TEAM COPPERHEAD RIDGE

  As far back as I can remember, shooting competitively was something that caught my attention. My competitive nature was constantly challenged by my older brother, even when we were simply shooting water balloons hanging from a swing set. By the age of nine I had moved onto the paintball craze of the time. By the time I was in high school and college, I was spending my weekends on top of hills shooting trap. Once I was old enough to purchase my first handgun, I found what I was looking for. I had previously shot a few steel matches, but I was soon hooked to competition thanks to a televised match.  Soon thereafter, I was searching how to get into the local area matches. My first one was at a USPSA action pistol match. That is where it happened…. I got hooked into competing against myself to get better. Let me tell you, once you get that bug, you are hooked for life. USPSA was my transition into multi gun and 3-gun competitions. I believe shooting sports are the greatest sport. They will introduce you to the greatest people you will ever meet.  Like many things in life, it is all about the right timing and personal dedication. I was recently blessed with the sponsorship of my friend’s local gun store. Thank you, Scott Hart and Copperhead Ridge Firearms. You have given me an opportunity to represent your store and have my dreams come to fruition. 

  -Brandon Kollar 

Team Copperhead Ridge 

BRANDONKOLLAR@GMAIL.COM  

I started shooting when I was about 6 years old, and I’ve enjoyed it ever since. I’ve participated in multiple events to improve my shooting skills prior to starting 3-gun; this included things like Revere’s Riders, Project Appleseed and private training. While I’ve always enjoyed shooting in general, I just felt like there was a part of it I was missing out on. I’ve always been a competitive person in everything I do and decided to try out some USPSA matches held at a local indoor range during the winter. I did about 4 of these throughout the winters of 2016 and 2017. I had never heard of 3-gun until we came across a video of someone shooting it online. Making the decision that I wanted to try it out, we made the investment in a semi-automatic shotgun- the one component I was lacking. I then competed in my first match on April 14th, 2018. From there, my addiction began. 

I still enjoy other sports, like volleyball and softball. I currently play for a 16U girls’ travel team, and plan to tryout for my high school softball team. I have also been doing strength training for the past 4 years.   To lessen the burden of shooting expenses on my parents I started a baking business called Confectionery Wonders. I promote my business through a website I’ve created and social media. Although all these activities make for a rigorous schedule, I continue to maintain a 4.0 GPA and am a member of the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS). 

The shooting community of 3-gun is full of some of the nicest people I’ve ever met throughout sports and shooting. Everyone is so helpful and personable. My first major experience of this was Mike Dell, who is now my shooting coach. He has helped make my 3-gun experience so far at a level I could never have imagined. I’ve met Jerry and Lena Miculek, Sydney Rockwell, Beth Walker, Tom Lackely, Wyatt Power, and Megan Renee just to name a few.  A bit after that, I gained my first sponsor; Copperhead Ridge Firearms. They have been extremely helpful throughout my journey so far in 3-gun, and I look forward to continuing that well into the future.