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. Longer Seasons Create More Sales G .A.T. Guns, a full-service dealer with more than 1,500 firearms on display at any given time, understands the importance of keeping up with trends in the muzzleloader market. Located 45 minutes west of Chicago in Dundee, G.A.T. has served Illinois gun owners since 1979. Store Manager Randy Potter says his sales have increased because of the state’s longer hunting seasons. “One of the biggest changes I’ve witnessed in the last 10 years or so is the guy who came in and bought the cheapest muzzleloader he could because he was only going to hunt with it for three or four days,” Potter said. “Now he has the opportunity to hunt with it more throughout the entire season and he’s spending more to ensure success.” Potter recalls when most hunters would spend $400 for everything, from the muzzleloader to accessories. Today it’s a different story. Now customers spend $500 to $800 on a muzzleloader. Then they shop for a riflescope, spending $300 to $400, and complete their shopping spree with $100 in accessories. “They are investing more because it’s Randy Potter, G.A.T. Guns store manager, ensures solid sales by offering a wide variety of muzzleloaders and accessories. something they are not afraid of; they have more opportunities to hunt and it’s a great way to kill a big buck in Illinois,” Potter said. The store dedicates 70 square feet solely to muzzleloader accessories. G.A.T. Guns has at least 25 muzzleloaders on display and they handle custom-order requests. Current Trends Draw Customers ow often do hunters update their muzzleloader setup? Potter believes modern enhancements have increased updates from a one-time purchase 10 years ago to a purchase every three to five years. “Even though great updates hit the market each year, most of our customers are sticking with their current muzzleloader setup for three to five years,” Potter said. H “We are seeing hunters who bought their equipment six to eight years ago coming in and updating, but the guy who purchased a T/C Omega or Encore is still pretty satisfied with its performance, and it will take a major change for them to change.” According to Potter, the traditional market accounts for approximately 10 percent of muzzleloader sales, if that. His remaining sales fall to modern in-lines with Thompson/Center models are the top-selling muzzleloaders at G.A.T. Guns. Thompson/Center topping G.A.T. Guns’ best-seller list. Customers who walk in and ask to see the T/C brand first are “an everyday occurrence,” Potter said. He also stocks Traditions, Knight and CVA brands. Potter says T/C’s marketing plan and their technology, which makes cleaning easier, are the two components that drive customers to T/C models. His strong sellers are the Encore Endeavor, which comes with Speed Breech XT, and the Triumph, T/C’s new magnum muzzleloader. Even though 99 out of every 100 muzzleloaders sold go to the hunting crowd, Potter sees a small burst of traditional sales around Christmas, particularly with kit guns and Hawken-style muzzleloaders. From Thanksgiving until Christmas, nearly 50 percent of all muzzleloader sales at G.A.T. Guns are for traditional blackpowder rifles or kits, including muzzleloader pistol kits. “They are small, easy to assemble and relatively cheap with a price of less than $120. It’s the perfect gift for the muzzleloader enthusiast who has everything,” Potter said. 42 JUNE 2008 www.shootingindustry.com