Ep. 181: "The Old Version of Yourself Has to Die" | Josh Botha

Josh Botha showed up to his first precision rifle match with a blind-magazine .204 Ruger and no idea what he was doing. A decade later, he's a four-time Team Canada World Championship competitor, senior designer at MDT (Modular Driven Technologies), founder of the BC Precision Rifle League, and the man behind North Star Precision Training.In this episode, Josh shares his journey from South Africa to England to BC, how archery led him into the precision rifle world, what it's really like inside MDT's culture, and the massive news about MDT acquiring Lone Peak Arms. We dig into the mental game of competitive shooting, the NRL Hunter format, wind reading, barriers to entry for new PRS shooters, the role of faith in business and life, and why one person stepping up can change everything.🎁 This month we're giving away a SAI Mini Red Dot to an active Outpost listener - Silvercore Club members, activate the Outpost in your member portal to enter!🔗 Connect with Josh:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jbotha_/  North Star Precision Training: [email protected] and https://www.instagram.com/northstarprecision/ BC Precision Rifle League: https://www.instagram.com/bcprecisionrifle/MDT Sporting Goods: https://www.instagram.com/mdttac21/Optics - https://armament.com/ Ammo - https://www.norma-ammunition.com/ _____Silvercore Club - https://www.silvercore.ca/club Online Training - https://www.silvercore.ca/course/category Other Training & Services - https://www.silvercore.ca/course/category Merchandise - https://www.silvercore.ca/collections/all-merchandise Blog Page - https://www.silvercore.ca/blog Host Instagram - @Bader.Trav https://www.instagram.com/bader.travSilvercore Instagram - @SilvercoreOutdoors https://www.instagram.com/silvercoreoutdoors____Timestamps:0:00 Intro & SAI Mini Red Dot Giveaway1:30 Meet Josh Botha: Competitive Shooter & MDT Designer2:16 Knocking Over Josh's Rifle at a PRS Match4:24 Growing Up in South Africa & Moving to England7:00 Family Moves to Canada: Landing on Canada Day 20068:33 BC as the Best of South Africa and England Combined10:00 From BCIT Mechanical Engineering to "Pretensioneer"11:55 MDT's People-First Culture and Hiring Philosophy13:16 MDT's Origin Story: From Rooster33 to Martin's Vision14:28 MDT Acquires Lone Peak Arms: What It Means16:50 Passion vs. Career: Drawing the Line18:48 How Archery Led Josh Into Precision Rifle21:00 First PRS Match: A .204 Ruger and No Idea22:00 The BC Sniper Match & Why the PRS Community Is Different27:00 PRS Attracts "Weird Gear Math Nerds" — And That's Great28:00 The Mental Game: Almost All of It Is Mental Now29:13 Conscious Competence to Subconscious Mastery30:06 Wind Reading: The Great Equalizer30:50 Barriers to Entry: Cost, Fear & PRS .22 Matches33:50 Launching North Star Precision Training37:00 Training Venues & The BC Long Range Problem38:00 Biggest Mistakes New Precision Rifle Shooters Make39:27 Dealing with Match Pressure & First-Stage Jitters41:00 NRL Hunter: The Most Fun Match Format Explained46:00 Gear vs. Skill: LRF Binos, Tripods & Weight Limits48:03 MDT's Content & Media Strategy: Becoming a Media Company52:00 Education as Marketing: Magpul, Glock & MDT54:50 AI in the Firearms Industry: Spanish & French YouTube Channels57:37 Suppressors: Will MDT Get In the Game?59:00 Fighting for Suppressor Legalization in Canada1:02:49 The Power of One Person to Create Change1:07:55 Leveraging Mentors & Asking for Help1:08:46 Faith at MDT: A Quiet But Real Foundation1:11:05 Josh's Faith Journey & Losing His Mom1:13:29 A Transformative Six Months: Growth Through Trials1:16:27 What's Next: 4th World Championship & Rimfire in Lithuania1:19:00 Building a World Championship Rimfire Rig1:20:14 Product Design: When "Done" Meets "Perfect"1:23:21 MDT's Most Popular Products (Magazines & Chamber Flags)1:24:38 CAPRA: The Canadian Precision Rifle Association Board1:26:39 Addressing Conflict of Interest Criticism1:30:28 Growth of PRS in Canada: From 75 Members to National Teams1:32:12 Where to Find Josh & Final Thoughts