August 9, 2024 • 32 mins
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.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
You are now listening to the Shotgun Sports USA
podcast with your host, justinBarker.
We talk to shotgun shootersfrom all disciplines,
world-class instructors, gunclubs, target setters, vendors
and industry-leading companiesthat fuel the sport.
Make sure you subscribe to ourpodcast, leave us a review and
(00:24):
connect with us on social media.
You can also catch our episodeson ShotgunSportsUSAcom.
Shotgun Sports is brought toyou by Winchester Ammunition,
alamo Sporting Arms, clay TargetVision, esp, rick Hemingway's
Promatic Trap Sales, briley andCastellani USA.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
After taking a well-deserved summer break to
focus on family and spendingquality time with the kids,
shotgun Sports USA is back andwe're recharged, refreshed and
ready to dive back into someepisodes as we head into the
final stretch of the season.
Whether you're a longtimelistener or you're new to the
show, we've got some greatepisodes lined up that you won't
(01:24):
want to miss.
In addition to being back,we're excited to announce that
Shotgun Sports USA has joinedforces with some fantastic new
sponsors.
We're proud to welcome AlamoSporting Arms, based out of
Texas, and ESP ElectronicShooter Protection to the
Shotgun Sports USA family.
Both of these companies haveplayed a huge part in shooting
sports for many, many years andwe're thrilled to have their
(01:46):
support as we continue to bringyou the best content in the
world of shotgun sports.
Today we have the newly crowned2024 World FETAS Champion on
(02:06):
with us.
He has consistently provenhimself as one of the top
shooters in the world, and hisrecent win at the World FETAS
Championship is just a notch onhis belt, with many more to come
.
Please welcome to the show,zach Kingbaum.
Zach, what's up?
(02:33):
How's it going, justin?
Good, good, you've been up inAlaska.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
I've been on vacation .
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Oh, is that what you call that?
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Yeah, no guns.
We flew up here with fishingwaders no guns, which is awesome
.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
You have no guns with you at all.
Where are they at?
No guns, buzzy have them.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
No, we left them in Chicago.
So after the World Fee Task, Ihad lessons for a full week at
northbrook in chicago, um, forone week, and then we flew up
here to alaska for two weeks andwe're heading home tonight so,
uh, desi's parents live inalaska, yeah, so what have you
(03:20):
been doing in alaska?
Speaker 2 (03:21):
how's the weather and all that stuff?
Speaker 3 (03:24):
uh, it's starting to rain right now.
Desi's parents live here.
We have other friends here aswell.
We brought Rodney Disbrow withus up this summer so he's been
hanging out with us.
But we spent four days up at EdGore.
A lot of shooters know Ed.
He's a shooter.
He's got a cabin up near denalinational park.
(03:45):
Yeah, so we take his flatbottom jet boat and go play and
try to find fish.
And then after that we spentabout five days at her family's
uh cabin on big lake kind of arecreational lake there outside
of wasilla.
And then the last four dayswe've been down on the Kenai and
(04:05):
in Seward catching a lot offish, a lot of fish.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
What are those fish you were catching?
I couldn't tell.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
In the Kenai.
You're catching we're catchingsockeye salmon.
That's a big salmon run.
We hit it.
The two days we were down therethey had 154,000 come through
the counter and then the nextday 190,000 fish.
So it was red hot.
You're taking those boats upand down the down the river and
just both sides of the bankpeople hooked up just dragging
(04:37):
in fish.
I've never seen it.
This is I think I've beencoming down here for 15 or up
here for 15 years and that isthe absolute hottest I've ever
seen the sockeye run in Kenai.
It was awesome.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Yeah, is that what you were cleaning?
They were cleaning the fish onvideo.
You posted yeah, and it lookedgood.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Oh, it was awesome.
They're chrome, bright chrome.
They're only a couple miles outof the ocean and we're catching
them.
It was awesome.
I had my limit.
I don't even know what time weactually started fishing, but we
met the guide at 545 in themorning at the boat ramp and I
had a limit of sockeye at 645.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Wow, that's crazy.
So what's the weather?
You said it was raining.
What's the weather been like upthere?
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Oh, low, 60s, 60, 65.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
So not like Savannah.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Not like Savannah, I have not sweated in two weeks.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
That's a lie.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
But we all, you know generally a lot of years, you
know the world feed task isnormally in July and we will,
you know generally a lot ofyears, you know the world feed
task is normally in July and wewill, uh, obviously been hitting
it hard from the spring throughearly summer and this time of
year we we normally try to taketwo or three weeks and not touch
the guns and just relax.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
You know some people probably would disagree with
that going to the U S open.
You know what I mean.
I know you can't disagree withyou.
I know, yeah, you can'tdisagree with you.
But I'm just saying thatthey've probably been hitting it
hard and you're sitting herefishing, you know.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
Yeah, I'm not a big practice guy.
I never really have been.
I've just been doing it forever.
So I I promise you a prelim anda super sport, or whatever.
I shoot first, that's perfect.
Warm up, so I'll be ready, yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Oh yeah.
So how talk about the year thatI hadn't been out much?
This year I've been, I've beenbusy and, um, uh, you know, I
think the last shoot that I wentto was in Savannah at the
regional, and that's about it.
What's what?
How's your year been going andwhat you you been doing up to
World Fee Task.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
I've shot fairly well this year Early on in the year.
Obviously Brandon's beenwinning a lot.
I think Gavin Miles has had anoutstanding year.
Some of the smaller fee taskevents and stuff that we've gone
to and other events Texas StateGavin's been shooting as well
(07:10):
as anybody for a lot of theseason and then I mean Brandon's
been getting a lot of the hypebecause he's been winning as
well.
Anthony Mattery's had a greatyear.
He's already won a regional andobviously second at the world
fee task.
I've shot steady.
I didn't shoot very well lastyear Not for me, not as well as
(07:35):
I have and, to be honest withyou, I got a CPAP machine.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Ooh, love them.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
Late last year and took me a long time to get used
to it.
But this year, as I've gottenused to that, obviously I
probably just need to lose someweight and that would fix a lot
of it.
But that CPAP has reallybrought my shooting back to
where it was a few years ago, sothat was definitely the right
move.
I should have done it sooner?
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Is it because you're sleeping better?
You think?
Speaker 3 (08:06):
It's 100% sleep.
Yeah, once I got the first timeI put that machine on.
I breathe in.
I'm like, oh my god, I almostthink everyone's probably a
little oxygen deprived.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Isn't it crazy?
Speaker 3 (08:20):
It's crazy and it started affecting my motor
skills.
It started affecting mycoordination.
I was last year.
I've I've told several peopleif it's if the event, if I was
shooting the event after noon,after 12 o'clock, I would shoot.
Okay, if it was before noon or8 AM would be terrible.
Um, I've shot really bad for melast year.
(08:44):
Um, so once it, you know, I wasalready feeling bad.
I'd probably been feeling badfor a year and a half, two years
, but once it started affectingmy scores, that's when I'd had
enough.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
But really I should have been doing it before that.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Yeah, it's, it's for someone that needs it.
I'm assuming, like you do andlike I do, I can.
I know that when I went down tothe regional Savannah I left it
here and I called my wife.
I called my wife.
I said you're going toovernight it to me.
I don't care what it costs,send it to me.
And the next day it was there.
It's just.
It don't help my shooting any,but it's still it helps your uh
(09:21):
day to day.
For sure I remember.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
David, David or Dulovich, this is shoot man.
This is five, six years ago.
He had got one.
He may be off it now Cause he'slost.
He's lost some weight.
Yeah, I don't know if he'sstill using it, but I can
remember him telling me five orsix years ago that it was the
best thing he ever did for hisshooting was to get that CPAP.
I'm not I haven't asked himwhether he's using it still or
(09:43):
not but he's definitely skinnierthan he was back then.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
Um, that's a good question I'm going to ask him
this week.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Yeah, yeah, you gotta get you to travel.
Size man, the small one.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
You can carry it.
I have the air mini there.
Many I put it in my backpack.
It's tiny, I go everywhere withit.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
I told somebody the other day.
I said you could take mine.
If mine comes off my face inthe middle of the night, you
could take it, go blow thedriveway off with it.
I'm telling you.
Right Strong.
So War of Fee Task was.
I mean, you've been working atit.
Second, what?
How many times Twice?
Speaker 3 (10:19):
I've been second twice.
You know, listening to someother stuff that came out after
that, I and I was just thinkingto myself like this is the sixth
time that I've been in the topfive at the world fee test, so
I'm not a newcomer to that stage.
I've done very well, um,especially overseas.
I've done very well at thatshoot, but I just never got over
(10:43):
the over that hump.
Going into the event, I was notexpecting a dang thing.
To be honest.
I just I had a.
Really I shot.
I've been shooting well and Ihad an excellent, excellent
practice.
On Monday we had gone toNorthbrook and shot the North
American fee task and then onMonday morning, before we headed
up to Wisconsin, we shot alleight parkours again and I shot
(11:07):
really, really well and I just Iwas just confident in my
shooting.
Going into it I wasn'texpecting anything and I didn't
put a lot of pressure on myselfand I just went out there and by
Saturday afternoon I kind offind myself in the driver's seat
and it was.
It was pretty cool.
By Saturday afternoon I kind offind myself in the driver's
seat and it was pretty cool.
Just thinking about the peoplethat have won that shoot, I mean
(11:31):
it's pretty surreal.
Right to add my name to thatlist.
It's incredible.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
It's incredible.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
I was thinking about people that I consider some of
the best shooters ever have notwon that shoot.
It's just pretty special kindof a dream come true.
That's the shoot.
I've always looked at twoevents as the most important for
me in my mind and that's theNSCA Nationals and the World Fee
(11:59):
Task, both four-day events,just extremely difficult to win.
Sporting clays is reallylargely shot in the United
States and England, whereas feetask is you say the word
sporting clays anywhere in theworld, they think you're talking
about fee task and that is thegame in my.
(12:19):
In my mind that is the thehardest, uh, most difficult,
just gun handling shotgun gamethere is.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Yeah you know, you go back and look at who was there.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
I mean it was, I mean everyone was there, I mean from
I've always, I've always wantedto win one in Europe, you know,
yeah, but there is no question,this shoot, that Game,
unlimited just held it was themost attended by the foreign
shooters, by the Europeans andpeople from all over the world.
It really felt a lot like someof those events we travel abroad
(12:57):
to, and they couldn't have donea better job.
It was incredible.
Yeah, the targets weren't asgreat.
You didn't have the.
You know, last year we shot.
We shot off some cliffs in a inan old mine in in hungary, so
you had some extreme birds there, but this was tough.
These were, these were awesome.
Jamie Peckham set an incredible200 bird tournament and some of
(13:22):
the spots.
I don't know if you've had achance to see some of the photos
or videos that different peoplehave posted, but some of the
most picturesque pegs, um, youknow, I think back on years past
, other world feed tasks, andthere's always two or three pegs
from the good ones that youwere you'll remember forever,
and there's definitely two orthree from, uh, from wisconsin.
(13:46):
That will everyone willremember forever.
It was an incredible shoot, uh,pete and the guys.
They did an awesome job yeah,yeah, it was.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
uh, it was neat to watch.
It was neat to see everyonethat attended that shoot.
And then it was.
You know, it was cool to watch,it was neat to see everyone
that attended that shoot, andthen it was cool to see that you
finally won one, right?
I mean, I can remember youtelling me a couple years ago
that that's the one you wantedto win.
I think you finished second theyear that I asked you that
question.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
Yeah, the last time you finished second.
I finished second the same yearthat I won nationals for the
first time yeah 2018 and I wassecond, and also that was in
france in 2018.
And then I was.
I was runner up as well in uh2014 in portugal.
Um, I've had differentscenarios.
(14:35):
In portugal, I kind of came Ihad a bad th bad first day,
climbed out of it, did prettywell, had a chance to win.
In 2018 in France, when I wassilver as well, I kind of jumped
.
I shot 50 straight on the firstday and I led the event all the
(14:59):
way to the last second.
On Sunday I got another silver.
So I kind of I've had a coupleof people remind me or send me
screenshots I in 2018, when Iposted about that event, I, I I
don't know what I was thinking,but I promised that I would win
this shoot one day and I hadn'treally thought about that until
several people texted it to meafter.
It was kind of funny.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
So what's the next one you're going to win?
You're on a roll here.
What's?
I mean?
I know you won't win them all,but what's?
What's the next big one thatyou want?
Speaker 3 (15:27):
I U S open.
I'd really like to.
I'd probably like to win a U Sopen as much or more than a uh
world English know why I mean.
There's four, you knowNationals, us Open, world
Sporting, world, fee Task.
I got two of those.
We'll keep plugging away.
We'll try to add a few more.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
So you're headed to or you're leaving Alaska.
Are you going home?
You're not going home.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
first, You're going straight to Chicago, to
Northbrook.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
So you're going to get ready to win this one in our
home away from home.
Yeah, yeah, we'll see all rightI'm always shot fairly well
there let me ask you thisanthony's shooting the new sl2
beretta yep you're stillshooting dt11.
Do you have any?
Do you have any?
What do you think about thatgun?
Do you have any plans to go tothat gun yourself?
Speaker 3 (16:17):
I, you know the gun itself is incredible there, I
mean it is.
It is a awesome gun and they'veeven changed a little more on
that, that steelium pro barrel.
They changed some of thedimensions in there.
Um, I bet that new gun patternsprobably slightly better.
But yeah, there's not anotherproduction barrel in the
(16:38):
industry that patterns betterthan a DT11, maybe the SL2 now,
um, I, the SL2 is incredible,but the damn DT11, I've been
shooting that gun.
This is in July this month.
This is 10 years I've got that.
I got that gun in July of 2014and, to be honest, it's the same
gun.
I've shoot the same stock, thesame gun, since 2014.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
So, same barrels.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
No second set of barrels.
I busted a rib on one.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
That's right.
That's right you did.
I remember that yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
That that that last nationals I won.
Rich coal was literallyrewelding my rib on every
evening to get me through theshoot and the last shell I fired
was winning the nationals.
Uh, we, Stefano from Beretta,fitted a new barrel to it that
after that evening.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
Yeah, I remember that .
Speaker 3 (17:25):
And that's so.
Second set of barrels.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Yeah, that's still impressive.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
The gun is nowhere near the end of its lifestyle
life, I promise you.
But it's like putting on a oldpair of jeans.
It's like it's part of me now.
I just muscle memory, all ofthe above, just it moves for me.
I know how to move it, itpoints, I know how it shoots.
It's just I think I'd be kindof crazy to change.
(17:52):
What do you think?
Speaker 2 (17:54):
well, I mean, you'd say the same thing about anthony
too.
I mean, yeah, you know what Imean.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
I mean well, no see, anthony's not quite as long in
the dp yeah well, maybe now, Idon't know when, when I don't
know.
Remember when he went to shoota little trap?
Speaker 2 (18:12):
um, well, the way I look, the way I look at it, zach
is, beretta is innovating newthings and you're still shooting
the old thing.
So that's why I asked thatquestion.
I mean, they're cool-lookingguns.
I just didn't know.
If, you know, now that you havewon a world championship they
might give you something.
So I figured that they wouldjust maybe give you an SL2.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
Oh, they already asked me.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
I'm sure.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
I'm getting another DT11.
There you go Someday.
You know I'll get one, just tohave one.
I have the prototype.
They built me the prototype tothe SL2 five or six years ago,
so I had a hand in a small handin the development and you know
(18:59):
I had to send them my reportsand what I would like to see and
stuff like that.
Um, so it's a gun I know a lotabout.
I just it's a great gun, butthat's not to say that the DT11
is a bad gun by any means.
You go to any shoot.
I mean a lot of dt11s pickingup a lot of trophies every
sunday and you know you've gotthe dt11, just the standard dt11
(19:24):
, nothing fancy the original.
Now I got a nice piece of a nicestock on it by greenwood right,
yeah, no, I'm talking about thereceiver but yeah, it's just
the plain nickel, the original,the original first dt11 that
ever came out.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
That's the version I shoot well, that's cool, that's
a good story that you've had itthat long.
I don't know you had it thatlong, yeah, yeah, so, um, so,
going into the us open a coupleweeks off, I'm sure you're
refreshed feeling and, uh,looking forward to it.
I hadn't been, I hadn't been toa shoot in a long time.
I'm gonna be at this one andand I hope to see everybody up
(20:00):
there.
I know it's, you know it'sNorthbrook.
I'll probably get pissed goingup there shooting the targets,
but it's okay, I'm taking my son, so that's all that matters to
me.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Oh, it'll be awesome that place.
It's my favorite.
We do a lot of coaching there,but I think in the next 10 years
we'll probably do even more.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
Yeah, it's a great place, man.
I mean just the grass.
Always talk about the grasswhen you talk about grass and
Savannah, but the grass when youpull in this place is super,
super nice.
I mean, it's like a golf courseout there.
I heard somebody say the otherday that this, that they could.
You know, if you wanted tocompare it to a golf course,
they would compare it to AugustaNational.
You know this place as far asthe way, the grounds, look,
(20:42):
they're really nice If they'vehad.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
So they've had a lot of rain a lot of rain this year
If it and it's.
I hadn't checked in about 10days, but I think it was
supposed to dry out a little bit.
If it dries out enough for themto get their mowers in there
the If it dries out enough forthem to get their mowers in
there, the place could lookfantastic.
But they are at the mercy ofsome Mother Nature at times.
Yeah, but it looked beautifulwhen I left, so I wouldn't
(21:06):
expect any different.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
Yeah, is it true that Brett's got a collection of
snakes?
Or is he pulling my leg when Italk to him?
Speaker 3 (21:14):
He's a yeah, he's a snake breeder and like not a few
.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
Yeah, I need to go see that.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
You, yeah you'll, you'll get a chance to see it.
You need to see it.
It's pretty crazy.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
Yeah, so my cup of tea, but you won't go with me.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
I'll go over there with you.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Don't ask me to touch one, you're scared of a snake.
Speaker 3 (21:39):
Yes, no question.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
So if we get one out and put it in your bag, it'd be
a problem.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
Do not do that.
He won't do it because they'reworth too much money.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
He makes good money selling those things.
Well, I might come up withsomething That'd be funny.
That'd be funny.
So, um, after the us open, wegot nationals coming up.
You know, I think that'sprobably your next big one,
right, isn't that?
Isn't that?
Speaker 3 (22:04):
it?
No, we've got a bunch of stuffin between what's in between
that you're going to?
so we're.
We're at the.
We're towards the end of asix-week road trip right now.
That included those two feetest shoots, alaska and now the
open.
We'll go home for just undertwo weeks and then we get in the
(22:27):
car.
This will be a road trip.
We will drive to Hopkins forthe Northeast Regional shoot
that, get in the car literallyMonday morning and we're
hightailing it straight out westto Montana.
So we're going to drive fromMaryland to Montana yeah, that's
crazy, good Lord.
(22:47):
And then we'll be in Montanafor about 10 days.
We shoot the shoot there inGallatin, the Western Challenge.
Then we go visit our friendsthe Arrowwoods up there with the
Phineasies up in the SwanValley, and then I'll make my
way down to Casper, wyoming.
We'll hunt the beginning of thedove season, chase some pigeons
(23:09):
and some doves around Wyomingfor three days, and then we'll
head down to Fort Worth toTravis's place for the South
Central Regional Defender, andthen we've got about 10 days.
We've got some plans to go outto West Texas chase some more
pigeons and doves.
We've got three days of earlyteal season booked around near
(23:31):
Houston and then we'll shoot theDiamond Classic at Greater
Houston Gun Club.
So I got plenty of shoots,that's all.
So that's four shoots, threefairly big ones, uh, before
nationals.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
If you had to back up 25 years ago, do you think?
Would you think you would bedoing what you're doing now?
Speaker 3 (23:56):
25 years ago 2000.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
I mean, you're younger than.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
That's what I'm saying kind of to be honest with
you really.
I sort of, I mean, even beforeI was coaching full-time, it was
on my mind um that I had thatopportunity to go do that.
I knew I would enjoy it, um, toshoot and coach full time.
(24:21):
Um, let's see what swing 24, 99, 2000.
Yeah, I mean I was, I wasshooting pretty damn well.
At that time I was already, I'dalready podi, I was already
podiumed the HOA podium atnationals in the U S open by
then, um, and I hadn't won oneyet.
But uh, well, I think I kind ofknew what I wanted to do.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Well, I'm just saying that because it's it's pretty.
It's pretty cool at what you'redoing.
You're riding around doing whatyou do for a living and in the
meat, you know, on the way there, you've always got a place to
stop.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
There is no question how blessed we are.
We're not um, we make goodmoney but we don't.
We're not rich.
But I would tell you is we'rerich in experiences.
We're rich in our ability to gosee things, do things um that
not a lot of people have thetime to do.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Right, for sure.
I mean it's.
It's crazy that the cool thingsthat you and Desi get to do and
the people that you've met Imean pro baseball players and
whoever I mean it's just it'sreally cool to to hear and see
what you, what y'all, do whenyour time off or when you're
going from spot to spot you knowRight, I'll tell you something
(25:39):
that's that's.
I've noticed there's a lot ofbig shoots for the for next year
is rolling up, there's some bigshoots and there's some big
payouts yes that the it's thingsare changing for the better.
Speaker 3 (25:50):
No, there's no question.
The sport is growing.
Anyone that doesn't think soisn't paying attention.
Yeah, um, there are some bigpayout shoots, some, some cool
stuff coming down the pipe.
That that's just exciting.
I mean not not just for me,just the sport in general.
Speaker 2 (26:08):
Yep, I mean, you know I'll give uh, I'll give the
Meadows a little plug here thatthat shooters championship
they're doing with uh.
You know, kevin and Bill, Ithink Bill's with them in that,
isn't he, or is he not Maybe?
Okay, I mean that's great.
What, what, what?
I mean that's great whatthey're doing there and you know
, jack Link's getting as big asthey are and all of those shoots
(26:28):
for next year.
I think that Shooter'sChampionship's next year, isn't
it at the Meadows?
Speaker 3 (26:33):
Yeah, I think next May or something, I mean I think
they've got probably 800registered people already.
They've got a lot.
Yeah, they've got a lot.
If you're the pro shooters,it's kind of the same type of
payout as some of the majorshoots already.
But if you're not a masterclass shooter and you're not
(26:57):
there, you're crazy.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
I'm taking Bryce.
That's why I take him with me,so he can win the money and I
can just go watch.
There you go.
Yeah, I mean for every class.
I don't care if you're in Eclass or not in E class next
year with me.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
So so he can win the money and I could just go watch.
You know, there you go.
Yeah, I mean for every class.
I don't care if you're ine-class or it's not an e-class
next year but d-class, c-class,whatever.
Everyone's got a chance andit's.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
That's pretty cool to see yeah, yeah, there's a lot
of good stuff happening, a lotof big things in the, in the
sport that's happening and beenhappening, and I think it's
going in the right direction,man, man, I mean it's you know,
you know the kids, the kid, thekids, you know, I got a, I got a
meeting tomorrow night with uh,the, the school team here, and
the amount of kids that arecoming out this year that hadn't
(27:34):
been coming out is is prettycrazy for our school, you know
it's.
It's like they're seeing that,that it's that it's uh, I guess
the parents have something to dowith that as well.
They're seeing that it's a goodsport to be involved with and
the people that you meet and areinvolved with in this sport is
it's just crazy to see it growlike it is.
(27:54):
I'm kind of excited about itand that's what I've been
focused on more than anything.
Is the kids Just like going tothe US.
I'm going for for Bryce.
I'm not going because I reallywant to go, but I do, but I
don't, you know.
So as long as he's having agood time and he's learning and
experiencing things, that's whatmatters to me.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
So oh yeah, he's going to love it.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
Oh yeah, he can't wait to get on an airplane it,
it don't matter.
You remember when you were youwere a kid, maybe you weren't
like this, but I was and we weregoing on vacation.
I could not wait to get to thehotel.
I couldn't wait.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
The hotel.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
Yeah, oh, yeah, oh, I'm ready.
I want to sleep in a differentplace.
And he's the same way.
It's funny.
Hey, where?
Way, it's funny.
Hey, where are we staying at?
You know what we're flying?
Yeah, okay, how big is theairport?
Is it like a mall?
no, it's like an airport, soanyway he's gonna love it oh
(28:55):
yeah, so tell me about I'vewondered this past couple of
days I thought about it whatyou've got a a huge collection
of shooting glasses now have youfound something else other than
those 18s that you like toshoot with?
Are you still just shootingwith 18s?
Speaker 3 (29:14):
justin, I got.
So I like the the ends, thepurple stuff, right, yeah, and
he got that.
They did the that new 12blueberry, that real purple one.
I've worn that.
I was wearing that in Georgia,georgia State, when it's really
green.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
But I just always gravitate back to that 18 CED
and I know I'm not the only onewhen I see some of the top
shooters shoot and I just glanceover there.
There are so many greatshooters that have just they
have, I mean I.
There's nothing better thanthat lens.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Yeah, so you keep.
You've got every one of them,probably, but you keep going
back a lot.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
Uh, dennis is.
Yeah, dennis has been great.
Phillip and Dennis, I've got alot of them.
I just always gravitate.
I'll wear that lens in darkerscenarios than people might
think.
I just get the most contrast.
It gives me the most.
I have brown eyes.
(30:19):
It's that ED, that amber color.
It's not that different thaneven some of the old, the old
high def specs ED colors.
You know those were, those weremy favorites back in the day as
well.
Um, but that chroma shift brown18 is where it's at for you.
And I'm not the only one, Ipromise you there's some great
(30:41):
shooters that that kind of use,that that lens, religious lens
religiously.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
You got any duck hunts or anything lined up for
the.
Speaker 3 (30:48):
Oh, I got a lot, yeah , plenty.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
You got the goose hunt.
Speaker 3 (30:53):
We'll do kind of similar to last year.
Some Texas early teal.
I got three trips out toWashington and two trips out to
Wyoming.
I like going west.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Yeah, but where did you shoot all those ducks last
year?
Did you go to?
Speaker 3 (31:12):
Is that Washington Wyoming and Washington?
Speaker 2 (31:16):
Yeah, you told me that that was the place to be
for sure.
Alright, zach, thanks forcoming on.
Congratulations in your In yourworld feed task win.
Look forward to seeing you atthe US Open and seeing what you
do in there.
Zach, thanks for coming on.
Congratulations on your WorldFee Task win.
Look forward to seeing you atthe US Open and seeing what
you're doing there.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
Look forward to seeing you Travel safe.
Yeah, man.
Outro Music.
You are now listening to the Shotgun Sports USA
podcast with your host, justinBarker.
We talk to shotgun shootersfrom all disciplines,
world-class instructors, gunclubs, target setters, vendors
and industry-leading companiesthat fuel the sport.
Make sure you subscribe to ourpodcast, leave us a review and
(00:24):
connect with us on social media.
You can also catch our episodeson ShotgunSportsUSAcom.
Shotgun Sports is brought toyou by Winchester Ammunition,
alamo Sporting Arms, clay TargetVision, esp, rick Hemingway's
Promatic Trap Sales, briley andCastellani USA.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
After taking a well-deserved summer break to
focus on family and spendingquality time with the kids,
shotgun Sports USA is back andwe're recharged, refreshed and
ready to dive back into someepisodes as we head into the
final stretch of the season.
Whether you're a longtimelistener or you're new to the
show, we've got some greatepisodes lined up that you won't
(01:24):
want to miss.
In addition to being back,we're excited to announce that
Shotgun Sports USA has joinedforces with some fantastic new
sponsors.
We're proud to welcome AlamoSporting Arms, based out of
Texas, and ESP ElectronicShooter Protection to the
Shotgun Sports USA family.
Both of these companies haveplayed a huge part in shooting
sports for many, many years andwe're thrilled to have their
(01:46):
support as we continue to bringyou the best content in the
world of shotgun sports.
Today we have the newly crowned2024 World FETAS Champion on
(02:06):
with us.
He has consistently provenhimself as one of the top
shooters in the world, and hisrecent win at the World FETAS
Championship is just a notch onhis belt, with many more to come
.
Please welcome to the show,zach Kingbaum.
Zach, what's up?
(02:33):
How's it going, justin?
Good, good, you've been up inAlaska.
Speaker 3 (02:40):
I've been on vacation .
Speaker 2 (02:42):
Oh, is that what you call that?
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Yeah, no guns.
We flew up here with fishingwaders no guns, which is awesome
.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
You have no guns with you at all.
Where are they at?
No guns, buzzy have them.
Speaker 3 (02:57):
No, we left them in Chicago.
So after the World Fee Task, Ihad lessons for a full week at
northbrook in chicago, um, forone week, and then we flew up
here to alaska for two weeks andwe're heading home tonight so,
uh, desi's parents live inalaska, yeah, so what have you
(03:20):
been doing in alaska?
Speaker 2 (03:21):
how's the weather and all that stuff?
Speaker 3 (03:24):
uh, it's starting to rain right now.
Desi's parents live here.
We have other friends here aswell.
We brought Rodney Disbrow withus up this summer so he's been
hanging out with us.
But we spent four days up at EdGore.
A lot of shooters know Ed.
He's a shooter.
He's got a cabin up near denalinational park.
(03:45):
Yeah, so we take his flatbottom jet boat and go play and
try to find fish.
And then after that we spentabout five days at her family's
uh cabin on big lake kind of arecreational lake there outside
of wasilla.
And then the last four dayswe've been down on the Kenai and
(04:05):
in Seward catching a lot offish, a lot of fish.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
What are those fish you were catching?
I couldn't tell.
Speaker 3 (04:13):
In the Kenai.
You're catching we're catchingsockeye salmon.
That's a big salmon run.
We hit it.
The two days we were down therethey had 154,000 come through
the counter and then the nextday 190,000 fish.
So it was red hot.
You're taking those boats upand down the down the river and
just both sides of the bankpeople hooked up just dragging
(04:37):
in fish.
I've never seen it.
This is I think I've beencoming down here for 15 or up
here for 15 years and that isthe absolute hottest I've ever
seen the sockeye run in Kenai.
It was awesome.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Yeah, is that what you were cleaning?
They were cleaning the fish onvideo.
You posted yeah, and it lookedgood.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Oh, it was awesome.
They're chrome, bright chrome.
They're only a couple miles outof the ocean and we're catching
them.
It was awesome.
I had my limit.
I don't even know what time weactually started fishing, but we
met the guide at 545 in themorning at the boat ramp and I
had a limit of sockeye at 645.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
Wow, that's crazy.
So what's the weather?
You said it was raining.
What's the weather been like upthere?
Speaker 3 (05:26):
Oh, low, 60s, 60, 65.
Speaker 2 (05:29):
So not like Savannah.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Not like Savannah, I have not sweated in two weeks.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
That's a lie.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
But we all, you know generally a lot of years, you
know the world feed task isnormally in July and we will,
you know generally a lot ofyears, you know the world feed
task is normally in July and wewill, uh, obviously been hitting
it hard from the spring throughearly summer and this time of
year we we normally try to taketwo or three weeks and not touch
the guns and just relax.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
You know some people probably would disagree with
that going to the U S open.
You know what I mean.
I know you can't disagree withyou.
I know, yeah, you can'tdisagree with you.
But I'm just saying thatthey've probably been hitting it
hard and you're sitting herefishing, you know.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
Yeah, I'm not a big practice guy.
I never really have been.
I've just been doing it forever.
So I I promise you a prelim anda super sport, or whatever.
I shoot first, that's perfect.
Warm up, so I'll be ready, yeah.
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Oh yeah.
So how talk about the year thatI hadn't been out much?
This year I've been, I've beenbusy and, um, uh, you know, I
think the last shoot that I wentto was in Savannah at the
regional, and that's about it.
What's what?
How's your year been going andwhat you you been doing up to
World Fee Task.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
I've shot fairly well this year Early on in the year.
Obviously Brandon's beenwinning a lot.
I think Gavin Miles has had anoutstanding year.
Some of the smaller fee taskevents and stuff that we've gone
to and other events Texas StateGavin's been shooting as well
(07:10):
as anybody for a lot of theseason and then I mean Brandon's
been getting a lot of the hypebecause he's been winning as
well.
Anthony Mattery's had a greatyear.
He's already won a regional andobviously second at the world
fee task.
I've shot steady.
I didn't shoot very well lastyear Not for me, not as well as
(07:35):
I have and, to be honest withyou, I got a CPAP machine.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Ooh, love them.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
Late last year and took me a long time to get used
to it.
But this year, as I've gottenused to that, obviously I
probably just need to lose someweight and that would fix a lot
of it.
But that CPAP has reallybrought my shooting back to
where it was a few years ago, sothat was definitely the right
move.
I should have done it sooner?
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Is it because you're sleeping better?
You think?
Speaker 3 (08:06):
It's 100% sleep.
Yeah, once I got the first timeI put that machine on.
I breathe in.
I'm like, oh my god, I almostthink everyone's probably a
little oxygen deprived.
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Isn't it crazy?
Speaker 3 (08:20):
It's crazy and it started affecting my motor
skills.
It started affecting mycoordination.
I was last year.
I've I've told several peopleif it's if the event, if I was
shooting the event after noon,after 12 o'clock, I would shoot.
Okay, if it was before noon or8 AM would be terrible.
Um, I've shot really bad for melast year.
(08:44):
Um, so once it, you know, I wasalready feeling bad.
I'd probably been feeling badfor a year and a half, two years
, but once it started affectingmy scores, that's when I'd had
enough.
Speaker 2 (08:55):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:55):
But really I should have been doing it before that.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Yeah, it's, it's for someone that needs it.
I'm assuming, like you do andlike I do, I can.
I know that when I went down tothe regional Savannah I left it
here and I called my wife.
I called my wife.
I said you're going toovernight it to me.
I don't care what it costs,send it to me.
And the next day it was there.
It's just.
It don't help my shooting any,but it's still it helps your uh
(09:21):
day to day.
For sure I remember.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
David, David or Dulovich, this is shoot man.
This is five, six years ago.
He had got one.
He may be off it now Cause he'slost.
He's lost some weight.
Yeah, I don't know if he'sstill using it, but I can
remember him telling me five orsix years ago that it was the
best thing he ever did for hisshooting was to get that CPAP.
I'm not I haven't asked himwhether he's using it still or
(09:43):
not but he's definitely skinnierthan he was back then.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:47):
Um, that's a good question I'm going to ask him
this week.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
Yeah, yeah, you gotta get you to travel.
Size man, the small one.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
You can carry it.
I have the air mini there.
Many I put it in my backpack.
It's tiny, I go everywhere withit.
Speaker 2 (10:01):
I told somebody the other day.
I said you could take mine.
If mine comes off my face inthe middle of the night, you
could take it, go blow thedriveway off with it.
I'm telling you.
Right Strong.
So War of Fee Task was.
I mean, you've been working atit.
Second, what?
How many times Twice?
Speaker 3 (10:19):
I've been second twice.
You know, listening to someother stuff that came out after
that, I and I was just thinkingto myself like this is the sixth
time that I've been in the topfive at the world fee test, so
I'm not a newcomer to that stage.
I've done very well, um,especially overseas.
I've done very well at thatshoot, but I just never got over
(10:43):
the over that hump.
Going into the event, I was notexpecting a dang thing.
To be honest.
I just I had a.
Really I shot.
I've been shooting well and Ihad an excellent, excellent
practice.
On Monday we had gone toNorthbrook and shot the North
American fee task and then onMonday morning, before we headed
up to Wisconsin, we shot alleight parkours again and I shot
(11:07):
really, really well and I just Iwas just confident in my
shooting.
Going into it I wasn'texpecting anything and I didn't
put a lot of pressure on myselfand I just went out there and by
Saturday afternoon I kind offind myself in the driver's seat
and it was.
It was pretty cool.
By Saturday afternoon I kind offind myself in the driver's
seat and it was pretty cool.
Just thinking about the peoplethat have won that shoot, I mean
(11:31):
it's pretty surreal.
Right to add my name to thatlist.
It's incredible.
Speaker 1 (11:37):
It's incredible.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
I was thinking about people that I consider some of
the best shooters ever have notwon that shoot.
It's just pretty special kindof a dream come true.
That's the shoot.
I've always looked at twoevents as the most important for
me in my mind and that's theNSCA Nationals and the World Fee
(11:59):
Task, both four-day events,just extremely difficult to win.
Sporting clays is reallylargely shot in the United
States and England, whereas feetask is you say the word
sporting clays anywhere in theworld, they think you're talking
about fee task and that is thegame in my.
(12:19):
In my mind that is the thehardest, uh, most difficult,
just gun handling shotgun gamethere is.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Yeah you know, you go back and look at who was there.
Speaker 3 (12:32):
I mean it was, I mean everyone was there, I mean from
I've always, I've always wantedto win one in Europe, you know,
yeah, but there is no question,this shoot, that Game,
unlimited just held it was themost attended by the foreign
shooters, by the Europeans andpeople from all over the world.
It really felt a lot like someof those events we travel abroad
(12:57):
to, and they couldn't have donea better job.
It was incredible.
Yeah, the targets weren't asgreat.
You didn't have the.
You know, last year we shot.
We shot off some cliffs in a inan old mine in in hungary, so
you had some extreme birds there, but this was tough.
These were, these were awesome.
Jamie Peckham set an incredible200 bird tournament and some of
(13:22):
the spots.
I don't know if you've had achance to see some of the photos
or videos that different peoplehave posted, but some of the
most picturesque pegs, um, youknow, I think back on years past
, other world feed tasks, andthere's always two or three pegs
from the good ones that youwere you'll remember forever,
and there's definitely two orthree from, uh, from wisconsin.
(13:46):
That will everyone willremember forever.
It was an incredible shoot, uh,pete and the guys.
They did an awesome job yeah,yeah, it was.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
uh, it was neat to watch.
It was neat to see everyonethat attended that shoot.
And then it was.
You know, it was cool to watch,it was neat to see everyone
that attended that shoot, andthen it was cool to see that you
finally won one, right?
I mean, I can remember youtelling me a couple years ago
that that's the one you wantedto win.
I think you finished second theyear that I asked you that
question.
Speaker 3 (14:13):
Yeah, the last time you finished second.
I finished second the same yearthat I won nationals for the
first time yeah 2018 and I wassecond, and also that was in
france in 2018.
And then I was.
I was runner up as well in uh2014 in portugal.
Um, I've had differentscenarios.
(14:35):
In portugal, I kind of came Ihad a bad th bad first day,
climbed out of it, did prettywell, had a chance to win.
In 2018 in France, when I wassilver as well, I kind of jumped
.
I shot 50 straight on the firstday and I led the event all the
(14:59):
way to the last second.
On Sunday I got another silver.
So I kind of I've had a coupleof people remind me or send me
screenshots I in 2018, when Iposted about that event, I, I I
don't know what I was thinking,but I promised that I would win
this shoot one day and I hadn'treally thought about that until
several people texted it to meafter.
It was kind of funny.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
So what's the next one you're going to win?
You're on a roll here.
What's?
I mean?
I know you won't win them all,but what's?
What's the next big one thatyou want?
Speaker 3 (15:27):
I U S open.
I'd really like to.
I'd probably like to win a U Sopen as much or more than a uh
world English know why I mean.
There's four, you knowNationals, us Open, world
Sporting, world, fee Task.
I got two of those.
We'll keep plugging away.
We'll try to add a few more.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
So you're headed to or you're leaving Alaska.
Are you going home?
You're not going home.
Speaker 3 (15:54):
first, You're going straight to Chicago, to
Northbrook.
Speaker 2 (15:58):
So you're going to get ready to win this one in our
home away from home.
Yeah, yeah, we'll see all rightI'm always shot fairly well
there let me ask you thisanthony's shooting the new sl2
beretta yep you're stillshooting dt11.
Do you have any?
Do you have any?
What do you think about thatgun?
Do you have any plans to go tothat gun yourself?
Speaker 3 (16:17):
I, you know the gun itself is incredible there, I
mean it is.
It is a awesome gun and they'veeven changed a little more on
that, that steelium pro barrel.
They changed some of thedimensions in there.
Um, I bet that new gun patternsprobably slightly better.
But yeah, there's not anotherproduction barrel in the
(16:38):
industry that patterns betterthan a DT11, maybe the SL2 now,
um, I, the SL2 is incredible,but the damn DT11, I've been
shooting that gun.
This is in July this month.
This is 10 years I've got that.
I got that gun in July of 2014and, to be honest, it's the same
gun.
I've shoot the same stock, thesame gun, since 2014.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
So, same barrels.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
No second set of barrels.
I busted a rib on one.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
That's right.
That's right you did.
I remember that yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
That that that last nationals I won.
Rich coal was literallyrewelding my rib on every
evening to get me through theshoot and the last shell I fired
was winning the nationals.
Uh, we, Stefano from Beretta,fitted a new barrel to it that
after that evening.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
Yeah, I remember that .
Speaker 3 (17:25):
And that's so.
Second set of barrels.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
Yeah, that's still impressive.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
The gun is nowhere near the end of its lifestyle
life, I promise you.
But it's like putting on a oldpair of jeans.
It's like it's part of me now.
I just muscle memory, all ofthe above, just it moves for me.
I know how to move it, itpoints, I know how it shoots.
It's just I think I'd be kindof crazy to change.
(17:52):
What do you think?
Speaker 2 (17:54):
well, I mean, you'd say the same thing about anthony
too.
I mean, yeah, you know what Imean.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
I mean well, no see, anthony's not quite as long in
the dp yeah well, maybe now, Idon't know when, when I don't
know.
Remember when he went to shoota little trap?
Speaker 2 (18:12):
um, well, the way I look, the way I look at it, zach
is, beretta is innovating newthings and you're still shooting
the old thing.
So that's why I asked thatquestion.
I mean, they're cool-lookingguns.
I just didn't know.
If, you know, now that you havewon a world championship they
might give you something.
So I figured that they wouldjust maybe give you an SL2.
Speaker 3 (18:34):
Oh, they already asked me.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
I'm sure.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
I'm getting another DT11.
There you go Someday.
You know I'll get one, just tohave one.
I have the prototype.
They built me the prototype tothe SL2 five or six years ago,
so I had a hand in a small handin the development and you know
(18:59):
I had to send them my reportsand what I would like to see and
stuff like that.
Um, so it's a gun I know a lotabout.
I just it's a great gun, butthat's not to say that the DT11
is a bad gun by any means.
You go to any shoot.
I mean a lot of dt11s pickingup a lot of trophies every
sunday and you know you've gotthe dt11, just the standard dt11
(19:24):
, nothing fancy the original.
Now I got a nice piece of a nicestock on it by greenwood right,
yeah, no, I'm talking about thereceiver but yeah, it's just
the plain nickel, the original,the original first dt11 that
ever came out.
Speaker 2 (19:38):
That's the version I shoot well, that's cool, that's
a good story that you've had itthat long.
I don't know you had it thatlong, yeah, yeah, so, um, so,
going into the us open a coupleweeks off, I'm sure you're
refreshed feeling and, uh,looking forward to it.
I hadn't been, I hadn't been toa shoot in a long time.
I'm gonna be at this one andand I hope to see everybody up
(20:00):
there.
I know it's, you know it'sNorthbrook.
I'll probably get pissed goingup there shooting the targets,
but it's okay, I'm taking my son, so that's all that matters to
me.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
Oh, it'll be awesome that place.
It's my favorite.
We do a lot of coaching there,but I think in the next 10 years
we'll probably do even more.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
Yeah, it's a great place, man.
I mean just the grass.
Always talk about the grasswhen you talk about grass and
Savannah, but the grass when youpull in this place is super,
super nice.
I mean, it's like a golf courseout there.
I heard somebody say the otherday that this, that they could.
You know, if you wanted tocompare it to a golf course,
they would compare it to AugustaNational.
You know this place as far asthe way, the grounds, look,
(20:42):
they're really nice If they'vehad.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
So they've had a lot of rain a lot of rain this year
If it and it's.
I hadn't checked in about 10days, but I think it was
supposed to dry out a little bit.
If it dries out enough for themto get their mowers in there
the If it dries out enough forthem to get their mowers in
there, the place could lookfantastic.
But they are at the mercy ofsome Mother Nature at times.
Yeah, but it looked beautifulwhen I left, so I wouldn't
(21:06):
expect any different.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
Yeah, is it true that Brett's got a collection of
snakes?
Or is he pulling my leg when Italk to him?
Speaker 3 (21:14):
He's a yeah, he's a snake breeder and like not a few
.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
Yeah, I need to go see that.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
You, yeah you'll, you'll get a chance to see it.
You need to see it.
It's pretty crazy.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
Yeah, so my cup of tea, but you won't go with me.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
I'll go over there with you.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Don't ask me to touch one, you're scared of a snake.
Speaker 3 (21:39):
Yes, no question.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
So if we get one out and put it in your bag, it'd be
a problem.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
Do not do that.
He won't do it because they'reworth too much money.
Speaker 2 (21:52):
He makes good money selling those things.
Well, I might come up withsomething That'd be funny.
That'd be funny.
So, um, after the us open, wegot nationals coming up.
You know, I think that'sprobably your next big one,
right, isn't that?
Isn't that?
Speaker 3 (22:04):
it?
No, we've got a bunch of stuffin between what's in between
that you're going to?
so we're.
We're at the.
We're towards the end of asix-week road trip right now.
That included those two feetest shoots, alaska and now the
open.
We'll go home for just undertwo weeks and then we get in the
(22:27):
car.
This will be a road trip.
We will drive to Hopkins forthe Northeast Regional shoot
that, get in the car literallyMonday morning and we're
hightailing it straight out westto Montana.
So we're going to drive fromMaryland to Montana yeah, that's
crazy, good Lord.
(22:47):
And then we'll be in Montanafor about 10 days.
We shoot the shoot there inGallatin, the Western Challenge.
Then we go visit our friendsthe Arrowwoods up there with the
Phineasies up in the SwanValley, and then I'll make my
way down to Casper, wyoming.
We'll hunt the beginning of thedove season, chase some pigeons
(23:09):
and some doves around Wyomingfor three days, and then we'll
head down to Fort Worth toTravis's place for the South
Central Regional Defender, andthen we've got about 10 days.
We've got some plans to go outto West Texas chase some more
pigeons and doves.
We've got three days of earlyteal season booked around near
(23:31):
Houston and then we'll shoot theDiamond Classic at Greater
Houston Gun Club.
So I got plenty of shoots,that's all.
So that's four shoots, threefairly big ones, uh, before
nationals.
Speaker 2 (23:46):
If you had to back up 25 years ago, do you think?
Would you think you would bedoing what you're doing now?
Speaker 3 (23:56):
25 years ago 2000.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
I mean, you're younger than.
Speaker 3 (23:59):
That's what I'm saying kind of to be honest with
you really.
I sort of, I mean, even beforeI was coaching full-time, it was
on my mind um that I had thatopportunity to go do that.
I knew I would enjoy it, um, toshoot and coach full time.
(24:21):
Um, let's see what swing 24, 99, 2000.
Yeah, I mean I was, I wasshooting pretty damn well.
At that time I was already, I'dalready podi, I was already
podiumed the HOA podium atnationals in the U S open by
then, um, and I hadn't won oneyet.
But uh, well, I think I kind ofknew what I wanted to do.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Well, I'm just saying that because it's it's pretty.
It's pretty cool at what you'redoing.
You're riding around doing whatyou do for a living and in the
meat, you know, on the way there, you've always got a place to
stop.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
There is no question how blessed we are.
We're not um, we make goodmoney but we don't.
We're not rich.
But I would tell you is we'rerich in experiences.
We're rich in our ability to gosee things, do things um that
not a lot of people have thetime to do.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Right, for sure.
I mean it's.
It's crazy that the cool thingsthat you and Desi get to do and
the people that you've met Imean pro baseball players and
whoever I mean it's just it'sreally cool to to hear and see
what you, what y'all, do whenyour time off or when you're
going from spot to spot you knowRight, I'll tell you something
(25:39):
that's that's.
I've noticed there's a lot ofbig shoots for the for next year
is rolling up, there's some bigshoots and there's some big
payouts yes that the it's thingsare changing for the better.
Speaker 3 (25:50):
No, there's no question.
The sport is growing.
Anyone that doesn't think soisn't paying attention.
Yeah, um, there are some bigpayout shoots, some, some cool
stuff coming down the pipe.
That that's just exciting.
I mean not not just for me,just the sport in general.
Speaker 2 (26:08):
Yep, I mean, you know I'll give uh, I'll give the
Meadows a little plug here thatthat shooters championship
they're doing with uh.
You know, kevin and Bill, Ithink Bill's with them in that,
isn't he, or is he not Maybe?
Okay, I mean that's great.
What, what, what?
I mean that's great whatthey're doing there and you know
, jack Link's getting as big asthey are and all of those shoots
(26:28):
for next year.
I think that Shooter'sChampionship's next year, isn't
it at the Meadows?
Speaker 3 (26:33):
Yeah, I think next May or something, I mean I think
they've got probably 800registered people already.
They've got a lot.
Yeah, they've got a lot.
If you're the pro shooters,it's kind of the same type of
payout as some of the majorshoots already.
But if you're not a masterclass shooter and you're not
(26:57):
there, you're crazy.
Speaker 2 (26:58):
I'm taking Bryce.
That's why I take him with me,so he can win the money and I
can just go watch.
There you go.
Yeah, I mean for every class.
I don't care if you're in Eclass or not in E class next
year with me.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
So so he can win the money and I could just go watch.
You know, there you go.
Yeah, I mean for every class.
I don't care if you're ine-class or it's not an e-class
next year but d-class, c-class,whatever.
Everyone's got a chance andit's.
Speaker 2 (27:12):
That's pretty cool to see yeah, yeah, there's a lot
of good stuff happening, a lotof big things in the, in the
sport that's happening and beenhappening, and I think it's
going in the right direction,man, man, I mean it's you know,
you know the kids, the kid, thekids, you know, I got a, I got a
meeting tomorrow night with uh,the, the school team here, and
the amount of kids that arecoming out this year that hadn't
(27:34):
been coming out is is prettycrazy for our school, you know
it's.
It's like they're seeing that,that it's that it's uh, I guess
the parents have something to dowith that as well.
They're seeing that it's a goodsport to be involved with and
the people that you meet and areinvolved with in this sport is
it's just crazy to see it growlike it is.
(27:54):
I'm kind of excited about itand that's what I've been
focused on more than anything.
Is the kids Just like going tothe US.
I'm going for for Bryce.
I'm not going because I reallywant to go, but I do, but I
don't, you know.
So as long as he's having agood time and he's learning and
experiencing things, that's whatmatters to me.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
So oh yeah, he's going to love it.
Speaker 2 (28:19):
Oh yeah, he can't wait to get on an airplane it,
it don't matter.
You remember when you were youwere a kid, maybe you weren't
like this, but I was and we weregoing on vacation.
I could not wait to get to thehotel.
I couldn't wait.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
The hotel.
Speaker 2 (28:34):
Yeah, oh, yeah, oh, I'm ready.
I want to sleep in a differentplace.
And he's the same way.
It's funny.
Hey, where?
Way, it's funny.
Hey, where are we staying at?
You know what we're flying?
Yeah, okay, how big is theairport?
Is it like a mall?
no, it's like an airport, soanyway he's gonna love it oh
(28:55):
yeah, so tell me about I'vewondered this past couple of
days I thought about it whatyou've got a a huge collection
of shooting glasses now have youfound something else other than
those 18s that you like toshoot with?
Are you still just shootingwith 18s?
Speaker 3 (29:14):
justin, I got.
So I like the the ends, thepurple stuff, right, yeah, and
he got that.
They did the that new 12blueberry, that real purple one.
I've worn that.
I was wearing that in Georgia,georgia State, when it's really
green.
Speaker 2 (29:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
But I just always gravitate back to that 18 CED
and I know I'm not the only onewhen I see some of the top
shooters shoot and I just glanceover there.
There are so many greatshooters that have just they
have, I mean I.
There's nothing better thanthat lens.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
Yeah, so you keep.
You've got every one of them,probably, but you keep going
back a lot.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
Uh, dennis is.
Yeah, dennis has been great.
Phillip and Dennis, I've got alot of them.
I just always gravitate.
I'll wear that lens in darkerscenarios than people might
think.
I just get the most contrast.
It gives me the most.
I have brown eyes.
(30:19):
It's that ED, that amber color.
It's not that different thaneven some of the old, the old
high def specs ED colors.
You know those were, those weremy favorites back in the day as
well.
Um, but that chroma shift brown18 is where it's at for you.
And I'm not the only one, Ipromise you there's some great
(30:41):
shooters that that kind of use,that that lens, religious lens
religiously.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
You got any duck hunts or anything lined up for
the.
Speaker 3 (30:48):
Oh, I got a lot, yeah , plenty.
Speaker 2 (30:52):
You got the goose hunt.
Speaker 3 (30:53):
We'll do kind of similar to last year.
Some Texas early teal.
I got three trips out toWashington and two trips out to
Wyoming.
I like going west.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Yeah, but where did you shoot all those ducks last
year?
Did you go to?
Speaker 3 (31:12):
Is that Washington Wyoming and Washington?
Speaker 2 (31:16):
Yeah, you told me that that was the place to be
for sure.
Alright, zach, thanks forcoming on.
Congratulations in your In yourworld feed task win.
Look forward to seeing you atthe US Open and seeing what you
do in there.
Zach, thanks for coming on.
Congratulations on your WorldFee Task win.
Look forward to seeing you atthe US Open and seeing what
you're doing there.
Speaker 3 (31:31):
Look forward to seeing you Travel safe.
Yeah, man.
Outro Music.
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Therapy Gecko
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.