you’ll see a small portion of the innovation and work fueled by those who looked outside the box of what was available at their present time and pushed the development of firearms. I think money having to be an option is what ruined innovation—control over what people are allowed to invent in relation to firearms stifles creativity and progress (#AbolishTheATF #repealTheNFA).

But honestly, a firearm that has meaning because of time spent with others while shooting would mean more personally than any “cool” gun. Although a Błyskawica (Polish: 'lightning') submachine gun that we just saw in a museum in Poland would be pretty epic!

What would you call out as your “claim to fame”?

My work ethic is how partners within the industry know me and my family. While we have accomplishments—world and national titles, national records—people know that we will outwork others in our sleep. Or rather, we’ll forgo a little sleep and take on big tasks. Without pushing yourself, you don’t grow—in the gym, on the range, or in life.

Many people in today’s work environment want to “set boundaries” between work and life. But when you truly love what you do and are passionate about it, it’s okay to do more than you are asked to do. And it’s okay to laugh when someone complains that you do too much or work too hard. Your life isn’t about making other people feel better about their desire to do work or apply themselves.

Is there a moment you can pinpoint in your life and career that you would call out as pivotal?

Pivotal moments…I sincerely think we should all try to have a goal for each year and something to reflect on to refocus our work and drive.

The biggest thing I’d call pivotal in life was being homeschooled and learning that your motivation to succeed in life needs to be intrinsic and lies in your own hands.

As for pivotal in my career, I would also cite homeschooling! While my husband was in the Marine Corps initially and we moved a lot, and then when he began working for the State Patrol, our ability to compete and travel was made so much easier by the choice to homeschool our three sons. We have all been able to go and do things that many people couldn’t if they were locked into traditional school.

As someone who lived through the 80s trying to fly under the radar of nosey neighbors, I’m overjoyed seeing the huge jump into homeschooling and individuals taking back control over life that is the result of the chaos that 2020 dumped into the world!

Now for the "fun" questions:

You can go anywhere in the world for a week-long vacation, where are you headed?

I’d go somewhere with my family. In competing around the world, I’ve seen some really cool places, but I want to go back with my husband and sons to Normandy and the Czech Republic. History just hits you differently in places that are so old. It’s always crazy to come home and think about how young our country is.

Of the places you have traveled, what is your favorite?

Favorite place I’ve been…I really enjoyed Poland and the Czech Republic. The food in the Czech Republic was awesome. Poland was full of history and everyone was really welcoming. St. Petersburg, Russia was pretty cool too. And I definitely want to go back there with time to see the historic places.

What is your guilty pleasure when it comes to food?

I like to cook. So probably making food that leaves us all in a food coma. A friend once joked with me that I don’t have a recipe that doesn’t call for heavy cream and butter…but both are required for stuffed chicken marsala and chocolate desserts. So butter and heavy cream. Just laugh. We do not do skim milk or low-fat anything in our house!

Same question, but what show do you cringe to admit you watch?

I have three sons so we do a lot of Band of Brothers, military history, and YouTube with firearm-related content…but we did have a short binge of British Baking Show last year. Shhh. Laugh.

Words to live by or advice you would like to pass on?

“Make your mistakes fearlessly!”

“You learn in the breakdown.”

These are from one of those pivotal people I’ve met in the firearms community, Ron Avery, who definitely did things without fear and didn’t care what other people said.

It’s okay to be comfortable with yourself and your work and drive; be fearless in what you’re passionate about and people will respect you for it. Will it always be perfect? Probably not, ideally not—if everything always works perfectly, you’re not learning. Mistakes that come from the result of a genuine drive and passion for what you do are invaluable, nobody can manufacture or fake that. And in a time where social media and Photoshop can paint a picture of something vastly different from what’s really there, be the genuine article; be the real deal, mistakes and all.