Tips and Tricks – Muzzleloading

Robert Brantley

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My name is Robert Brantley and I have been obsessed with precision rifle since 2007. In that time I have used it for both hunting and competition. I have shot benchrest, F-Class, PRS, ELR, NRL hunter, and field matches. In the last several years I have really focussed on the PRS, ELR, and NRL Hunter. I really enjoy the community as well as the sport.

In my time I have worked on improving myself to take it as high as I can. I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon and this year is scheduled to be as busy as any while shooting 4 different series.

Some of my past accomplishments are:

2018 PRS Finale 7th

2018 King of 2 Mile 1st

2019 Accuracy Int Long Range Classic 5th

2019 Kestrel Fall Classic 7th

2019 Alabama Precision Long Range Challenge 5th

2019  PRS Top 10 in the series.

2019 PRS Finale 5th place

2019 King of 2 Mile 2nd

2020 Vapor Trail Bullet Siege 4th

2020 Federal Gold Medal Match 4th

2020 Bushnell/GAP Grind 5th

2020 Kestrel Fall Classic 7th

2020 PRS Finale 13th

2021 Accuracy Int Long Range Classic 9th

2021 Alabama Precision Long Range Classic 3rd

2021 Punisher Positional 5th

2021 Bushnell/GAP Grind 7th

2021 MPA Fall Shootout 10th

There have been some top 10 ELR finishes as well but I don’t remember the specifics.

All but 2-3 of those are with handloaded ammo. 100% of all my handloads are done with Hodgdon brands. Varget and H-4350 are the go to but since I’ve been running some IMR Enduron powders that seem to work very good as well. I shot a lot of Sta-Ball 6.5 and it worked well beyond expectations. This year my NRL Hunter has been with H-1000 and it’s incredible!

All of our ELR rifles run off H-50BMG.

George Gardner

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A precision rifle enthusiast and owner of GA Precision, George likely needs little introduction. He was trained as an armorer in the US Army, where he spent six years as a Military Police Investigator. After serving his country, George spent 20 years serving his community as a police officer. He retired from the North Kansas City Police Department after tours through Patrol Division and the K-9 – Narcotics Unit, with additional duties as the Department Armorer, SRT Unit Sniper, and Range Officer/Instructor. He still serves the NKCPD as a Range Officer volunteer today.

In 1999, George opened GA Precision after apprenticing with three gunsmiths. Since opening GA Precision, George has been building some of the finest precision bolt guns and custom rifles. An avid shooter and outdoorsman, George takes pride in the quality custom rifles that G.A. Precision is making and looks forward to the future of creating the best professional custom rifles on the market.

Jaclyn Bryan

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Hailing from the Kansas City-area, Jaclyn is a rifle shooter specializing in precision rifle shooting. After taking up competitive shooting in 2016, she, won the Precision Rifle Series Production division in 2017 with her Savage Stealth. She has since entered the Open division and has competed all over the country at numerous national level events, including the PRS Finale in 2018.

Jaclyn has also taken up Extreme Long Range matches, including King of Two Miles in New Mexico, where she placed 14th out of 80 invited competitors. In her free time, she shoots in NRL22 club matches around the Kansas City area, where she lives with her husband Shane and where she works as a pharmacist.

Zach Hinze

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Zach, a resident of McCook, Nebraska, started shooting trap and hunting when he was 10. Soon, Zach was shooting skeet and fell in love with the sport. A couple months later, Zach shot USAYESS competition in Grand Island. Quickly he was attending weekly, monthly, and annual shoots, which included Nebraska state, USAYESS, and many more. Zach started attending national shoots in 2018, including Junior Worlds, Junior Olympics Nationals, and USAYESS Nationals.

Through shooting, Zach has met many people in the shooting community. Former lead pilot of the Blue Angel’s John Foley has reached been in contact along with Remington Mcbee and several others.

In addition to shooting, Zach plays plays baseball, basketball, football, and track & field.  He volunteers as an alter sever at Mass on Sunday at church and is a member in the Civilian Airpatrol Program.  He play trumpet in the Junior High Band and I am an honor roll student at St. Pat’s.

Zach has several friends that are getting into reloading shotshells because of Zach’s reloads. They are impressed by the light recoil and how cheap it is compared to buying new AA shells for practice or matches.  All of them are asking their parents for shotshell presses now.

Todd Jarrett

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Todd is a competitive shooter and firearms instructor. A longtime resident of Virginia, Todd competes in over 16 different shooting disciplines (to include USPSA, 3-Gun, Steel Challenge, IDPA, Olympic Rapid Fire, Shotgun Shooting Sports). Todd is also a sought-after firearms instructor for military, law enforcement, and competitive shooters around the world. His proven expertise in firearm manipulation and shooting techniques has enhanced the skills of countless individuals and agencies. For over 25 years, he has worked in the firearms industry in product development, working and consulting with small arms manufacturing and related products. He is also a noted TV personality, regularly appearing on TV programs Shooting USA.

He is a four-time World Champion, 13-time National Champion, the only Triple Crown winner in Action Shooting Sports and has 600+ (and counting) local and regional shooting competitions. He has over 35 years’ experience in shooting, with approximately 50 tons of projectiles downrange with the assistance of Hodgdon Powder.

Regina Milkovich

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Regina Milkovich has been the leading female in precision rifle shooting since she first picked up a rifle in 2009. She remains the only female to take home overall wins in national level precision rifle competitions when she won the 2016 NorCal Tactical Bolt Rifle Challenge and 2018 K&M Kahles Precision Rifle Competition.

A consistent shooter, Regina has finished in the Top 20 routinely and in the Top 10 quite frequently in both the National Rifle League and Precision Rifle Series. She helps organize and coordinate Arizona’s own national level event, the Tactical Precision Rifle Challenge. She’s also the co-director of her local club, the AZ LRPRS, assisting in facilitating monthly matches throughout the year. She recently took on the role of Southwest Regional Director for the Precision Rifle Series. In her off time, Regina writes for many publications in both print and digital mediums, trains other shooters, and mentors several up-and-coming female competitors in the precision rifle discipline.

Dianna Muller

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Dianna Muller earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice/Psychology from University of Central Missouri and retired from the Tulsa Police Department after 22 years of service. Her assignments included Patrol, Street Crimes, Narcotics, and Gangs.

Although her family hobby was horse shows and barrel racing, her father introduced her to USPSA in high school. After starting a life and career in Tulsa, she pursued barrel racing until she found 3-Gun in 2009. By 2011, she sold her farm and all of her horses to focus on 3-Gun and the 2nd Amendment. “I was intrigued with 3-Gun since, as a police officer, I relied on all three platforms at work. The game hooked me, but I fell in love with the people!” Since returning to competition on 2009, Dianna has earned a plethora of High Lady wins, including the 2013 and 2016 USPSA Ladies Open National Championship. She has also competed for the USA in two Pan-American Shotgun matches and the 2015 IPSC World Shotgun Ladies team that brought home gold! Dianna’s also won the 2015 NRA World Shooting Championship Ladies title.

Dianna has been highlighted by the NRA in “American Warrior”, the Washington Post and NRA Women. She has been named as a co-host on “Shooting Gallery” on the Outdoor Channel. She has competed on the TV series, “3 Gun Nation” as well as an upcoming show called “The Big Gun” on Sportsman Channel, airing in Q1 2016. She has a passion to introduce the shooting sports and showcase gun owners and the 2nd Amendment in a positive light. In 2016, she plans to lead a delegate of women to Capitol Hill in an effort to give legislators a face to put with gun owners.

Dianna currently competes in the role of Captain for Team Benelli. Ryan and Dianna continue to not only compete, but train and film all over the country.

Brian Neace

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Brian Neace grew up in Southern Idaho in the Snake River Plain, surrounded by miles and miles of high desert to the north and bordered on the south by public wilderness.  Growing up, Brian spent very little time indoors, with his passions being split between baseball and spending time in either the river, the desert, or the mountains.

Baseball won over for a time when it took him to Gonzaga University on scholarship as a pitcher for the Bulldogs.  Brian spent three years in Spokane as a Zag until his baseball career was cut short by a tragic plane accident that took the lives of his parents and younger sister. Brian moved back to Idaho, where he completed his bachelor¹s degree in Business Finance at Albertson¹s College of Idaho.  Later, he started a granite countertop business allows him the time to pursue his passion for long-range shooting and high-country public land mule deer and elk hunting.

The terrain in Southern Idaho often requires a hunter to be able to take shots at 400 yards and well beyond.  The desire to know, when, how, and if he should take these shots along with an unquenched thirst for competition, lead Brian to shoot precision rifle events. In Brian¹s first full season, he achieved several top ten finishes, two regional match wins, and a 20^th place overall finish in the National Rifle League.

Brian now competes in both the PRS and NRL Pro series. Just In the 2019 season, he will compete in twelve two-day national matches and 15 regional matches across the country, totaling 4,170 precision hand-loaded match rounds burning roughly 131,355 grains (18.75 pounds) of Varget in matches alone.  Doubling that will come close to including practice rounds spent at his one-of-a-kind shooting range he built on the edge of the Snake River Canyon.  Snake River PRS club has become his pride and joy with a dedication to growing the sport by recruiting and supporting new and youth shooters.

Ryan Muller

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Growing up on a secluded farm in rural southeast Kansas, Ryan spent the greater part of his childhood in the woods, plinking and hunting. Working and enjoying the outdoors were just a normal part of day to day life. No part of the landscape, from pop cans to squirrels, was immune to a 10 round burst from a Ruger.

Ryan earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Chemistry and Plastics Engineering as well as a Master’s of Science in Engineering Technologies. After graduating college, Ryan moved to Tulsa, OK to take a position as a plastics engineer and in 2011 began shooting 3-Gun competitively. Ryan still has a passion for hunting, but 3-gun gives Ryan and wife Dianna the opportunity to travel together and compete with and against amazing people.

As of 2014, Ryan and Dianna have become full time hunters and competitors, focusing most predominately on 3-Gun. In 2015, Ryan and Dianna traveled to over 36 events across the world, including Italy and New Zealand. You can find Ryan on ‘Shooting Gallery’ on The Outdoor Channel, and ‘Realtree.com’. Ryan has volunteered for HAVA and Freedom Hunters events getting wounded vets into competition and/or hunting.

The Schearers

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From their home in Montana, Shoot Straight with Chad & Marsha follows Chad, Marsha and their two boys-Walker and Wyatt-across the world in hunting adventures. Each week the Schearer family will hunt with a variety of weapons from archery, muzzleloader and shotgun to centerfire rifles and will not only focus on the hunt, but will be filled with educational tips to make the viewers better sportsmen and sportswomen.

ABOUT CHAD:   Chad is a world champion elk caller and two-time Eastern US Elk Calling Champion. A licensed Montana Professional Outfitter and Guide freelance writer, his articles and photographs have been featured in magazines including Outdoor Life, American Hunter, American Rifleman, Field and Stream. Chad is also the Director of Advertising & Media Relations for CVA Muzzleloaders, PowerBelt Bullets, Bergara USA, DuraSight Rings and Bases, Quake Industries and Konus Optics. Sponsored by many of the hunting industries leading manufacturers, he has conducted over a thousand hunting and fishing seminars across the United States and has hunted and fished extensively around the world. He is also the past Editor of Blackpowder Guns and Hunting Magazine.

ABOUT MARSHA:   Marsha is the co-host of Shoot Straight with Chad & Marsha and is a Licensed Montana Professional Guide. In addition, she is also an outdoor writer and photographer, as well as a national seminar speaker.

ABOUT WALKER:   Walker is 15 years old and has hunted from Africa to Hawaii, and several places in between, including the Yukon in Canada. He took his first turkey and mule deer at age 6 and his first bull elk at age 9. Walker loves waterfowl hunting with his black lab Pow.

ABOUT WYATT:   Wyatt is 14 years old and has also hunted Africa, Hawaii and other states as well. He harvested his first turkey and whitetail deer at age 5 and completed his turkey grand slam by age 11. Wyatt has won numerous elk calling competitions at the ISE Best of the West Elk Calling Competition. He also placed second in the World Elk Calling competition. When Wyatt’s not hunting or fishing he loves competing in rodeos and roping off of his horse, General.

Phillip Velayo

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Phillip Velayo currently serves as Gunwerks’ Long Range University Lead Instructor. Phillip is a 10-year Marine Corps veteran having served his whole career in the Scout Sniper community. During his time, Phillip completed 4 overseas deployments and served in all billets available to a Scout Sniper, to include Scout Sniper Team Leader, Chief Scout Sniper, and Scout Sniper Instructor. His last three years of service were spent at the 1st Marine Division Scout Sniper School as the Primary Marksmanship Instructor. Phillip has attended all follow-on formal Scout Sniper courses, having graduated with honors and recognized as ‘High Shooter’ from all. In 2016, Phillip was nominated for Scout Sniper Instructor of the Year for his meticulous instruction that resulted in institutional changes in the training of Marine Scout Snipers in both formal schools and unit level training.

Phillip is also well known as a nationally ranked precision rifle competitor in the Precision Rifle Series and National Rifle League circuits.

Jake Vibbert

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Residing in Cheney Washington, Jake Vibbert owns JC Steel targets Inc. and is a strong competitor in the Precision Rifle Series and the National Rifle League. In just five years, he has earned an impressive shooting resume with consistent top finishes at national level events. In fact, Jake has compiled more wins than any other Shooter in the United States at national level Precision Rifle Series and National Rifle League events during that span. Currently Jake has over 65 top three podium finishes in the last four years, another record!

Jake travels the country shooting, directing precision rifle matches, and teaching precision rifle classes. He has also put together the first online Precision Rifle Training series of its kind, gaining viewers from all over the world on the JC Steel Targets website.

A devoted husband and father, Jake has formal degrees in sports medicine and youth ministry. An avid outdoorsman, he enjoys hunting and fishing with his family and mentoring youth through his ministry service.

Make an introduction to Jake and you’ll instantly receive a big grin and firm handshake. One is hard pressed to find a nicer person.