Precision & Purpose: A Deep Dive with Sam Carlson of Thunder Beast | MDS Episode #0126

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.

 

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Modern Day Sniper
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Thunder Beast Arms Corp
Website – https://thunderbeastarms.com