The secret of his success

András – in 2005, you had already won three world titles at the age of 18. Do you see yourself as a natural talent?

Some people say that, but I’m not sure if it’s true. I think, however, that it takes more than talent to be successful in the long term. But I am still proud today of my successes in 2005, especially the Compak world title. After all, I had started in the Juniors category and then went into the shoot-off with the best shooters in the open class due to my good results. And I won it.

What was the most important factor for your success?

I think the foundation was that my dad helped and supported me with my rifle shooting very early on. I used to go hunting with him when I was little and so of course I enjoyed handling a rifle. That made it much easier for me to take on the challenges involved in a competition.

You must have been really quite nervous during those competitions. How did you handle that?

I know no one believes me, but I never got nervous. I usually didn’t even practice before competitions. I thought – what can happen, really, I am doing this just for fun. Many of the other participants had a very different take on it. They went through additional training units and retreated before the competition to enhance their concentration. For me, on the other hand, it was more like a funfair where I had nothing to lose.

“To be successful, you have to stay calm even during competitions. We are doing this for fun – what have you got to lose?”

Are you still that cool today?

Actually, I am, although of course there are certain expectations at international competitions that I have to meet. So I have to make sure that I stay calm and relaxed. At last year’s FITASC Compak World Championship in South Africa I didn’t quite manage that and ended up making a blunder in the end and I “only” came second. I am sure that was down to nerves. At the 2022 Asia Compak Championship in Thailand, on the other hand, I stayed as calm as ever and ended up winning.

All of your many titles in the past years were achieved with the Blaser F3. What made you choose this rifle?

I started rifle shooting early on due to my hunting background. My first hunting rifle was relatively slim and well balanced, so I was immediately fascinated by the F3 later on. In contrast to the models from other manufacturers that sometimes seem a little bulky, the F3 was a perfect fit for me straight away. It also has the best trigger I know. That is another advantage that should not be underestimated.

“Unfortunately, there is quite a critical attitude towards rifle hunting today in some places. That is why we should do everything we can to be as good at our trade as possible.”

What is your advice for budding rifle shooters?

I always say: Get help from a good shooting instructor straight away, otherwise you will be making the same mistakes all your life and you will be annoyed. Unfortunately only very few hunters regularly do sporting clays, probably because many people feel overwhelmed by it. That applies to beginners as much as to experienced hunters, by the way. But it is actually so easy to significantly improve your shooting skills during a few hours of training with professional instruction. And afterwards, people really enjoy sporting clays, I have seen that happen many times.

We also shouldn’t forget that there is quite a critical attitude to rifle hunting in some countries today. We as hunters should at least be able to present ourselves as experienced professionals. Unfortunately, training for hunters in this area is often less than ideal. So we have to voluntarily do a lot more to avoid this situation turning into a boomerang.