December 16 - 31 , 2016 PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY A23
DOWNRANGE with Dean Guzman
Jun Bagunu : 80 ’ s Revolver Champ
Downrange with DG hopes that you all had a great Christmas and that Santa left you some goodies for upcoming visits to the local shooting range , for your future hunting trips and other firearm-related hobbies .
We had “ Secret Santa ” going on at work , and I was so lucky to receive a nice DVC Ventures Indoor Shooting Centre gift card . I guess they know where I hang out when I have some free time . If you live in the Lower Mainland and want to experience pistol or rifle / shotgun shooting , visit this indoor range in Port Coquitlam ( vancouvergunrange . ca ). A friendly Filipino face is one of their range officers , look for Mo and he ’ ll certainly take care of you well . Check out their website for more info .
Our next Filipino- Canadian Shooting Superstar to be featured is none other than our personal friend , Jun Bagunu . I met him about a dozen years ago when my niece turned 18 and Jun and his wife Joy provided the best dancing music with their DJ service . The friendship continues to this day but somehow , in 2010 , we both discovered a common interest in the competitive pistol shooting sports called IPSC [ Int ’ l . Practical Shooting Confederation ]. Jun was very active in this sport for about a decade starting in 1981 . We proceed with this interview posing the same questions we gave Rojin Altares from Fort McMurray , Alberta in our previous issue .
Dean Guzman : At what age did you begin shooting ? And how did you end up getting into competitive shooting ?
Jun Bagunu : My interest in shooting started in 1981 when I bought some firearms mainly for hunting . At that time , I met a few
other filipinos who were into hunting and they introduced me to competitive shooting . One thing led to another and before I knew it , I was hooked and getting training and guidance from more experienced fellow shooters and more importantly , eighttime Canadian Champion Murray “ Doc ” Gardner . Somehow , my skills progressed rapidly and I was winning matches on a regular basis . That experience made me more entrenched in the sports . Throughout the 10- year period , IPSC became a big part of my life , participating in regular matches all over Canada including various Provincials and Nationals . One of the highlights of my shooting career was being part of the Canadian contingent who went to the 1988 IPSC Handgun World Shoot , aka the 8th Handgun World Shoot , held in Caracas , Venezuela .
DG : What ’ s your advice to people who ’ d like to start in this sport ?
JB : In order to succeed in this sport , here are my tips : try different guns before you buy your own , and once you do , find a good gunsmith who will help you maintain and tune your firearm . I was fortunate to have armorer , Joe Dlask during my time . And the main keys to becoming a good shooter are : safe techniques , proper grip and practice , lots and lots of practice !
DG : What have you learned in competitive shooting that you can most certainly apply in ‘ life ’?
JB : A good shooter has to be disciplined and dedicated to the sport , and in life , one has to have discipline , as well and also , be dedicated to whatever you ’ re doing . If you do or have both , then , success will follow you .
DG : When doing competitive shooting , what are
some pointers can you give to a beginner ?
JB : Even though the sport itself is competitive , it doesn ’ t mean you cannot enjoy the socials and camaraderie . So , learn from your fellow shooters , have fun during the matches and as I ’ ve mentioned earlier , try & get p r o f e s s i o n a l training from experts , with safety topmost in your mind , learn the proper grip and practice regularly .
DG : Briefly , please list down some your accomplishments to help inspire our readers and future shooting competitors :
JB : During my time as a competitive shooter , I was honoured to have won the following titles and matches : Top Revolver 1986 IPSC Nationals , Match Winner 1986 Squamish Police Championship , four-time B . C . ( Provincial ) Top Revolver , and at least 15 Revolver Matches around the province and Washington , USA : Prince George , Kamloops , Kelowna , Cranbrook , Vanderhoof , among others .
DG : Once again , thank you , Jun for spending time with us here at PNT / PST . For the benefit of our readers who also shoot , what was your competition gun ?
JB : Thank you to you and the ReyFort Media Group for giving me this opportunity and honour .
My competition firearm was a Smith & Wesson Revolver , 6-inch Model 586 . 357 Magnum ( made popular by Clint Eastwood in his Dirty Harry movies ) and I still have that gun to this day , although I am definitely thinking of getting a new one for the annual Elwin Fehr Memorial REVOLVER Match 2017 to be held in Chilliwack in late summer . I still use speedloaders and a leather holster to complete my match gear .
We wish you all the best in 2017 and may God bless you ! If you have comments and / or questions , please feel free to email us at dg @ dgphotography . net .
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