Making Shooters Better

Terry Vaughan
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  • Self-Improvement

Making Shooters Better is where real shooter stories turn into smarter training and preparation for everyone. Each episode dives into the journeys, wins, and lessons of competitors, instructors, and innovators from across the firearms world. Hosted by Terry Vaughan—former British Royal Marine Commando, Top Shot competitor, and firearms instructor—this show delivers more than talk. You’ll get the mindset, methods, and motivation to train sharper and perform better, on and off the range!

  1. 1d ago

    After Being Threatened by a Criminal, She Refused to Stay Vulnerable

    After reporting a crime and being threatened by the suspect afterward, Dakota realized something uncomfortable: owning a firearm without truly knowing how to use it wasn’t enough. What started as hesitation around guns eventually became a journey into competitive shooting, concealed carry, instruction, and Second Amendment advocacy. In this episode, Dakota breaks down why skill in shooting has far less to do with talent… and far more to do with repetition, honest self-assessment, and the willingness to stay uncomfortable long enough to grow. From growing up around anti-gun messaging near Chicago to becoming a firearms instructor, competitive shooter, concealed carrier, and chapter facilitator for A Girl & A Gun in San Diego, Dakota shares the experiences that shaped her approach to training, mindset, and personal defense. Terry and Dakota dive into: Why competition shooting exposes weaknesses faster than almost anything elseThe danger of becoming the “big fish in a small pond”Why most people introduce friends to shooting the wrong wayHow to give first-time shooters an experience that builds confidence instead of fearThe reality of police response times during violent encountersWhy mindset and emotional regulation matter as much as marksmanshipThis episode is packed with practical advice, hard-earned lessons, and one of the best step-by-step breakdowns you’ll hear on introducing new shooters to firearms safely and responsibly. If you carry a firearm, teach new shooters, compete, or simply want to improve under pressure… this one’s worth your time.

    1h 6m

  2. May 21

    Most Armed Citizens Prepare for the Range… Not the Fight

    In this episode, firearms instructor Karl Rehn joins former Royal Marines Commando Terry Vaughan for a brutally honest conversation about the dangerous gap between shooting skill and actual survivability in a violent encounter. Drawing from decades of experience training armed citizens, law enforcement officers, and competitive shooters, Karl explains why minimum qualifications often create false confidence, why competition shooting helps more than most people realize… until it doesn’t, and why decision-making under stress is the skill most gun owners fail to train. The conversation explores situational awareness, force-on-force training, concealed carry realities, medical and unarmed skills, and the hard truth about what actually holds up when chaos replaces the script. If you carry a firearm for self-defense, this episode may completely change how you think about training.

    44 min

  3. May 14

    Part 2 Captured: One Marine's Fight to Survive the Iranian Revolution

    What happens after hope starts to slip? In Part 2, Ken Kraus takes us deeper inside one of the most feared prisons of the Iranian Revolution—a place where time disappears, rules don’t apply, and survival is no longer guaranteed. The questions from Part 1 are gone. What replaces them… is far worse. You’ll hear what it’s like to live among prisoners who’ve already accepted their fate… to witness the consequences of interrogation… and to navigate a system where you’re never quite sure if you’ll be called next—or if you’ll come back. This isn’t just a story of endurance. It’s a story of identity, faith, and what a human being holds onto when everything else is stripped away. Because in a place like this… surviving isn’t the only challenge. Coming out the other side is.

    1h 34m

  4. May 7

    Part 1 Captured: One Marine's Fight to Survive the Iranian Revolution

    What happens when the post you’re sworn to protect becomes the place you’re taken from? In this first part of a two-part episode, former U.S. Marine Ken Kraus takes us inside the opening moments of the 1979 Iranian Revolution—from standing watch at the American Embassy in Tehran… to being wounded, captured, and dragged into a system he doesn’t understand. This isn’t a typical interview. It’s a story—told as it happened. You’ll hear the confusion, the silence, the questions with no answers… and the slow, chilling realization that he’s been taken somewhere far worse than he imagined. Cut off from time, control, and certainty, Ken begins to understand one thing: This is just the beginning. Part 2 drops next Thursday… and that’s where the real test begins.

    1h 55m

  5. Apr 30

    She Had a Bounty on Her Head in One of the World’s Most Dangerous Cities—What Kept Her Alive Isn’t What You Think

    This episode isn’t about the Secret Service. It’s not about psychology. It’s about who you become when pressure shows up uninvited. Dr. Mary Beth Wilkas Janke has lived in environments where hesitation has consequences—pulling out of a garage in Bogotá knowing today might be the day, advising protection teams with lives on the line, and operating with a bounty on her head.  And what she learned cuts straight through the noise: Fear isn’t the problem. Mismanaging it is. She didn’t eliminate fear—she trained her response to it. She didn’t rely on confidence—she built it under pressure. She didn’t hope for resilience—she engineered it over time. Then came the realization that changes everything: The real battlefield isn’t out there… it’s in your head. Because people don’t break from lack of skill— they break when their thinking collapses under pressure. Her three truths land hard: Fear survives because you feed itYour self-talk shapes who you becomeResilience is built—not givenAnd the line that ties it all together: You don’t rise to the moment… you reveal what you’ve already built. This conversation will leave you with one uncomfortable question: If the moment found you today… would you trust yourself?

    1h 35m

  6. Apr 23

    She Was Afraid of Guns… Now She’s Leading a Movement Changing Who Shoots—and Why

    She didn’t grow up around guns. Didn’t want one in her home. And for years… she fought against the idea entirely. Then one moment changed everything. What started as fear turned into curiosity. Curiosity turned into competence. And that competence… turned into a nationwide movement that’s reshaping how women train, think, and show up under pressure. In this episode, Robyn Sandoval—President and CEO of A Girl & A Gun—pulls back the curtain on what actually builds confidence with a firearm… and why most people get it wrong. We get into: The real reason women are stepping into shooting sports in record numbersWhy community isn’t just support—it’s a performance multiplierThe hidden dangers of thinking “someone else will handle it”And the uncomfortable truth about violence that most people avoid… until it’s too lateThis isn’t just about shooting. It’s about responsibility, readiness… and what happens when you decide you’re the one in charge.

    1h 1m

  7. Apr 16

    How Behavioral Threat Experts See What Others Miss (And How to Start Seeing It Yourself)

    Most people rely on instinct when something feels off—but instinct without clarity doesn’t lead to action. And if you’re carrying a gun but don’t see the threat coming, it doesn’t matter what you’re carrying. In this episode, Behavioral Threat Assessment Specialist Nikki Burgett breaks down how professionals move beyond gut feelings and start seeing behavior with precision. From understanding what “normal” actually looks like, to identifying subtle deviations that signal risk, Nikki reveals how threat experts turn vague unease into clear, actionable insight. We dig into the “pathway to violence” and why dangerous behavior rarely appears out of nowhere—it builds, leaks clues, and follows patterns that are often missed by untrained eyes. Nikki shares how these signals show up in the real world, where organizations fail to act, and what separates awareness from meaningful intervention. This isn’t about fear—it’s about clarity. Because once you understand what to look for, you don’t just notice more… you understand what it means. Story. Pattern. Action. And after this conversation, you won’t just carry differently… you’ll see differently

    1h 45m

  8. Apr 9

    You Don’t Have a Shooting Problem—You Have a Movement Problem | Kita Busse

    Most shooters spend years chasing better accuracy… faster splits… cleaner gear. Kita Busse took one look at the sport and asked a different question: What if the problem isn’t your shooting at all? Coming in as an outsider with a medical background, she saw something no one else was talking about… the massive inefficiencies in how shooters move, see, and process information under pressure. What followed? National champions. World champions. And a complete shift in how elite shooters train. In this episode, Kita breaks down: Why “dead time” is silently killing your performanceHow movement—not marksmanship—is often the real limiterThe science behind vision training and “Quiet Eye”Why your eyes move faster than your brain can process (and how to fix it)How top shooters eliminate distractions you didn’t even know you were seeingThis isn’t about shooting more. It’s about thinking differently about how you shoot. Explore innovative movement and vision training techniques in competitive shooting with Keita Bussey, author of Smart Move. Learn how physiological and psychological insights can dramatically improve shooting performance.

    1h 17m
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About

Making Shooters Better is where real shooter stories turn into smarter training and preparation for everyone. Each episode dives into the journeys, wins, and lessons of competitors, instructors, and innovators from across the firearms world. Hosted by Terry Vaughan—former British Royal Marine Commando, Top Shot competitor, and firearms instructor—this show delivers more than talk. You’ll get the mindset, methods, and motivation to train sharper and perform better, on and off the range!

Information

  • Creator
    Terry Vaughan
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Making Shooters Better
  • Show Website
    Making Shooters Better

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