Sourced from Dubois County Free Press
Brent Weisheit figured he would follow in his father’s footsteps and work in the family business the rest of his life. However, the damage construction work and military service had done to his knees in addition to his passion for hunting and shooting led him to open a new gun store in Jasper.
The store, Weisheit Guns and Gear at 3510 North Newton Street, caters to the gun enthusiast as well as the hunter and carries several major brands of shotguns, rifles and handguns as well as ammunition. Brent hopes to fill a gap by providing reloading tools and supplies as well as training in the practice of building bullets.
“I’m going to try to appeal to the customers and what they want, not just try to sell them a gun,” the 28-year-old National Guardsman said.
Brent began to consider the business venture after having some difficulty helping a friend purchase a handgun earlier this year. With the limited number of places to receive personalized and informed help in making a decision on a gun, he decided the location of his dad’s business was a great place to build his own business on Jasper’s north side.
Terry Weisheit operated Quality Designs and Construction for 34 years out of the building located near 36th Street (across from Wendy’s) before retiring. Brent thought he would take over his father’s business but with the demands on his body, he decided to get out of the manual labor field.
He continued working in excavating this year as he obtained the federal licensing necessary to operate the gun business. Over the summer, he and his family turned the office area of the construction business into the retail business.
The 2007 Jasper High School graduate attended Vincennes University and obtained a degree in construction technology before working with his dad several years and joining the National Guard in 2012.
His interest in guns and hunting began when his dad took he and his brother Jared to the gun range at an early age. That grew into a passion of hunting and then about four years ago, he began reloading.
“That has been pretty addicting,” he explained. “I’ve taken several wild boar in Texas, two over 350 lbs., with my own bullets. Being able to supply yourself with your own rounds is satisfying.”
Customers to his shop interested in reloading their own rounds can receive instruction on the practice from Brent. “A lot of people are looking for reloading supplies so I see that expanding in the future,” he explained.
In the future, Brent plans on building the business out to include bait and other hunting supplies. “We’ve got plenty of room to grow,” he said referring to the size of the building on the lot. “My dad’s been here for 30 years and I would like to be here for 30 more.”
Weisheit Guns and Gear is open Mondays though Saturdays 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. They can be found on Facebook here and have a website. There number is 812-309-9820.
Being a veteran himself, Brent offers a discount to all active duty military, veterans and law enforcement on all purchases at the store.