“Marksmanship has taught me to never believe in good enough": Sgt. Jon Wiedell of the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit (USAMU) lives by this statement, constantly striving for improvement. 21-year-old Wiedell hails from Minnesota. His competitive shooting career started when he was 12 years old, but he fired his first firearm around age 8.
Now a national champion action shooter, it was Wiedell’s father who got him interested in marksmanship. “My father is the reason that I started competing. He and I would shoot our local pistol league together every Thursday night with a group of local friends. He started shooting 3-Gun before I did, and all I wanted to do after seeing him compete in those matches is join him. I shot my first 3-Gun match in 2016 and I’ve been trying to improve every day since.”
Wiedell cut his teeth in the Tac-Ops division before transitioning to Open. In his words, “I realized shooting as fast as possible is the most enjoyable way to compete in 3-Gun.” Though he has primarily competed in 3-Gun competitions, Wiedell has also shot some small PRS matches and USPSA matches. This year, he will be competing in action shotgun matches in the Open Division with the goal of making the World Team.
When he was old enough to join the Army, Sgt. 1st Class Joel Turner, Team Chief of the USAMU Action Shooting Team, invited Wiedell to join the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit. Wiedell joined the Army in August of 2021 as an 11C indirect fire infantryman. He graduated one station unit training (OSUT) in February 2022 and has been competing at the Home of Champions ever since.
Over the past nine years Wiedell has claimed a number of championships, several back to back. He was the 2022 and 2023 USPSA Multigun Open Champion and took top honors in the Vortex Shootout, Duskin Memorial 3-Gun Match, and Jeff Kirkwold Memorial Match in both 2023 and 2024. The year 2023 was incredible for Wiedell. In addition to the above, he won the Magpul Texas 3-Gun Championship, Memorial 3-Gun Match, and Generation 3-Gun Match.
As an action shooter, Wiedell competes with three platforms: a 2011 pistol, competition AR-15, and VEPR-style competition shotgun. All of these guns are built and maintained by the USAMU Custom Firearms Shop. With the addition of a quality belt setup and quality optics, Wiedell is free to focus on skill development, knowing his gear will perform. Looking towards the future, he is always striving for improvement, seeking to advance his skills as an instructor and further his personal education.
“Don’t be scared to be the new guy,” is Wiedell’s advice to new shooters. “Just show up, be kind and respectful, ask for help when help is needed, and don’t try to be the best shooter on the range when you are just starting. People will help you along the way. Keep an open mind and try to learn something from everyone.”
Considering all of his match wins, Wiedell still cites his greatest accomplishment is being hired at the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit. The USAMU strives to push to the limits of what is possible and to be the best. Wiedell’s perspective on marksmanship directly aligns with this philosophy.
“The reason why I continue to love competing is because it’s proves every day you’re not good enough. There is always something you can improve at and there is always someone working towards capitalizing on the deficiencies in your game,” Wiedell said.
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