Powell Repeats as Champion at NWTF Turkey Shoot

Brandon Powell of Comer, Ga., repeated as the champion at the NWTF’s 19th annual Turkey Shoot after battling stiff competition as well as wind, rain and record low temperatures.

Powell hit 193 targets – a two target improvement from his winning score in 2012 – to win the main event, a two-day, 200-target competition. Bill McGuire of Charleston, Tenn., finished second, breaking 191 sporting clays.

“I always love coming down here,” said the 27-year-old Powell, after claiming his second consecutive Turkey Shoot main event title. “I come out here to have fun; I think having fun has to come first.  If you are worried about just winning instead of having fun you are going to shoot terrible.”

More than 500 participants, including many of the nation’s top shooters, competed for $100,000 in cash and prizes. Plus, more than 100 guns were given away.

The 2013 Turkey Shoot had a record number of youth participants, including 18 youth shooting teams.  Through a partnership with the Scholastic Shooting Trust, the NWTF provided $5,000 endowments to all the youth shooting teams that participated in the Turkey Shoot.   Additional endowments were awarded for the top placing youth shooting teams.  Scholastic Clay Target Program of Central Georgia was awarded $5,000 for finishing in first place, Rocky Knoll Shooting Club received $3,500 for a second place finish and Etowah Valley Sporting Clays received $2,500 for finishing third.

“We are excited about the opportunity to host 18 youth shooting teams, and even more excited that we were able to help fund those teams,” said Rhett Simmons, NWTF director of special events. “The endowments will support these teams for years to come.”

The NWTF and the Scholastic Shooting Trust awarded a total of $101,000 in endowments at Turkey Shoot to help youth shooting teams fund their shooting activities.

Sporting clays, which many describe as golf with a shotgun, is a form of shooting sports in which clay targets are thrown at different speeds, distances and trajectories to simulate a range of hunting scenarios.

Photos of the winners, shooting action and the challenging weather conditions are available online.

Shooting events are designed for all ages and skill levels. Winners of the shooting events, arranged by class, were:

National Sporting Clays Association Division

Main event, 200-target event
High overall, Brandon Powell – Comer, Ga.
Runner-up, Bill McGuire – Charleston, Tenn.
Master, Kevin DeMichiel – Macon, Ga.
AA, Perry Royal – Griffin, Ga.
A, Tommy Bourn – Homer, La.
B, David Beard – Calhoun, Ga.
C, Chad Pullen – Acworth, Ga.
D, Aaron Sims – Locust Grove, Ga.
E, Tommy Shaw – Dallas, Ga.

5-stand event
High overall, Bill McGuire – Charleston, Tenn.
Runner-up, Brandon Powell, Comer, Ga.
Master, Brandon Powell – Comer, Ga.
AA, Chris Cantrell – Fort Mill, S.C.
A, Jeffery Mitchell – Statesboro, Ga.
B, Wesley Hobbs – Cochran, Ga.
C, Landon Messer – Boston, Ga.
D, Jacob Whitaker – Brooklet, Ga.
E, Jon Wynn – Pavo, Ga.

12-gauge preliminary
High overall, Randy Ryan – Boston, Ga.
Runner–up, Brandon Powell – Comer, Ga.
AA, Chris Cantrell – Fort Will, S.C.
A, Seth Woodall – Sylvania, Ga.
B, Hugh Smith – Toccoa, Ga.
C, Boria Condrey – Baconton, Ga.
D, Daniel Smart –Savannah, Ga.
E, Robert Womack – Pavo, Ga.

20-gauge: Master class, Randy Ryan – Boston, Ga.
28-gauge: Master class, Jeff Vick – Northport, Al.
.410: Master class, Jeff Vick – Northport, Al.
Pump event: Master class, Dwayne Hardee – Starke, Fla.

Side-by-side event: Master class, Charles Boswell – Sylvania, Ga.

Hunter Division

Main event: Barry Zuckerman – Roswell, Ga.
5-stand event: Tim McKinney – Ninety Six, S.C.
12-gauge preliminary: Lanny Griffin – Wartrace, Tenn.
20-gauge: Jeff Davis – Sylvania, Ga.
28-gauge: Barry Zuckerman – Roswell, Ga.
.410: Jeff Davis – Sylvania, Ga.
Pump event: Kasey Hemingway –Crittenden, Ky.

National Wild Turkey Federation

The National Wild Turkey Federation is the leader in upland wildlife habitat conservation in North America. The NWTF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving the wild turkey and preserving our hunting heritage.

Through dynamic partnerships with state, federal and provincial wildlife agencies, the NWTF and its members have helped restore wild turkey populations throughout North America, spending more than $331 million to conserve nearly 16 million acres of habitat. Wild turkeys and hundreds of other species of upland wildlife, including quail, deer, grouse, pheasant and songbirds, benefit from this improved habitat.

The NWTF also brings new conservationists and hunters into the fold through outdoor education events and its Women in the Outdoors, Wheelin' Sportsmen, JAKES and Xtreme JAKES youth outreach programs. Our dedicated NWTF volunteers introduce about 100,000 people to the outdoors through these programs every year.

Founded in 1973, the NWTF is headquartered in Edgefield, S.C., and has local chapters in every state and Canada. According to many state and federal agencies, the restoration of the wild turkey is arguably the greatest conservation success story in North America's wildlife history.