Paid vs Sponsored vs independent reviewers i.e. YouTubers focus

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I watch the reviews of products I am interested in and try to sift thru the bull. We almost have to rely on the reviews because the products are not available to touch, hold and shoot. It’s a shame that guys who are interested in the sport will embellish a product for their profit or their second of fame. The only other way we can learn about products we can’t touch or try is by listening to the common members of these forums. Some are shy posting their opinions because of getting blasted by others. 
 
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I watch the reviews of products I am interested in and try to sift thru the bull. We almost have to rely on the reviews because the products are not available to touch, hold and shoot. It’s a shame that guys who are interested in the sport will embellish a product for their profit or their second of fame. The only other way we can learn about products we can’t touch or try is by listening to the common members of these forums. Some are shy posting their opinions because of getting blasted by others.
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REALLY?
 
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Personally I could care less if people buy anything I review, I get paid to go out and show my experience with a product. I've had my share of crap that I sent back as it was personally a waste of my time to review. The reality is every single gun on the market today has at least one flaw, it's my job to find those and report on it. Being honest about those flaws in the end helps build a better product. Plenty of channels have bought subscribers so they can leverage companies into free poop and paid reviews. I won't mention names but we have a few of these fakes floating around spewing bullpoop. A few companies I refuse to work with due to lack of what I call business ethics. Creating quality films does take time and money to produce so a set cost has to be extracted somehow. I personally would love to be able to fund everything on my own but that's just not possible without sponsorship for now. 
 
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Most of my reviews on YT are on stuffs I have paid cold hard cash for. Have gotten a couple small ticket items given for review free. I’m expecting a big, loaner ticket item soon. All my reviews are honest. I have a review coming up that is brutally honest. I am extremely biased. If a product I have used has served me very well, yet the other has been bad, I WILL be biased towards the one that has served me well. 
*Of the professional reviewers, what you may never know & be able to tell are the ones that will accept a product, use it, realize is crap, & refuse to review it based on that. I will respect the ones that get a hold of a free gun or whatever & tell everyone that it utterly sucks. 
 
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Don’t let that cute, twerking K9 fool y’all! She is easy as Apple Pie! All female & not to be trusted!! 
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Interesting thread! I can’t really add anything except that another test of sincerity is if you actually meet those reviewers in person one day and find out that they are right prat’s!

I have been in the service industry for over 20 years so I know how to suck it up and swallow pride to service customers, who may be right or wrong, as people deserve respect when paying for goods or services, especially ones that come with a warranty.

If a persons private persona is toxic but the camera persona is gracious we may have a bull****er. If that person can’t use google to work out exchange rates or fair market values based on local duties and taxes we have a salesman who wants to rip the ring out of you!

I particularly like the good old boys who ride the wave and expect you to be in awe of them because they have a YT channel. There is always someone with more knowledge than yourself, never forget that others may have walked in your shoes but chosen not to brag about it.
 
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100% agree. @crosman999 aka Dana is definitely trust worthy!!! Marley though I am sure she is a diva off camera ;) 

Well, like I said this was more of a thread to get off my mind based off some back and forth “stuff” (I am trying to be as neutral as possible) and the trigger to post it was the latest media blitz for a new product. Thus why I broke down the tiers as I did.

If i was going to recommend an outdoor clothing brand for sure it would be Patagonia because I know how it lasts and the company behind it IS there for their customers if something goes wrong with the product. And if I have a legitimate failure of a product, and the manufacture / vender / retailer blows me off and says deal with it, or buy the upgrade I don’t have a problem voicing my opinion.

If someone “sponsored” or is part of the company / dealer / vender / distributor says, you can’t say that about that product because of blah blah blah, we I can because I paid for the thing with my own cash, and as long as I say everything that is true, then I can. 
 
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I agree with the four tier evaluation. The bad part is that to know the difference the viewer needs to have some knowledge about the sport. It’s kind of like cold weather clothing. If you live and work somewhere with cold weather you know what keeps you warm, doesn’t cause excessive sweat and lets you move. But if you live somewhere hot and are going someplace cold and watch some online clothing reviewers and buy something they recommend you will probably not have what you need when you get to the cold. But someone that spends a little time each year in the cold knows enough to question what the reviewer says and recommends. Air guns reviews are the same. If you have some knowledge you can soon determine what tier the reviewer is and then evaluate what they say and their motivation to say it. I watch most reviews for entertainment and to pick up tips or use their test as a shortcut.
 
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I agree with the four tier evaluation. The bad part is that to know the difference the viewer needs to have some knowledge about the sport. It’s kind of like cold weather clothing. If you live and work somewhere with cold weather you know what keeps you warm, doesn’t cause excessive sweat and lets you move. But if you live somewhere hot and are going someplace cold and watch some online clothing reviewers and buy something they recommend you will probably not have what you need when you get to the cold. But someone that spends a little time each year in the cold knows enough to question what the reviewer says and recommends. Air guns reviews are the same. If you have some knowledge you can soon determine what tier the reviewer is and then evaluate what they say and their motivation to say it. I watch most reviews for entertainment and to pick up tips or use their test as a shortcut.
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I love this, very well stated and like the comparison of the hot to cold weather. It reminds me of my friend Luke who runs the Outdoor Gear Review channel. He's not sponsored and in fact has so much pull with his reviews that he's a direct reason for so much change in outdoor product industry. His reviews have in fact forced companies to improve products as well as making them more affordable.
 
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Dana, I’ll start off by saying I like your reviews and videos a lot, they’re honest, real and entertaining. What I don’t like are the videos that never show misses, just consistent 150yd hit after hit, 20 in a row. Videos that show 10 shot group after group that are 1/2”-1” at 150yds and every gun they touch is “perfect” right out of the box! I’m exaggerating of course, but you get the point. I don’t buy it for a second but the problem is that so many do and then are pissed when the $2000 gun they bought is no where as accurate or nice, or the $800 scope isn’t clear. Unfortunately, many don’t have a clue and these videos do them a disservice. I’ve seen it happen so many times with air guns, slugs, scopes, liners, etc... It’s a bummer when newbies get taken or have totally unrealistic expectations! 

Stoti
 
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Okay, I will call out one product hailed as "universally accurate" in every gun they try, this is the FX Hybrid slugs. (maybe not fair to say universally friendly, but this is implied.) Also, FX Hybrids cost a "fortune" compared to some other slugs on the market, so the implied should be there with the price.

What I would LOVE to see is a real brand to brand comparison and see how truly accurate the Hybrids are in the different brands. I.e. Edgun / FX / Taipan / Kalibgrun / Daystate & Brocock and so on. The Hybrids are supposed to friendly for pellet designed barrels, or barrels leaning that way, and so no slug barrels allowed in testing. Or any ammunition.

There could be say one of the "big YouTuber names" and I mean this in plural, get together and compare some major brands in say two of the most common calibers, and longest the Hybrids have been around for, .22 cal and 25 cal. Each brand will have a couple of different models for each caliber. And do different Tier guns. Budget to "elite".

Each "brand youtuber" could keep each other honest for the review and no cherry picking groups. Each gun gets 5x10 shot groups at 25, 50, 75 and 100 yards. The guns have to be out of the box new and not customized for the Hybrids. Each company gets 3 models two chosen by them and one chosen by an opposing group, and how groups are paired is chosen randomly. Also, each group gets to shoot the other group's guns.

I can go on and on about the testing model I started above, but it would be interesting to see if companies are brave enough to do side by side comparisons. Everyone watching over over everyone else's should will keep things "honest". Yeah I am probably off base, but it would be interesting to see, IMHO.
 
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