In our latest episode, we’re joined by a two-time Olympian and world champion who takes us through his incredible journey to the Olympics for a second time. He shares insights into the rigorous qualification process and reflects on his victory at the 2022 World Championships in Croatia. Tune in for an insider's perspective on earning a coveted spot on the USA Shooting Team, as well as a discussion about the Paris Olympics and all that comes with it.

In this episode, I talk with Zach Kienbaum, fresh off his victory at the 2024 World FITASC Championship. We talk about his well-deserved break in Alaska, where he enjoyed some fishing before gearing up for the US Open. Zach shares his plans for the remainder of the 2024 shooting season and what tournaments he will be attending. We also discuss what’s on the horizon for 2025, including some of the major events with big payouts.

Discover the future of shooting eyewear as we chat with Dennis Sprenger and Phillip Pilla about the game-changing Raptor II series. Prepare to be amazed by the innovative lens technology that's about to take the shooting world by storm in 2024. From the vibrant chromatic shifts to the practicality of transitioning from the shooting range to everyday wear, this episode is packed with insights on the latest advancements from Pilla. Get a peek into the meticulous crafting behind each pair of glasses.

We discuss features that set the Raptor 2, Velociraptor, and Outlaw series apart from their competition. We get into the complexities of matching prescription lenses to the specific needs of different shooting disciplines, and just how Raptor series stays ahead of the curve. You will be amazed by the customization options and groundbreaking filter technologies designed to enhance visual acuity in any lighting condition. This episode is an explains a lot, in detail, for shooting enthusiasts eager to learn about the vision-enhancing capabilities of these high-performance eyewear options.

David is a Shooter, a coach, and now a gun club owner in Arkansas at a brand new facility named Cypress Creek Shooting Lodge.  In this episode, I talked to him about his stellar performance at the North Central Regional in 2021 at Game Unlimited, his "new" style of shooting, how it works, and what it's for.  We also talked about how the pressure may be in the Olympics Vs. World FITASC and the stress that could be involved in both.  We got into David's thoughts on growing the sport, how to determine what a hero is in the game and a lot more.

Just a note.  I didn't let David ramble on or take hours to explain something, so I hope you enjoy it!

At 15 years old, Theo began his quest to win sporting clay championships by relocating to Texas to pursue a professional shooting career. 

​Ribbs mentored legendary sporting clay champion and Olympic medalist, Dan Carlisle who immediately discovered Theo’s natural talent. At age sixteen, Theo quickly rose to become a Junior National champion.  By twenty-one years old Theo entered the professional ranks with great success winning major championships.  His success gathered attention among other professional athletes from major league sports, whom he has coached to enhance their recreational clay shooting skills.

Dr. Zanis attained his Athletic Training degree from the University of Pittsburgh and his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Duke University. While an athletic trainer at the University of Pittsburgh, he worked with Division 1 basketball, football, and track and field. Prior to attaining his Doctorate, he assisted with the Pittsburgh Pirates Major League Baseball organization for one season. Following graduation, Dr. Zanis completed a residency in orthopedics and a fellowship in manual therapy through the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists. His early professional career included work with athletes from the Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, and PGA Tour golfers.

Dr. Zanis has been working closely with the rifle, pistol, and shotgun athletes of USA Shooting, performing movement analysis, strength and conditioning, and rehabilitation for this amazing group of high-level athletes. 

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Gary Fitzjarrell is a well-known shooter, gun club owner, and internet sensation.  If you don’t know who he is, you are about to find out all about him in this episode. I'm going to say this……This has not been edited in any way, if bad language bothers you, turn it off now because you will hear enough in this episode to last you for 2 weeks.  You have been warned.

Over the past few years, James has quickly established himself as one of the top sporting shooters in the country. After dominating the junior category and claiming English, British, European & World titles James' focus now turns to the open category and within 6 months has already climbed to be ranked #5 in the country in English Sporting. Some of James' best achievements have been winning the 2018 European junior compak championship, the 2019 World ICTSF junior title, finishing runner-up overall at the British Open sporting in 2018, and winning the Beretta World title in 2020. ​As well as being a competitive clay shooters James is also a passionate game shooter and countryman. Having grown up on the family farm shooting came naturally from a young age and James owes most of his success to this. After spending every weekend in a hide usually protecting a field of cauliflower he learned much of his shooting ability from shooting wood pigeons. Coming in from every angle at every speed, they created the perfect target and by the time James found clay shooting there weren't many target presentations he hadn't already seen before.

Joseph Fanizzi is an 18-year-old soon-to-be freshman in college at Texas A&M University. After being born and raised on a hunting preserve and shooting ground in Florida, Joe was introduced to clay shooting at a young age. At the age of 13, he punched into Master Class and won his first High Overall Main Event Tournament shortly after that at the age of 14. Joe attributes most of his success to being surrounded by so many great people, influencers, role models, and mentors that took him under his wing and made him into the person he is today.

In 2019 he was the Silver Medalist at the World English Sporting Clays Championship. While he was excited to have made a podium finish at the world championship at just the age of 16, he was also motivated and had a chip on his shoulder to work harder because he had been so close to achieving a life goal but was just short. Just weeks ago at the 2021 World FITASC Championship Joe had the honor of representing NSCA and Team USA in Hungary. After four days of competition, Joe finished Silver Medalist once again at a World Event just a target shy of where he needed to be to bring home the gold medal and a world championship title. Joe believes the final result of this bittersweet outcome will make him a stronger individual and a better competitor in years to come. In this episode, Joe reveals his story and life timeline of what turned him into who he is today and how he will approach this upcoming chapter of his life and the new beginnings.

As Joe embarks on this next chapter he shares how he is looking forward to continuing his passion for clay target shooting and that the best is yet to come. Joe makes clear that at the end of the day his main goal in shooting when it is all said and done is to be remembered as being a respectable person with good character because that means more to him than any title achieved or accomplishment reached.

The 2022 Gator Cup has left Florida for good.  Now in March of 2022, the huge tournament heads to Georgia and will be hosted at the beautiful Cherokee Rose located in Griffin.  The Gator Cup, owned by Fred and Maria Fanizzi, has always been an extremely well ran shoot.  You will always find everything in place that enables all of the attendees to have a great time whether they are shooting or not.  Huge sponsors, with tons of vendors, great food and exceptional service is what you can expect......Every time. Register Here: Score Chaser Website: thegatorcup.com

Mark actually got into shooting by accident when he was 12 years old. He didn't come from a shooting background at all, so when his dad was invited to go clay shooting by a friend, he asked if Mark could go in his place instead. It was literally the first time Mark had ever seen a gun; He hadn't even held an air rifle before. But by all accounts Mark was a complete natural – no one believed that he had never shot before – so Mark was encouraged to take it up. His dad started taking him to the local clay ground twice a month as that was all they could afford.

It wasn't long after that. His local clay ground in Essex ran 70-bird competitions on Sundays and almost right away Mark started winning the junior section. After that, His dad and Mark started touring the country, making sure that he entered the England selection shoots. By the time Mark was 15, only three years after he first fired a gun, Mark made the England Sporting junior team. Ever since then, shooting has been his life.

Mark's proudest achievement has to be winning the Stratstone Ultimate One at the Royal Berkshire Shooting School. Mark went home with a brand new Range Rover Autobiography! That competition may never happen again, so it was a bit of a miracle that Mark won it, especially with a score of 25 straight (the next best score was 19)! Mark still has to pinch himself when he thinks about it – it really was an incredible day.

Madelynn’s (Maddy) clay target shooting experience began when she was just 12 years old at a local 4-H club, shooting American trap. A few years later, her father introduced her to her local high school team where she shot American trap, skeet, and sporting clays through the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP). Eventually, Maddy branched out into the more non-traditional disciplines such as doubles, handicap, and 5-stand.

In the Spring of 2014, Maddy attended an SCTP development camp held at the Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The camp was designed to introduce young SCTP athletes into the Olympic disciplines of shotgun sports.

Maddy began shooting in USA Shooting sanctioned competitions in the summer of 2016 at the Junior Olympic Championships. She competed in her first selection match in Fort Benning, Georgia at the 2017 Spring Selection Match. In 2018, Maddy earned a spot on her first official USA Shooting Team to attend the World Championships in Changwon, Korea. She also earned a spot on the Junior National Team at the National Junior Olympic Championships right before attending the 2018 World Championships in the fall.

Normally after competing on the junior national level, the next step is the U.S. National Team. Maddy bypassed the normal progression and secured a spot on the United States Olympic Trap Team in March 2020.

Bio by: USAShooting.org Facebook: Athlete page @madelynnbernau Instagram: Athlete page @maddy_bernau

Kolar is based out of Wisconsin and has been producing a high quality line of American made skeet, sporting and trap shotguns since 1996.  We sat down with a very busy Sean Mainland,  Director of Operations, Sales and Marketing at Kolar Arms, at the 2021 US Open for a quick episode.  Sean covers manufacturing, barrels and finishes, Kolar's warranty, service and what is coming in the future.

This episode promises to deliver some wisdom from Mike's captivating hunting stories in the Northwest, wielding vintage Remingtons, to sub-gauge shotguns paired with cutting-edge Bismuth ammo for hunting. Lean in as we talk about Mike's journey from his hunting heritage to aiming for a world vet title in the disciplined arena of competitive shotgun sports.

Join us as we explore the camaraderie and dedication within the shooting community, where size and physical fitness play their part in staying on target. We dissect the recent Jack Links Cup in Florida, get into Mike's ambitious travel for sport, and talk about his transition into the vet class with eyes set on the prize. Whether you're a beginner or a veteran in the world of sporting clays, this conversation is loaded with insightful reflections on the sport's competitive and adventurous spirit.

Finally, we discuss registering for events and the issues we are facing.  Discover the enchanting Rock Mountain Sporting Clays facilities that blend history and innovation for hosting premier events. And for those who geek out on gear, you won't want to miss our detailed discussion on Pilla shooting lenses and ammunition preferences that could sharpen your game. Tune in for a shot of inspiration and a barrel full of knowledge with Zach and Mike.

Scott has 33 years of experience in Sporting Clays and 40 years of competition experience.  Scott started competing in Skeet and Trap at age 8.  In those 40 years, Scott has won 14 National Sporting Clay Championships and is a 47 time All American.

Scott is the most accomplished Small Gauge Champion of all time with 2 HOA World Championships, 5 event World Championships, 5 HOA National Championships and 14 event National Championships.  He is the first shooter to be named Captain of the 20, 28 Gauge and 410 bore All American Team in the same year.

In addition to being Captain of two World Championship Teams, Scott has competed in international competition on 17 US Shooting Teams.  Scott is also a Hall of Fame member in the Texas Sporting Clays Association and the National Sporting Clays Association.

Scott and his family own Elm Fork Gun Club and Side X Side Ranch.

If you are interested in a custom fitted shotgun, from altering an existing gun or a brand new custom stock, Jim Greenwood is the best in the business and has all of the knowledge and expertise to handle the details. Starting with the fitting or building a pattern stock to the help in choosing a checkering pattern through to the finished job. When you choose Greenwood Custom Stocks, you will spend time in the shop working with your mount, grip configuration and then to the sporting course to shoot targets to ensure the fit.  Jim has built stocks for World Champions, National Champions, US Open winners and so many more successful shooters in clay target sports.

Derrick grew up on a small farm in southeast Kansas and developed a love of the outdoors at an early age tagging along with his dad while quail and deer hunting. Got started in sporting clays at age 8 joining his dad in a small league at a local club. With the help of his dad, he began to develop his skills as a competitive shooter. Has been competing as a member of the NSCA since 1995, winning 13 state championships and leading the USA Sporting Clays Team to multiple team world titles.

The shooting sports earned him a scholarship to Lindenwood University. While there, he was on dual scholarship for baseball and the shotgun team. After a couple years. he transferred to Kansas State University to pursue a degree in Animal Science, graduating in 2008. While at KSU, he won the ACUI Collegiate Clay Target Championship, a format that includes international trap, international skeet, American skeet, American trap, and sporting clays.

After graduating from college, he moved to Ohio where he designed and managed Cardinal Center Sporting Clays. Having successfully getting the facility up and going, he took the chance to move closer to home to manage Powder Creek Shooting Park. In 2013, he married Diana, in what he admits is the "best decision he has ever made." "She has become my rock, biggest supporter and motivator in pursuit of becoming a full-time coach and competitor in the shooting sports," he said. In May of 2016, the Mein family welcomed their daughter Rylie to the world.

During his years in the shooting sports, Mein has competed in many different disciplines, including sporting clays, skeet, trap, international trap, and helice, winning national titles and earning Team USA honors in helice, international trap, and sporting clays. He's a perennial NSCA All-American, a F.I.T.A.S.C. World Sporting Clays Champion, ICTSF World English Sporting Champion, World All Around Shotgun Champion, a NSCA National Champion, captain of the NSCA All-American Open Team, was an inaugural member of the Professional Sporting Clays Association and a 2020 Olympian in Men's Trap.

Article from USA Shooting

The 2021 Georgia State Sporting Clays Championship will be held at the oldest and largest continuously operated gun club in the country.  There are a lot of things planned that will interest everyone all from the beautiful city of Savannah Georgia.

Jon didn't start shooting clay targets competitively until he was 22 years old. 203,000 registered targets later he was able to win the US Open 8 times, was on the All American team 23 times and won 7 team gold medals shooting for Team USA. Jon was also the first inductee to the NSCA Hall of Fame in 1998 and shot on the PSCA for 2 years. After Jon's accident in 1989, he went on to win 40 straight tournaments that lasted about 13 months. He is definitely a legend in American sporting clays and is still coaching today. We were so glad to be able to talk with him and look forward to the next one.

The most successful world and European clay target shooter that has ever shot a shotgun is on the podcast this week.  George Digweed holds 26 World titles, 19 European championships, 11 British & English championships and 16 World Cups.  His accomplishments are truly amazing just to see the numbers, but even more impressive to know that one man has accomplished this and much more. 

We discussed:

• The 2021 World Championships at EJ Churchill
• How the lockdowns have affected shooting
• The differences that you see when shooting a world championship in the UK vs shooting one in the US
• If you should find a coach that has proven themselves as a winner
• One thing that a shooter should focus on the most to make them better
• Things that could make someone a winner
• The pressure of shooting as a World Champion
• What changes in shooting as you get older
• Why George does not practice at all
• Why George chooses 32" barrels over 34s
• and much more.

I spoke with Frieda Lancaster briefly about Claythorne Lodge in Southeast Kansas and the upcoming 2021 US Open.  I try to get all of the information that you would need in order to make your trip successful.  Make sure you visit them on their website and Facebook for more information.

Claythorne Lodge Claythorne's Facebook Register on Winscore

From Savannah Georgia, Zach Kienbaum and Desirae Edmunds are well know around the world for being some of the best shooters and coaches you will find in the Southeast.  I went down to Forest City Gun Club to discuss some of the issues that I am having in my shooting and wanted them to tell me what they thought.  In this episode we cover, gun mount, hold points, where to place your eyes before the shot, tower targets, squadding pressure, different target presentations and how to shoot them and the all new Winchester Ladies Cup.

Gebben Miles and Karen Shedd are a team of serious clay target shooters from Arizona.  They are both on top of their game and have an online instruction website where you can get webinars and instructional videos every week.  When not competing, they offer one on one lessons for those who want to learn more about sporting clays and how to improve their game.

Shotgun Sports is a passion for many; the same is true for Travis Mears.  At a young age of 9 years old Travis started his competitive career and has continued to follow his passion.  Travis has competed on many different levels within the sport.  He started with the youth shooting programs such as 4-H and SCTP and then moved on to Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO as a scholarship shooter.  While at Lindenwood Travis took part in 5 National Team Championships, 12 Individual Collegiate National Championships and completed his undergrad and MBA.

After moving back to Texas, Travis continued his career shooting Sporting Clays and traveling putting on Exhibition Shows on the weekends, while devoting his weeks to his wife Raelynn and business career.  Now at 34 years old Travis and Raelynn have a daughter and son and he is the President of Fort Worth, Texas’ premier shotgun range, Defender Outdoors Clay Sports Ranch.  Travis is continuing to share his passion of the shooting sports through his range, sporting clays and exhibition shooting.  When he’s not shooting, Travis enjoys hunting and spending time with his wife and kids. Travis is a resident of Aledo, TX. 

The highly anticipated 2024 Texas State Championship is set to take place in conjunction with the prestigious Browning-Briley at Greater Houston Gun Club. Anticipated to draw a substantial turnout, this event has an impressive payout with over $150,000 up for grabs. Everyone is encouraged to secure their spots by registering on ScoreChaser, ensuring they don't miss the chance to shoot at a great club with great companies behind them. This tournament will not disappoint and has a lot of events planned for everyone attending.

Todd Hitch is an 18 year old shooter that has taken sporting clays by storm.  In just 4 short years he has become one of the most dominant forces in the NSCA.  The cool, calm, relaxed 6'3 shooter may take this sport as serious, if not more serious, than anyone else.  Sporting Clays is his passion, it's what he wants to do, it's what he solely focuses on when not in school and it's what he plans on being one of the best at.

We discuss his mindset, his exercise routine, his practice regimen, his diet, his goals and also discuss the past few tournaments he has taken HOA at.

It all started with Foster picking up a flyer at their school about tryouts for the local shooting team.

Both Matt, Foster, and Buddy (dad) had a passion for the outdoors, so they went to check it out. 

Matt and Foster were both recognized quickly with their shooting skills, and both made the Rapid City SCTP team. With help of their coach, John Bracken, they and three other shooters won the SD SCTP state title, and continued on all the way to the top when they won the 2006 SCTP National Title.

Matt and Foster continued shooting in the ATA (Amateur Trapshooting Association) independently. Both of their talents were getting more recognized by other shooters, but in 2008, the Bartholow name was quickly recognized as Foster went into the longest shoot-off in history with undoubtedly one of the "greats" in trapshooting history, Leo Harrison III, for the Singles Clay Target Championship.

Both shot 200x200 in the event, and an extra 900x900 in shoot-off before the president of the ATA came out on the last afternoon of the Grand American to ask the gentlemen if they would have the honor of sharing the CTC as Co-Champions after a remarkable 1,100 x 1,100 each..they both graciously accepted, and another record in the history books as the first ever to share a co-championship at the Grand. 

At that same shoot at the Grand American in 2008, Matt won the Doubles Championship in the Jr Category. 

​Fast forward to 2011, Matt won the Grand American Doubles Championship in a battle of talent with many of the best doubles shooters in the world. That same year,  Foster won the Preliminary Handicap Championship with the lone 100x100 from the 27 yard line.​

The Bartholow Brothers were quickly recognized as top-tier shooters, and with the help of sponsors, they accelerated their game by shooting more and structuring FREE shooting clinics throughout the US to start giving back to the shooting community. 

Over the last several years, the Bartholow Brothers reputation and achievement list continued to grow. Matt has continued to grow his name on the top of the list, and holds the second long run in registered doubles with 910 broken doubles targets in 2017/18. He also holds the record for the second longest run in singles with an 1,840 consecutive registered targets broken. Matt won the 2600 HOA in 2019 with a 2553/2600 at the Grand American, that same title in 2017 with 2556/2600, and won runner up in 2018 and 2012 with 2551/2600 and 2525/2600. Foster has a long list of notable accomplishments as well, winning the Winchester Super 500 Singles at the Grand in 2008 and 2009, and many other titles at the Grand American Trap shoot.  

​The biggest accomplishment to them has been noted as one of the most recognized family for giving back to the community. Buddy and Char (parents), have done so much for not only their sons, but also for the trapshooting community by helping others, giving their time graciously, and making sure that this sport is better now than when their sons got into trapshooting, all without ever asking anything back for themselves, but rather growing the sport. 

About the Bartholow Brothers came from trapshootingbros.com

A native Floridian, Dania found her love of shotgun shooting through seeing her father shoot.  She had another major talent, though, in her abilities as a dancer that earned her admittance to the prestigious Juilliard Dance Intensive, one of world’s best courses for young dancers.  But Dania chose shooting instead.

Dania, who has been claiming titles in junior, national, and world events for years, though just 26 years of age.  In 2014 she became the Junior World Champion in her specialty, the sport of skeet, and in 2017, shooting with Team USA in Moscow, the undisputed World Champion, the only woman to have held both titles.

I talked to Dominic Bethel, owner of the Meadows Gun Club which is hosting the Southeast Regional that runs from April 26th - May 2nd.  If you want to attend one of the largest tournaments of the year, you need to register now.  Listen to what is to be expected from this tournament, what events will be there, vendors, food, gun giveaways, and much more.

Harvey has been shooting clay targets for 15 years.  He has been the President for the Georgia Sporting Clays Association for 9 years and continues to help grow the sport across the state.  I thought it would be a great idea to get Harvey's perspective from the political standpoint within the GSCA, talk about how he sees the sport growing in the future and his thoughts on tournaments, shooting and any other topics we cross.

Meagan Harrington has been a competitive shooter since the age of 8.  She started shooting with her local 4H and was the Texas 4H State Champion an unbelievable 7 times. Her love for shooting moved her into shooting at the collegiate level with Texas A&M "Gig 'Em" where she is a 2x ACUI Collegiate National Champion.  She is a long-time Beretta-sponsored shooter and a great advocate in clay target sports.

Her NSCA stats are very impressive as well, which include:

• 2x Team USA Sporting Clay Member
• 2019 US Open All-Around Champion
• 2019 National All-Around Champion
• 2020 North Central Regional Champion
• 2020 South Central Regional Champion
• 2020 Diamond Classic Champion

I had Alex Clark and Trey Graham on the podcast talking about the All New Gator Creek Sporting Clays.  This club is located directly in between Macon Ga and Savannah Ga off of I-16. 

Set back in the South Georgia Woods lies a 15 station sporting clays course, skeet field, and a 5 Stand layout. The staff is super friendly and the targets will compare to some of the best in the Southeast for sure.  Eric Dorsey, professional target setter from the Meadows Gun Club, is by quite often putting his spin on things.  Everything at this renovated gun club is new and it's definitely the talk of the town. If you are headed to the Georgia State shoot, you need to stop by and see what this place is all about.  It would be a great tune up for any tournament you plan on attending.

Brett Flaugher is the President of Winchester Ammunition.  I asked Brett to come on the show and talk about what is going on at Winchester.  We touched on several topics which include the ATA, NSCA, SCTP, the all new Ladies Cup and the most popular topic in shooting sports at this time, ammunition.

Find out everything you want to know from one of the largest in the world.  Brett shares insider information that will answer all of your questions and he even lets you know when he thinks the ammo shortage will ease up.

Jasper Copelan, the chief shooting instructor at Sandy Creek was raised on a dairy farm in nearby Eatonton Georgia.  He discovered shooting at age six, spending his childhood in the woods, hunting alongside his father and quickly displaying skill at finding his mark. In 2009, family friend and Level 2 shooting instructor Dr. Sammy McFaddin convinced nine-year-old Jasper to join him at a local gun club and try competitive shooting. He was hooked.

As a member of the Gatewood School's clay target team, he was a three-time Georgia Independent School Association (GISA) All-Around Shotgun State Champion, once also placing third nationally. When he moved up to the National Sporting Clays Association's (NSCA) competitions, he won the Junior US Open in 2017.

This past June he captured the 2020 Georgia State Championship which was a childhood dream.

Jasper has been teaching at Sandy Creek the last three years, watching the one-of-a-kind shooting facility come to life under the leadership of Director Justin Jones, a British clay shooting champion.

John Commerford grew up in Pennsville, NJ. with Anthony Matarerse Jr. and they consider themselves best friends.  John hunted and shot at M&M in his earlier days and worked side jobs to be able put extra cash in his pocket so that he could travel to tournaments.

John later interned with the NRA and when his internship was over, he was offered a job.  Still loving the sport, while he was at the National Rifle Association, he was offered the Assistant GM role at Krieghoff International where he met and made friends with a lot of people throughout the NSCA.

When John left KI, he went back to the NRA as well as sat on the the Executive Council for the NSCA for 2 years.  He is now Chief of Operations for the National Rifle Association and Chairman for the NRA Victory Fund.

Have you ever found yourself squinting at the classification system in the NSCA, or laughing over the latest internet forum spat? Gary Fitzjarrell is here to take a no-holds-barred approach to the quirks and quandaries in the sport. From the psychological tug-of-war within the competitive community to the raw truths of being in a sport where ego can often outweigh talent.

As the conversation veers into the realm of personal authenticity and societal sensitivities, Gary doesn't shy away from stirring the pot. We confront the reality of competition, the sting of judgment both online and off, and how humor can be a double-edged sword in a world quick to offense.

See the changes here.

Competitive rugby is a young man’s game, and when Nick reached his mid-30s he needed something that could fill the hole rugby left. That’s when he took up clay shooting, a pastime that appealed to him because it combines his love of hunting with the ability to satisfy his competitive drive.

Nick shot a couple of beginner level parcours while still living in his native France, scoring in the low single digits out of a possible 25. He wasn’t disheartened by his low scores, but instead took it as a challenge to improve. With his experience as a rugby player, he decided to use a mental coach, a physical coach, and a technical coach — so he knew a little something about training and put that same learning style to use in his shooting game.

With hard work, Nick’s shooting improved. Holding Master’s degrees in both architecture and civil engineering, he had built a very successful career running his own companies in France and Vietnam. Clay shooting at the time was a hobby — a fun, competitive sport to pursue in his spare time. Little did he know that a few short years later he would immerse himself fully in both the competitive and business sides of clay target shooting.

He’d been shooting for only a year back in 2015 when he visited the U.S. to shoot stateside for the first time. By then he had already gained standing in what’s called Club France, based upon his ranking in the top 24 shooters in that country. Based upon his one year of shooting experience, he was placed in D class at the World FITASC Championship held at Caribou Gun Club. He went on to win D1 in every event he shot at Caribou that week, punching his way into C class.

A Move To The US

Nick’s wife Cat was born and raised in the U.S. and her whole family lives in southern California. That seemed like a good place to relocate — near family and where their kids could get a good education. The plan was for Nick to run his companies remotely from California and fly back and forth to Asia and France when need be. Upon hearing Nick’s plans, Laporte Chairman, JeanMichel Laporte, told him not to rush into anything once arriving in the U.S. The fact that Nick had built a company in Vietnam and took it from three employees to 80 in a year and a half was not lost on Mr. Laporte. He admired Nick’s business acumen and thought he might be the right person to manage Laporte’s North American division.

Because he still owned two successful companies, Nick wasn’t in the market for a job. Although he was already happily employed, he met Mr. Laporte at the NSCA Nationals that October and was made an offer he wouldn’t refuse. “I’m glad I made this choice. Laporte is a very innovative family owned company and if there’s an issue, we always find a way to make it work. The near future looks very bright for us” he said.

The French Nick Video Experience

Nick liked to record video with his iPhone while on the sporting clays course. He launched a blog at FrenchNick.com and a YouTube channel, quickly building a large online following. “Nobody was doing it and it started getting crazy” he said. Because he is personal friends with a lot of the top shots, he is able to get very close for filming while they’re in the shooting stand. He knows how to move in without bothering them — where to stand, or maybe more importantly where not to stand. He says there aren’t a lot of people who could do that, because they wouldn’t dare come in that close. Some shooting friends have even asked him to come in closer than normal with his iPhone to get footage for instructional videos. Anthony I. Matarese Jr. asked him to record with his phone only four inches from his ear while competing at the Nationals. “You probably couldn’t do that with a regular camera guy” says Nick. “It’s always like an exchange and a balance between what the shooter wants, he doesn’t want and what you need to get good images.” He’s also videoed Zach Kienbaum, Cory Kruse, Gebben Mile

The company Renair Shotgun Sports was started with one objective in mind and that was to be able to move and adjust traps easily so that you can spend more time practicing.  What started as a hand cranked machine is now one of the most innovative and useful tools in clay target sports and can be found at most gun clubs across America.

They offer a full line of ClayBots, transporters and accessories that make it easy to set up a course or target style that you are looking for......quickly.

Check out their website for every bit of information about this amazing product.  How To's, videos and photos are all available at the click of your mouse.

Their Lineup:

ClayBot MKII ClayBot MKIII ClayBot MKIV Wireless Spring Adjuster Infinity Trap Base ClayBot Highway Transporter

I caught up with Anthony Matarese and Tom Seay at the Gator Cup in Okeechobee Florida and talked about the tournament in general.  We discussed the methods used to shoot some of the difficult targets, the differences in both shooters mounts, how they approach targets, what they pay attention to while waiting to shoot and so much more.  As you would expect from two top level shooters, this episode is packed with great information.

Dan served for many years in the US Army as a shooting instructor for the US Army Marksmanship Unit. Carlisle competed at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics, with a bronze medal in trap in 1984, and shooting both trap and skeet at the 1988 Seoul Games. He was a seven-time gold medalist at the Pan American Games, winning the individual trap title in 1975, 1983, and 1987. Dan won the 1982 World Championships in skeet shooting, but won more titles in trap. He was a six-time US Champion in trap, and in 1985-86, won both US titles in trap and skeet. In civilian life, he continued as a shooting instructor at the Gold Medal Shooting Academy. Dan was inducted into the US Army Marksmanship Unit Hall of Fame in 2008. He was the USA coach for trap shooting at the 2008 Olympics.

Braxton Oliver, a 23-year-old shooter, is a multiple-time All American, 5 years on Team USA winning two Team Gold Medals and shot for 2 years on the PSCA tour.  Braxton started shooting guns at the early age of 5 with his grandad, Larry Corbet, who helped farm, build and run Rose Hill Sporting Clays in North Carolina.  Soon after, Braxton started shooting clays with Larry and his dad, Mike Oliver which led to shooting competition sporting at age 12. In the earlier years of his shooting, Braxton would shoot upwards of 1500 practice shells every weekend to learn the game and to get better.  Fast forward several years and Braxton has multiple top 5 finishes at some of the largest tournaments nationwide and continues to rival some of the best shooters in the world.

Braxton's family owns Hunters Pointe Sporting Clays and continues to run Rose Hill in North Carolina.  His sponsors include Krieghoff International, Laporte, and Greenwood Custom Stocks.  

Score Chaser founder Casey Chase lives and breathes Sporting Clays. She manages tournaments throughout the United States, including the sport’s cornerstone tournaments, from state championships to Nationals. Having worked with the sport’s premier clubs, she gathered a clear sense that shooters and clubs needed better software tools to help their tournaments run smoothly.   Score Chaser was founded to keep the focus on shooting and minimize time spent on the tedium of bookkeeping.

The Gator Cup is one of the largest big blasts of the year, every year.  If you want to have fun shooting great targets, eating great food, talking to interesting people and walking around a large vendor row, the 2021 Gator Cup is a must for you!

The club in Okeechobee Florida sits on a large piece of property with plenty of open areas to throw big targets, but also expect the really tricky, shorter targets as well. Master target setters, Doug Vine and Joe Scull will be in charge of the prelim and main event targets while Joe Fanizzi (17 Years Old) will be setting the 5-stand targets.

Listen to the podcast to hear what will be going on this year and what will be different.  Also, find out how you can win 1 of 30 guns that will be given away, which includes a custom Cole Gunsmithing Beretta DT11.

Mike’s life passion has always been sporting clays. At the young age of 14, he started working at Pintail Point on Maryland’s eastern shore. This is where Mike found his love for the sporting clays industry. Mike started competing, making the Junior All American team, in almost every category in his first year of competing. Mike continued to compete in college and soon after he landed a course manager position at the prestigious Shooting Academy at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort. This is where Mike found his next passion – teaching! Five years later, Mike found himself at Quail Creek Plantation, Florida’s premier sporting clay facility. Mike helped facilitate the Gator Cup as well as running outside operations in day to day business. He also coached the Young Guns National Champions with several students winning National Championships. Mike is also very well known for his targets setting abilities for all levels. When he can find the time, he still enjoys competing at the highest levels and is committed to all aspects of shooting sports.  Mike is now the General Manager at Rocky Creek Sporting Clays.

On this episode we had two full time college students that are very determined to be the best they can be at shooting.

Reanna Frauens attends the University of Florida and is a member of the shooting team.  She started shooting under Mike Luongo at Quail Creek Plantation with their Young Guns program and has progressed through the SCTP and NSCA ranks very quickly.  Reanna shoots multiple NSCA tournaments every year and her goal is to be on Team USA.  Her short shooting career has won her multiple awards by hard work, practice and dedication.

Madison Sharpe attends Clemson University and is a name you will continuously see at the top of the leaderboard at every tournament she registers for.  Her hard work and dedication in the sport over the years has earned her multiple SCTP and NSCA titles.  She has her goals set high and with talent like she has, it will not be hard for her to reach them fairly quickly.

The tournament began 28 years ago as a promotion for Seminole Gunworks at a small shooting club in Florida. For the first 22 years, the shoot was operated by Randy Mitchell, father-in-law of Sea Island’s Director of Outdoor Pursuits, Jon Kent. So you could say it’s a bit of a family affair. Sea Island is proud and honored to host this championship event for the seventh time.

See how you match up against the pros, enjoy the serene beauty of Broadfield Sporting Club. And have a good time. It’s time for another great shoot in March 2021.

In this episode, I'm joined by Dennis Sprenger, the proprietor of Clay Target Vision, along with Phil Pilla. Together, we have a comprehensive discussion on the standout lenses of 2023 and the reasons behind their popularity. If you find yourself still puzzled about which lenses suit different lighting conditions, prepare to engage your intellect. This episode is loaded with technical insights into these lenses, showcasing the remarkable fusion of technology and expertise in collaboration with Zeiss. The intricacies behind the lens technology never cease to amaze me.

Fiocchi was founded in 1876 in Italy and has been producing high quality ammunition ever since. In the 1950s, Fiocchi began importing ammunition into the United States and by the 1980s the demand had grown and a facility was built in Ozark Missouri.

Fiocchi Currently employs nearly 200 hardworking Americans to produce some of the highest quality shotshell and centerfire ammunition available. Nearly 80% of Fiocchi brand products that are sold in the US market are loaded in Ozark Missouri or in the new facility near Little Rock Arkansas.

On the show we have Bryan Bornes from Fiocchi to talk about the company, give us some stats on ammunition in the US, the ammunition shortage and discuss their current acquisition, B&P.

In this episode we talk about the effects of Covid in the UK and how it has affected shooting sports.  We also discuss what you can do while you are not shooting and how you can at times come back better than before after a long break.  We dive into e-sports and the strong possibility of having clay target competitions remotely.......that would be weird, but it's possible.

Neil Chadwick, Target Setter and Course Designer is originally from a small village near Cambridge in the UK. He started shooting shotguns in the mid 60’s and was introduced to sporting clays in 1972. Neil shot for the Great Britain team in 1987 and moved to the US in 1991. He has now become one of the best in the world at setting championship level courses. Neil has been the official target setter for 23 NSCA National Championships, Over 10 US Opens and 4 World Championships.