Great Basin Sporting Goods owners turn a love of the hunting and fishing into a business

By Lauren Brown
Burns Times-Herald

Not many people are lucky enough to turn a hobby into a day job, but that is exactly how Great Basin Sporting Goods in Hines came to be.

Owner Ron Redding was semi-retired after a career in construction. “I’ve been a builder all my life,” he said. When not working he often found himself on the Eastern side of the state. “I spent a lot of time in Harney County,” he said. Hunting and fishing are two of his passions.

Upon retiring, Redding decided he needed something to do, being a self-confessed type A personality. He came up with the idea of a sporting goods store to capitalize on his love of recreating in the great outdoors.

Redding, his wife, Katie, and Megan Davies run the sporting goods store out of the old Virgil’s building in Hines. The Reddings are currently leasing and have done some extensive remodeling to the interior and the exterior of the building over the course of 14 weeks.

Upon walking into the store one is greeted by the business’ mascot, Molly, a friendly golden retriever. Pine planks give the building a rustic feel. Sunlight streams in the new windows and a woodstove offers comforting warmth. While the Reddings are waiting until they attend trade shows after the first of the year to flesh out the sporting goods stock, the store’s main focus at this point is firearms. Guns line the walls, and Redding said he probably has about 350 in the store right now.

He also noted that the business features all phases of rebarreling. In addition to complete gunsmithing services, he will order parts and  and prides himself on offering custom trigger work. With the purchase of a gun the optics, mounting and bore sighting are free. He also specializes in varmint guns. Great Basin Sporting Goods buys, sells and consigns firearms. Redding said there is a good selection of ammunition, too.

The Reddings are no strangers to the firearm business. They are part owners of Guncrafters Firearms & More, a business located in Salem.

In years past in Harney County, Redding noted that there have been a plethora of gun stores. However, that is no longer the case. Redding believes he is offering a needed service. “Locals have been good about coming and telling me what their needs are,” he said. “When customers come in, I love to hear what they know.”

Burns and Hines are both such a hub for outdoor recreation and hunting, Redding said he wants to make sure his shop caters to all ages of men and women. He hopes to offer kids an opportunity to learn more about hunting. Also, knowing how many female hunters there are in Harney County, “we want to make sure we have guns that fit women,” he said.

In the future, Redding will work on adding a fishing department as well as camping gear to his inventory. Boots, footwear, gloves, hats and camo clothing will also be offered. “We’ll just keep adding sections until the walls burst,” he said.

On a side note, Redding said he has been a horseman all his life, and that’s something he will continue to do in Harney County. His roots lie in Lakeview. He is a descendent of Bill Cox. “I spent my youth in Lakeview having the devil beat out of me on horses,” he said.

Redding’s wife, Katie, said her husband is in his element running Great Basin Sporting Goods. “First and foremost, he loves this area,” she said.  Great Basin Sporting Good’s winter hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. They are closed on Monday.