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SPONSOR PROFILE - 1ShotGear - Alex Bourlakov

Andy Backus

Field Editor
Staff member
Joined
Dec 21, 2009
Messages
882
How long have you been in business, how did you get started, and who are some of the key members of your operation?
Business started online in 2009 for 1ShotGear. Through some unexpected events a passion turned into a career. Because Alex demands only the best gear when he goes out into the field, he naturally only sells the most premium products at 1ShotGear. A Moto of "sell what you use" has helped selectively choose what brands fill the shelves of 1ShotGear. All stuff members are die hard hunters who live and breathe the outdoors taking every chance we get to go hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, and snowmobiling. If it's any excuse to get into the mountains we do it.

Can you describe and give me a brief history of some of your hot products or services?
Our main product lines are Sitka Gear, Nightforce Scopes, Blaser Rifles, Sako TRG rifles and Berger Bullets. All are leading the industry in quality. Nightforce builds scopes out of the highest quality metals on earth to ensure true ruggedness and repeatability. Leaving nothing to chance these scopes are made to handle the harshest conditions and never lose their edge.
Blaser rifles make most bolt action rifles look prehistoric. With common sense engineering the Blaser R8 rifles is a modular system made to go from a .222 all the way to a .500 Jeffery by changing the barrel, bolt head, and magazine insert. This transformation is seamless taking only a few minutes. The straight-back action and the way the trigger group and detachable magazine have been combined make the R8 the most ergonomically easy-to-use rifles on the planet. These are only a few of the ground breaking traits that Blaser engineers into its rifles.
Though which bullet brand is the best will likely always be a subjective issue from out personal experience there is no bullet that preforms like the Berger Hunting Bullet. With a light jacket the hollow point penetrates 2-3 inches into the animal before dumping massive amounts of energy causing maximum damage. Dispersing 40%-90% of the energy of the bullet into the animal almost always means an instant death. No bullet gives you as much room for error in the field and the Berger Hunting Bullet.

What are some of your company's future goals?
Setting very large goals every year we push ourselves to get bigger and better and never to settle. We are extremely selective as to what we carry and put our name behind but when we find that special product we become on the biggest dealers in the country like we have with our Sitka Gear, Blaser Rifles, and Nightforce Scopes. Our goal every day is to ensure that like-minded hunters who demand only the highest quality gear can come into our store or call and have all of their questions answered. It can be hard to get the accurate information from big box stores; they have so many different products none of their staff really understands the ins and outs of each item. At 1ShotGear we are more focused on only the best so everything we carry we know very well or have personally used in the field.

What new products or services can we look forward to from your company in the future?

With multiple new brands that now call 1ShotGear home we have tons of amazing products to show our customers. Now one of the largest Blaser rifle dealers in the country we can help you find the right rifle whether you are interested in going on a Big 5 African tour to shooting in highly competitive long range matches. A new long range rifle from Blaser is coming out that gives long range shooters versatility in their rifle like they have never had before. Leica is also one of our new lines with the brand new 2013 Geovid 10x42 HD-B with User Ballistic Interface will be in stock in the next few months. Rivaling and potentially beating out competitor equivalents such as Swarovski these range finding binoculars are some the best to hit the market. As a new Beretta stocking dealer we carry Sako TRG 22 & TRG 42 rifles as well.

What is your opinion of the future of the long-range hunting and shooting industry?
Long Range hunting is one of the most exciting, fastest growing styles of hunting there is today. It is amazing the capabilities of modern rifles, optics and techniques to shooting farther. We believe long range hunting to be a great way to hunt but we also believe it is very important to be well practiced and experienced before taking long shots on live game. Good gear always helps with more difficult tasks like long range hunting but nothing can ever replace many hours of practice and experience. We are very excited to be a part of the long range hunting community and are proud to provide some of the best products for that application.

Tell me about your (or some of your team's) personal hunting style, location, species, etc.
We are all avid hunters in every technique from archery to long range. We chase game from Bighorn Sheep to Ducks in many of the western states. Our overall tactic in hunting is to work harder than the competition. If we have to walk multiple miles farther in order to be successful, than that is what we do. We never let the idea of a long walk with a heavy pack get in the way of harvesting an animal. Many will avoid rugged country because of how difficult the pack-out would be, those are the places we go directly too because we know how few other hunters are willing to put in that much effort. We see hunting as a full time hobby. Whether it is stalking a bugling bull or training in the off season to be ready for the long hard hikes up the mountain hunting is constantly on our mind. We always strive to grow and learn about everything we can. We know that you never stop learning especially when it comes to hunting.

What non-hunting and shooting hobbies or activities do you participate in?
We are all avid fishing and because most prime trout fishing in Colorado happens during the prime hunting seasons we end up doing a lot of ice fishing and many summer trips. Alex is a big skier and shares many trips with his family. Between that and snowmobiling we are always busy in the outdoors creating memories with our family and friends.

What hunts or other trips are on your bucket list?
Going to Alaska to chase everything from Moose to Grizzlies has always been a dream of the 1ShotGear team. Being able to take our gear to the roughest terrain on the planet and really push our limits would be a great learning experience. With great long range and archery hunting situations it would fit all of our passions in one while putting us against some of the toughest animals in North America. Spending more than two weeks out in the field is often underestimated. This will test even the most experienced hunters. Walking many miles up rough mountain sides 14 days straight, especially when there is a lack of game, can be very demanding mentally and physically. We would love to put ourselves in one of the hardest situations we can imagine to learn more about our own capabilities.

Tell me about your family.
The whole 1ShotGear team is a family. We all spend time with each other in and outside of work. Sharing hunting, fishing and camping trips every year helps us grow closer and become that much better in demanding situations. We are very competitive with one another but only to ensure that each of us are challenged in ways that will enable each of us to reach our greatest potential. We all have very different backgrounds in hunting and do our best to teach the other what we know while being humble enough to be opening to learning new things as well. Each of us is held to high standards because others can see us for our true potential. Having such a tight group to keep each of us motivated is key to help everyone focused and hungry for more. At the end of the day there is no family I would rather be a part of than the 1ShotGear family.
 
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