Milam County youth shoot it out at Nationals

By MINDY POEHL | Central Texas Edition

Dillon Dean, a 15-year-old 4-H'er from Rockdale, participates in the muzzleloading silhouette event at the 2004 Shooting Sports National Match in Columbia, Missouri. Dillon's muzzleloading team came in fourth place overall. Dillon, his older brother Dex, and fellow Milam County resident, Justin Bruedigan all participated at the national shooting event. -Staff photo by Mindel Poehl

August 5, 2004 - Three 4-H boys from Milam County attended the 2004 Shooting Sports National Match. The three boys, Justin Bruedigan, Dillon Dean and Dex Dean represented the state of Texas as well as Milam County.

The Shooting Sports National Match was held in Columbus, Mo., from June 29-July 2. The state of Texas won the Sweepstakes Traveling Trophy for scoring the most points among all of the states. This is the fifth year in a row that Texas has brought home the trophy, and Bruedigan and the Deans were significant in helping Texas win the trophy.

Sixteen-year-old Bruedigan, from Cameron, competed in the Texas Hunting Skills Team, which placed third in the nation. He also did very well in the individual division, placing seventh in the nation. Five other teams, including twenty people, competed in the Texas Hunting Skills Team.

Bruedigan has been involved in 4-H shooting sports for six years.

"One of my dad's friend's from work was into shooting sports, so I decided to come one day and see how it was. I liked it," Bruedigan said.

Justin Bruedigan, from left, Dex Dean and Dillon Dean pose in front of the sweepstakes trophy that Texas brought home by scoring the most points among all of the states at the 2004 Shooting Sports Naitional Match. -Staff photo by Mindel Poehl

The Hunting Skills Team competed in archery, light rifle (.22), muzzle loading and shotgun events. The team also had to take tests on hunter decision making, hunter skills and wildlife management and identification.

"Originally I thought all I had to do was go up there, take a test and do some orienteering, but it turns out that we also shot four different events," Bruedigan explained. "We compete in 3-D archery, sporting clays, which is the shotgun, hunters courses and muzzle loading, which is when you put the powder down the barrel by hand."

Fifteen-year-old Dillon Dean, from Rockdale, competed in the Muzzle Loading Team at Nationals. Dillon has been involved in 4-H shooting sports for eight years. His team placed third overall, including placing first on the first day of shooting.

"We had four members on my team and I was the only boy," Dillon said.

The Muzzle Loading Team shot silhouettes, critters and bottles and a 50-yard bull's-eye.

"A silhouette is shaped like a real animal, but it's made out of iron. For the critters, squirrels pop out of holes and the bottles - I've never seen anything like it before," explained Dillon.

Each part of the bottle is worth different points, Dex Dean said. "The neck of the bottle might be worth 10 points, but the body might be worth five," he said. "It's a very hard target to hit. It involves a lot of strategy."

Dex, Dillon's older brother, is 19-years-old, has been involved in 4-H shooting events for 11 years and he was the National Shooting Sports Ambassador at Nationals. The ambassador is an appointed position in which Dex travels to national events to promote the 4-H program, shooting sports, and to try to receive sponsorships for 4-H shooting sports.

"Most importantly, we talk to different people out there in the industry and in the working world and promote youth as the future of the shooting sports program," Dex said. "4-H provides as many outlets as possible to attract people to the 4-H program. It has helped me with my public speaking skills and dealing with people in other settings. We really push the safe handling of firearms, which is one of our main objectives."

Dex will attend Texas A&M University in the fall and he will try to be a part of the archery team. "There's also an event that I was introduced to by 4-H, called the Sportsman Team Challenge and it's put on by the sports channel. I was able to participate in that last year and a few of us are trying to put together a team for this year," Dex said. "It's a multi-discipline contest, where we compete in shotgun, rifle and pistol. It's becoming one of the fastest growing events in shooting sports."

To enter the national championships, all an applicant has to do is fill out an application.

"We don't only accept people because they are great shooters. Only 1/3 of it is based on your ability to shoot a high score," Dex explained. "We want high quality youth involved with other community events."

The boys also competed in the Texas State Games in San Antonio on the week of July 10, where over 800 people participated in the events. Bruedigan competed in the Hunter Skills Team, air rifle, and light rifle, where he place "fifth or seventh in all my events."

Dillon competed in muzzle loading, where he placed fourth in silhouettes, but, "I didn't do very well in the high-power rifle event because I had to borrow a rifle because some of the rules just changed."

Dex added, "Shooting sports have very friendly competitors. They are responsible and they deal with pressure very well and handle disappointments well. I'd like to see it in more sports."

Bruedigan was recently elected as a State Ambassador for Texas, where he will serve for a year-long term and attend many promotional events.

"4-H is a gateway program. It gives kids the opportunity to travel, and meet high quality people," Dex said. "It is the safest sport, statistically and it's a lifetime sport for anyone. Men, women and physically-handicapped people are all capable of competing in shooting events."