Meet Your Business: Precision Hunting Supply offers equipment, classes

Prior to opening Precision Hunting Supply in Mesa, Paul Bourgeois worked 25 years in the fire service, including as the fire chief at Superstition Fire and Medical District in Apache Junction and Gold Canyon. He started guiding big-game hunters full-time and decided to sell the hunting equipment he was using.

The business offers private lessons, long-range shooting schools, carries a complete line of customized production rifles that have been “accurized” into long-range capable hunting systems, and all the accessories one would need when long-range hunting.

He works closely with numerous nonprofit wildlife conservation organizations such as the Arizona Mule Deer Organization, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Safari Club International, the Mogollon Sporting Association and the Mule Deer Foundation.

Name: Paul Bourgeois

Age: 53

Occupation: Owner: Precision Hunting Supply

Hometown: Waterford, New York

Family: Wife and three adult boys

When did you first decide to open Precision Hunting Supply and why?: Following a 25-year career in the fire service I started guiding big-game hunters full-time. I was helping clients successfully harvest game on a reoccurring basis, mostly using my long-range rifle system. Without fail, my clients were always wanting to buy my rifle from me after their successful hunt because of its accuracy and ease of use, so I decided to begin selling the same hunting equipment I was using.

What does Precision Hunting Supply offer?: We specialize in hunting rifles capable of harvesting game at extended ranges. We create long-range “systems’ where we marry the rifle and optic together, thereby creating a rifle and optic that is fast and super easy to use all the while being supremely accurate at longer distances.

We offer private lessons, long-range shooting schools and we carry a complete line of customized production rifles that have been “accurized” into long-range capable hunting systems. We also carry all the accessories one would need to accompany them when long-range hunting.

Where is Precision Hunting Supply? What are your hours? What is your website?: PHS is located at 1058 N. Higley Road Suite No. 108 in Mesa. We’re open during normal business hours Tuesday through Saturday, closed Sundays and Mondays. Our website is precisionhuntingsupply.com

Your website states Precision Hunting Supply started as Best of the West Arizona — or BOTWAZ — in 2019. Why the name change? When did you open the brick-and-mortar store?: We opened our brick and mortar retail store in August 2023. The new store and new name started a rebranding campaign as our original business name, Best Of The West Arizona, was affiliated with a vendor/partner of ours, so we decided to transition to a more original name.

What is something many people don’t know about you?: My partner Brett and I are lifelong hunters, we are also licensed hunting guides and we often tag along with our customers on their hunts. When you become a customer of ours you join our family and as cliche as that sounds, it’s simply the truth. Our customers become our friends and we are always there to help train them, offer assistance and answer questions long after that initial purchase. We love to teach and train hunters and we enjoy helping our students transform into lethal hunting machines.

What’s one thing you want people to know about you?: We want people to know that we are your resource for all things long-range shooting/hunting. We have developed an expertise in this discipline over many years in the field and we have so many loyal customers who’s lives have been transformed by virtue of trusting us and allowing us to set them up with the best and easiest long-range hunting systems on the market today. We offer long-range schools, private lessons, accurizer services for your rifle and we carry a complete line of customized systems in the store and on the website. We offer long-range hunting systems to meet most any budget and we simply love helping people succeed.

How are you involved in the local community?: We work very closely with numerous nonprofit wildlife conservation organizations such as the Arizona Mule Deer Organization (AZMDO), the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF), Safari Club International (SCI) , the Mogollon Sporting Association (MSA), the Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) and so much more.

What is your most quirky talent?: I have a band, if that’s quirky, but it’s my escape from reality and I love it. I’m the lead singer and rhythm guitar. We play southern and classic rock and outlaw country. We gig around the valley in the winter and rim country in the summer. The band is called “Pilgrims Rider.” You can find us on Facebook and Instagram