U.S. skeet shooter Amber English won a gold medal in the women’s skeet event at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, but before that she picked up plenty of hardware on the international competition circuit at matches around the world. Not only that, at the Tokyo Olympics, English set a women’s skeet record in the final with her score of 56, which still stands after the close of the Paris 2024 Games. Find out what she keeps in her range bag.
What are your first memories of handling a firearm?
I was fortunate to grow up in an outdoorsy family where shooting, hunting and all things adventure-related were common weekly in our household near the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. My family had a competitive shooting background, and us kids were taught firearm safety from a young age. Like your typical exposure to firearms, we all started with BB guns, shooting at cans or whatever else we could find in the backyard. Eventually, we moved up through different calibers the older and stronger we got. I received my hunter’s safety card when I was 12, and could start to hunt big game with my dad.
Tell us how you began in competitive shooting.
I began gymnastics at the age of five, competing in the sport through high school until a back injury forced me to give it up. I also was on the varsity diving team. After spending some time rehabilitating my back, I knew that being such a competitive person, I had to find something else to compete in. The thought of just going to school seemed boring to me. Since other family members had a history in USA Shooting or NCAA rifle, it was a natural thing for me to want to pick up shooting. First, I tried rifle and pistol at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, but I didn’t think it was a good fit for my personality. I then went out to the range on Ft. Carson with Lloyd Woodhouse, where he persuaded me to try international skeet and bunker trap. I enjoyed skeet the most, so I continued to work with him for a few months before he encouraged me to sign up for my first USA Shooting Fall Selection match in Kerrville, Texas. I had just learned how to shoot doubles the week before.
What firearms and other gear do you use for competition?
I shoot a Perazzi MX8 for international skeet competition. I use different Perazzi shotguns to shoot multiple disciplines, all with Federal Ammunition. They have some of the best shotshells on the market.
Tell us about your range bag and what you carry in it besides your firearms?
My range bag is a Patagonia backpack. It has lasted for many years of traveling and is still my favorite range bag. The empty bag is super lightweight. It has many different pockets to help keep everything organized, allowing a lot of clothing and gear to be stored and packed easily. The bag even doubles as a great pillow when I get stuck at the airport.
Besides my firearms, my bag holds my hat, Pilla glasses case, shooting towel to attach to my vest and some oil to wipe my gun down after shooting in the rain. I also usually have rain gear in there. If it’s wet, I like to throw in a change of clothes with dry socks. Additionally, I keep a handful of new earplugs in there.
What do you do in your free time?
I spend quality time with friends, family and my significant other in my free time. I also like coaching, which is a fun and simple way for me to give back to our sport and push the next generation of kids to take the torch and run with it. For recreation, I savor being outdoors and skiing, fishing, hunting and shooting. In addition, I enjoy being a Paramedic.
What would you tell someone interested in finding out more about your sport?
Knowing that information can be difficult to find online, I would tell anyone interested in shooting skeet to walk up to any veteran of the sport and ask how to get involved. Most of those people will gladly point you or your family in the right direction. Anyone is welcome to come to me with questions, and if I cannot answer your question, I will find someone who can.
Any tips for new shooters?
Don’t quit! Starting something new can be discouraging, but you’ll never meet your goals if you quit. I believe that you can learn something new from every single person you meet. You won’t have two people with their toolboxes set up the same, so learn from everyone and build your shooting toolbox.
Follow Amber English on Instagram: @amberenglish.
