Patrick Flanigan – World Exhibition Shooting Records and More
Editor’s Note: Patrick Flanigan, a native of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, holds nine world records for exhibition shooting. He's been shooting exhibitions for 15 years and has traveled the world shooting exhibitions for the last 12 years. But Flanigan’s more than an exhibition shooter – he’s an Xtreme Sports shooter. This year he’ll be putting on shows in Europe, Peru and all across the U.S. Each year he participates in 60 to 75 live exhibitions. “I try not to try to impress people with my shooting,” Flanigan says. “I 
want to entertain them.” Flanigan’s show starts with some modern rock music, explosions and fireworks. Then he entertains people shooting shotguns, rifles and revolvers. Flanigan is one of the newest members of the Mossy Oak team. When he's not traveling the world producing shows, he's an avid waterfowl hunter and upland bird hunter. His favorite pattern to wear is Mossy Oak Shadow Grass Blades. He believes that Mossy Oak Shadow Grass Blades can’t be beat for waterfowling or upland bird hunting and explains, “I've worn Mossy Oak camouflage my entire life. I really feel fortunate to be a part of Mossy Oak’s national Pro Staff.”
Although in my shows I shoot shotguns, rifles and pistols, I started off building my reputation shooting a shotgun faster and more accurately than anyone else in history. I've been labeled as the fastest shotgun shooter in the world. I hold the world record title for 12 rounds shot in 1.42 seconds. My clay target-breaking record from the shoulder is throwing 11 clay targets up in the air and breaking each one of them before it hits the ground with the shotgun on my shoulder. That’s a world record. Too, I've thrown 9 clay targets in the air before and broken them all in the air shooting a semi-automatic shotgun from my hip. My world record with a pump shotgun from the hip is throwing 7 clay targets up and breaking each one before it hits the ground. I also hold the world’s record for throwing 7 clay targets up and breaking each of them before it hits the ground with one hand from my hip using a semi-automatic shotgun.
For Xtreme sports shooting, I shoot a .22 rifle. I’ll throw three paint balls up in the air and bust all three balls with separate bullets before they hit the ground. The next shot, I’ll throw three aspirins in the air and break each of the three aspirins with one shot each. I also like to demonstrate the accuracy of a .22 rifle at long distances. I’ll put an aspirin on a board at 200 yards and then shoot the aspirin with the .22. I like to do my rifle shooting exhibitions with a .22, because it’s the rifle most young hunters start off shooting. I want to entertain and educate young hunters as well as older hunters with what shotguns, rifles and revolvers can do, if you practice with them.
To learn more about Patrick Flanigan and to see him perform some of his incredible shots, go to his YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/xtremeshooter or his webpage at www.patrickflanigan.com.
