Clay Breaker

When a target shatters in flight, the cloud of dust and countless clay shards it leaves have a tendency to blot out what went into making it happen. The timing. The coordination. The seamless union between shooter, gun, shell and target. People who do it well make it look easy, and there are few who make it look easier than USA Shooting team member Kayle Browning.

Her skills have already racked up a long resume of accomplishments, including two Pan American medals, a 2018 World Cup bronze medal, 2017 World Cup silver medal, 2016 National Championships silver medal and much more. She made her first Olympic Traveling Team at the age of just 15, and she qualified for the Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.

“It’s been a crazy ride,” she says. “I started competing in sporting clays when I was 8 years old. My dad, Tommy Browning, was a competitive shooter. He got me into it.”

The Pressure Is Real

An athlete who has competed at any level deals with pressure. And while pressure burns through some, it makes others rise to the occasion. Browning’s track record shows where she falls, and she says she owes her success to living in the moment.

“Learning to deal with the pressure has been a big learning curve for me,” she says. “I’ve talked with lots and lots of people, got their tips and then discovered what works best for me. Experience has helped. Mostly, though, I just try to stay in the moment. I really try to stay present and not worry about what’s going to happen in the future. As soon as you start worrying about or busting the next target, bad things will happen.”

Waterfowl Connection

When Browning isn’t shattering clays, she’s after ducks. Residing in Arkansas, the Duck Capital of the World, she has plenty of opportunities to pursue her waterfowl passion.

“I’m obsessed,” she says. “We have a pair of Labs and a couple of places to hunt—one in central Arkansas and another in Stuttgart, so we are always going after ducks—basically every morning of the season.”

With a waterfowl season that runs from October to February, it means taking time off from an intense training regimen, but that’s not how Browning sees it.

“I’m really not taking those months off. I’m not busting clays, but I’m shooting a lot of ducks,” she says.

Holds A Candle For Federal

Whether in the duck blind or in competition, Browning shoots Federal Ammunition, but she would like to see Federal jump into the candle business.

“I absolutely love the paper Federals,” Browning says, referring to Gold Medal Grand Paper. “They hit hard, and they smell fantastic. I really wish Federal would make a candle that smelled exactly like them.”