I started shooting with a local 4H group in 2004 and became hooked. My first shooting sport was American Trap, which I still shoot today. Since I started shooting American Trap I have been on the All-Ohio State team 5 times and on the All-American team 4 times. Along with American Trap, I enjoy shooting skeet, sporting clays and 5 stand. Lately I have been competing with the Buckeye Vintagers. Thi
s is an Ohio based group who shoot trap, skeet and sporting clays with side by side shotguns. Personally I enjoy working on side by side shotguns the most. Not only do I shoot shotguns, I also shoot muzzle loading rifles with Dayton Muzzle Loading Gun Club and at Friendship, Indiana. I built my first gun under the direction of Jim "Beaver" Marshall when I was in high school. It was a Tennessee Poor Boy rifle. I also compete in Cowboy Action at Middletown Sportsman's Club. My alias is Monterey Matt. I really like Cowboy Action because it combines speed and accuracy with rifles, shotguns and six shooters. I graduated from Miami Valley CTC in 2010 from the Precision Machining program. I took this program because a large part of gunsmithing is machining. After high school I attended the gunsmithing program at Trinidad State Junior College in Colorado. While in gunsmithing school I built three bolt action rifles, one 1911, one target revolver, I restored 6 guns, and restocked 5 guns. Not to mention all of the repair I did on various guns. After graduating in 2012 I found a job at Heritage Gunsmiths. The owner, Jim taught me so much about firearms and customer service while I was there. My two years there was more of an apprenticeship. I left Heritage Gunsmiths to take a job at Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio so I could finish my education degree at The Ohio State University. For my bachelors degree I had to have teaching experience before I could graduate so I taught precision machining for two years. I am currently building my new gunsmith shop outside of Maria Stein, Ohio. I live in the area with my wife, son, and 3 dogs. I still enjoy shooting sports and try to make it to as many shoots as I can.
