Welcome to MLD SMART Shooting!  I'm M. Leigh Deaton, and my passion is helping people, especially women, gain the knowledge and build the skills to be their own first responders.  

Like so many women growing up in the south, our home had various firearms that my family taught me to shoot. In 2018 I became actively involved with firearms and shooting sports, competing in various disciplines.  As I searched for available training options to hone my skills, I realized there were very few classes offered for women and even fewer classes taught by women instructors. I was extremely excited when I discovered A Girl & A Gun Women's Shooting League.  I joined AG & AG in 2020 and became a certified pistol instructor and AG & AG A-Team member in 2021. I opened the AG & AG Chattahoochee Valley chapter in 2022.  

I am currently hold the following certifications: 

• NRA Pistol Instructor 

• NRA Chief Range Safety Officer 

• USCCA Concealed Carry and Home Defense Fundamentals Instructor 

• USCCA Women’s Handgun and Self-Defense Fundamentals Instructor 

• USCCA Range Safety Officer 

• Facilitator, A Girl & A Gun Women’s Shooting League, Chattahoochee Valley 

While I am certified to teach men and women and offer co-ed classes, I obtained these certifications and continue my training so I can help women have a safe and enjoyable firearms experience, and so I can introduce more women to shooting and shooting sports.