PETROLIA — How accurate a trapshooter is Brandon Deal?

At the Grand American last year in Sparta, Ill., he hit 99 of 100 targets during one stretch — and lowered his season average.

“He averaged 99.17 for the season,” his father, Alan Deal, said. “He just doesn't miss.”

Deal, 33, of Petrolia has won the singles high average award in Pennsylvania trapshooting four of the past five years.

His achievements in the sport are many:

Deal has won the state championship the past two years.

He won the 119th World Trapshooting Championship in August of last year, beating out 200 competitors and outlasting everyone in surviving a 17-way tie to claim the title.

He won the World Clay Target Championship Class AAA title in Sparta last season and claimed fourth-place overall.

He has qualified for the Pa. state team eight consecutive years.

Deal won the Class AAA class at the 2018 Grand American in Sparta, but fell short of winning the overall crown.

“I missed a couple of shots. It happens,” Deal said.

Not too often with this guy.

Deal has been involved in trapshooting since age 9, when his father introduced him to the sport. Alan Deal has been a trapshooter for 40 years.

“I was always interested and wanted to do it,” Deal said. “It's turned into something my dad and I have done together for years.

“We still go to shoots together.”

The father-son duo are teammates on the Butler squad in the Butler County Trapshooting League.They've won father-son championships in Pennsylvania and West Virginia twice.

“Brandon wasn't able to compete at the Grand American this year,” his father said. “He went to Africa on a safari and didn't have enough vacation time left to go out (to Illinois).”

Deal has a federal government job in Boyers and builds up his vacation time to compete in trapshooting events outside of the area.

He said there are tournaments somewhere virtually every weekend.

“If my father and I can make it, we go, usually somewhere in Pennsylvania, Ohio or West Virginia,” he said. “There's a magazine that lists them all.”

Deal said his trapshooting ability blossomed after he took a two-day class at the Moraine Gun Club when he was 14. Skilled shooters Nora Martin and Jimmy Pearson taught the class.

“That's when I picked up on the fundamentals,” he said. “My stance, sighting the gun, things like that.”

Deal said he rarely practices his shooting. That comes while competing in local leagues.

“The Butler County league is on Wednesdays and I'm in another smaller league on Thursdays,” he said. “Those lead right into the weekend stuff.

“What I love about this sport is that it promotes family. There are father-son tournaments, brothers, brother-sister, etc. You go to a big shoot and you see little kids shooting, people in their 90's or in wheelchairs ... This is a lifetime activity.”

And Deal still has goals in mind.

“I want to compete in a (trapshooting) tournament in all 50 states. I'd like to win the overall Grand American ... There's always something to shoot for,” he said.