“It was pretty cool, I went over there going for top three in the world,” McDowell said.
“You have to have a perfect match to beat those guys but I know I’ve got it.”
McDowell was one of 35 competitors to shoot a perfect match but was let down on his shotgun recharges. Usually, about 150 competitors shoot a perfect match, highlighting the difficulty of this year’s competition.
The world champs requires competitors to memorise 12 courses of fire, with four stages a day with double pistols, a rifle and a side-by-side double-barrelled shotgun.
Each course can range from 13 to 17 seconds and the times are added together to reveal the final time.
McDowell was a prodigy sharpshooter when he was a teenager and won four NZ junior championships in a row.
McDowell is 12 years into his cowboy career but his enthusiasm for the sport is still there.
“What keeps me interested in it here is the people. We all go to the range and have a match but afterwards it is really social; it is another big family,” he said.
The Kiwi Rooster reckons it was easier when he was in school to practise and be available for competitions but, as an adult, he had to step back. However, he was keen to now put shooting first.
“I’m definitely changing my attitude towards that and making shooting the main purpose now because it is something I want to do and I’ve always wanted to be world champion so I’ll keep going for it,” he said.
McDowell said the support of his sponsors, such as Belmont Ammunition, Marton Christian Welfare, Kiwitch International and more, allowed him to keep competing.
“They are the ones that help me and get me over there to make the dream come true.”
McDowell said the sport was tough to fund but he would return to the US in 2026 for that “big buckle” first place.
“I’m going to go back until I win it, I know I can do it and a lot of people around me know I can do it as well,” he said.
