A passion
for hunting began a journey that would lead all the way to a three consecutive
National Titles and a two-time member of the USA Sporting Clay Team. Dalton Kirchhoefer’s shooting journey began
with an 8-year-old boy constantly pestering his father to take him pheasant
hunting.
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| Dalton after pheasant hunting with his dog Jessie in Indiana 2011 |
After trips walking in the field with his father and carrying the
birds weren’t enough to quench his thirst at age 10, his dad finally relented
on one condition. Dalton had to go down
to the local range and demonstrate he could be safe and responsible first.
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| Dalton and his dad goose hunting in Arkansas 2012 |
Almost as fate were leading the way, at the
local range Dalton met local pro and MEC Outdoors sponsored shooter Bob
Self. Figuring it’s always best to learn
the proper techniques, his father signed him up for a lesson. Being the first time Dalton had ever fired a
shotgun, the goal was just to learn the proper stance and other basic
techniques involved in sporting clay shooting.
This is where fate took over, during the first lesson after breaking 37
out of the first 42 targets over 4 stations, Bob Self turned and ask his father
“He’s really never shot a shotgun before?”.
Bob went on to comment that he sees around 100 kids each year and is
really impressed with maybe 2, of which Dalton would be one.
Shortly
thereafter, Bob invited Dalton to join the local SCTP team he coached. In
addition to being his coach a bond developed between the two of them that has
only gotten stronger in the 9 years since. A few months later Dalton won his
first State Sporting Clays Rookie Competition.
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| Dalton and Bob Self June 2011 |
Later that year he would go on to finish in the top 6 at the SCTP
Nationals. Over the next 6 years this 6th place would prove to be
his lowest finish in the 7 years competing at the SCTP Nationals. While experiencing instant success, Dalton
was focused on climbing the mountain from finishing near the top to finishing
at the top. After two years of honing
his skills with a 20-gauge O/U, he moved up to a 12-gauge Caesar Guerini Summit
Ascent. With Bob’s help the 70-pound
young boy learned to master the heavier and longer gun and the following year,
Dalton stood upon the top of the podium receiving his first National Title.
That same
year, Dalton and his family moved to Colorado where with Bob Self’s help, he
hooked up with his next coach, Jon Kruger.
Dalton continued to thrive under Jon’s tutelage, winning 2 more
consecutive National Titles, the final one winning the Varsity Title in his
first year of eligibility as well as beating the entire field over 900 hundred
competitors including college shooters as well with rounds of 98 & 97
earning him HOA. During his time in Colorado,
Dalton was invited to shoot at the Olympic Training Center where he met and
trained with famed USA Olympic Coach Lloyd Woodhouse focusing on Olympic Double
Trap and Bunker Trap.
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| Dalton with Olympic Coach Lloyd Woodhouse June 2013 |
Once double trap
was dropped from the Olympics, Dalton turned his focus full time to NSCA
Sporting Clays with the goal of being the Captain of the Sub-Junior All
American Team. It was with a huge smile later
that a year Dalton returned to the Olympic Training Center and Lloyd Woodhouse
wearing his Caesar Guerini ProStaff vest with 3 Sub Junior All-American Captain
Patches proudly displayed on the back.
That same
year one of the more special moments in Dalton’s career occurred. With targets set by Jon Kruger and Bob Self
shooting in his group, Dalton won the Colorado State Sporting Clay Championship
Overall title at the age of 16 becoming the youngest champion in Colorado
history by over 15 years. In addition to
the state title, Dalton also was HOA and HAA that year. Continuing what was a truly successful year,
Dalton tied for 5th overall in 5-Stand at the World English in San
Antonio.
Along the
way, Dalton has been fortunate to make some key partnerships with Caesar
Guerini as a ProStaff shooter for over 5 years which involved upgrading his gun
a couple years ago to the Caesar Guerini Invictus Ascent as well as becoming a
MEC Outdoors Sponsored Shooter.
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| 2018 Rocky Mountain Classic: Simon Hurley (MEC), Bob Self, Dalton and Any Perkins (MEC) |
The
versatility of these top-notch companies and the products they make has been a
key element in Dalton’s continued development.
At his new home in Wyoming, Dalton now has the ability to leverage 7 MEC
300E series machines (4 Standards, battue, Chandelle and 70MM) combined with
the elevation changes of the mountains, so there isn’t a target that Dalton
doesn’t have the capability to throw and practice. It is his passion and drive to be the best
that pushes Dalton in practice (at times along his development shooting the
same target 250 straight times until what was a weakness become a
strength).
The ultimate
accomplishment happened in 2019 when Dalton earned a spot on the NSCA USA
Sporting Clay Junior Team. The moment
brought back the memory of a 14-year-old boy at the Olympic Training Center,
seeing shooters with Red, White and Blue USA vests walking by, asking his
father if he could buy him one. Lloyd
Woodhouse even said they sold replicas nearby, but his father said no (to
Dalton’s dismay), saying you can’t buy those colors, they can only be
earned. While Dalton didn’t have a smile
on his face upon hearing his father’s words, Lloyd sure did. Four years later, upon earning that Red,
White and Blue USA vest there were smiles all around (mom, dad and Dalton).
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| Dalton 2019 Team USA |
Dalton soon
will be completing his sophomore year at the University of Wyoming, Majoring in
Petroleum Engineering, and earned a position on the 2020 USA Sporting Clay Junior Team.
When not
shooting, Dalton likes to hunt, fish, hike, camp, and ski which the stunningly
beautiful state of Wyoming provides ample opportunity for all.
Disciplines: Sporting Clays, FITASC, 5-Stand,
Super Sporting, and International Bunker Trap. Years Shooting: Dalton has been shooting for 9 years. NSCA
Junior; Master Class
Recent Accomplishments:
2020 USA
Sporting Clays Junior Team
2019
USA Sporting Clays Junior Team
2019 NSCA Junior All-American Teams:
Krieghoff 1st Team; Perazzi 12 Gauge 1st
Team; Blaser FITASC 1st Team
2019 NSCA Open All-American Teams:
Briley 20 Gauge 2nd Team
Krieghoff 1st Team; 12 Gauge 1st Team;
Blaser FITASC 1st Team; Briley 28 Gauge 2nd Team
2018 NSCA Open All-American Teams:
Briley 20 Gauge 3rd Team
2018 MEC Rocky Mountain Classic
Main Event HOA
2017 NSCA Sub Junior All-American Teams:
Krieghoff 1st Team Captain; 12 Gauge 1st
Team Captain; Blaser 12 Gauge FITASC 1st Team; Briley 28 Gauge 1st
Team
2016 NSCA Sub Junior All-American Teams: Sporting Clays Team;
Sporting Clays 28 Gauge Team; FITASC 12 Gauge Team;
Sporting Clays 12 Gauge Team
Sporting Clays 28 Gauge Team; FITASC 12 Gauge Team;
Sporting Clays 12 Gauge Team
High Over All (HOA), & High All Around (HAA) Champion
(Youngest in Colorado History)
Sub Jr CH: Pre-Lim, Main, 5-Stand, Super Sporting, 20 ga; 28 ga; 410.
2015 Colorado State Sub Junior Champion:
Pre-Lim; Main; 5-Stand; Super Sporting; 28 ga, 410 ga, & 12 ga
2014 Colorado State Sub Junior Champion:
Pre-Lim; Main; FITASC; 5 stand; 20 ga, 28 ga, & 12 ga Sub Courses
2013
NSCA Colorado State Sub Junior and Class Champion:
Main Event & 12 gauge sub
2016 – Varsity/Sporting Clay HOA
2015 – Junior Varsity
2014 – Intermediate Advanced
SCTP/NRA All-Scholastic Team Member
2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
Magazine Articles
Local Heroes by Dana Farrell
Clay Target Nation; November 2016.
Shooter Profile by Jarrod Spilger
2018
PSCA Tour Member
2018 NSCA Junior All-American Teams:
2018 NSCA Wyoming State Sporting Clay Champion
2016 NSCA CHAMPIONSHIP TOUR Sub Junior CHAMPION
2016 NSCA Colorado State Main Event
Champion,
2015 K-Kup Sub Junior Champion at NSCA
National Championship
2014 NSCA All-Region Team, West Region
2013 NSCA Colorado All-State Team
3-Time SCTP Sporting Clay National
Champion
Clay Shooting USA; January – February 2018
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