Western Outdoor Times - Times Spent Outdoors: Priceless!

Mothers' Day is the perfect opportunity to show mom (or your wife) how much you love her by getting her a gift that she'll enjoy all year long. There are lots of cool things for moms who shoot, or for moms who would like to get started in the shooting sports. Here are some to fit any budget.

UpLULA® Pistol Magazine Loader

Loading magazines by hand is a not only a nail-buster, it's slow. The Maglula UpLULA® loader makes loading magazines incredibly fast and easy, with no fingernails required. There is one caveat: There are a bunch of low-quality Chinese counterfeits on the market, particularly on Ebay and Amazon. So buy Mom a real one at Brownells, Midway USA, Cabelas, Bass Pro, Dicks, Turner's, Cheaper Than Dirt, Sportsman's Guide, or Shop Ruger.

The real ones are high quality and will last just about forever. They even come in fun colors, including pink and purple, and they cost just around $20. They'll load pretty much any pistol magazine. I have one and I love it.

Femme Fatale Holsters

Femme Fatale concealed-carry holsters are not only great ways to carry a gun, they're beautiful as well. Their lace corset holster is wider than a regular belly band, gives a bit of support to the torso, and has a waterproof pocket for your gun so it doesn't get sweat or spills on it.

The pocket is padded to reduce printing and stop trigger manipulation while it's in the pocket. It's really pretty, too. They also have great thigh and ankle holsters as well. They come in a ten different colors.

One of the best features of the corset holster is that you can place the gun at an angle so it doesn't poke you in the belly when you sit. Plus, since it doesn't hang from the bra, it doesn't put strain on the shoulders. The corset holsters are $89, the lace ankle hosters are $50, and the thigh holster (called a Garter Holster) is $70.

The fantastic thing about these holsters is that you can use them even if you're not carrying a gun. They're so slim and smooth they're a great place to stash cash, ID, and even a phone, without having to carry a purse.

You can see them all and get measuring instructions at femmefataleholsters.com. They also sell gift cards, which is perfect if you can't think of an easy way to get her measurements on the sly.

Gun Goddess Bling

Whether Mom likes shotguns, pistols or rifles, Gun Goddess has a way to pretty up her gun at prices ranging from $7 to several hundred. They've got patterned handrails for AR-15s in 13 different colors, oversized bolt handles in 9 colors, color-coded chokes, backstraps for pistols, colored triggers, and tons of stuff for Glocks, including grip tape for the base pad, custom slide-cover plates, and engraved magazine floor plates. You can even get her a custom engraved barrel for her Glock.

Seriously, this stuff is gorgeous - go to gungoddess.com and just start scrolling, or click on the weapon type to see all that's available. Whether you think she'd like it totally blinged out or she'd prefer a discrete touch of color, Gun Goddess has what it takes to make Mom's gun unique - like Mom!

Sporting Clays Accessories

If mom shoots a lot of sporting clays, she does a lot of walking, and that means trudging around carrying a lot of ammo from station to station. Those shells are heavy, and so are the guns and the water she should be taking with her to stay hydrated out there. Make her life easier by gifting her with a sporting clays cart.

Rugged Gear has two-gun carts for just under $250. These carts look sort of like a stroller, but with one front wheel that swivels to make it easy to steer. The front wheel has a lock forward lever, and the cart holds two shotguns plus a bunch of ammo and other supplies.

There are drink holders, a folding interior shelf, adjustable handlebars, an ammo reloading tray and even a six-can cooler. They even come with a hand towel and flat-free tires. Two pockets in the back hold Mom's phone and other necessities - Ruggedgear.com.

Good Shooting Vest

Another essential for a shotgunning mom is a good shooting vest. A good-fitting vest will improve her accuracy by allowing her to mount the gun smoothly without getting a bunch of fabric scrunched up between her shoulder and the butt. And why shouldn't her vest be as pretty as she is?

Nicashooting.com has a variety of women's shooting vests from companies like Syren and Beretta and Browning. They come in a variety of colors and range in price from around $40 to around $150. Mizmac.com has women's shooting vests in glorious bright pink, purple, or turquoise, and they are $141-$146. This is the kind Margie has - in bright pink - and she loves it. It fits well, looks great, and lets her carry everything she needs. Since the back is mesh, it's nice and cool in our desert as well.

Now if mom is a bird hunter, the vest she needs is a bit different. Bird vests have a big pocket in the back for the birds, but up front they still have the nice pad over the shoulder and plenty of room in the pockets for shells. Many of them are in blaze orange for safety.

You can get those vests in lots of places; just make sure you get one that is designed for women. The men's vests have such wide shoulders that they impede shooting on a woman - the gun catches on the excess fabric and hangs up or bunches.

To Get Her Started

Women On Target

My daughter-in-law, Tiffany, and her mom Barb have recently expressed a desire to learn how to shoot, probably because Tiff's daughters are the girls who shoot with me and Margie all the time. It's just plain fun and they want in on the action. They are both a tiny bit afraid of guns, so for their first time shooting I think that a program like Women on Target is the perfect introduction.

On Nov. 4, Women on Target (from Women of the NRA) will be at Ben Avery for a women-only Instructional Shoot. The Registration fee is $65, and it's due by Oct. 27. After that, it's $75. That includes the ear and eye protection, targets, ammo, and pistols. They provide .22, .38, 9mm, 40, and 45.

This is an awesome way to introduce a woman to shooting. Sometimes it's easier to relax with strangers. Call Carol Ruh at (602) 571-3886 for more info.

Mizmac Shooting Vest

Arizona Women's Shooting Associates

You could also get Mom a membership in the Arizona Women's Shooting Associates. They welcome beginners and do all kinds of fun stuff like night shooting, cowboy shooting, rifles, pistols, holster draws, and competitions. They even teach how to clean a gun and have a variety of classes from NRA Basic Handgun to Self Defense to Concealed Carry Permit Classes.

This is a fantastic way to meet new friends, sharpen your shooting skills, and learn a bunch of new stuff. A membership is only $50 per year! Go to azwsa.com for more information.

Happy Mothers' Day

Happy Mothers' Day to all you beautiful shooting ladies - I hope you get the perfect gift!