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HELENA, Mont. — Former firearms executive Ryan Busse is taking aim at Greg Gianforte’s unpopular residential property tax increase in a new 30-second ad airing across Montana.
The spot, titled “Straight Shooter” features Busse firing a Kimber 84L Mountain Ascent, a gun he helped design, chambered in powerful .280 Ackley Improved.
“I can spot somebody who can’t shoot straight a mile away, like Governor Greg Gianforte,” Busse says in the ad, filmed on a shooting range on public land in Flathead County earlier this month. “He raised our property taxes and he lowered his own. And then he lied about it. Now he’s lying about me, hoping you’ll forget.”
The TV ad shows Busse preparing a container of the compound Tannerite, which explodes when hit by a high-velocity bullet. Shooting enthusiasts often use Tannerite to see when they hit long-distance targets.
“The Governor couldn’t hit a truth target to save his life,” Busse says before taking aim at a container of Tannerite about 300 feet away. “Well I can.”
In a single shot, Busse—a lifelong “gun guy” who sold three million firearms during his 25-year career with Kimber America—hits the target, which explodes on impact.
“Straight Shooter” references the Gianforte’s wildly unpopular residential property tax hike on Montana homeowners, resulting in an average tax increase of 21 percent between 2022 and 2023.
Though only the governor has the authority to set the residential property tax rate, Gianforte regularly—and falsely—blames his own tax increase on city and county governments. In an editorial titled “The ‘big lie’ of Montana,” the editor of the Daily Montanan called Gianforte’s lie “the political equivalent of farting in an elevator and pointing at someone else.”
Many Republicans have also publicly condemned Gianforte for lying, including Choteau Mayor Chris Hindoien, Kalispell Mayor Mark Johnson, state senator Brad Molnar and Beaverhead County Commissioner Mike McGinley.
Notably, the property taxes at Gianforte’s privately owned mansion at 620 Madison Avenue in Helena went down nearly seven percent in 2023, while virtually every other home in his neighborhood saw significant tax increases. A full, independently verifiable analysis of these publicly available tax records are online HERE. The Montana Television Network’s coverage of Gianforte’s taxes is online HERE.
Busse for Montana filmed “Straight Shooter” in early July, before any wildfire restrictions were in place in northwestern Montana. The campaign took extensive safety precautions in filming the ad, including the use of an experienced armorer on set. In filming the ad, Busse didn’t miss a single long-distance shot.
“STRAIGHT SHOOTER” SCRIPT:
I’m a gun guy. Sold three million of them. Hell, I helped design this rifle. And I can spot somebody who can’t shoot straight a mile away, like Governor Greg Gianforte. He raised our property taxes and he lowered his own. And then he lied about it. Now he’s lying about me, hoping you’ll forget that. The Governor couldn’t hit a truth target to save his life. Well I can. [BOOM] I’m Ryan Busse. And I’m running for governor to get your Montana back.
QUICK FACTS:
- Pronunciation: Ryan BUSS’-ee
- Home: Kalispell, Mont.
- Office Sought: Governor of Montana
- Affiliation: Democrat
- Website: busseformontana.com
- X (Twitter): @ryandbusse
- DOB: 2/23/70 (53)
- Occupation: Writer, Consultant, Firearms Expert and Former Executive (Vice President of Sales, Kimber America: 1995-2020)
- Family: Married to Sara for 24 years; two sons: Lander (18) and Badge (15)
- Alma Mater: Bethany College (Kansas)
- Chevy Odometer: 280,000 miles
- Hunting Dogs: Aldo and Teddy
- Bio: Ryan Busse is an author and former firearms executive who helped build the gun company Kimber from Kalispell between 1995 and 2020. Over his 25-year career Busse directed the sales of nearly three million Kimber firearms. His memoir, Gunfight: My Battle Against the Industry that Radicalized America, was published by PublicAffairs (Hachette) in 2021. Busse was born near the Kansas cattle ranch homesteaded by his great-grandfather. He is an avid hunter, angler and champion of public lands, and has held leadership positions with Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and Montana Conservation Voters. Busse and his wife Sara live in Kalispell and have two teenage sons.