The more effort and time you put into projects like this the more it starts to become a bit more like a job, and for most people that means they need to generate a revenue somehow or they cannot even cover the costs involved in running a site and making the videos etc. to say nothing of travel/postage/consumables etc.........

So I don't feel the "commercialism" is taking the fun out of the sport, and without it you would not even be able to buy anything at all, so it's actually necessary for our sport when you think about it.

I also think your being very liberal with other peoples lives and livelihood’s, so unless your making no money and contributing in something similar "for the love of the sport" then your being a bit of a hypocrite? - But by all means prove me wrong and start up your own channel with the key task of being true to your post and doing it all for free with your own money for the love of the sport so others can enjoy it

James - Looking forward to you channel

as someone that produces content: it has to be funded somehow.... i get so many questions asking me to try x , y & z, but without the companies sending things through; which isn't easy to get them to do - even if it is to return after review (i have no issue doing this) how are we as content producers meant to achieve this? we all have bills, mortgages, outgoings etc, like everyone else. so its that balance; something has to give. and if people are in a position to earn money through things like 101 to then fund the content you all have come to enjoy and EXPECT, then why not?

my channel for example; i'll be honest, started purely to give me something to do whilst unemployed when i left school. somehow its done alright and is growing and its at that tipping point where a discussion has to be had in my head on how to go forward, because shelling out on rifles purely because i think it'll do well video wise and because i'm getting message after message about - just isn't sustainable. but people now expect the content....

does it take the fun out of shooting? not at all, look at matt and his work with slugs & element, look at ted, look at anyone really, they all still enjoy shooting for all the same reasons they started out - just now the shooting subsides them, not the other way around..

my 2 cents anyway.

james