Click here to download the catalog as a PDF file. To view this site you need Adobe Flash Player and your browser must allow javaScripts. Go here to get the latest Flash Player. Carolee Anita Boyles Yes, You Can Make Money Selling Reloading Supplies H ow much money can you make for an extra can of powder you’re not selling reloading equipment and getting,” Folsland said. “If your customer supplies in your gun shop? Many just wants one can of powder or a couple dealers don’t know, because they’ve hundred primers and buys them from you, greatly reduced or eliminated their reload- he saves the fee the mail-order company ing inventory. The primary reason for would have to charge him. It makes sense ignoring this segment of the market is the for the retailer to carry powder and significant amount of reloading supplies primers, and as long as you’re selling sold via the Internet. While that’s clearly the case, dealers are still missing solid sales in reloading. Richard Folsland, marketing and advertising director at Black Hills Shooters Supply, says the major reason retailers should still carry reloading supplies is because customers are looking for convenience. “If I’m going shooting tomorrow and I run out of bullets today, I can go down to the store and buy them,” Folsland said. “Plus, a real gun guy still wants to go down to the gun shop and buy his supplies. They The Grand from RCBS is a solid seller for gun dealers. put their hands on the products, they go out the door with them and powder and primers, you need to have bullets and brass, too.” they’re ready to go.” The four absolute, must-carry, alwaysAlso, if your customer has a problem with a purchase, he can come in and talk have-in-stock items are powders, primers, bullets and brass. to you and get it resolved. • Powder — The number of brands and “But if he receives a wrong order via the Internet, he has to call the company, powder types you can carry will be deterpay shipping to get the items returned and mined by local ordinances. “If your city ordinances say you can the correct ones sent, and he’s out addionly have 100 or 200 pounds of powder tional time,” Folsland said. Then there’s the hazardous materials on the premises, and that it has to be in a fee for shipping powder and primers. protective safe, that may limit what you Many reloaders place fairly small orders carry,” Folsland said. “In the country, that’s usually not a problem. But the and don’t want to pay the fee. “If you order online, it’s like paying bigger the city, the more likely there are city ordinances that govern different types of explosives. So you need to know which brands are the most popular in your area and carry them.” • Primers — “I’m not aware of any jurisdictions that have limitations on primers,” Folsland said. “The primer mix is very explosive but once primers are packaged with the cups around them, you’d have to really work at it to get them to explode.” Stock some of each category of primers. “There are large and small pistol, large and small rifle, and standard and magnum versions of each,” Folsland said. “You probably want to stock each one, because each one serves a different batch of calibers.” Determine what brand or brands your customers use and maintain your inventory accordingly. • Bullets — The only restriction on bullets is how many you can put on your shelves; carry both bulk and boxed bullets if you can. “Higher-volume plinkers and target shooters like bulk bullets rather than boxed bullets because of the cost,” Folsland said. “Or a shooter wants 150 bullets, but they come in boxes of 100, or perhaps he just wants 20 to try them out. Your customer can’t order them that way on the Internet, but he can get them from you, if you’re carrying bulk bullets.” • Brass — Once again, what you carry depends on your customers. What calibers do they use? Do they shoot regular loads or Magnums? Carry what your customers buy. 9 For 2008, Barnes has added a polymer tip to its Triple-Shock X-Bullet. 18 FEBRUARY 2008 Hodgdon’s Hybrid 100V, new for 2008, combines the chemistry of a spherical powder with the geometry of an extruded propellant. Magtech offers a wide range of reloading components. WWW.SHOOTINGINDUSTRY.COM