UTAHCRUISER
Supporting Vendor!
- Location
- Tooele
In part 2 of my information gathering quest, I would be grateful if you could help me to figure out what rifle calibers are the most popular.
Thanks
Chad
Thanks
Chad
You might consider adding the .17HMR, .17 Fireball and .204 Ruger to the list. People are still buying a lot of HMR's from what I can see. And at least half of the new factory rifles I've worked on for friends in the last year have been either .17 Fireballs or .204 Rugers.
The single most popular is always going to be .22LR though and for centerfire it is always going to be .223.
Selling rimfires is always good. Everyone has to buy factory ammo for them and a lot of guys end up spending way more on ammo than the cost of the rifle.
- DAA
Sounds like mostly a big game hunting customer base you are talking to. Which is fine.
But, the varmint hunters buy way more rifles. How many big game hunters buy even one rifle a year? But most half way serious varmint hunters buy at least one rifle a year and a lot of them buy quite a few riflles every year. The expensive models, at that. The tactical crowd buys a ton of gear too. And again, expensive stuff, for the most part. Not just the rifles, either, but the scopes, the loading gear, the cleaning supplies etc. And again, the varmint and tactical guys like the good stuff and are willing to pay for it.
I may be all wet, but, if I were looking to get a retail gun business going, I'd concentrate on the varmint hunting and tacticool markets. That's where you'll find guys buying lots guns, supplies and accy's on a very regular basis. Compared to the traditional big game hunting crowd, who might buy a gun every year or two. The catch though, is that those are very knowledgable customers, by and large. They won't buy from just anyone.
But as far as money spent per year, varmint hunters and tacticool shooters spend way, way, waaaaaay more than the traditional big game hunting crowd. And another thing, is by catering to the specialized guys that are spending the money, you aren't competing with Walmart and the like. If a guy just wants an off the rack .270 or '06, with a cheap scope and a box of factory ammo, he's going to go to one of the big chain retailers and the little guys simply can't compete with them on price. But if you have a product line that the "serious" shooters will appreciate, that they can get local, without having to order online, you might cultivate a profitable customer base.
Or, maybe not... I'm just thinking out loud.
I wouldn't want to be competing with Walmart and the like on garden variety deer rifles and scopes though.
Something to think about...
- DAA
.
I think that the area I live in out here is more on the rural side, and most people that are interested in rifles are interested in them for hunting, mostly.
heh, I was gonna say, it's not like a. this is a "normal" place for "normal" gun people, and b. the shop attracts a different demographic than you might get at say, Gallenson's.
I might add by way of constructive criticism that your prices were a touch on the high side (and I don't mean "too high" at all, just "on the high side").. but maybe KSL is spoiling me, I don't know.