Adventures Begin at Boots and Buckshot

Boots and Buckshot located at 75 Douthit Ferry Road is a traditional retailer offering products for the adventurous American.

Cartersville Patch recently sat down with Denise Hawkins to learn more about what the small business she runs with her husband, Rick, has to offer the community. Here's what we asked and she answered:

Q: What is the story behind this store?

A:  My husband and I have lived in Cartersville and we both had experience in retail. Rather than open this store in Atlanta we wanted to put our family together in a business where we could work as a team and find favor within our community. We’re really strong believers in family business and entrepreneurial spirit, so we hope to bring that together here. It has been a long and arduous process, but we wanted to make sure we represented our ideals and the vision of what we had in mind for the business and the community.

Q: What kind of products do you carry?

A: There’s a little bit of something for everybody, even the kids have their toys. We have clothing for women, clothing for men, camping and survival gear, a boot selection, cowboy hats and a few novelty home décor items. We have an excellent gun department. It’s well stocked with new and used guns. We carry tactical gear, scopes, optics and have a very nice knife display. We also have a shoe repair department that isn’t functional yet, but we’re hoping to have that functional by September or October at the latest.

Q: What has the response been from the community?

A:  We’ve been very pleased with the response from the community. Our opening day was overwhelming. We had people standing outside to come in and friends who’d supported us through the whole process. That support has continued. The community keeps showing up and they bring their friends. We haven’t done any advertising and we’ve had a good response. We thank God every morning and every night for the blessings he’s given us through the business and we hope to maintain the favor of the community.

Q: Why did you pick this location?

A: I used to be a pharmacist and had trained in this store when it was a pharmacy. I always thought that if I ever owned a pharmacy, this is where I’d want to put it. Well, then CVS came in and knocked that pharmacy out of business and this building was empty for a while.  One day my husband and I were driving by on our way to church, thinking about an outdoor gun/boot store. This building was juxtaposed against the mountain and the rocks and a light bulb went off in our heads. We said, “That’s the perfect store!” When you see the store, driving from East to West against that mountain, you realize it’s the perfect location for an outdoor store.  This location also has schools, churches and new businesses coming in so it’s highly visible with lots of traffic.

Q:  Are you outdoorsy people?

A: We don’t camp a lot, but we would much rather be in the woods walking around hiking then sitting at home watching television.

Q: You’re packing some heat. What kind of gun do you prefer and do you keep it loaded?

A:  I do carry a gun. I believe in my right to exercise the right to carry. Yes, if I have a gun on it is loaded. I think if you’re gonna carry a gun, you better know how to use it and you should have it loaded. I like an automatic pistol. I also like revolvers. I love rifles and shotguns, but for my daily carrier it’s usually a 9mm or a 1911 .45. I like a certain brand that has a match-grade barrel on it with a narrow grip and for me as a woman, it fits my hand well. 

Q: What are your goals for the store?

A: I want to help women become comfortable around knives and guns and to teach more women how to be self sufficient and self reliant. I think we’ve lost a lot of our basic skills by depending on grocery stores and fast food. I’m hoping to put together some classes for women to familiarize them with guns, handguns and knives. I’m also trying to organize a girls’ shooting, pistol and rifle team and we’re looking to support programs through the local public school systems that introduce shooting and gun safety to youngsters. We’re hoping to have some classes here with qualified instructor and to build a network through shooting and teaching survival skills.

Consider Boots and Buckshot your local alternative to L.L. Bean. Even if you don't need any new gear, it is worth a trip just to browse their beautiful product displays. You will also find unique gift ideas for the people you know who have it all.