AccurateShooter.com Bulletin
March 4, 2010
Shooters Reveal Brand Preferences in National Surveys
Southwick Associates compiles statistics for the hunting/shooting industry and public wildlife agencies. Based on 2009 survey results, Southwick has ranked the most popular shooting/hunting brands and products. These rankings were based on HunterSurvey.com and TargetshootingSurvey.com online polls completed by nearly 45,000 hunters and shooters. The polls asked the hunters and shooters to list the outdoor products they purchased most often.

There were some interesting results among rifle shooters. Remington is still the #1 rifle-maker, and Remington also leads the way in rifle ammunition. Hodgdon is the top reloading powder vendor with 36.5% of reported purchases. Top bullet-maker is Hornady with 30%, but remember this is for hunting AND target shooting. CCI makes the most popular rifle primers. We were somewhat surprised to see that the top scope brand for all firearms was Bushnell, which held a 17.3% share.

Rifle Shooting & Hunting
• Top rifle brand: Remington (16.5% of all purchases)
• Top muzzleloader brand: Thompson Center (29.5% of all purchases)
• Top scope for firearms: Bushnell (17.3% of all purchases) ----------->
• Top rifle ammunition brand: Remington (28.8% of all purchases)
• Top reloading bullet brand: Hornady (30.2% of all purchases)
• Top reloading powder brand: Hodgdon (36.5% of all purchases)
• Top reloading primer brand: CCI (36.0% of all purchases)
• Top shooting target brand: Shoot-N-C (38.9% of all purchases)

Shotguns
• Top shotgun brand: Remington (22% of all purchases)
• Top shotgun ammunition brand: Winchester (32.0% of all purchases)
• Top clay brand: White Flyer (34.3% of all purchases)
• Top balls, bullets, or shot brand: Hornady (26.2% of all purchases)

Handguns
• Top handgun brand: Sturm Ruger (16.6% of all purchases)
• Top handgun ammunition brand: Winchester (22.0% of all purchases)
• Top holster brand: Uncle Mike’s (21.4% of all purchases)
• Top blackpowder brand: Pyrodex (51.5% of all purchases)

Hunting Gear
• Top binocular brand: Bushnell (19.5% of all purchases)
• Top knife brand: Buck (16.7% of all purchases)
• Top scent or scent covering brand: Scent-A-Way (24.5% of all purchases)
• Top game call brand: Primos (34.8% of all purchases)

Warrior

I was surprised to see that Leupold did not take the top spot. Here on AR it is certainly the most popular scope. Many other so called American scopes are basically just companies that get them made in the East.

Here is a test conducted by Bushnell, but unfortunately it does not show a comparative pictures of other scopes or a report on every scope. Anyway for what it is worth go here ... http://www.bushnell.com/rainguard/thetest/

The Elite range of Bushnell (3200, 4200 & 6500) is certainly good quality and by all accounts very durable.
Let us get some comments from those that actually use the Elite range and hear their testimony.

Warrior

Sorry - you have to go here for the comparisons - just give your PC some time to load all the pictures ...

http://www.bushnell.com/rainguard/

"Watch as four leading competitors fog up and fall short in accelerated hunting conditions simulation."

Warrior

This list seems to align with a "brick and mortar" store inventory ever though it was done online, almost as if they did the pole as shoppers were walking out of Cabelas.

Rich

This is a list of sales volume, not shooter preferences. The largest volume of gear is sold to occasional or casual shooters and hunters who buy mainly on the basis of low cost and availability.

For instance, no serious shooter would purchase a Remington 710 rifle or a Bushnell Sportview scope, however those items make up a large portion of the sales volume that puts Remington at the top of the list for rifle sales and Bushnell at the top of the list for scopes. Both companies do, of course, market more serious and higher quality lines than those mentioned, but the higher quality lines are not those which comprise the largest volume.

Another good example would be ammunition brands. I shoot thousands of rounds of ammunition per year, but I haven't purchase a box of ammunition of any brand in decades. Similarly, I've purchased about six rifles in the last month, but none of them new and none of them from a retailer.

I have a few Bushnell 4200's 2.5 X 10's. I put them on my "beater" foul weather rifles (338's) they are tough as nails and the rain guard works. A little heavy and short on eye relief on the top end but acceptable.
Reasonably priced and tough!

"Most Popular" does not equate with most esteemed. The obvious example in this list is "Uncle Mike's" holsters. Most purchased because they're inexpensive, Kydex nylon, generic pistol pouches for the belt.

the high end products don't appear on this list because they're expensive and favored by the few who can afford them or who otherwise won't compromise.

quote:

"Most Popular" does not equate with most esteemed.

Quite so. Discerning buyers buy up, not the budget stuff. However what it does confirm is that companies need product at the lower end to ensure a steady stream of cashflow. We call it commercial success. Equally true, product ranges need to be diversified, so one can pull more buyers into the net.

Warrior

quote:

Originally posted by Warrior:

However what it does confirm is that companies need product at the lower end to ensure a steady stream of cashflow. We call it commercial success.
Warrior

The sellers will call it "market shares". A diversified line helps both the low end and the high end. The low end is helped by the reputation of the high end product, while the high end product's low volume is supported by the low end product's high volume. The most finacially successful brands are typically those which are able to successfully market a product which fits everyone's budget.