Allan Newnham
A lifetime of competitive shooting, and a lifetime spent chasing the same thing RealShot is built for: knowing exactly where the bullet's going to land.
The story behind RealShot
Right from the beginning, I was intrigued by shooting at longer ranges. In those days, scopes were lower-powered and generally had only a simple crosshair reticle. Shooting at any real distance meant learning to judge the range as accurately as possible, estimating how many inches to hold above the target, and then hoping for the best.
With the arrival of compact laser rangefinders, reliable adjustable turrets and ballistic reticles, long-range shooting became far more precise. However, this created a new challenge: finding a practical way to carry and access all the necessary ballistic data.
Initially, I wrote my data on pieces of paper, but they were easily forgotten, difficult to find when needed, and vulnerable to the weather. On one occasion, my paper became wet and simply fell to pieces. I also found phones too slow and inconvenient to use while hunting, so I began thinking about a better solution.
I tried a rectangular device mounted to the scope, similar to a small flip-up phone. Unfortunately, it couldn't hold much information and tended to catch on foliage when moving through the bush.
"Then one day, I wrapped a strip of paper around a plastic bottle top and was surprised by just how much information could fit onto such a small surface. That simple experiment sparked the idea."
With the help of an engineer friend, who developed the reel mechanism, and my own work designing the mounting system, RealShot was born.
It has taken time, testing and refinement to reach this stage, but I have now sold a number of units through word of mouth and given the product a thorough workout in real hunting and shooting conditions.
There is something incredibly reassuring about picking up your rifle and knowing that all your ballistic data is secure, weatherproof and immediately accessible. When you are in a shooting position, the information you need is right there in front of you.
Range it. Dial it. Shoot it.
— Allan Newnham
A career in competitive marksmanship.
Allan started shooting at around eight years old, in 1955, with a low-powered air rifle. What followed is one of the more decorated amateur competitive shooting careers in New Zealand.
The early years
Joined an indoor smallbore club at 15 or 16, and won the North Island championships in C grade — with a higher score than that year's B grade winner. Bought a .270 at sixteen and started handloading his own ammunition, which is when long-range shooting became a serious pursuit. Joined the New Zealand Deerstalkers' Association (NZDA) around 1971.
National & international titles
Through the 1970s, Allan won multiple national moving-target and centerfire championships, including the full national aggregate at the 1975 NZDA Nationals. He was selected for the New Zealand shooting team to compete in Australia (1973) and at the World Shooting Championships in Seoul, Korea, and represented NZ in several Oceania competitions. In 1974 he placed 2nd in trials for the World Championships in Switzerland — funding only stretched to one moving-target shooter that year, so he didn't get to compete.
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 1972 | 2nd/3rd, National moving target (running boar) |
| 1972–73 | 1st, centerfire moving target, National NZDA rifle champs |
| 1973 | Won national moving target champs; selected for NZ shooting team, Australia |
| 1974 | Won national moving target champs again |
| 1975 | Won the 200m 3-position centerfire section and the overall national aggregate, NZDA Nationals |
| 1976 | 3rd, moving target (50m .22) |
| 1983 | Winner, N.Z.D.A. Ruger Trophy |
| 1985 | Won the aggregate when NZDA combined all national disciplines into one week-long event; also won the 50m moving target (running boar) section |
| 1987 | 2nd, national silhouette championships |
| Late 1980s | Regular winner, national sporting air rifle championships |
| Mid-1980s | National coach and manager, NZDA shooting team (2 years) |
| 1990 | 3rd, North Island centerfire champs; 3rd, 3-position rimfire champs |
| 1997–98 | 3rd, F-Class long range (800/900/1000 yards), using a 3-position centerfire rifle |
| 1998 | 2nd, rimfire silhouette section, national lever action champs |
Plus numerous local shoots and national prize shoots over the decades — and a lifetime spent handloading ammunition for himself and others, setting up rifles and loads for their optimum accuracy and long-range performance.
Out demonstrating RealShot in person.
Allan takes RealShot to New Zealand hunting and outdoor shows himself — talking hunters through how it works, fitting it to their own rifles, and hearing directly what they need from it.
Talk to Allan directly
Questions about your rifle or setup before you order? He reads every enquiry himself.
Get in touch