Today we’re talking about Mountain Sport Airguns. In fact we’re talking to “Mister Mountain Sport Airguns” himself – Dana Webb. We all watch his videos and love them. They’re a breath of fresh air in the YouTube airgun world.
But why is that and what’s the background that Dana brings to his work? To find out, I talked to him. Here’s how the conversation unfolded…
Stephen Archer: Dana, it’s clear from every video that you have a huge knowledge and understanding of the outdoors. How did you build that capability?
Dana Webb: Like most everyone, in the past I worked for a regular company. I had a long commute to work, It was a grind that I hated. So I always loved escaping to remote locations as often as I could. But now I am able to do it much more often.
Mostly I want to thank my wife Lindsey for her support. She encouraged me to spend my life doing what I really want – being outside making videos. That’s how I’ve been a full-time videographer for the past five years. The more time I spend out there, the more I learn…
My wife is my biggest supporter and helps with the website and many other aspects of what I do behind the scenes. Without her, these videos just would not happen!
Stephen Archer: You are expert at hunting with airguns, too. Not being a hunter myself, I’m always amazed at the shots you achieve.
Dana Webb: Well, I’ve been using airguns for the past 30 years for hunting – primarily as a survival tool. I try to convey what it’s like to hunt when you need to find food. I really enjoy cooking out in the field and plan to do more catch and cook videos.
I also include some target shooting in my videos as many viewers want to see that. But I try to balance the different types of shooting to make things interesting.
Stephen Archer: Tell us about what’s involved when you make a video?
Dana Webb: The big thing about my videos is that I’m always shooting in an uncontrolled environment. Often the lighting is limited, always there’s the simple restriction of the number of daylight hours available.
First I have to drive out to a remote location. Then everything needs to be set-up for filming. That alone can take up to half a day.
Naturally hunting itself is unpredictable, too. The animals don’t just appear “on cue”!
So it takes at least three days for me to shoot a video. Plus, first, there’s a lot of planning involved. Then the footage has to be edited – more time…
Sometimes my friend Terry travels with me. Then of course he helps with set-up. But basically, it’s all down to me.
Oh, there’s one other person I’d like to mention! In the early days, before I first started making videos full time, I had a huge amount of help from Claudio Flores – yes the two-time Extreme Benchrest winner. He really helped me understand how to make videos and how to do it creatively. Thanks Claudio!
Stephen Archer: You make really honest airgun reviews. How do you manage that in a world where so many YouTube airgun videos amount to nothing more than propaganda or “hot air”?
Dana Webb: You know Steve, I don’t consider myself to be a reviewer. I make videos about being outside and feature the tools I use at the time.
Sure, companies want to be part of this and to get exposure in my videos. That’s OK. But many YouTubers will do anything for views. I won’t.
I’ll use and highlight a company’s products, but the company is not purchasing my opinion. I’ve got to be honest – like you are with your Hard Air Magazine reviews.
Stephen Archer: Tell us about Marley…
Dana Webb: Marley has been with me on so many adventures. She’s even been to Extreme Benchrest!
She’s a wonderful dog. Like me, she loves nothing better than going out into the wilderness.
(Editor’s note. You can see how much Marley enjoys herself as she rushes enthusiastically downrange on her tiny legs every time to collect the prey that Dana has harvested!)
But she’s nine years old now. She’s getting old and I need to support her and not push her to do some of the things she could when younger. She still comes with me on most all my trips.
Stephen Archer: Tell us what your daughter Elizabeth thinks about the outdoors.
Dana Webb: She loves it! She’s three years old already and loves fishing, camping and hiking with me. I’m not sure if she totally understands what hunting fully involves yet, but she loves being on adventures with me and being involved in what I do.
I hope to involve Elizabeth more in videos in the future. I love having her along with me!
(Editor’s note: My absolute favorite moment in Dana’s videos is the heart-warming moment when Elizabeth emphatically says “I DID have fun!” after her father asks her if she’s enjoyed herself. It’s in the “Father-Daughter Airgun Squirrel Hunt Adventure” video).
Stephen Archer: How do people find Mountain Sport Airguns?
Dana Webb: The main location is my Mountain Sport Airguns YouTube Channel. Then I also have a “static” website for the non-video, written stuff I produce.
Plus, I have a second YouTube Channel – it’s called “Behind The Mountains”. This has more behind the scenes footage. It’s more of a raw, rough, uncut approach. It also covers some non-airgun-related content.
Stephen Archer: How do you see the future for Mountain Sport Airguns?
Dana Webb: Airguns will always be central to my videos, but there’s so much else to cover too.
If my viewers like a broader approach to wilderness survival, I can bring more of that to them over time.
My plan for the future is to include more content covering camping and other outdoor activities. But I’ll still be out there and I’m still going to be honest in everything I do!
Thanks to Dana for taking the time to talk! If – like me – you love his work, the best thing you can do is to subscribe to the Mountain Sport Airguns YouTube channel and watch his new videos as they appear.
The post Behind The Scenes With Mountain Sport Airguns appeared first on Hard Air Magazine.
