aving jumped into the sport of 3-Gun with both feet this year, I immersed myself with anything and everything I could get my hands on pertaining to 3-Gun. Books, magazine articles, DVDs, YouTube videos, online discussion forums – you name it. It didn’t take me long to hear about a podcast called The 3-Gun Show which is entirely produced by Dave Hartman:
Dave has been producing episodes of The 3-Gun Show for about 2 years and as of this writing, has over 90 episodes recorded – he manages to record an episode every single week. For a “one man show” the production quality of the episodes is quite high – it’s clearly something he takes great pride in making “right.” Dave is a 3-Gun competitor himself, so he brings a unique and compelling perspective – 1/2 half professional podcaster, 1/2 3-Gunner looking to improve and expand his knowledge. The episodes are amazingly entertaining, but I’ll get into that more below. First, let me tell you a little bit about why I’m writing this article.
If you know anything about the sport of 3-Gun, then you know the sport is comprised of some amazingly selfless individuals who help one another. When I was a “newbie” at my local club matches (in some regards, I still am) people really went out of their way to help me. Now I do the same when newbies show up to our local club matches – it’s all part of being in the 3 Gun community. The sport certainly is great fun, but it’s this community of 3-Gunners that keeps me coming back week after week. Dave Hartman and his 3-Gun Show is the embodiment of this community spirit – he’s clearly sacrificing a great deal to promote the sport through this medium.
Every week Dave has a different guest on the show – sometimes it’s a 3-Gun Pro, or an equipment manufacturer, or even a match promoter, but every guest is extremely relevant to the sport. Anyone who is anyone in the sport has been on the show – more than once in some cases. It’s no exaggeration to say that I haven’t found a single episode that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy and found beneficial, and yes I’ve listened to every episode in his library. Dave has a genuine passion for the sport of 3-Gun as well as for people which he infuses into every interview that he does. Has this podcast made me a better 3-Gunner? I believe it has, yes. Besides all the tips and good information I’ve gotten out of the show, Dave’s podcast feeds my passion for the sport – fuels the fire to improve and grow in the sport, which is extremely important. I recently finished in the top 5 at my local club match for the first time, and I think that the 3-Gun Show Podcast absolutely contributed to my growth this year.
If you’re into 3-Gun, this article isn’t really for you – chances are you’re already a subscriber to Dave’s show. This article isn’t even just for people who like guns, though anyone that does like guns will probably like the show – many episodes discuss guns and gear in great detail. In my mind, this article is for anyone who is in any way competitive. Because I truly believe that if you, the reader, are in any way competitive, you’ll want to give 3-Gun a try – even if you’ve never fired a gun. If you have a competitive spirit and you try 3-Gun just once, you will want to come back – the sport is that addictive. And there’s no better source of information to help get acclimated to the sport of 3-Gun than Dave’s podcast. If you are a 3-Gunner and you’re reading this article, then PLEASE forward it to a friend that isn’t a 3-Gunner and encourage them to listen to the 3-Gun Show podcast. I believe more than anything Dave Hartman wants to grow the sport of 3-Gun – I want that too. So let’s all us – you, me, and everyone else – forward this article to a friend that enjoys good competition, and let’s see if we can get some people hooked on Dave’s podcast and the sport.
I’ve spoken about the virtues of the 3-Gun Show which I feel make it worth anyone’s time to listen to (just visit 3gunshow.com for more information on how to listen – it’s free!) – it’s educational, entertaining, and at times even thought provoking. But I’ve got another personal and selfish reason for listening. In 2014 I lost one of my best friends in this world (I don’t have many) to cancer – Mike Zimmermann. Hardly a week goes by that I don’t think about Mike and his sparkling, upbeat personality – just listening to him talk made you want to smile. Dave Hartman’s voice and vocal mannerisms bear an uncanny resemblance to those of my late friend – right down to the California surfer boy sounding “oh for sure!” that Dave throws out at least 3 or 4 times an episode. The 3-Gun community is relatively small, so I think the chances are pretty good that I’ll have the opportunity meet Dave Hartman one day. I’d like to shake his hand and thank him for all the work he’s done to help the sport and all the value I’ve received from his efforts. But don’t be surprised Dave if I give you a big ‘ole bear hug too – I sure miss my buddy Mike.
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