TEAM ECHO
KYLE HOGAN
Kyle Hogan is a firearms enthusiast whose passion for guns evolved into a professional career in the firearms industry. What began as a deep personal interest in firearm design, mechanics, and shooting sports eventually led Kyle to pursue work on the manufacturing side of the industry, where he gained firsthand experience with the engineering and production of modern firearms.
Kyle went on to become a licensed firearms dealer and manufacturer. Kyle owns Cherokee Custom Coatings/ Native Company Arms. Now Kyle will put his talents to the test and go for the 10k and the title of American Hotshot.
REMINGTON MONTGOMERY
As a former NRA and CCDW instructor, I’ve built my background on a foundation of technical marksmanship and safety. I maintain a high-volume training schedule on my own range, shooting almost daily to stay proficient across multiple platforms, including handguns, shotguns, rifles, and recurve bows.
I have sought out diverse training environments to round out my skillset, including participation in IDPA matches, shoot house repetitions, and low-light NVG coursework. My training is focused on the core requirements of any shooting challenge: speed, distance, and precision. I believe the combination of an instructor’s technical mindset and the discipline of daily, multi-platform reps gives me the adaptability and steady performance needed to compete at a high level for American Hotshots.
JAMES DAVIS
James is a confident, articulate young Second Amendment advocate and co-creator of *The 2A Boys*, a youth-driven platform dedicated to promoting firearms safety, responsibility, and constitutional awareness. He was first exposed to firearms at a very early age and began serious, structured training at 13 under the guidance of experienced military veterans, shaping his disciplined and safety-first mindset.
He combines hands-on firearms knowledge with a mature, level-headed approach well beyond his years, making him both relatable to younger audiences and credible with seasoned shooters. Comfortable on camera and in high-pressure situations, James brings a natural competitive spirit, strong discipline, and a mission-focused mindset.
He represents the next generation of responsible gun owners—committed to safety, education, and preserving American freedoms
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IG: @the2aboys
YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@The2ABoys
BRAXTON MONTGOMERY
I have been in law enforcement for over a decade. During that time I have been on local SWAT team for nearly 8 years with 7 of those years being assigned to the sniper team. Before that, I got into competitive shooting while attending the University of Kentucky. I attended shotgun matches across the country before getting into the world of 3 gun and then handgun matches. I shot handgun on a club team at UK where I was on the squad that won the the inaugural Scholastic Pistol Program Collegiate National Championship.
CODY SOLCUM
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Cody is also a descendant of Frank P. Slocum, inventor of the 19th-century Slocum Side-Loading Revolver, continuing a family legacy defined by innovation and practical performance.Cody Slocum is a competitive marksman and gunsmith from rural Mississippi whose shooting philosophy is simple: a firearm only matters if it performs when the shot counts.
He has proven his abilities in national-level competition through the GunMakers Match, a unique event where competitors must design, build, and compete with their own firearms under live-fire conditions. Competing against experienced builders and shooters, he placed second in subsequent matches.
His competitive mindset was further demonstrated when he won a televised gun-building competition, then rebuilt and refined the winning rifle himself before returning it to national competition — proving his confidence not only as a builder, but as a shooter willing to stake results on his own work.
On camera, Cody brings a grounded, blue-collar authenticity paired with analytical focus — a competitor who stays calm, adapts quickly, and lets results speak louder than words.
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Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/@SwampDogArmory
BILL MEISTER III
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I was taught to use firearms at a young age by my Opa (grandpa from Austria), with various calibers. We would shoot at his farm in Indiana. We would shoot bad apples out of the trees, or an occasional punk groundhog that was eating his garden up. I always bugged him to shoot with me any time I visited from out of town. At home, I was "too young" to own a BB gun after many requests for one, so I ended up figuring out a way to make projectiles fly out of glue stick caps and rubber gloves, yarn and sticks, paper and rubber bands, and somehow figured out a way to break a window with a tactically folded piece of paper. After Santa came to the rescue, and gave me a BB gun for Christmas, I ran through 10's of thousands of BB's that I sent down range in the woods or in my own in the backyard. I started running out of ammo, and I picked up another paper route in a neighborhood nearby and ran the tires off of my bicycle delivering papers to afford more stuff. Fast forward, when of age, I started buying "real" firearms, 22's, 9mm, etc, and whatever I could afford to practice. I had a gap in practice when I got into riding motorcycles, and worked my way up to racing various 600 and heavyweight twins supersport and superbike races in the southeast and Midwest regions when I was able to take away from work. I got bumped to expert and started doing national club races. Even through a few motorcycle injuries in my learning process, I stuck with it and was pretty successful, and found my way to winning 5 national amateur expert championships. I coached at a racetrack during this time for a out a decade. I now own a motorcycle dealership, and train new riders in Kentucky. I go shoot in my spare time at a local gun club that I'm a member of, and have practiced with AR platform, pistol and shotgun, among others. I don't consider myself an expert shooter by any means, and have never entered any formal competitions, but I absolutely still love to shoot. I made it a point to teach my children at a young age like my opa taught me. My son is now 15, and my daughter is 12. Both are great shots, especially for their ages.
I'd like to see what the competition is about, mostly just because I love to shoot. I would be honored to be included with what I'm sure will be some great guys that not only are talented, but experienced, and most importantly, good people. I've found that the firearms community is full of good people, similar to racing, and I'd be excited to be included in this challenge.
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TEAM ZULU
Chris Saunders
Growing up in rural Kentucky I always had an interest in shooting and hunting. After high school I joined the Marine Corps (2001) where I served as a Presidential Security Marine at Camp David for 18 months and the remainder of my enlistment as an Infantry Mortarman with 3rd BN 3rd MAR deploying to Afghanistan. I was able to qualify with multiple weapon systems from M16, Beretta M9, MP5, Benelli M1014 joint service shotgun and M249 SAW. I have also trained with Special Tactical Services out of Virginia Beach during that time. After the Marines I came back home and began a career in Law Enforcement where I have currently served for 17 years and had roles as a Field Training Officer, Bike Patrol Officer, Honor Guard and currently a School Resource Officer. I have also been a certified Firearms Instructor for the last 15 years. I look forward to meeting the other competitors and hope to learn some new tricks along the way.
I've been shooting since I was 6 years old. Guns were always a part of my life even before that. My grandfather would take the bolts out of old krag rifles and teach me how to clean them before I could even walk. My father has been a range master since I was born. He trained me with any weapon I could get my hands on. There was range days where I would go through 4 or 5 bricks of 22 shells. Don't even get me started on hunting I've had a passion for it my entire life being taken out while my father still had to carry a diaper bag. I've won a few local competitions with rifles shotguns and hand guns respectively and combined. My most impressive shot with witnesses was a trotting deer offhand and 550 yards with an 30-06 that rifle is my baby. I'm looking to truly challenge myself when it comes to shooting sports. I may not have the most "training" but I've taken advice from every old timer I've ever met and never been to proud to think I know it all
Kyle Wenzel
William " BILL" Mueller
Bill Mueller is a U.S. Navy submarine veteran. A lifelong enthusiast of firearms, Bill has a deep appreciation for their mechanics, history, and craftsmanship. Beyond his military training, he is self-taught in collecting, building, and tuning firearms — having built both rifles and handguns from scratch and fine-tuned them at the range.
Bill has shot in several local shooting competitions, winning a Ruger GP100. He holds multiple certifications in firearms proficiency. When he’s not competing, he enjoys passing on his knowledge by teaching his three young children about firearms safety, responsible use, and the fun of the sport, as well as exploring current and historic firearms together.
By day, Bill works as a custom cabinet maker, and in his spare time he helps lead the security team at his church. He loves taking his family outdoors and living by the principles that guide him: Faith and Family.
Thomas Woolery
I’ve been a competitive shooter since 2015 (IDPA, uspsa, 2/3 gun). I’ve been a firearms instructor (concealed carry, intro to competitive shooting, and one on one instruction/skill building). I have been a “gunsmith” since 2006 (custom builds, customization, repairs, cleaning, coating, etc). I feel confident with any weapon platform and enjoy friendly competition and meeting new people along the way.
MATTHEW KENNEDY
Matthew an Army Aviation Veteran and Practical Shooting Competitor. He served for 6 years as an RQ-7 UAV Operator, assigned to 10th SFG Support Battalion. Near the end of his military service, Matt began competing in Practical Shooting competitions and has completed 150 matches over the last 3 years. He is a Carry Optics and Limited Optics Master in USPSA, as well as a Practical 2-Gun Master in PCSL.Catch up with Matthew on Instagram: @Longshot_Matt
Matthew Angle
I spent fifteen years at MIT and Seven
at the Pentagon. For four years, my day job was building small-arms-related gadgets for SOCOM TALOS and the Army Next Generation Squad Weapons Programs. I Grew up hunting birds in Louisiana and I compete in the occasional local street challenge and IDPA/USPSA matches, as well as a yearly regional PRS match. I tend to buy guns that have some sort of interesting engineering aspect. My winter and summer vices are skiing and flying aerobatic aircraft