Tell us what you’ve been up to recently and what disciplines you’ve been competing in.
COVID did slow things down as Uncle Sam put some serious restrictions on us at work, preventing a lot of my travel, however I did compete in the new National Rifle League Hunter series last year and even qualified for the NRL Hunter Grand Slam. What a fun sport!
This year, I’ve just competed in the all new NRL Hunter Team category at the Ghost Hunter match in Arizona and feel pretty good going into the new season. I am registered for the Texas 3-Gun championship and I should be in the Rocky Mountain 3-Gun match. I shot that one every year it was a major match and won it 10–15 times. It is supposed to be a major match again this year, so after taking a break for a couple years, it’s game on.
I plan on shooting 3-Gun, Sporting Clays, NRL Hunter Team and Individual, some PRS and NRL matches, and the Comp Expo where we’ll be shooting four matches in one weekend; NRL Hunter (long range rifle), Archery (3D), Sporting Clays (shotgun) and Long-Range Hunter Pistol (revolver). That should be awesome! I am also working on competing in The Tactical Games in Utah for the first time. That is an extremely physically demanding sport, but should be good.
How has your shooting style changed or improved?
My style of shooting probably hasn’t changed much other than I’m getting older and having to use prescription glasses.
Tell us about your current competition set up.
My competition set-up is very different from one sport to the other.
Tactical Games: Seekins AR with Leupold MK6 1–6 mounted with WARNE Skel mount and a Luth-AR buttstock, Staccato 9mm, Level IV armor plates and belt to hold six rifle and six handgun magazines.
3-Gun: (Heavy Optics) DPMS G2 308 AR with Leupold MK6 1–6 mounted with WARNE Skel mount and a Luth-AR buttstock, STI 1911 45 Auto or STI 2011 9mm (depending on match rules) and Remington Versa Max or Benelli pump (depending on match rules).
NRL Hunter Series: Seekins HAVAK rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor or 6.5 PRC with Leupold MK5 mounted with WARNE mounts, ARCA rail, RRS tripod and head, and Eberlestock Gunslinger II pack.
PRS or NRL: GA Precision production rifle chambered in 6mm Creedmoor with Leupold MK5 mounted with WARNE Mount, ARCA Rail, RRS tripod and head, and Eberlestock Gunslinger II pack.
CompExpo: Mathews V3 compound bow, Seekins HAVOK rifle chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor or 6.5 PRC with Leupold MK5 mounted with WARNE mount, ARCA Rail, RSS tripod and head, and Eberlestock Gunslinger II pack, Smith & Wesson 686 357 Magnum and Beretta 686 sporting clays shotgun.
What are your goals for the future?
Fundamentally, I say just go to any match, be safe and have fun with the experience.
I would like to win a few matches or at least be in the leaderboard of a few and I’d really like to finish very strong in all disciplines I’m competing in this year, which is crazy diverse!
What do you think is important to keep our sport alive and what are you doing to encourage this?
The future of America as we know it is always being challenged, both foreign and domestically. We all have to do our part in speaking up and being a good ambassador for shooting sports, the firearms industry, law enforcement and military and the United States Constitution.
I am so proud to be a Hornady sponsored shooter who gets to be an ambassador for such an amazing company filled with awesome people. Everyone must do their part and use whatever skills they have to promote all of the above. I love teaching firearms skills, and getting new/young shooters more involved and help them to be ambassadors as well.
What mental tool do you use under pressure?
I am the person who requires a lot of practice to perform at the top of my game, so I’ve had to dedicate a serious amount of time and resources to get to my highest levels and still do have to work hard to be a performer.
I have many years of experience in shooting sports and a high stress job to lean back on to help me find my calm within the storm. I love showing people how to find the calm within the storm!
I’m just the guy who really loves shooting sports, so I’m always having fun. I’d say that I enjoy the feeling of being at the top of the leaderboard, so I have to stay motivated by knowing that “only those who want it bad enough will work hard enough to get it.” Everyone should strive to be a better person and better at the things you love doing!
Tell us about what else you enjoy doing outside of shooting/competing.
One of my greatest passions is hunting. I have loved hunting since I was a very young boy and still look forward to my next adventure in the field. I want to continue showing my family that joy and beauty. I was so excited when my son harvested his first mule deer at 550 yards last year and his first elk at 600 yards this year. We have worked very hard and that hard work to make ethical, confident shots is the result.
