Kya Funkhouser from Hobart, Oklahoma joins Rick and Zach. Kya has been shooting since 2018, with five 200s in singles, four 100s in doubles and spots on five-plus Oklahoma state teams.

It started with a water bottle at 12 to 15 feet and a 20 gauge H&R by flashlight. She shot a 14 at her first shoot and thought she'd suck, then drove back for the trophy. A 96 in handicap at the 2018 state shoot moved her back to the 19 and a half. In 2019, her sub junior year, she shot about 25,000 registered targets, still her most in a single year.

From there she made seven straight ATA All-American teams, 2020 through 2026, across five categories. Then her game: a one-eyed shooter whose arm is always up, how her stance changes for high and low targets, where her belly button points on posts 3, 4 and 5, the Zoli factory chokes she shoots for doubles and singles, and Rick's advice on setting the gun up at handicap and learning to shoot it in singles.

The back half is the mental game: taking notes, watching videos and reading the books, what she tells herself right before she shoots, why scooping ice cream at Lanny's between events helps her training, her goals for the 2027 target year, and her advice for new shooters: get a gun that fits you and get some professional help. Plus her favorite shoots: the Grand, and the Kansas State Shoot.

Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:24 Kya's story, first targets and the state shoot
21:58 Her game: stance, chokes and gun setup
47:41 The mental game, goals and advice

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Ron Bliss from El Reno, Oklahoma joins Rick and Zach. Ron has been shooting since 1976, has shot more than 427,000 registered targets, and is the vet world singles and doubles champion. This year he won the Kinsley Doubles Marathon, taking out his traveling buddy Pat Stacy.

Ron keeps the game simple. See it, read it, then move the gun, and if you get that out of order it's a lost target. He talks about the switch Harlan says flips when you cross the 27-yard line, his student Shelby's "break the next target", what to focus on when you're nervous, and how about 380,000 of his 430,000 targets were shot one post away from Pat Stacy.

Then the fundamentals: why he holds a low gun, how Harlan's advice on his eyes turned his handicap around, his hold points, the light full choke he only takes out to clean, and the time he broke a hundred with a modified and hated it. Plus doubles titles, coin flips, and how to shoot your way out of a slump.

The back half is the mental game. "If it is to be, it's up to me," the people who helped him along the way, climbing from 94s and 95s to gaining two or three targets a thousand, and why you look forward instead of back.

Chapters

0:00 Intro

1:53 Ron's story, Pat Stacy, and see it, read it, move the gun

24:19 Low gun, chokes and handling slumps

48:06 Mentors, the mental game and what's next

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Part 2 of the Listener Extravaganza, our listener Q&A special. Jon reads more of the questions you sent in on Facebook and by email, and Rick and Zach answer them.

Brenden Mowen starts it off: is there really a quality difference between a Browning and a premium gun? Zach puts a Rolex next to a Seiko and says the biggest difference is the trigger, the same pull weight every time. Rick will hit 500,000 registered targets this year, about 300,000 of them with a K80. For him the difference is longevity, and the right gun comes down to your budget and how many targets you want to shoot. Marlin Stutzman asks why Rick shoots Fiocchi Shooting Dynamics 1165 8s instead of White Rhino. Rick likes it for singles and the first shot of doubles, and calls it the best singles shell out there.

Then seeing the target and moving the gun. George Lee asks if gun speed changes between singles and handicap. Rick says his doesn't: he matches the speed of the target. Dennis Quimper asks about swing through lead, and that turns into a talk about chronic gun stoppers. Rick's advice: stop overthinking it, because smooth is fast.

Clayton Gross loses the bird in the glare under the lights at the 27. Rick looks at the front edge and top edge of the target, Zach explains why the bead looks like a golf ball at night, and they compare the lenses they wear. Zac Brody asks what causes a flinch and what helps besides lighter loads or a release trigger. Curt Corey wants the best way to learn a double release trigger. Ron Seeley Jr. asks how many practice targets they shoot a year, and Zach passes on what Dave Kelly told him a practice trap is for.

Got a question for the guys? Send it to askus@traptalkpodcast.com. Missed Part 1? It's Special Episode 10.

Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:42 Premium guns and Rick's Fiocchi shells
23:17 Gun speed, lead and swing through
41:00 Night shooting, flinching, release triggers and practice

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#TrapTalk #Trapshooting #TrapshootingTips #ATA #ListenerQuestions #RichardMarshallJr #ZachNannini

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This one's a listener Q&A special. You sent your questions in on Facebook, and Jon reads them to Rick and Zach in Part 1 of the Listener Extravaganza.

Rick catches up on a couple of weeks on the road. In West Texas he took a scimitar oryx at about 200 yards with one shot, and Joe Charnigo broke four clay targets in a row with a 9 mm pistol. At Sporting Clays Nationals, his 12th, Rick started with a 46 out of 75 on the orange and finished with a 70 on the red. Then the first two questions: how many ways can you pronounce David Heeringa's name, and pineapple on pizza, yes or no? Rick says no. Zach says it's flatbread.

Erik Cobb kicks off the gun fit questions: where do you start on a new gun with an adjustable rib and comb? Rick gives his two ways to find point of impact, a patterning board with the gun locked in or straightaways from post 3, and says to tighten the choke up so you can see where the gun's shooting. Bryan Smith asks about stacked beads, and Zach explains stacked versus figure eight. DJ Button asks what you adjust when you set a gun up for handicap and then learn singles with it. Rick dials it in at the 27 first and likes a 70 to 80 percent point of impact.

Josh Vonsprecken asks about cheek slap. Rick says check the pitch first, with washers in the pad, and tells how he shot through cuts for 20 plus years until Jimmy at Wenig built him a stock that fit. Zach walks through the wall test for pitch. John Link is 6 foot 8 and asks if a custom stock would help. Rick says he definitely needs one. Terry Delanty asks where a gun's balance point should sit relative to the hinge pin.

They wrap up with Trap Talk's Wednesday Night Lights shoot at the 78th Nevada State Shoot: $20 to enter, a free custom towel, buckles for four yardage groups and three categories, and a shootoff for 10 ounces of silver from Ron Prescott of Mid State Precious Metals.

Got a question for the guys? Send it to askus@traptalkpodcast.com. Part 2 is out next Friday.

Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:44 Rick's hunt, Sporting Clays Nationals and gun setup
24:16 Stacked beads and setting up for handicap
39:54 Cheek slap, pitch and gun fit
58:52 Custom stocks, balance and Wednesday Night Lights

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#TrapTalk #Trapshooting #TrapshootingTips #GunFit #ATA #RichardMarshallJr #ZachNannini

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Trapshooting tips for the new target year. Rick and Zach reset for next season: practice with a purpose, planning your shoots, getting your gun set up right and setting goals that stack.

No guest this week, just hosts Richard Marshall Jr. and Zach Nannini on getting more out of next season than you got out of the last one.

They start with the reset. Rick on not dwelling on a bad season, and Zach on how putting the shotgun down for three or four months can fix problems like moving on the call. From there it's practice with a purpose: set the trap on one angle until you feel good, then go back to oscillation so you don't pick up anticipation. And footwork in doubles, where Zach says the feet matter as much as almost anything.

Then the planning talk. Book your shoots, flights and hotels early, and squad with people who are committed to going. Rick's shameless plug: all the shoots are on the SOS Clays app. Plus getting your gun set up right, making small tweaks instead of big ones, and Rick's three kinds of goals: short term, long term for the year, and the bucket list.

The back half is goals that stack. Five straight, then 10, 15, 20 and 25, then four 25s together. Keep a journal, write your goals down, and when a shoot doesn't go your way, reflect on it instead of getting mad. You get out of it what you put in.

Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:28 The reset, practice, footwork and trip planning
24:35 Off-season prep, gun setup and goals
43:49 Journals, effort and what's next

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From stepping away from competitive trapshooting to becoming a Southwestern Grand Handicap Champion and earning his first ATA Open All-American Team selection, Samuel "Sam" Leiendecker has a story built on determination, perseverance, and a genuine love for the sport.

In Episode 194 of Trap Talk, hosts Richard Marshall Jr. and Zach Nannini sit down with Sam to talk about his journey from growing up in Arizona to shooting collegiate national championships at Lindenwood University, serving as a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer, and returning to competitive trapshooting stronger than ever.

Sam recently captured the Southwestern Grand Handicap Championship, breaking a 98 and winning a pressure-packed shootoff against Jason Crowsey. With multiple 200 straights in singles, impressive handicap performances, and his first All-American Team selection, Sam is proving that hard work and persistence pay off.

But there's much more to his story than trophies.

Sam shares how joining the U.S. Customs and Border Protection National Marksmanship Unit helped reignite his competitive shooting career. He also talks about representing the United States at the World Police and Fire Games, where he won High Overall gold in 2023 and returned to earn silver in 2025.

The conversation takes a few fun turns, including Sam's unforgettable trip to the Hawaii State Shoot, where he swept the nonresident trophies and broke a 200 straight!

In this episode:

• Winning the Southwestern Grand Handicap Championship
• Making the ATA Open All-American Team for the first time
• From Lindenwood collegiate shooter to national-level competitor
• Balancing a career in law enforcement with competitive trapshooting
• Representing the USA at the World Police and Fire Games
• Shooting the Hawaii State Shoot and sweeping the nonresident trophies
• The mental game: focusing on the process instead of the outcome
• Handicap shooting techniques, hold points, foot positioning, and gun setup
• Why having fun and surrounding yourself with good people can improve your scores
• The friendships and community that make trapshooting special

Sam also shares some valuable technical advice for handicap shooters, including how he sets up his Perazzi, adjusts his comb, establishes his natural point of aim, and positions himself for hard-angle targets.

Whether you're chasing your first 25 straight, working toward an All-American Team selection, or just love spending time on the trapline, this episode is packed with great stories, shooting advice, and a reminder of why we all love this sport.

Don't give up. Keep shooting. And remember to enjoy the journey.

Subscribe to Trap Talk for more conversations with the personalities, champions, and people who make trapshooting great.

#TrapTalk #TrapShooting #SamuelLeiendecker #ATA #AllAmerican #SouthwesternGrand #RichardMarshallJr #ZachNannini #CompetitiveShooting #Perazzi #ClayTargetShooting

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The 2026 season is done but Zach Nannini and Richard Marshall Jr. still have plenty to talk about.

In Episode 193 of Trap Talk, Zach and Ricky recap the 2026 Cardinal Classic at the Cardinal Shooting Center and break down what made this year's shoot stand out. With more than $73,000 in trophies, prizes and giveaways, gold and silver on the line, flats of shells, unique trophies, youth prizes and a DT11 giveaway, the Cardinal Classic made a serious investment in giving shooters more value.

Ricky walks through the major championship results, including a huge week from Joey Charnigo, Austin Jacob's Handicap Championship win, Richard's runner-up finish in the Overall, and standout performances across the classes and categories.

The guys also get into a bigger conversation about the future of major trapshooting events. With shooters having more choices than ever about where to spend their time and money, what makes a shoot worth traveling to? Gold and silver, added prizes, free meals, special events and a great overall experience are becoming a bigger part of that equation.

They also discuss whether the ATA target year should end immediately after the Grand American and what that could mean for major shoots like the Cardinal Classic and Heartland Grand.

Plus, Ricky and Zach look ahead to the Nevada State Shoot, the Autumn Grand, the upcoming 2027 season and maybe even finding a little time to put the trap guns away and chase some birds.

Whether you were at the Cardinal Classic or missed it this year, this episode gives you an inside look at one of the biggest shoots following the Grand American and a bigger discussion about where competitive trapshooting is headed.

**Trap Talk From the Back Fence**
Hosted by Richard Marshall Jr. and Zach Nannini.

Subscribe to Trap Talk for interviews, shoot recaps, shooting tips, industry news and conversations from across the trapshooting world.

#TrapTalk #TrapShooting #CardinalClassic #ATA #ClayShooting #ShotgunSports #Trapshooting

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On Episode 192 of Trap Talk, Richard Marshall Jr. and Zach Nannini sit down with Randy Moeller, the new Executive Director of the Amateur Trapshooting Association, for a wide-ranging conversation about his career in the shooting sports and his vision for the future of trapshooting.

Randy’s journey started on the trap field, but it certainly didn’t stop there. Over the years, his career has included stops with USA Shooting, the NRA, Remington, the MidwayUSA Foundation, and other major parts of the shooting sports industry before ultimately bringing him to the ATA.

Randy shares stories from that journey, the people and experiences that shaped his career, and what he learned along the way about growing shooting sports, building strong organizations, supporting youth programs, and serving shooters.

Richard and Zach also dig into Randy’s goals for the ATA, including strategies for attracting new shooters, improving communication with members, strengthening the relationship between the ATA and its shooters, and preserving the history and traditions that have made trapshooting a lifetime sport.

The conversation also looks at the importance of beginner and youth programs, the role gun clubs play in growing participation, organizational leadership and succession planning, and the need to better tell the story of trapshooting to current and future generations.

Randy puts it simply during the conversation: “Treat the shooters like customers.”

This episode is a chance to get to know Randy Moeller, understand the road that brought him to the ATA, and hear directly from the man now helping guide the organization into its next chapter.

KEY TOPICS

• Randy Moeller’s background and journey through the shooting sports
• His career with USA Shooting, the NRA, Remington, and the MidwayUSA Foundation
• His goals and vision for the ATA
• Strategies for growing trapshooting participation
• The importance of youth and beginner shooting programs
• Improving ATA member engagement and communication
• Supporting gun clubs and the shooting community
• Preserving trapshooting history and its legacy
• Organizational leadership and succession planning
• Building on small wins and improving the shooter experience

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to the episode and guest
02:33 Randy Moeller’s start in shooting sports
09:33 Transition from shooter to industry professional
21:37 Goals and vision for the ATA
34:39 Building a strong organizational foundation
50:23 Small wins and improvements at the ATA
01:00:07 Engaging members and telling the sport’s story
01:08:18 Closing thoughts and future outlook

Trap Talk Podcast — Episode 192
Guest: Randy Moeller, Executive Director of the ATA

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