I was born in Butler 80 years ago. In my teens I was a junior NRA member and was on a small Bore team sponsored by Pullman Standard. A lot of good riflemen came out of western PA. Looks like not much has changed.
Been that way for a long time. Further back than either one of us go.
During the American Revolution the Pennsylvania rifleman was a prized asset to the Colonial army.
During the battle of Gettysburg, 34,000+ members of the Army of the Potomac were Pennsylvanians, including 14 Union Generals at the battle. That was over 1/3 of Meade's (also a Pennsylvanian) army.