Modern Day Sniper Podcast

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In this episode, Caylen Wojcik sits down with Dr. David Bach — Harvard-trained physician and neuroscientist, serial entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of Optios, a neuro-technology company built on over $350M in DARPA-funded research into elite human performance. Dr. Bach breaks down the neuroscience of what's actually happening in the brains of expert marksmen versus novices — why the expert's execution is almost entirely automatic, why the novice's head is full of noise, and what that means for how shooters should think about training, flinch response, and the conscious versus unconscious mind. He unpacks neuroplasticity, the flow state, and why trusting your training rather than consciously managing your shot process is the scientific — not philosophical — path to peak performance.
Caylen and Dr. Bach dig into the pre-shot routine, "quiet eye," wobble management, and how the proprioceptive system works in your favor when you stop chasing the reticle. They explore the neuroscience behind visualization — why Lanny Basham mentally winning the Olympics 100,000 times wasn't mysticism but measurable brain training — and what deliberate practice actually means versus just putting rounds downrange. The conversation closes on the role of pre-shot timing consistency, why incorporating a stage timer will make you worse before it makes you better, and why that discomfort is exactly the point. MDS Club members can catch the continuation of this conversation in the exclusive Fireside Chat episode.
🔗 Dr. David Bach / Optios
 ⚡️ Website: https://optios.ai/
⚡️ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-bach-md-0b81b29/
Modern Day Sniper
 ⚡ Website: https://www.moderndaysniper.com/
⚡ Training & Events (Register Here): https://www.moderndaysniper.com/events
⚡ Modern Day Rifleman (Online Training): https://www.moderndayrifleman.com/spaces/16202640/page
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 ⚡ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moderndaysniper/
⚡ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MODERNDAYSNIPER
⚡ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moderndaysniper
⚡ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/modern-day-sniper

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In this episode, Caylen Wojcik sits down with Ryan Bertrand—founder of Longtucky Supply and seasoned product developer with a background spanning product design, precision rifle competition, and backcountry hunting. They trace Ryan's path from identifying real pain points on the range and in the field to building a binocular pouch and fanny pack from a kitchen-counter paper prototype, growing a small brand inside a tight-knit precision rifle community, and learning hard lessons in inventory management, social media, and small business along the way.
Caylen and Ryan dig into the crossover between military sniper kit and backcountry hunting gear, the philosophy that good gear should enhance your ability to do the job—not dictate it—and the importance of listening to what people complain about to identify the problems worth solving. Then, the cat's out of the bag: Modern Day Sniper is acquiring Longtucky Supply, integrating its designs into future MDS gear projects built for competitors, hunters, and warfighters alike—with a vinyl harness, fanny pack, and split-front chest harness just the beginning of what's coming. Longtucky customers can expect to hear from the MDS team soon.
Modern Day Sniper
 ⚡ Website: https://www.moderndaysniper.com/
⚡ Training & Events (Register Here): https://www.moderndaysniper.com/events
⚡ Modern Day Rifleman (Online Training): https://www.moderndayrifleman.com/spaces/16202640/page
Follow Us
 ⚡ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moderndaysniper/
⚡ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MODERNDAYSNIPER
⚡ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moderndaysniper
⚡ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/modern-day-sniper

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In this episode, Caylen Wojcik sits down with Frank Green of Bartlein Barrels—one of the premier precision barrel manufacturers in the country and a lifelong shooter with roots in high power rifle competition dating back to the late 1980s. Frank traces his path from competitive shooting and gunsmithing to co-founding Bartlein Barrels in 2004, where the team brought single-point cut rifling into the modern era with CNC-controlled precision. This is the first installment of a multi-episode series, and Frank breaks down the fundamentals every shooter should understand about how barrels are made—covering cut rifling, button rifling, hammer forging, and broach cutting—and why no shortcut in barrel manufacturing goes unpunished.
Caylen and Frank dig into the details that matter most for long-range precision: residual stress in barrel blanks, what to look for as your barrel ages, the truth about cold bore shots, and how heat, mirage, and optical illusions can shift your point of impact by several minutes of angle without you ever touching the gun. Frank also walks through his personal cleaning protocol—what products to use, what to avoid, and why using a brush with abrasive compounds is one of the fastest ways to ruin an otherwise excellent barrel. Members of the MDS Club can also catch Frank in the exclusive Fireside Chat episode, where he takes direct questions from the community.
🔗 Frank Green / Bartlein Barrels
 ⚡️ Website: https://www.bartleinbarrels.com/
⚡️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bartleinbarrelsinc/
Modern Day Sniper
 ⚡ Website: https://www.moderndaysniper.com/
⚡ Training & Events (Register Here): https://www.moderndaysniper.com/events
⚡ Modern Day Rifleman (Online Training): https://www.moderndayrifleman.com/spaces/16202640/page
Follow Us
 ⚡ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moderndaysniper/
⚡ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MODERNDAYSNIPER
⚡ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moderndaysniper
⚡ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/modern-day-sniper

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In this episode, Caylen Wojcik sits down in Choteau, Montana with Nick Gebhart—PRS Tac division national champion, Dustoff Black Hawk pilot, founder of ScopeChaps / CanChaps, and reticle designer for Zero Compromise Optic. They trace Nick’s path from small‑town Montana and self‑taught .308 reloader to deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq, and into the optics industry with Kahles and ZCO. Nick shares how aviation, checklists, and mental management (inspired by Lanny Basham) shaped his approach to precision rifle shooting, match prep, and time management on and off the range.

Caylen and Nick dig into the mental game vs. technical skill, the difference between training and practice, and why shooting Tac/.308 can fast‑track fundamentals like recoil management and wind reading. Nick breaks down the origin story of ScopeChaps and CanChaps, his reticle design philosophy at ZCO, and his run to the PRS Tac National Championship at the Geissele finale—including how a high‑profile cheating scandal unfolded in real time.

🔗 Nick Gebhardt
⚡️Scope Chaps: https://www.scopechaps.com/

Modern Day Sniper
⚡Website: https://www.moderndaysniper.com/
⚡Training & Events (Register Here): https://www.moderndaysniper.com/events
⚡Modern Day Rifleman (Online Training): https://www.moderndayrifleman.com/spaces/16202640/page

Follow Us
⚡Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moderndaysniper/
⚡YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MODERNDAYSNIPER
⚡Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moderndaysniper
⚡LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/modern-day-sniper

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This episode is a true fireside conversation—recorded in the field during a multi-day training evolution while the MDS Team is in Arizona. Caylen is joined by Juan Ospina, Chris Lajczok, and Rafael De Hoya—three Marines from the Modern Day Sniper mentorship team—for an unfiltered discussion on identity, hardship, and what it actually means to do hard things.

The conversation moves beyond rifles and ballistics and into the deeper layers of performance—land navigation as a metaphor for life, the internal “voice” that makes people quit, and the reality of mentorship versus gatekeeping in high-level training environments. They unpack what it means to get off course, how people lose themselves after leaving the military, and why discomfort, adversity, and self-awareness are non-negotiable for growth.

This is a raw look at the transition from operator to mentor, the responsibility that comes with leading others, and the balance between discipline and guidance. It’s not about tactics—it’s about the mindset behind them.

Modern Day Sniper
⚡Website: https://www.moderndaysniper.com/
⚡Training & Events (Register Here): https://www.moderndaysniper.com/events
⚡Modern Day Rifleman (Online Training): https://www.moderndayrifleman.com/spaces/16202640/page