Shooter Profile: Preston Crandell

Preston-CrandellHi I’m Preston Crandell, age 19, of Paris, Illinois, I never shot a gun until one day a group of friends decided they were going to shoot SCTP and needed one more person to fill the squad so they called me. I was in the fifth grade and they were in the eighth grade. We practiced at the Edgar County Sportsmen Club and I shot my Dad’s Winchester 37A. Long story short we won the Rookie Division in 2004 and I continued to shoot non-registered targets for a couple years. As my friends got older and entered high school the team dissolved, but I wanted to shoot. I asked my Mom if I could shoot by myself, and of course she didn’t know as no one in my family shot a gun not even to hunt, until I started shooting! I learned by trial and error and met some amazing shooters who have helped me stay the course and understand the discipline of American Trap.

Since the Sub-Junior Singles Division started shooting 200 targets in 1979, no Illinois resident had broken all 200. I became the first to break a perfect score 200×200 in this division at the Illinois State Trap Shoot in Bunker Hill, Illinois, in 2009. This is the first year I really started competing for myself. I won a bunch of trophies that year and I was hooked! I was fortunate to meet Wes Lang at the Grand American and my life changed by leaps and bounds as I was picked up to be sponsored by Caesar Guerini. My first gun I shot for them was a Caesar Guerini Summit Trap Combo Top Single and my new gun is a Caesar Guerini Summit Impact with a custom Wenig Stock.

I live in rural America and come from a farming background our family grows white corn for Frito-Lay, soybeans and wheat. Our farm runs all Case-IH equipment for planting and harvesting of the crops. We also have a cow calf operation and have online club calf sales in the fall. On a farm you have to drive a truck, which my Mom refers to as my “Girlfriend” as I’m always putting another trinket on my 2007 Dodge 4×4 Cummins diesel. Needless to say I don’t practice much because there’s always work to be done on the farm. I practice when I’m on the line shooting in a competition that’s how it’s always been for me! I have been a part of both the All-American Team and the Illinois State Team and have represented the State of Illinois in the Champion of Champions two times at the Grand American. This year I received the ATA Certificate of Achievement for achieving 25,000 singles target attainment level and the ATA Certificate of Achievement on attaining the AA-27-AA award in Singles, Handicap and Doubles.

Through my shooting abilities I’m on a full scholarship at Southeastern Illinois College in Harrisburg, Illinois, studying Shooting Complex and Game and Wildlife Management. My goal is to obtain my ATA Grand Slam and remain on the All-American and Illinois State Team for as long as I’m blessed with the opportunity to shoot. I’m really looking forward to my internship with Caesar Guerini in May of 2014. I can’t wait until I can give back too them what have given to me endless opportunities to succeed.

Discipline: American Trap
Years Shooting: ATA Competitive 2009 – Present

Accomplishments:
All-American Sub-Junior First Team 2010
All-American Junior First Team 2011
All-American Junior Second Team 2012
Three Consecutive Years – Illinois State Team
TwentyplusGrand American Trophies
2011 Grand American Doubles Championship – Junior Champion 99×100
Twenty plus Satellite Grand Trophies
Fifteen plus ATA Central Zone Trophies
Twenty plus Illinois State Shoot Trophies
Sub-Junior Singles Championship 200×200
Junior Singles Championship 199×200
One Hundred plus Non-Resident Shoot Trophies
2013 Kentucky State Shoot Non-Resident High Over All Champion 976×1000
First Sub-Junior State of Illinois to break 200×200 in 2009
Fifty plus Single Targets scores 100×100
Four Single Target scores 200×200
ATA Certificate of Achievement 25,000 Singles target attainment level – July 2013
ATA Certificate of Achievement on attaining the AA-27AA award in 2013

What Model do you use? Caesar Guerini Summit Impact
What Modifications? Custom Wenig Stock

What do you like about your Caesar Guerini?
My Guerini and I are one! Since my folks helped me afford the Wenig stock its custom fit to my body and yes, I’m a big country boy who shoots over 100,000 plus registered targets a year. My Guerini and I get a workout, but I never feel like I’ve been beat up when I come in off the line after shooting all day. My Caesar Guerini Summit Impact has no recoil and shoots like a champ, but more than the gun itself, is the service I receive from Caesar Guerini and their staff. I have yet to see another gun company with the passion and expertise that Caesar Guerini provides for their customers. All these things combined make breaking targets a lot easier because of my top of the line shotgun.

How has it improved your Shooting?
I got punched to the 27 yard line really fast and it wasn’t until I received my first gun from Caesar Guerini which helped me maintain my 27 yard status. The gun I had before my sponsorship the barrel was too short for me being back so far. I truly believe that I would not have all these accomplishments if I did not shoot a Caesar Guerini shotgun. Sure it takes skill, focus, determination and a competitive spirit, but without a shotgun you can’t break a target and for me there is only one gun company I would recommend for outstanding service and a competitive edge invest in a Caesar Guerini you’ll be glad you did!