If you care about rifleman-ship, this episode is about more than history. It’s about discipline, limits, ethics, and what happens when skill spreads faster than wisdom.

In this episode:

Why the “old world” of precision shooting felt earned (and why it’s gone)

How YouTube + gear + free ballistic charts created a new kind of risk

Ethical long-range hunting: capability vs. probability vs. consequence

“Flirt with your limitations” in training—stay inside your capabilities in the field

A real look at public land behavior, spectrum ethics, and cultural hunting differences

Jack Hinson: neutrality, occupation, loss, and the birth of a one-man war

Observation as the real foundation of sniping (the part people skip)

Fort Henry / Fort Donelson, Union occupation, guerrilla warfare, and fallout

The importance of primary sources, and why we recommend the book

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Caylen Wojcik sits down with competitive shooter, match director, and Thunder Beast Arms Corp shooter Sam Carlson for a long, thoughtful, and refreshingly transparent discussion about the places where precision rifle shooting, personal growth, trauma, ego, and self-awareness intersect.

What begins as an exploration of ayahuasca, psychedelics, and healing quickly unfolds into a powerful conversation about what it truly means to pursue mastery — not just behind the rifle, but in life.

Sam shares his journey from military service to addiction, recovery, and eventually finding structure, purpose, and accountability through long-range shooting. Caylen discusses the parallels between inner work and marksmanship: intention, presence, humility, and the willingness to face what’s really going on under the hood.

Together, they break down how shooting becomes a feedback loop for identity — revealing your mindset, exposing your blind spots, and sharpening your awareness one trigger press at a time.

The conversation evolves into an in-depth look at the competitive shooting world, match culture, mentorship, and how community becomes a stabilizing force for people rebuilding their lives or searching for their next mission.

From there, Caylen and Sam get technical: recoil science, gas flow, the development of the Thunder Beast Magnus suppressor line, how brake-integrated cans changed the game, spotting your own impacts in hunting, cartridge selection, barrel life, and why tracking your round count matters more than most shooters realize.

Sam also shares the origin of the Barrel Burner app, a tool he and Thunder Beast engineer Curtis developed to track barrel life, brass, components, suppressor maintenance, and overall rifle system data — born directly from real-world needs, not theory.

This is more than a rifle conversation. It’s a human one — about drive, discipline, intention, and the communities that help us stay grounded.

Whether you’re a competitor, hunter, student, instructor, or someone who just loves honest conversations about growth and performance, this episode will leave you thinking long after it’s over.

CONNECT WITH US

Modern Day Sniper
Website – https://www.moderndaysniper.com
MDS Club & Community – https://www.moderndayerifleman.com
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/ModernDaySniper
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Thunder Beast Arms Corp
Website – https://thunderbeastarms.com

Former Marine Scout Sniper and Instructor Owen Mulder joins Caylen Wojcik in the Modern Day Sniper studio for the first time — a conversation that dives deep into the art and science of reading the wind, training intuition, and performing under pressure.

From sniper school ranges to mountain hunts and competition stages, this episode connects the dots between brain science and bullet science — and shows why the best shooters aren’t just technicians… they’re artists with data.

In this episode
Owen’s return to Yakima and the evolution of Modern Day Sniper training grounds

Why wind was once the silent killer of qualification scores — and how better teaching solved it

The 4-step Wind Reading Blueprint: Range → Raw Wind → Working Wind → Apply the Hold

Mirage and perception: how your brain creates illusions (and how to train past them)

Building intuition that replaces math when your adrenaline is spiking

Movers & mountains: how to read compound angles and build visual acuity

Cognitive load, stress, and why the brain switches from thinking to feeling

Tools vs. technology: using Kestrels, Calypso, and wind arrays as teachers — not crutches

Preserving the legacy of the Marine Scout Sniper community for the next generation

Key Takeaway
Wind reading isn’t about guesswork or math — it’s about connection. Learn how to turn raw conditions into intuitive feedback that survives stress, time, and terrain.

“You don’t need more math under stress — you need intuition on demand.” — Owen Mulder

Resources & Links
🎯 Train Smarter with Modern Day Sniper: https://moderndaysniper.com
📘 Wind Reading Blueprint Masterclass: https://wind.moderndaysniper.com
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