FERNANDINA BEACH, FL. Sportsmen are spending millions of dollars on hunting and recreational shooting equipment, but which brands are they buying? Southwick Associates surveyed more than 18,000 hunters and recreational shooters in 2018 through their online HunterSurvey.com and ShooterSurvey.com consumer panels to identify the top brands in the market.
In 2018, some of the most purchased hunting and shooting brands include:
• Top rimfire rifle brand: Ruger/Sturm Ruger
• Top handgun brand: Smith & Wesson
• Top handgun ammunition brand: Federal (including Fusion)
• Top reflex/red dot sight brand: Vortex
• Top laser rangefinder brand: Nikon
• Top laser sight brand: Crimson Trace
• Top scope mount brand: Leupold
• Top propellant/powder brand: Triple Seven
• Top crossbow brand: Barnett
• Top arrow brand: Easton
• Top broadhead brand: Rage
• Top archery sight brand: Trophy Ridge
• Top reloading dies brand: Lee Precision
• Top reloading powder brand: Hodgdon
• Top reloading bullets brand: Hornady
• Top decoy brand: Zink/Avian-X
• Top game call brand: Primos
• Top lure scent brand: Tink’s
• Top hunting knife brand: Gerber
• Top gun cleaning brand: Hoppes
• Top holster/ammo belt brand: Uncle Mikes
• Top choke tube brand: Carlson
More than one hundred products are examined in the Southwick Associates 2018 Hunting & Shooting Participation and Equipment Purchases Report. This in-depth resource illustrates sportsmen’s participation and shopping behaviors, including the percentage of sales occurring across different retail channels, brand purchased, price paid, and demographics for hunters and shooters buying specific products. Additional information tracked includes total days spent per activity, type of hunting / shooting activity, preferred species and where they hunt.
In addition to the topline reports covering hunting and target shooting, annual reports are also offered for special segments including archery consumers, deer hunters, turkey hunters, and waterfowl hunters. These reports provide the industry with an in-depth profile along with trend insights on the specific market.
Custom, confidential research is also available to help understand brand awareness/perceptions, identify products most desired by consumers, optimal pricing, and more. To purchase a report or discuss custom research, contact Nancy Bacon at Nancy@SouthwickAssociates.com.
Southwick Associates is a market research and economics firm, specializing in the hunting, shooting, sportfishing, and outdoor recreation markets. For more than 25 years, Southwick Associates has established a proven record for delivering comprehensive insights and statistics assisting business and strategic decisions across the entire outdoor industry; from government agencies, industry associations and non-profit organizations, to affiliated businesses and manufacturers. Aside from custom market research, Southwick Associates also provides syndicated participation, media consumption and equipment purchase tracking studies utilizing their proprietary sportsmen panels.