The Dead Pair Podcast

260, The Shooters Champion Brody Souza !

• Season 6 • Episode 260

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    Northern California native, Brody Souza has stacking the wins amongst the best of his peers lately. One of which was The Shooters Championship at the Meadows Clays Sports. This was no small feat given the company he was in at that shoot!  Brody is about to start college in the fall, but is still determined to compete as often as time will allow.  Listen in an Chad Roberts co-hosts this weeks show and we find out all the details on Brody, who he is as a shooter, who he is as a person, and what it took for him to win at some pretty big venues!

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SPEAKER_01

Welcome back, everyone, and welcome back, Mr. West Coast Assassin himself, Mr. Chad Roberts. What's up, buddy?

SPEAKER_06

Hey, bud. How are you? It's been a long time.

SPEAKER_01

It has. It's been a minute. It's been a hot minute. So, Chad, you just wrapped up California State, man. How'd that go for you?

SPEAKER_06

Um, it was all right. You know, it was it was looking forward to going up to Quell Point just because it's such a cool facility. Um, it's definitely big rolling hills, no uh, no cover of trees. They hide everything, you know, with the terrain.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06

Uh lots of up and down, lots of elevation change. You know, for me, it was you know, we just weren't ready for the heat. It was like 85 is the hottest I've seen it over the last few weeks. And uh, as soon as I got my trailer and started driving up there on Thursday, it was over 100. And at one point it was hitting like 109 on my watch when I was shooting five stand and Friday afternoon. And uh, you know, no matter how good targets are and everything else is out there, sometimes that when the heat's that hot and it's just you're not able to get out of it, it kind of puts a damper on your uh your your performance, and it definitely put a big one on mine. So I didn't finish, I didn't finish anywhere of anything. Um I was consistently bad, um, which is good because my consistency was there. I just haven't been able to shoot. I got a lot of things going on off the course. I've always said this. Matter of fact, uh, you know, I recorded something on on that whole subject that will be coming out soon through my uh uh YouTube and Patreon stuff that I'm doing now. Um so I'll launch that hopefully this week. It's been a pretty hectic week, but yeah, I got some really good news on uh on you know Friday while I was shooting in the prelim, which was awesome news. It's just put a lot of it was stressful, awesome news. And I thought it wouldn't bother me. I thought it would actually help me because I was stoked. Um, but it ended up being just really stressful for the weekend. And but yeah, my buddy from uh Louisiana, Mike Gardner, came out uh came out, uh Peeps, Alex Sedlacek came up. He finally started shooting a little bit and came up for the state, and we had a blast, just didn't perform well. I I was brilliant on some of the big targets and some of the cool stuff that they threw, but I just wasn't consistent enough to put up a big score. And yeah, you take somebody like Brody or you know Mike Dillman, they were not gonna be beat. I mean, Dillman just flat out handled us, and I was so proud of that guy because he's probably been a bridesmaid at least at least two of the times I'm aware of, because I won him twice, and he was right behind me. So he deserved it more than anything, and he he was able to get it done by quite a bit of a margin um by Sunday. There was no way gonna touch him. And uh as hot as Brody was for the whole weekend, that was it was cool to see Mike being able to get through that, you know, being a Southern California guy, different terrain. He shoots similar stuff out at Maywood. That's where I won that one uh big uh, you know, the the U kind of like the wrestling belt that I won last year a couple years ago. So um he's got a lot of terrain that's similar. So yeah, I think he was just ready for it, you know. He deserved it, and uh I wasn't. So hopefully I'll put it on again this coming weekend. Um, by the time you read this or hear this, I'll either have got smoked again or I've done Willy Well because I'm going to the Minnesota State Championships and uh go from there.

SPEAKER_01

So we do have one tourney talk to get to.

SPEAKER_03

Speaking of tournaments, it's Tourney Talk. Brought to you by Scorechaser.

SPEAKER_01

Kansas State fee task 5'10 and super sporting at Powder Creek um shooting park is now open for registration. This shoot will be held June 3rd through the 6th, 2027. Uh, that's the only one we have for attorney talk this week. Hey everyone, I want to let everybody know we will not have a show next week in honor of the 4th of July holiday. Um, speaking of 4th of July, most of you know that this year we are celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, and we have the perfect way to honor this amazing country. Make a $250 contribution to your favorite youth shooting team through our partner, Midway USA Foundation, and that donation will be maxed, adding $500 to that team's endowment. Supporting Youth Shooting Sports is a powerful way to preserve our freedoms and for future generations. There's a link right down in the show description for Midway USA Foundation. Click on that and follow it. Also, want to throw some reminders out there. We have lots of goodies for you here at the Dead Prayer Podcast. First, uh the Dead Prayer Cola Rifle is up. Again, there's a link down in the show description. That raffle, once again, benefits kids and clays. Tickets are $75 each or two for a hundred. Our merchandise is also available with a link, again, right down in the show description as well. Uh, everything from flat bill hats, flex fits, regular hats, uh, unstructured hats. There's also t-shirts, shooting shirts, Hawaiian shirts, hoodies, towels, phone cases, even umbrellas. So give that a check and get your merchandise. I want to remind everyone also that the Dead Pair blast is coming up December 11th and 12th at Rocky Creek. And I know it's not coming up quick, but make your plans for it. Uh, that's in South Carolina, and it's up on Scorechaser. So get signed up. Uh, a reminder on that shoot. If you can only shoot Saturday, please contact the club and Jake will get you squatted uh so that way you can shoot both legs of the main in one day. Lots of door prizes um from our sponsors, good payout, lots of festivities, and I've been talking with some of the sponsors, and it looks like quite a few of them are gonna be there at that shoot, as well as the 10 can popcorn folks. So love to see you all out there. We're gonna have a ball sitting targets for everybody where we're gonna have all kinds of festivities on and off the course. So uh please sign up for that. Uh Rhino Chokes. I did talk to those of you that have not heard of the Rhino building here in Florida caught on fire. I did talk to Scott Dixon of Rhino Chokes just yesterday. Uh, he assured me that they're still open for business. He's still gonna be on the road. His son Matt will be back home kind of cleaning up everything and getting equipment moved from one building to the other. So they are still open for business, just to reassure everybody. But, you know, very unfortunate for Rhino. Um, they're they're reeling because they were already slam busy and now they've got this on top of it to deal with. So they'll be uh they'll still be in the swing of things, just might take just a you know a week longer to get something than what it normally would. Chad Roberts, you're shooting the Rhino chokes. You love those things.

SPEAKER_06

Yep. And uh, you know, one thing that Scott and I talked about when we were at the Nationals, and something that I'm gonna be doing on the West Coast, so I'm gonna be getting pretty much a 17 and a 22 for all the different guns um that are pretty popular around here for shooting for sure in California and on the West Coast, and I'm gonna allow people to try them before they buy them. Awesome. And the reason, yeah, I think that's cool because one thing that we have a common understanding of and we feel is very important is the choke might be awesome, but depending on your your barrel and how it was worked on or built, um, there's barrel harmonics. And anybody that knows anything about barrels, one load might work in one gun and it might not work in another. And I think that personally goes the same with chokes.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06

And um I've seen people use chokes in one gun and they they used one version of rhinos, for example, and didn't like them, and they weren't gonna buy any more rhinos, and then they try a different version, they're like, holy crap, this is nine-day difference. And it's not because one choke's better or not, it's just that you really have to kind of try it to buy it, in my opinion. And Scott is the one that got when you took me over there originally. That's how we determined whether I was gonna make the switch, is he let me use a bunch of the chokes and go out and shoot them in a tournament. And I just went and did it, and I could see what I liked and which ones I wanted, and we just moved from there. And I think um having that ability allows people to go out and shoot them for an afternoon and then come back and say, Yeah, I want this one or this one, and I can order them whatever they want. And it's no skin off my back.

SPEAKER_01

You know, real quick on that, Chad, I was doing some experimenting and I was talking to both Brandon Powell and Scott Dixon about this. You know, those rhino aliens versus that's a non-portachoke that um Brandon helped develop. And then I've always used the elites. So something I found now that everybody's barrels are different, okay? But something I found from my gun and the loads that I use, the faster the load, like say a 1250, the elites worked better for stripping the wad and the pattern was better, the slower the load, the the Rhino aliens worked better. So it was a very interesting, you know, experiment, just my own experimentation on those loads and the chokes and how they worked.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, and I think that also goes with you know the the diameter of the choke, too. Like a 17 with one load might work differently than a 22 with the you know the same load. So absolutely, you know, not just pattern, not just pattern size, but actual performance. Like, yeah, man, this load does not work with the 22,000ths, but it works good with a 10 or 12 or whatever it is that you have to go with. And uh I think you know it's something to look at. It's like anything else. If you know this game is super expensive, we're shooting, you know, they haven't come up with a way to score any better, you know. So, you know, uh, we're losing by one or two targets, and based off some kids' eyes that are scoring for us. So, you know, you the harder you can break them, the less chance of getting one taken away because the you know the trapper didn't see it or nobody saw the piece come off, you know. So hit them harder, you know. Why not? Right? You know, either miss it or don't don't you know hit it hard. So that's always been my motto, and I like chokes that give me that feedback, and that's something that Rhino does, and they do a very good job at and you know, they're they're forcing cone work, all the stuff that they do there, they're porting, it's not for gimmicks. It may not be the cleanest, it might not be the sorry if you're in my five stand and I'm putting the barrel, you know, in your direction and it's loud sideways. We're comp we're competitors, you know. I'm looking for high performance. I don't, you know, I don't care about anything else.

SPEAKER_01

So right. Well, uh, you know, one thing about it, regardless of which choke you're using, those those rhinos, they all have a hot core to them, and I love that. Uh, even if maybe you're a little bit more open than what you should be at some kind of distance or something, the core on it, you're still gonna smash the crap out of that target. Hey, Chad, Brody just text me, he's ready to go. Uh, I'm excited. We're we're interviewing Brody Sousa tonight, and uh, I'm very excited about this. Chad, you know him very well. He's out there on the West Coast with you. So everybody hang tight for a minute. Let me get Brody on the phone and we'll be right back.

SPEAKER_05

The dead pay.

SPEAKER_01

Welcome to the show, Mr. Brody Sousa. What's up, Brody?

SPEAKER_02

What's going on? How are you?

SPEAKER_01

I'm doing great, man. Hey, listen, you have been on an absolute terror lately. Uh, but before we get into that, for those that don't know you, can you tell everyone where you're from and how you got it started in sporting plays?

SPEAKER_02

So I'm from uh Northern California, up in the Sacramento area, and I'm out in Texas right now for college. Uh got started. So my older brother, he just did uh trap shooting on a play team for his high school, and then the coaches kept asking me if I wanted to start it one time, and then I was like, oh nah, I don't really want to do it yet. And then one night I just decided, you know, I'll just try for fun. Then it uh stuck ever since.

SPEAKER_01

Really? So um if you don't mind my asking, how old are you, Brody?

SPEAKER_02

18.

SPEAKER_01

So you're still in the junior rank, correct?

SPEAKER_02

Yep.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. Did you come up through SCTP program? Did you shoot any of that?

SPEAKER_02

No, so there's no SCTP out here around California.

SPEAKER_01

Okay.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, so I just got a so started the youth league, it's called CYSSA out here, or at least for the northern part might be called something, or there might be a different league down south. Shot that for I think I started when I was in sixth grade, maybe, and then shot all the way through senior year, and then started traveling competitively in the NSCA about sophomore year, finally starting to get out more.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. Well, I'm sure you've had some coaching along the way. Uh, who has helped you out and who who are you currently working with?

SPEAKER_02

I'm currently working with uh mostly Theo. Just took a lesson with uh Brandon the other week in Florida. Been working with Theo a lot, uh started with Will Bruce out here, and then um after I moved to Texas, me and Theo started working together a lot, training together. Learned a lot from him. He's the one that's really helped me elevate my game to where I'm at right now. Learned a lot from him and learned how he his whole side of the game and his perspective on it, and how he handled himself and during certain moments when you're out there for with high pressure or stuff like that. So he's been a big help to me so far.

SPEAKER_01

That's cool.

SPEAKER_02

Yep.

SPEAKER_01

So catching up to current day, I mean, you've really wicked it up this year. I mean, you've always shot well, but I mean, like now you're you're really making a name for yourself. So what was it? Do you think it was the off-season training? Can you put a finger on it?

SPEAKER_02

Um I think that was a lot of it. So I got uh I think when I started really coming into myself was after I got this new stock made. Um had an old stock that just it would it didn't really fit much, but it was okay. And I got this new stock from Mike Loopold SNS stocks, and um, I want to say it was two or three weeks before nationals last year. Started shooting it then, and then ever since I've been working hard and uh trying to get it all dialed in, and I think that's the main thing that's helped me get to where I'm at. Um, also the people I'm surrounded with out in Texas, you know, getting to hear their side of the game and watching them and learning at the same time. I think those are the two main points that really helped me so far.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06

Hey Brody, are are you on a shooting team in college? Are you shooting for anybody?

SPEAKER_02

Uh, not right now. So next year, when I'm actually at the main campus for Texas AM, I'll join their team. So my first year in uh for college, I had a being a system. It's called PSA. There's a couple people that are in the shooting game that are in the PSA system. So you gotta be at one of their sister schools first for a year, complete these things they want you to complete, like GPA-wise and class-wise, and then if you got all those complete, you can uh transfer over automatically for next year. And they didn't have a team, the one that I went to, so it's just been on my own.

SPEAKER_06

Is your is your plan to stay within the industry once you um graduate or you know be like a pro? Since now that you're uh you made the pro squad, I just started. I'd like to. So congratulations, by the way. Thank you very much. Yeah, that's that's the goal. What's your what do you want to do for the future though? After like besides shoot, or uh what's the schooling?

SPEAKER_02

So I'm majoring in sports management right now. The goal is to try to become a sports agent because I'm I'm a my whole life, I just grow up. All I do is watch sports, any kind of sport. And so I love sports and I love to I'm kind of a nerd, you know, when it comes to the contracts and stuff, I like to read them and see the incentives and see what the agent's getting paid. So I'd like to become an agent one day. Have to go through a few more processes just in the sports management uh world, but yeah, that's the main goal, and that's what I'd like to do. And I'd still like to shoot at the same time, but we'll see down the road how that all works out.

SPEAKER_01

You watched too many, you watched Jerry McGuire too many times, didn't you?

SPEAKER_05

Right.

SPEAKER_01

You know, like I said, you you really wicked it up this year, and I want to start with the shooters' championship because yeah, you you won that shoot, but let's talk about the company you were in when you won that shoot. Do you know how many world and national champions were there competing when you want that? I mean, did that really hit you when you want it?

SPEAKER_02

It it honestly didn't hit me until like a couple days after. Um, I don't know the exact amount of world champions that were there. I know the people that were, but I know it's multiple times they've done it. But yeah, but it didn't hit me until probably the drive down to Florida on that Wednesday. I was like, man, like I can I just I just did that, and that built my confidence up for the fall and shoot after that, too.

SPEAKER_01

Well, I mean, it's not only world champions, but national champions that were there, you know. I mean there were several of them. I mean, yeah, and and I'm it's kind of funny because I was looking at the results Saturday night, and uh you really weren't in the very top tier, but man, you were free and clear on Sunday, that's for sure. That that had to be a good feeling for you, though, right? Like all the training paid off finally.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, it was a good feeling for sure. Like the that Saturday night, I was looking at scores, and I was like, okay, let's see who it was. I think it was Dylan Thompson and Gevin were tied for first, and I think I was four behind them, I want to say. I was like, okay, well, now they're shooting the 66 course, I was the difficult course out of all the courses, and then I got the 68 course today, so I can make up a couple birds on them, and you know, just hope for the best, you know.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

And yeah, and all worked out then.

SPEAKER_01

Well, here's the thing. It wasn't a fluke. I mean, you backed it up with a runner-up at Southeast Regional the following weekend, and those targets were no joke down there.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah. Yeah, those are those are some of the best targets I've seen in a long time.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. Those were those were tough.

SPEAKER_06

So you were you were uh in a shootoff with Brandon, I'm assuming, because you both tied. Yep. What kind of targets did you guys shoot at since I wasn't there? Can you give the the listeners uh an idea of what you were up against when you walked into the the hoop for the for the shootoff?

SPEAKER_02

So we were shooting, we were shooting pretty pretty big targets. There was a couple that like you have to hit those, but then there was, let's see, there was I want to say three three targets that he threw. Uh it was a Doug Vine that said out there. Um he threw that were probably 60 yards plus. Two of the targets that were hittable were probably got to be 35 yards. Um, you know, going in that shootoff, he had you look, so we shot four different pairs and he had to look at us each, all true pairs, and then kind of had to make your plans and not make your plans. And I just went out there, it's like, all right, well, you know, don't be careful because you're you're not you can't be careful on 60 plus yard targets and stuff like that, and you can't be careful when you're shooting against Brandy Palace who well you were shooting against the guy that coined the phrase, shoot like it doesn't matter when it matters the most, right?

SPEAKER_01

Right. Yeah, you had to turn it loose. So uh just so everybody understands the shooters' championship, okay, you won that. The very next weekend you went to the Southeast Regional, and the very next weekend you just won California State. I mean, Brody, let everybody else play a little bit, man. No, just kidding. But I man, uh, this is phenomenal. You know, one of the things, and we'll get to your equipment, but I I just want to bring this up real quick. A lot of people don't realize I didn't realize it. You didn't even tell me this until Southeast Regional. You're shooting a Browning, 725, right?

SPEAKER_02

Yep.

SPEAKER_01

I mean, if you look at all the guys in the top of the game, maybe Joe Fanese uh would have an equal value, dollar value gun, right? Because he shoots an A400. But I mean, my goodness, Brody, you you gotta be proud of that.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I mean, this gun, this gun's a workhorse. Like the only thing I've ever had to worry about is those firing pins, but other than that, it's been I had I used to have an old 725, just switched this. I got this gun as a gift in I want to say at Western Regions last year, and got it as a gift, been shooting ever since. And yeah, I had I probably had 150 through that old gun when I was young to then. And yeah, never had to worry about anything other than them uh firing pins. Guns uh gun the great gun. Yeah for the price, too, you know.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, look, I I had an old Browning 525 Satori. Um, and I remember taking it to Jim Eyster, and he's like, Look, these guns are workhorses. I mean, for the price point, you can't you can't really. Beat him.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, you can't go wrong.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah. But now you you know, like I said, we'll get to your equipment. You did say that you put a custom stock on it, so obviously fitment is everything, right?

SPEAKER_05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

Was there something maybe in this past offseason that was kind of like the aha moment, the light switch that kind of went off for you? Or was it a a change in method, or is it what was there anything in particular you could put your finger on that you really kind of broke free?

SPEAKER_02

Um one thing that so when I got the custom stock, so I used to shoot probably like an 80-20 to 70-30 pattern, right? And I'd have to be certain places on these targets, but then after Mike did my stock, he basically has me at 50-50. So it took an adjustment, obviously, from you know, I'd be way under these targets with these new stocks and missing under all the time. So now I'm up on the line. And the one thing that I see is like where I'm looking, that's where that shot is going, and that's where it's breaking. Like that's been a big game changer to me. I mean, it's helped me out a lot, makes me understand the game more. I'm still learning a few different, a few types of targets still, like where I have to have that gun. But I feel like that was one of the points, and also like me training with you know guys like Theo and Jonathan Prince, just working out and see I get to see that like stay behind them and watch them. It's like, okay, now I see what they're doing. And yeah, I feel like those were the main points that's helped me in this offseason or last offseason.

SPEAKER_06

So, Brody, I have a question that most people probably don't ask on these type of shows. Right. And I want to know what you feel or how you feel. I didn't look. How did you do at the Northeast Regional?

SPEAKER_02

Uh, that was Anthony's place, correct? Yeah, yeah. Um, I didn't I didn't do great. I did okay. Um, that was having struggles. Like, that was my first time ever really being in those trees and that disappeared.

SPEAKER_06

You've never yeah, because you never shot there before, correct?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, that was my first time shooting there, and like you know, my home club was Quail Point out here, right? That's where I grew up shooting, and there ain't a single tree out there. You know, you were just out there a couple days ago, so you know what's like. So that was different for sure. And yeah.

SPEAKER_06

So this is why I asked you a question. What's it like in three weekends making thirty-three thousand dollars? Uh pretty nice. Is it feel like a game changer for the game that you put so much blood and sweat and tears in over the years? I mean, I've competed against you for a long time. I've known you since you were a little kid, and you know, uh, we've probably, of course, lost more than we've ever won. Um, but what does that feel like? Um, because I, you know, most people like, yeah, Brandon wins all the time, Zach wins all the time. There they make that kind of money with some wins and top threes at these shoots. What does that feel like, or can you give the people in Shooterland, you know, that this is it's pretty dang cool? I mean, I know it's cool, and I'm very proud of you, but I mean, can you give us a perspective of what it's like winning that kind of money over a few weekends? Did it feel like you worked hard, or did it feel like it kind of came easy finally to you because of all the work you did outside of the shoot? I mean, give us a perspective.

SPEAKER_02

You know, it was pretty awesome seeing me finally getting those kind of paychecks, and um, you know, it it it meant something because you know, it's like finally the work has paid off, you know, the time, the effort, the money, all that stuff. And um, you're finally seeing that change. It's pretty awesome. But at the same time, like you're looking like, okay, like now I'm using some of this money to pay off debt, and then you using this money for future shoots as well. So, I mean, it's still an awesome feeling. I'm hoping it can continue.

SPEAKER_06

Are you planning on taking this money and using it now that you made the pro squad um after the regional? Are you planning on hitting the circuit hard or uh keep it like you have been keeping it?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, so this is my going to be my first year finally doing the whole circuit. Um, usually before um this year, I was always, you know, doing the state shoots on the west side, and then I'd do like a western regional and go into nationals. That's about it. Uh last year I finally started going different places. I think I went to the U.S. Open. I think I went to three regionals, I believe. I think I went to let's see, I went to Ohio, I went to uh Game Unlimited, went to the US Open Nationals. Uh I'm sure I went to the Western Regionals too, but now I'm finally doing a whole circuit. And I mean it's pretty awesome to see these places out here or out there. The different type of ranges, and you know, those all these ranges are beautiful that we go to out on the east coast.

SPEAKER_06

It's kind of sad what they got out here in California, but it it gives you a different perspective when you think you know what our best is, and then you go somewhere else. Yeah, yeah. That makes that that's what I've always said.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, it's pretty crazy.

SPEAKER_06

Hey, but we have nice weather. I mean, we do have nice weather. Of course, we always have nice weather. Yeah, you don't you don't deal with the rain for sure. How's that Texas weather in the summer?

SPEAKER_02

I ain't been there in the summer, you know.

SPEAKER_06

I'm back here for the summer, so oh, so you're you're all right, but you you brought the heat with you, Jesus, dude. Last year.

SPEAKER_02

Oh my god, it was horrible.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, I don't know how you stayed together, man. I I because you always wear all black, and I was really impressed that you were able to hold it together like that.

SPEAKER_02

Right. Yeah, I was like during my like last like seven shots of a five stand like man, I was feeling like just falling out.

SPEAKER_06

I was like, I shot it at three o'clock, so you know, three to four or three to five is the hottest time out here, so yep, and that's when I I shot it at four, and it was 109 on my on my uh watch, and the sun was coming down right at you, and there was no hiding from it.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, no shade.

SPEAKER_01

Well, Brody, not only have you entered this realm by your finishes, but monetarily, you just entered the top 1% of the game. I mean, you know, you think about the thousands and tens of thousands of people that play this game, and there's very the the top one percent have made 30 grand in three weekends, right? So um, and also something else I picked up on too. Uh, you know, in Chad since you were a little kid, explains the Flatbill hat.

SPEAKER_06

So Brody's my boy. We've always had a good rivalry, you know. I didn't know if he liked me or not because I was older, but I still had that vibe, and you know, I still I still hold it down with the flatbill, but yeah, it's it yeah, of course, right? You know, Zach Zach let us down, man. He went away from it as much. So he did, he did. Unreal.

SPEAKER_01

It looks like a it looks like a young version of Chad coming at you. I mean, he's got black socks pulled up halfway to his knees and the flatbill hat on. I'm like, here comes Chad bro.

SPEAKER_06

Hey, look, so it's not our fault that we look cool. So, I mean, come on.

unknown

Exactly.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, I agree, I agree. No, first and foremost, dude. I want to, I am, I am just tickled ass pink that you did what you did. Absolutely hands down. I mean, just were the was the man for the overall HOA overall or ha. You you got second in the main, you won fee task, you won super sport, you won five stand. I don't know what else you shot, but whatever you shot, you probably won. Then you're down in the southeast regionals, you go against Brandon, you go up to the shooter stand championship, and personally, I think anybody that shoots in in Georgia are it's that's kind of the hotbed of shooting, in my opinion, right now. Um, that whole side of the C board. It was pretty impressive just to sit back because I didn't go to those shoots this year and watch you go at it. You know, you got to hang out with, you know, one of one of the people I've been trying to work with, which is Hunter. So I think you gave him a different perspective and a and he saw that too, right? Like he could see that you can still you can be a competitor against the top guys even at a younger age, like your guys' age. Um, so um, you know, you're you're kind of you kind of put a big big bat to all the guys that have been holding it, holding it down for a while, and that was pretty cool to see. So congratulations, dude. I mean, I've I tried my ass off for years to get where you're at, and it will who knows if it'll ever happen, but dang, it was cool to see somebody from the West Coast that still lives here, still, you know, you're a Californian, you didn't move away and stay away. Um, so I I hold that as like the the real deal, man. So good job. Yeah, thank you, man.

SPEAKER_01

Well, Brody, I know you've listened to this show and we do the rapid fire with you know any new shooter we get on. You want to do that with us real quick? Sure. So, all right, let's start with this. Uh make and model your gun.

SPEAKER_02

Uh Browning 725.

SPEAKER_01

32 inch barrels?

SPEAKER_02

Yep.

SPEAKER_01

Is that one factory uh browning ported, or do you have it ported by somebody else?

SPEAKER_02

I think it was factory.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. Um what chokes do you use?

SPEAKER_02

Comp in chokes.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, what's your go-to restriction?

SPEAKER_02

I like to do I like to run light mod.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. Uh what ammo do you shoot?

SPEAKER_02

Uh Remington Nitros.

SPEAKER_01

Remington Nitros. So those are the ounce and a eighth, twelve thirty-fives, is that correct?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, the twelve thirty-five, seven and a half, and then I'll do the uh one ounce 1290s for feet task.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, still seven and a half with that?

SPEAKER_02

Yep, still seven and a half, yep.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. Uh, what vest do you shoot with?

SPEAKER_02

No vest.

SPEAKER_01

Oh, that's right. You're a pouch man, aren't you?

SPEAKER_02

I'm a pouch man.

SPEAKER_01

That's right. See, you're from California, dude. You do things a little different. We love it.

SPEAKER_02

Right.

SPEAKER_01

Um, what glasses do you wear?

SPEAKER_02

Uh let's see. I think they're the 54 CIA H C's pilas.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, Pila's. Uh hearing protection.

SPEAKER_02

I couldn't tell you. You couldn't do that. Something like those.

SPEAKER_01

I mean, are you using are you using foamies?

SPEAKER_02

Are you using electronics or uh we they're using the ones that they the custom ones, I don't know what they're called.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_02

Or I don't know if they have a name.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. Um, all right. Now we do we do something called what's in your bag, and we're looking for like the lucky rabbit's foot. You've listened to this before, you know what I'm talking about. Something odd you carry with you that maybe people wouldn't be privy to.

SPEAKER_02

Something odd I carry with.

SPEAKER_01

I mean, look, we've had everything from you know rising bags to um well Gianna Santo come on here and inform us she carries a tampon with her. I mean, you know, it's just like whatever you whatever you think that's odd that most people wouldn't carry with them.

SPEAKER_02

I don't really carry anything on me.

SPEAKER_01

Okay, all right, fair enough.

SPEAKER_06

I got a couple for you. So this is this is West Coast action right here. Flatbill or curvebill cooter hat.

SPEAKER_02

Flatbill, come on now.

SPEAKER_06

All right, black, black, white, gray, or orange? Black white. All right. Uh high socks or ankle socks.

SPEAKER_02

High socks, only way to go. I don't know how people do the ankle socks.

SPEAKER_06

Adidas or Vans. Vans. Nice. Uh, what else I got? Um, obviously you're all black, so you got you wear black shirts all the time. So I don't know of you outside of black. Um, beard or no beard? You gotta have a beard. Um on your pouch, is it is it a custom one like uh elephant, or is it just a standard old leather standby?

SPEAKER_02

Standard standard one with a brownie logo on it.

SPEAKER_06

Nice, nice. Let's see. Uh a golf cart or uh, you know, UTV of some sort. A fiat. A fiat? A fiat. I got a fiat. Electric or gas, Brody. Electric or gas. Come on, gas. Okay, just check it. Just check it if you left me. If you totally left us, all right. I don't have anything else for you. I just think it's awesome. It's cool to see you doing what you're doing. Um, Theo's a great guy to work with. Um, Brandon probably yelled at you and was asking you what you were doing. You know, come on. Yeah, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_02

Why aren't you holding on the plate?

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, hey, I I I have a question for uh one weird question. Tell us about your experience real quick uh with Brandon and Theo, because not a lot of people, you know, they they want to do lessons with these guys, but they may live somewhere else. And can you kind of give your experience of what that was like?

SPEAKER_02

So with uh Theo, I'll start with Theo first. Um, so he's really good at teaching, he's very good at explaining things if you don't understand it. Um, he teaches you a little bit of everything, you know, he has you do a certain move and hit the bird at one place, like start early and go all the way to the you know the end, and then you know where your sweet spot's gonna be. And uh teaches all these certain moves. He he really helped me in fee task. Um, has my because for when I mount, I have to turn in my nose. And um he taught me how where I have to put my face so it's just you know perfect, you know, going up, and then you're already there. So he's a real good coach. Brandon, he's he's also a really good coach. He'll teach you, he teaches you, you know, his way, right? And that's basically you're holding through the plate and you're ripping through. Um, you know, it's all he's all about his the trust, right? And he, you know, yeah, I mean, he's a good coach too. I mean, he's he'll get on you for sure, which you know, that's what I need. Well, because sometimes, you know, when you're an 18-year-old kid, you know, you're kind of just lollygagging out there.

SPEAKER_06

Have you got any plans of maybe teaching yourself?

SPEAKER_02

Uh I haven't really thought about it yet, but maybe in the future. Awesome.

SPEAKER_01

Brody, I I know you've got some people behind. I mean, look, nobody's ever been successful without good people around them, and I know you got some people that you want to thank, whether it's sponsors or friends, or family, or a coach. Um, the floor is yours, buddy.

SPEAKER_02

Um, I definitely want to thank uh my parents for sure. Um, if it wasn't for them, I could never do this. They helped me out so much in getting me these places and giving me the best equipment I I can use. And gotta thank Theo as well. He's definitely changed the game for me a lot. Um, helped help me out a lot in Texas too. Like if I traveled down, him letting me stay at his house and everything. Um wanna thank uh Mike Schultz too. He uh he helped he sponsored me this year, helping me come to all these shoots and stuff. And yeah.

SPEAKER_01

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_02

Those are the main people.

SPEAKER_01

So do you have uh I sh I guess I should have asked this earlier. Do you have a regular crew that you run with? Like who's who's some shooters that people might know that you run around with? Other than Theo, obviously.

SPEAKER_02

Uh I don't I don't really run around with like a certain group. I'm kind of just, you know, I'm there and I know everyone, and I you know, I'll say what's up to everyone. Don't really have a crew right now.

SPEAKER_01

Okay. Fair enough. I mean, you know, let me look at Corey, right? Like, you're not gonna see Corey without seeing Travis and Greg Wolf and the whole gang, right? Anthony.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, so I just wondered. I I do have to ask you, how was it with Hunter driving his trailer down to Florida into Georgia? With you in he's he's he is, isn't he? Like an old person.

SPEAKER_02

You know, he I so I drove in a different car than him, so oh you did okay. Yeah, because I was in my rental car, my little fiat out there, my Chevy Spark. And um, so I I was I was five minutes or probably yeah, five minutes in front of him. So, you know, I was the test dummy, and you know, if there was a cop or anything, I'd call him up, like, hey, you know, slow down, even though I know he's going the speed limit, but so you know there's that's uh that's awesome.

SPEAKER_06

So you guys are full on smoking and bandit all the way down south. That's that's right. What a great, great trip.

SPEAKER_01

Well, just so you know, I got a call from Rick Webb to ask me to keep an eye on you too. And I'm like, what are you talking about? He's like, Hunter's driving himself down there. I'm like, oh boy. So you had eyeballs on, you didn't know that, but yeah, I I didn't have anything bad to report. He never got a phone call from me. So at least at least if you pulled something off, you did it when I wasn't looking. But well, Brody, listen, man, congratulations on your success. You're you're you're killing it, man. Keep it going. Um, I wish you the best. And uh hopefully we'll see you at the dead pair blast this year. We talked about that. Uh when I ran into it southeast. And anybody that gets a chance to meet Brody, I mean, this kid is not only is he a phenomenal shooter, he's a great kid, very respectful, uh, very easy to talk to. Go up and tell him hi. Tell him you heard him on the dead pair. But um, Brody, thank you, buddy. Thank you for spending some time with us tonight. We really appreciate you.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, thank you for having me. Thanks for watching.

SPEAKER_01

The Dead Pair. Well, Chad Roberts, your West Coast buddy, Brody Sousa.

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, I'd I'd you know, uh it's just cool to see you know another person from California succeed at shooting when you know we don't have the best terrains in some cases out here or space um and that you get out there and some of the other areas in the country. Um, and we have different terrain, like where Brody lives, like you were saying, it's just big rolling heels. If you ever did the Western Regional back in the day, like in 18 or whenever that was up at uh Quell Point, um, everybody got to see that, what that was like. And then, you know, you've been here down here in SoCal. So we it's a different, they're hard targets, but they're just different. I struggled up there, they struggled down here. Next year, the state shoot will be in the middle of us of us both up in uh Sun Mountain Gun Club, which has a lot of terrain, but it also has trees, um, oak trees and all that. Um, so it'll be really cool. Um, and we're doing it real early in the season, I think a few weeks prior to Anthony's US Open. So it will be a cool, nice green shooting, new neutral place for the North and South, as you've been out here and seen. Um, yeah, it was cool. It's just cool to see that, you know, I you know, I try to make you know, obviously, Zach made it out of the state and did really well. Tommy's, you know, over the years it's gotten really good, and Grace and the Corsellies and myself. So we do provide good shooters out there. Um, but obviously, you know, look where Brody's living. He's in Texas, he's shooting with, you know, he was saying he was shooting with, you know, uh Theo all the time, and you know, he's taking lessons from Brandon and he's out on a tour. And you when you're shooting the best targets of the best target setters in the in the world, in the country, you're gonna get good. I don't care what anybody says if you got a good base, and he does. So um, you know, that's the hard part, right? You gotta you gotta make that commitment. And he did, he for sure did.

SPEAKER_01

Yep. That's the thing. Uh, going back to what you were saying about terrain, that's the thing I love about Rocky Creek is you know, you have a very diverse landscape. Everything from open fields to shooting in the woods, shooting over water, rolling hills. I mean, you got a really good mix of everything. And, you know, folks, if you got a club like that in your area, man, utilize it, you know, go shoot in the woods, go shoot in the field, get good at all of it, because you're gonna see all of it all over the country when you go to these bigger shoots. So, you know, and that goes back to our message each and every week: take someone new shooting, take them to a tournament, you know. And if you're a champion of that, uh again, the NSSF uh has the um plus one program, which also, by the way, I don't know if everybody's noticed or not, um, our website is under construction. Uh, thank you to our partner JTech, our new uh technology partner. Uh they are building our website right now. Now, that name may ring a bell because JTEC is who built Scorechaser. Um, really excited about that. Hopefully, got something coming soon with that. Just a quick reminder uh the Deadpear Rifle, uh the Deadpeck Kohler gun is now up and available. Click on that link right down in the show description. Um, all of our sponsors, thank you a ton to all of them. Make sure you guys check out the new outro that Toby TomPlay mixed down for us. Um, stick around and listen to that. Again, a reminder on Ranger and Taconic Distilleries, 10% off your order when you order online. Just use the code DeadPro10 at checkout. And if you're ordering slick products, just follow the link in the show description. It'll automatically take off the 10% when you order. Check them out. We really appreciate all the help they've given us. Chad Roberts, I man, I know we're gonna see you in December. I know we're gonna see you at the Nationals uh in October, but are you venturing out anywhere in between now and then?

SPEAKER_06

Yeah, you know, like you, I kind of got a hair, you know, we both did, right? We were sitting right, I think we were having Having a couple nice little pops from uh Taconic Distillery, to be honest with you. I remember that in my patio.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06

And we were talking about how you know these big shoots are really cool to go to, obviously. The best facilities in the country and the best run shoots. But the one, you know, we're starting to see some of the what we would consider in old days the big blast, kind of not as many around. And we talked about going to a lot of state shoots. And I just state shoots are really fun. I yeah, I don't know why, you know. We've talked about this, you know. So I I I think it's because they're smaller. Even the big ones are smaller than a regional. It's a little bit more intimate. Um, you're not stressed out shooting a million targets trying to get to one course to the other, um, putting, you know, you're not getting fried from, you know, just getting your butt pounded from you know, you're from Montana and you don't get a lot of hard targets and you show up, you know, and you're just getting worked by somebody out of regional because that's what they do at those shoots. And, you know, you're just getting a little bit more fun, I guess. And I think me and you, you know, we were talking about just bringing the fun back into the game and uh why we do this, right? Like we like to shoot, we love to shoot. I love to go pound targets, I love to teach, right? But kind of, I'm not saying I lost the love for for it, but I think I just got tired of just continually chasing it. I never took a break since 2000, whenever it was 2009, I guess, when I started really traveling, 2008. Yeah. And um, and I just it it feels good to go to a smaller shoot that means something, and you can make some good money and do all this stuff and just have a good time and you know, enjoy the food, enjoy the towns. You're not shooting till you know, real late in the afternoon, or you know, you can you can just kind of spread out the weekend and go have fun. So I think states are cool. So for me, um, like you, uh California State, Arizona State, um, looking forward to going to Indiana State. There's a possibility I'll go to Ohio State, and there is now a possibility going to, well, I'm going to Wisconsin, uh, or possibly going to Wisconsin State, and this weekend I'm going off. Um, you know, by the time you hear this, it'll be already there. But, you know, our it's over, but I'm going to to the Minnesota State Fitas Championships, and then I'm going to be teaching at horse and hunt for a week. And um, it's really cool up there, so I'm going to check it out.

SPEAKER_01

Very cool. Yeah, I mean, this goes back to the point I made earlier in the year. If you look at the percentage of people from the tournament that show up to the dinners at a state chute versus say a regional or US Open or National or whatever, yeah, okay, there's there may be, let's just use a nice round figure, a thousand people in that chute, but at the dinner there might only be four or five hundred. You go to a state chute where there's four or five hundred, there's four or five hundred at the dinner. So I I I agree with what I agree with what you're saying. It's more intimate. And I think you get a better shot of winning something, uh whether it be cash, you know, where you placed, or maybe a door prize or something at a state shoot than you do a regional. And I think it goes back to what you said also about having fun on the shoot. And that's one of the things, as you know, Chad, that we're trying to create with the dead pair blast. And uh, we want people to have as much fun off the course as they do on the course. Yeah, we're gonna set some fun targets, um, but also at the same time, we're gonna have a lot of fun off the course too, right?

SPEAKER_06

Well, and it's funny that you say that. I was up at the state shoot, and I've had people say, Man, that was just so different, and kind of brought back a lot of memories of the old days, you know, and yeah, what we used to do. And and I think that's cool. I mean, if we can be a part of that, awesome. You know, let's let's let's bring that fun back, that style. Because I will tell you this if anybody's shot a bunch like we have, and if you come to a dead pear blast, you are not gonna see what we did there at other shoots. I'm guarantee you, unless you might see it at an RC car race or a motocross race, but you ain't gonna see what we do. You know, when you got trophy girls and you got you got a big banner stand in front with a podium and you're handing them their awards for every big class that we had, you know, like the D class and C class guys got just as much recognition as the guy that won HOA there.

SPEAKER_01

Yep.

SPEAKER_06

And, you know, that was really cool. They got to see all the prizes. I'm not saying that you don't see that at these regionals and stuff like that, but it's cool when everybody that's at the shoot is kind of sticking around on a Sunday, you know, having some drinks and having some, you know, snacks and getting some free stuff and some swag and then reading off who won what and everybody clapping for the guy in C class or D class, and you know, the funny pictures with you know, some of the the the trophy girls that we had, right? And you know, people just had genuinely had smiles. I mean, you know, hey, you want to picture the trophy girl? No, I can't. My wife will kill me. That kind of stuff is just fun, right? Yeah, and and look, it's it's all in in jest, it's fun. It's not to be derogatory to anything. It's like, guys, it's a bunch of old dudes and young dudes in really bad fitted, you know, yeah, really bad fitted formed uh, you know, jerseys, and we're shooting clay pottery. I mean, it doesn't look that cool. So, I mean, anything to kind of make us look cool is fun, right? So, yeah, you know, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, I want I I think my biggest thing, I just wanted to do something different. I want to do something fun, and uh, I think we definitely created that uh back in April at LA Clays, and I'm looking forward to doing it again, bigger and even better than we did uh in April this coming December. So I hope everybody listening to this will come join us. Good payout, good prizes, good fun, good food. And oh, hey, before I forget, uh reminder, Neil Chadwick is giving away another $500, uh, $500 credit towards their entry of a junior shooter. Now, for the details of that, go back and listen to last week's episode. Uh, he laid out all the details and what he needs. Send us an email, I'll make sure and get it over to him. Um, and uh, so reminder on that, there is an entry up for grabs for a junior shooter, $500 credit towards our entry at the national championship. So get moving on that. We don't have too too much more time on that one. So um, and as a reminder, also here at the Dead Pair, we are more than gracious to receive a review from you. If you listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, man, we would really love that if you don't mind. Um, give us a like, give us a follow over on YouTube. I'm still working on some of the product videos. I know I've been behind on that. I apologize, but it's coming, so be looking for that soon. Chad Roberts, thank you very much, man. Uh, I know we've both been had busy schedules here lately, so I appreciate you spending some time with us this evening. It's good to have you back on, buddy.

SPEAKER_06

Hey, it's awesome. Thank you. Always willing to be on the show. It's the best one out there. Um, I hope you guys like listen to what we got to spew out of our mouths and uh do this for the fun of it and the love, guys. Um more drama. Let's love, let's love shooting some clays and and and you know, pat the guys on the back that aren't shooting well and let's rise up people instead of pushing them down. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01

Yeah, agreed 100%.

SPEAKER_06

You know?

SPEAKER_01

Yep, for sure. Well, folks, this has been uh this has been a lot of fun. And um again, no show next week, uh, because the 4th of July, but we'll see you the week after, right back here on the Dead Pear Podcast.

SPEAKER_03

We'll see you next time on the Dead Pear Podcast.

SPEAKER_00

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Jason Rambo

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