Post by mjsteege on Feb 27, 2019 13:48:10 GMT -7
By DEAN MICHEL
dmichel@rawlinstimes.com
RAWLINS — All wore earmuffs and
eye protection, each watching as the
young man prepared to shoot. Though
they would see this sequence of events
a dozen more times, the man firing his
pistol has yet to reach even his teenage
years.
Bridger Steege, a resident of Cheyenne, may be more than two decades
younger than many of his fellow competitors, but he can hold his own against
the best of them.
Steege was in Rawlins over the weekend to compete in 28th Annual Silver
Bullet Action Pistol Tournament. When
asked why his family made the trek
west to Rawlins, Steege said simply, “To
shoot.”
His first experience with a firearm
occurred when he watched his father,
Marshall Steege, purchase a new pistol,
and from that moment, firearms became
an obsession. Though he would not
shoot the .45 for another month, the
young Steege took his first step into the
life of firearm ownership.
Receiving a BB gun and an Airsoft
rifle, he began to cement the basics of
firearm handling and safety already
being taught by his father.
His first true firearm came at the age
of seven, when his father gifted him
a .22. Only three short years later and
Steege is already outshooting many
firearm enthusiasts with decades more
experience.
The young Steege now competes in 15
to 16 matches a year. This includes the
prestigious MagPaul Governor’s Match
Shooting Competition, where the best
across the state and the nation compete.
Despite his success, he practices
only rarely. The time spent practicing
increases as the weather turns warm,
while the cold of winter limits his practice to dry firing and occasional trips to
the range.
His main goal, however, was to
improve his scores, as the drive for improvement pushes him at every competition.
Steege hopes to eventually improve
his skill enough to attract sponsors,
which would allow him to continue
his love for weapons. As sponsorships
would provide new weapons and heavy
discounts on ammunition, Steege would
find continuing competitive shooting
far easier.
Once Steege reaches adulthood, he
plans to join the military and have
a family of “two dogs and one kid.”
Though he is unsure of which branch he
wants to join, he feels service in the U.S.
military calls to him.
And so Steege’s journey through firearm culture and competition continues,
one target and one match at a time.
The quick and
the young
11-year-old takes on shooters far beyond his age at Silver Bullet NRA Tournament
DEAN MICHEL, RAWLINS TIMES
B
dmichel@rawlinstimes.com
RAWLINS — All wore earmuffs and
eye protection, each watching as the
young man prepared to shoot. Though
they would see this sequence of events
a dozen more times, the man firing his
pistol has yet to reach even his teenage
years.
Bridger Steege, a resident of Cheyenne, may be more than two decades
younger than many of his fellow competitors, but he can hold his own against
the best of them.
Steege was in Rawlins over the weekend to compete in 28th Annual Silver
Bullet Action Pistol Tournament. When
asked why his family made the trek
west to Rawlins, Steege said simply, “To
shoot.”
His first experience with a firearm
occurred when he watched his father,
Marshall Steege, purchase a new pistol,
and from that moment, firearms became
an obsession. Though he would not
shoot the .45 for another month, the
young Steege took his first step into the
life of firearm ownership.
Receiving a BB gun and an Airsoft
rifle, he began to cement the basics of
firearm handling and safety already
being taught by his father.
His first true firearm came at the age
of seven, when his father gifted him
a .22. Only three short years later and
Steege is already outshooting many
firearm enthusiasts with decades more
experience.
The young Steege now competes in 15
to 16 matches a year. This includes the
prestigious MagPaul Governor’s Match
Shooting Competition, where the best
across the state and the nation compete.
Despite his success, he practices
only rarely. The time spent practicing
increases as the weather turns warm,
while the cold of winter limits his practice to dry firing and occasional trips to
the range.
His main goal, however, was to
improve his scores, as the drive for improvement pushes him at every competition.
Steege hopes to eventually improve
his skill enough to attract sponsors,
which would allow him to continue
his love for weapons. As sponsorships
would provide new weapons and heavy
discounts on ammunition, Steege would
find continuing competitive shooting
far easier.
Once Steege reaches adulthood, he
plans to join the military and have
a family of “two dogs and one kid.”
Though he is unsure of which branch he
wants to join, he feels service in the U.S.
military calls to him.
And so Steege’s journey through firearm culture and competition continues,
one target and one match at a time.
The quick and
the young
11-year-old takes on shooters far beyond his age at Silver Bullet NRA Tournament
DEAN MICHEL, RAWLINS TIMES
B
