Starting with air rifles and working his way through rimfire and centerfire at a young age, Matt quickly became a lover of bolt-action rifles and hunting. While never harvesting any game  in the early years, shooting and hunting dominated Matt’s life in a big way. At 18 he went to the Marine Corps where his passion for shooting continued to expand. Now having the chance to shoot at distances that are not capable of being reached on any range on long island, Matt’s marksmanship continued to develop. Once in the fleet Matt got the chance to go to the Coaches course and become a Marine marksmanship coach. Helping Marines qualify involved shooting from ranges of 200,300, and 500 yards in multiple positions. In addition to this qualification course, Matt also participated in the coaching of combat shooting techniques. Returning stateside with the newfound joy of helping other excel at the skill of shooting, Matt became a range safety officer at a range on Long Island. Today he applies his experience for Meopta Sport Optics as their Tactical Product Specialist.

Matt Parente can be found in his spare time on the firing line of a local range or out in the field hunting as well as learning new ways to further the sport and himself. Learning something new everyday is his secret to staying fresh and never getting bored.