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Heather Eckhardt: 11 Years on Team Benelli, OA Defense & the Future of Competitive Shooting
Off the Beaten Path
We're live at SHOT Show 2026 from the Otis booth — and this one came with an unexpected twist when Cush's identical twin brother, Roo, kicked off the episode. We'll just say the right host showed up eventually.
Heather Eckhardt is a professional 3-Gun competitor with 11 years on Team Benelli USA's Pro Staff. She grew up in a law enforcement household, shot her first handgun at four years old, and built a career at the intersection of competitive shooting and firearms marketing. She now serves as National Vice President of Business Development for OA Defense — and she brought their brand new 2311 Compact to show us exactly what intentional firearm design looks like.
We cover her origin story, what almost made her quit before her very first USPSA match, how the shooting sports community pulls people in and never lets go, and what it's like to shoot out of helicopters for a living. She also breaks down the USPSA classification system — from Unclassified all the way to Grand Master — in a way that actually makes sense.
Real conversation. Real community. This is Off the Beaten Path.
