Among Giants - The 2025 NASTI Sniper Competition at Hat Creek Training

The North American Sniper Team Invitational (NASTI) is an invitational match held every two years at Hat Creek Training by owners Bryan and Misty Morgan. It is known as the most difficult and grueling sniper competition in the world, comprised of 24 teams of our military’s elite. No faces shown. No identities known.

I’ll share more about the NASTI, what it is, and what the match entails, but first, I want to explain what Hat Creek Training is, who Bryan and Misty Morgan are, and expand on the incredible community of high-caliber people they have created.

Bryan and Misty bought their home in the mountains of Pollock, Idaho, in 2017, and that same year Hat Creek Training was opened with the purpose of instruction in high-angle, long-range shooting, precision carbines, pistols, and advanced mobility training. They have undoubtedly built a world-class training venue for our American warfighters on the foundation of family values and patriotism.

Their instructors are all hand-selected and come from various training backgrounds with over 100+ years of combined military experience. From Special Operations roles to hostage rescue, reconnaissance operations, and much more–we could write an entire book on the experiences and dynamic abilities of these incredible people alone. An example is Matty Nelson - a former Green Beret with a decade in Special Forces, the Director of Business Development at Seekins Precision, and one of the main instructors at Hat Creek Training. 

Bryan is widely known and accepted as one of the best, if not the best, long-range shooting experts in the world. As humble as he is, he would never say those words himself, but thousands of elite snipers and marksmen would say it for him. His wife, Misty, manages Hat Creek Training and makes the entire operation work seamlessly with a heroic amount of organization, planning, and an unmatched level of hospitality. They quite literally open up their home to attendees, and together, Bryan and Misty have made, and continue to make, a huge impact on the lives of everyone lucky enough to go to this special place.

Now that you've got a sense of the type of people who own, operate, and attend Hat Creek Training, I’ll delve more into the North American Sniper Team Invitational. It takes place at their facility in the Seven Devils Mountain Range, spanning more than 5,000 acres of steep, treacherous terrain. There are roughly 1,000 targets (humanoids, IPSCs, circles, movers, etc) throughout the entire property, some of which are dropped by means of a helicopter.

The competitors are all operational and are at the highest level in their respective fields anywhere in the world, period. I can’t emphasize that message enough, and I want to put that into perspective–they are the tip of the spear, and the things they go out and do literally change the history of the world.

The 24 teams of two shooters (48 competitors total) are snipers from all military branches, and they participate in a grueling test over four days with various day stages, night stages, and pistol stages to determine the winning pair. Each stage has many different positions with different targets that they must find, range, and engage. They also have to navigate to each position. Oftentimes, this means ascending or descending 1,000-2,000 vertical feet with all of their gear, while being chased down by other teams. Think NRL Hunter, but constantly being pushed to the extreme limits of both conditions and human capability.

Teams are met with a variety of cross-canyon long-range shots with 35-degree angles, extremely difficult shooting positions, and both horizontal and vertical wind speeds of upwards of 60 miles per hour. This competition is remarkably demanding and is specifically designed to push their limits in every aspect–mental, physical, and even the performance of critical gear. Failure at the NASTI is inevitable, and it’s designed that way. In fact, the winners are not the ones who succeed the most; they're the ones who fail the least.

The competitors do not know their day’s mission until right before start time, when they are given a booklet of how many targets they must engage at each position of the stage. Throughout the week, nobody knows who is winning or what the scores are until the very end of the competition. So, you would think tensions would be high at the end of the day, but it was the exact opposite. Instead, it was a prime example of true camaraderie and professionalism.

Even during multiple days of intense competition, each meal felt like a family reunion with genuine care, respect, and a sense of community that was special to be part of. Every one of these competitors has earned the right to brag, yet they remain humble. No ego–just authentic, respectful, and quality human beings willing to help the person next to them. This Hat Creek community truly feels like one big family.

I’m grateful for the week I spent at Hat Creek Training with the most elite snipers in the world in some of the most challenging environments imaginable. I saw every stage and shooting position, and I was absolutely humbled by their levels of physical ability, mental toughness, skill, calm communication, and effective teamwork.

Generally speaking, you hear the word "teamwork" thrown around a lot, but seeing how these teams are able to communicate in high-stress situations was truly eye-opening. The visual and verbal queues they give one another, the constant forward thinking, and the purpose-driven movements make you realize how incredibly proficient and in sync they are.

These are levels of performance that the majority of people on the planet will likely never be able to get anywhere close to, but it really did inspire me to sharpen myself in every category. Will I ever make it to the level of these competitors? Not a chance. But I would bet that I will be a better person in the pursuit of my own improvement. After all, the pursuit of improvement through challenge is how we all grow, at our own rates.

I’m looking forward to my next visit to Hat Creek Training, and I’m glad there are places like this, run by people like Bryan and Misty, for the people who protect our freedoms.

To learn more about Hat Creek Training, visit Hatcreektraining.com