Hi! I am Riley Bowman, and I've been obsessed with the pistol since before I was legally old enough to own one.

When I turned 21, I went out and bought my first handgun and got my CCW permit. I thought that was it — gun acquired, problem solved. I learned pretty quickly there was a lot more to it than just strapping one on.

That realization sent me down a road I'm still on today.

I later spent 8 years with a state-level law enforcement agency, and when the opportunity came to become a firearms instructor there, something clicked. Teaching people to shoot well — really well, not just “good enough” — turned out to be the thing I was built for. The responsibility of it, the craft of it, the moment when a student finally gets it. I was hooked.

In 2016, I competed in The American Marksman, a national competition designed to surface top amateur shooting talent. I surprised myself by winning the Rocky Mountain Regional Championship and going on to finish 10th at Nationals. That lit a fire. I started competing in 3-gun, racked up a handful of top-5 and top-10 finishes at major championships, and eventually turned my full focus to mastering the handgun in USPSA competition.

Today I'm a USPSA Grand Master in Limited Optics Division and a Master in Carry Optics Division. Recent highlights include the 2023 Production Division Colorado State Champion, a 15th-place finish in Production Division at the 2023 US IPSC National Championship, and 3rd-place Master at the 2022 USPSA Carry Optics National Championship. I'm still competing hard and still getting better — that part doesn't stop.

Since 2016, I've also been the host of the Concealed Carry Podcast — now 10 years, 800+ episodes, and more than 9 million downloads in. In that time I've had the privilege of interviewing and learning from dozens of the world's best experts, shooters, and instructors. I've also been fortunate to train under many of them personally, logging hundreds of hours of professional training that have shaped everything I do. (see below)

My day job is Vice President of ConcealedCarry.com, one of the most visited destinations on the web for concealed carry information, training, and gear. It's a role that keeps me sharp, connected, and accountable to the community I've been part of my entire adult life.

I write and review gear, analyze technique, and argue — sometimes loudly — about what actually matters when it comes to skill development and self-defense. I believe in data over hype, training over gear, and honesty over clicks.

When I'm not at the range or behind a mic, I'm at home in Colorado with my wife of 20 years and our five kids, who are somehow even more of a handful than a double-feed malfunction.

Instructors I have trained under

• Rob Leatham
• Tim Herron
• Tom Givens
• Mike Seeklander
• Scott Jedlinski
• Matt Little
• Charlie Perez
• Kyle Lamb
• Dave Spaulding
• Chuck Haggard
• Gabe White
• Jeff Gonzales
• Bill Blowers
• Chuck Pressburg and others

Accomplishments