Grand Master Jessie Harrison on Competition, Career and Taurus

Jessie Harrison didn't grow up dreaming of becoming a professional shooter. She grew up at the range, simply because that’s where her family was.

Her father was a competitive shooter and gun enthusiast, and weekends at the range were a regular part of life. At the time, he was deep into Cowboy Action Shooting, eventually earning five Gunfighter World Champion titles. Harrison's parents also helped run their local monthly cowboy matches, meaning she had a front-row seat to the sport long before she ever picked up a firearm of her own.

For years, her dad casually asked if she wanted to shoot—never pushing, always leaving the door open. Harrison always said no. Then one day, while he was practicing for the state championship, he asked again. She said yes.

At 15 years old, Harrison entered her first competition: the Georgia State Cowboy Action Shooting Championship. She won the Junior Girls division. She was, as she laughs about now, the only girl competing, but the experience meant everything.

"It sparked something competitive in me," Jessie explains. "And made me want to keep improving, training harder, and start seeking out tougher competition."

How Going Pro Transformed Harrison's Career Trajectory

After that first match, Harrison knew shooting was all she wanted to do. What she didn't know was how to turn it into a career.

The lightbulb moment came at a cowboy action match in Piru, California—a range property shared with several other shooting clubs. That weekend, Harrison was introduced for the first time to Steel Challenge competition. Competitors were preparing for the World Speed Shooting Championships, running semi-automatic guns, and—most importantly to a young Harrison—wearing sponsor logos on their shirts.

"I remember thinking, 'If they're wearing logos, they must be getting something out of it!'" she says.

That was the moment Harrison realized that if she wanted a future in the shooting sports industry, she'd need to branch beyond single-action revolvers and into the modern disciplines.

Not long after, Glock Inc., located practically in her backyard, was searching for a new female shooter. Harrison submitted her shooting résumé, which at the time consisted entirely of Cowboy Action Shooting and Steel Challenge titles, all earned with single-action revolvers. She had never fired a Glock in her life.

She signed her first professional shooting contract shortly after.

The early years weren't without resistance. There was a quiet perception that a cowboy action shooter couldn't successfully cross over into modern disciplines. No one said it directly, but Harrison felt it.

"Looking back now, I realize it wasn't necessarily a lack of belief; it was simply a lack of context," she says. "Success in the cowboy shooting world didn't automatically translate in their eyes, and here I was stepping into a completely different arena with no experience in their discipline."

She used that as fuel. Harrison went on to become the first woman to earn Grand Master status in USPSA—a barrier-breaking achievement that helped reshape what was considered possible for women in the sport.

"Being the first female to earn that title is something I'm very proud of," she says, "but I also felt that once one of us broke through that barrier, it would help show that it was possible for others too."

Jessie Harrison and Taurus

Today, Harrison competes across USPSA, Steel Challenge, and the Bianchi Cup, with Taurus firearms tuned specifically for the divisions she runs.

Her partnership with Taurus began 14 years ago after the difficult decision to leave Glock. Harrison spent nearly a year without a firearms sponsor before Taurus reached out near the end of the 2011 season about joining the team. Over the years, that partnership has grown into something far deeper than sponsorship.

"Taurus truly feels like family to me within the shooting industry," she says.

In 2024, Harrison made another heavy decision: leaving Taurus to pursue what she felt at the time was a dream opportunity. The decision had nothing to do with grievances; it was simply a chance she felt she had to explore. But she eventually realized her true home was with Taurus.

"The relationships, loyalty, and support we built over the years meant far more to me than I fully understood at the time," she says. "Returning felt like coming back to family. That's where I belong, and it's where I intend to finish my career as well."

Today, Harrison runs a wide range of Taurus platforms across her competition schedule, from custom 1911s in .38 Super Comp Minor for Single Stack and Bianchi Cup, to the TX22 in Rimfire, and most recently the new TX9 in Carry Optics. Earlier this season, she won the Ladies National title with the TX9 at the U.S. Steel Nationals Championship—a result she says was as much a win for Taurus as it was for her personally.

Harrison is also deeply involved in Taurus’ development side, providing real-world feedback during the early stages of new product design.

"Being able to contribute from both a shooter's perspective and a competitor's mindset is something I genuinely value," she says.

Jessie Harrison on the Taurus RPC

One platform Harrison is especially excited about is the new Taurus RPC.

The RPC marks Taurus's first true step into the personal defense space; a natural extension for a brand long defined by its pistol heritage. For Harrison, what makes the platform stand out isn't just that it's functional and reliable; it's how adaptable it is.

"We've created a firearm that's fully capable of being customized with many of the popular aftermarket parts and accessories today's shooters want," she says. "It allows users to tailor it to their individual needs and preferences."

From a performance standpoint, Harrison points to the roller-delayed operating system as a standout feature, reducing felt recoil and creating a smoother shooting experience overall. The platform also features a full-length Picatinny rail for optics and accessories, a familiar-style pistol grip, and a threaded barrel for suppressor use.

That versatility is the appeal. The RPC is reliable enough for defensive use, capable enough to grow with the shooter, and adaptable enough to be tailored into a setup truly the shooter's own.

"I believe the RPC is ideal for shooters who want a reliable, highly customizable firearm that delivers strong performance and versatility at an accessible price point," Harrison says. "Taurus has always focused on dependable firearms with exceptional value, and the RPC fits perfectly within that philosophy."

Jessie Harrison's Advice to Competitive Shooters

Training has been at the heart of Harrison's career from the beginning, but how she trains has evolved dramatically.

Early on, Harrison felt she needed to be on the range four or five days a week, shooting anywhere from 500 to 1,000 rounds a day just to feel like she had done her job. Those hours built a foundation she still draws from today. But as she matured as a competitor, and now as a new mother Harrison has learned that working smarter matters more than working harder.

"The amount of time I once thought I needed before a competition to feel fully prepared is far more than I actually have available now," she says. "Instead, I focus on making the most of every training session and continuing to draw from the foundation I built in those early years."

For new shooters, her advice is simple: enjoy the journey.

"There will always be ups and downs, wins and losses, but every outcome is an opportunity to learn because there's always room for improvement," she says. "One of the most important lessons I learned came from watching my dad as a champion shooter: you must win humbly and lose gracefully. That mindset will carry you much farther than trophies alone."