Outdoors enthusiasts are instinctively drawn to a man who can use a gun in creative ways. This weekend, West Virginia sportsmen will have an opportunity to see that action up-close as noted shooter Tim Bradley pays a visit to the Mountain State.
"I don’t like to say I’m a ‘trick shooter’," Bradley stated in an interview from his home in Jonesboro, Arkansas. "Exhibition shooter would be the more politically correct term."
Most who make a living putting on shooting demonstrations tend to agree with Bradley’s assessment of their talents. Bradley has been travelling the nation putting on shooting shows and recently signed on as a member of the Benelli pro-staff. Bradley credits a lot of his success to another Benelli shooting pro, Tom Knapp.
"I am Tom Knapp’s number one fan,” said Bradley. "Every time I see him I’m absolutely amazed, that guy is something else."
Bradley says he had a passion for shooting all of his life. He conservatively estimates he’s put more than two Million rounds through various shotgun, rifle, and pistol barrels in his time. He claims his ability is God-given, but it’s his passion that makes him such an accurate marksman from seemingly any position.
"Shooting is my passion, it’s like if I was good at golf, but didn’t like to play it, I probably wouldn’t be that good at it," said Bradley.
Bradley honed his pistol skills during his days as a bounty hunter. He’s known for shooting playing cards out of the air with a pistol. It was during his days of practicing for his bounty-hunting job that he ran into Knapp who placed a shotgun in his hands. Soon afterward, he was on the pro-staff at Benelli and shooting around the country.
Growing up in Arkansas, Bradley says the number one activity was and is duck hunting. He plans to incorporate a lot of duck hunting expertise into the shows he’ll do in Boone County this weekend.
Although his show in most appearances is exclusively shotguns, he will use a .22 rifle this weekend.
"I’ve never used a .22 in any of my shows, I kind of got talked into that deal," laughed Bradley. "I told them if somebody would get me one, I’d shoot it."
Bradley’s exhibition this weekend is free and open to the public. He’ll perform two shows on Saturday, 10am and 1pm, and a third show Sunday afternoon at 1pm. The event is set at the A.T. Massey Headquarters on Corridor G, located ten-miles south of Wal-Mart at Southridge.