Hailing from the state of Texas, up-and-coming junior 3-Gun shooter Ashlynne Thomas is the newest member of Team Benelli.
The 16-year-old Thomas began shooting at the age of nine after receiving her first gun, a .22 LR rimfire rifle, sparking a passion for the shooting sports. “The first day at the range,” she explained, “I knew there was something about shooting that made me happy.”
Since that time, Thomas has broadened her skills, expanding to the AR-15 rifle and pistols, eventually adding shotguns into the mix. Primarily competing in the 3-Gun Tac Ops division, Thomas says the venerable Benelli M2 is her shotgun of choice. (The Benelli M2 is one of the most popular shotguns for 3-Gun and other tactical-style competitions.) In addition to 3-Gun competition, she participates in USPSA, IDPA and Steel Challenge events. Thomas garnered impressive finishes last year at several top competitions, including the Nordic Tri-Gun, Zombies in the Heartland, Texas Magpul 3-Gun, Superstition Mountain Mystery 3-Gun and A Girl and A Gun Fall Fest.
“Three-Gun is a challenging yet exceedingly rewarding discipline that is enticing to young shooters and provides them with an on-ramp to further specialize in the shooting sports,” said Tim Joseph, Vice President of Benelli USA Brand Marketing. “Ashlynne is a perfect representation of the next-generation competitive shooter and no doubt she will, through her social following and media exposure, inspire more youth and young adults to pick up the shooting sports for recreation and perhaps even competitive careers.”
To learn more about Team Benelli, go to benelliusa.com.
