Who is Gunwerk’s target customer

[WVELK]

At the outset, in full disclosure I have never shot a Gunwerks rifle, never seen one, and don’t know anyone who has one or has seen anyone who has one. They may be the best rifle ever built. I do not know. I own more than a couple custom rifles. I enjoy reloading and load development. I have spent a lot of money on a custom rifle (lets say $7,500) in the past.

Who is paying the money for Gunwerks? And, why? Do they not reload, not want to do load development?

 

[BBob]

Since it's becoming popular and everyone is doing it let's ask AI. The answer also seems to fit what I'd probably attempt to type out.

Profile of a Gunwerks Customer​

Demographics​

• Affluent Individuals: Gunwerks primarily caters to wealthy hunters who can afford high-end equipment.
• Serious Hunters: Customers often engage in long-range hunting and may spend significant amounts on guided hunts.

Characteristics​

• Turnkey Solutions: Many customers prefer complete shooting systems that include rifles, optics, and ammunition, ready to use upon delivery.
• Time-Constrained: Customers often lack the time to scout or develop loads, making ready-to-use systems appealing.
• Quality Seekers: They value precision and quality in their equipment, often looking for high-performance rifles and accessories.

Purchasing Behavior​

• High-End Packages: Customers are willing to invest in packages that can exceed $10,000, which include custom actions, optics, and ballistic data.
• Training and Support: Many customers also seek training and support services offered by Gunwerks to enhance their shooting skills.

This profile highlights that Gunwerks customers are typically affluent, serious about their hunting pursuits, and prefer comprehensive solutions that save them time and effort.

 

[JRay]

That pretty much sums it up

 

[Stache Attack]

Yes above summarized. Aaron talks about this on cliff greys podcast which I thought was actually pretty good as a whole. I know some are picking it over

 

[JakeSCH]

^ previous guy nailed it. Target audience is someone who has the money but not the time (i think of business owners). Imagine loving hunting but not having time to scout, shoot, reload, etc. You want an easy button system that makes you the primary source of error. These days it looks a lot more appealing than it use to.

 

[BBob]

Aaron talks about this on cliff greys podcast which I thought was actually pretty good as a whole.

It almost seems like (and maybe it did?) take this info straight out of that podcasts transcription.

 

[kkp005]

I’ve got a good buddy that makes a metric shit ton of money.He’s big on flashy stuff and name brand. I enjoy tinkering with guns and he always ask me to sight them in. He’s a big believer in wallop and likes the magnums. Last year he asked me to sight in a Gunwerks nexus in 7prc.. Had a nx8 on it. The only thing that I really liked about it was the stock! He doesn’t like suppressors and the muzzle blast from that dang thing was rattling my soul. Maybe I’ve just drank too much Rokslide coolaid but give me my tikka 6cm and a Triji credo or Swfa 3x9 and I’ll out shoot him / out kill every single day.
I just don’t understand how someone can justify spending that kind of $$$ on a rifle like that .

 

[Stache Attack]

It almost seems like (and maybe it did?) take this info straight out of that podcasts transcription.

That’s why it sounded great to my ears according to what he said. Written quick and well

 

[43.6N]

I decided to jump onto the GW website to see what I could come up with. I used the recommend me a gun feature, and ended up with an 18” Magnus to 6.5prc. Leupold 3-18, and the long range package for ammo.

Total msrp of $12,423.00.

I imagined myself booking a hunt somewhere exotic. Say, moose, sheep, caribou, etc. I imagine I am starting from scratch without any basis of knowledge or equipment.

Conservatively, -how long would it take me to read and ask the right people the right type of questions to come up with an appropriate kit? I have no fund of knowledge, and literally am starting on square one.
-How much time would it take me to hire a gunsmith to build to those specifications?
-How much more time to learn reloading fundamentals, and develop my own load?

I imagine a hypothetical 3 months of focused research. Say reading rokslide forums etc 2 hours per evening 5 days a week.

At the end of 3 months, that is at least 120hours of research.

If I divide the cost of the “turnkey” package against the time cost of 120hours I come up with $103.5/hr.

So to answer the question, gunwerks target customer is someone who has a hunt in mind. But no personal fund of knowledge or equipment to accomplish that hunt. They value their time at greater than $103/hr. They want a solution they trust will work. Essentially looking for the “all inclusive” package that gives them the best chance of success.

I can think of more than a few people who fit this demographic.

 

[43.6N]

To be clear, that was a thought experiment. Not me actually purchasing a Magnus lol. But it does look like a helluva gun

 

[rclouse79]

I bought their bipod, and that is about all I can afford.

 

[Stache Attack]

To be clear, that was a thought experiment. Not me actually purchasing a Magnus lol. But it does look like a helluva gun

The clymers that hit the classifieds always intrigue me

 

[jolemons]

I've guided quite a few guys that would have Gunwerks ship new rifle packages directly to camp. They'd never shot, let alone seen them before then. More than once the wrong ammo was shipped, so they weren't sighted in properly and the turret was wrong for the load.

Sent from my SM-S936U using Tapatalk

 

[HuntHarder]

I have a couple buddies who have them. They are both pretty well off, but put in a ton of hours and don't really have the time, or want to make the time, to DIY a gun themselves.
It really is an easy button way to get a rifle and load completely capable of LR hunting. It's not my flavor, but I do appreciate what they offer.

 

[HuntHarder]

I've guided quite a few guys that would have Gunwerks ship new rifle packages directly to camp. They'd never shot, let alone seen them before then. More than once the wrong ammo was shipped, so they weren't sighted in properly and the turret was wrong for the load.

Sent from my SM-S936U using Tapatalk

So........ Who is gunwerks target customer?

 

[z987k]

Since it's becoming popular and everyone is doing it let's ask AI. The answer also seems to fit what I'd probably attempt to type out.

Profile of a Gunwerks Customer​

Demographics​

• Affluent Individuals: Gunwerks primarily caters to wealthy hunters who can afford high-end equipment.
• Serious Hunters: Customers often engage in long-range hunting and may spend significant amounts on guided hunts.

Characteristics​

• Turnkey Solutions: Many customers prefer complete shooting systems that include rifles, optics, and ammunition, ready to use upon delivery.
• Time-Constrained: Customers often lack the time to scout or develop loads, making ready-to-use systems appealing.
• Quality Seekers: They value precision and quality in their equipment, often looking for high-performance rifles and accessories.

Purchasing Behavior​

• High-End Packages: Customers are willing to invest in packages that can exceed $10,000, which include custom actions, optics, and ballistic data.
• Training and Support: Many customers also seek training and support services offered by Gunwerks to enhance their shooting skills.

This profile highlights that Gunwerks customers are typically affluent, serious about their hunting pursuits, and prefer comprehensive solutions that save them time and effort.

If someone wanted to read AI slop, they'd type this into AI and read the slop it puts out.

 

[RockAndSage]

If I divide the cost of the “turnkey” package against the time cost of 120hours I come up with $103.5/hr.

You really nailed it with this part of the thought experiment. A good plumber charges $150/hr these days. And $1500/hour is a starting point for better attorneys in certain cities. For a successful entrepreneur, the sky's the limit on what an hour of your time is worth.

There's an inflection point for successful business owners and some high-end service providers (consultants, attorneys, medical, etc), and some high-end skilled labor, where the normal things we do growing up, like mowing your own lawn, changing your own oil, etc, actually start costing you money to do yourself. It's one thing if it's an identity or values thing about doing it yourself, and are willing to eat the cost in what your time is worth, but it's another thing entirely if it's in an area that you just don't want to put the amount of time into in order to do it competently. Like load development. Or building your own house. At some point, it's not just an expense to do it yourself, but straight-up financially stupid.

That inflection point is different for each person, based on what their hours are worth to them financially, and what the trade-offs are.

 

[z987k]

I have a couple buddies who have them. They are both pretty well off, but put in a ton of hours and don't really have the time, or want to make the time, to DIY a gun themselves.
It really is an easy button way to get a rifle and load completely capable of LR hunting. It's not my flavor, but I do appreciate what they offer.

I'd argue if you don't have the time to dial in the gun yourself, you don't even remotely have the skill to use it.
You cannot buy the skill to shoot a rifle long range where you actually need anything approaching that type of gun. You can buy the gun, the custom ammo, even the courses to teach you, but you have to put in the time.

A $300 savage axis is going to be equally good for that ~150 yard max shot you should be attempting.

 

[HuntHarder]

I'd argue if you don't have the time to dial in the gun yourself, you don't even remotely have the skill to use it.

A $300 savage axis is going to be equally good for that ~150 yard max shot you should be attempting.

It's not that they do not have the time to dial in the gun, as they both shoot more than most on this site. They both live on farms and are able to shoot more often than most. It's more the load development, they could care less about and the assembling of a proven firearm. I get, this is not up Rokslide's alley, but it is for a bunch of guys.

It's very similar to guys buying trucks that already have the upgrades on it vs. The guy who saves money and upgrades the base model himself.

 

[RockAndSage]

The quality factor is something that's not talked about much, but it matters.

Everyone generally wants the best quality they can afford. But there's diminishing returns the higher up you go in cost - and the higher those costs, the harder the value is to comprehend for those far below that level of financial capability. Especially when they've never been exposed to it. Yet, when you have the means, you'll generally buy the quality you can.

What's interesting is there's peak performance, and beyond that is luxury performance. People tend to think of luxury items as being flimsy, but that's generally a caricature. Genuine luxury items tend to be some of the highest quality made in terms of performance and durability. But what sets luxury performance apart from peak performance, is a level of artistry, extreme attention to detail, and some level of intangible, experiential vibe that is patently obvious when you encounter it.

Gunwerks is not luxury level - but it is pretty elite in terms of performance, especially if you look at their offerings as a turn-key system. That said, if someone can't appreciate the qualitative differences between a Timex and a Rolex, they'll be clueless about the value of a Gunwerks rifle compared to a Seekins, for example. Or the difference between a Gunwerks rifle and one by Johann Franzoj or Gerhard Fuchs, or why someone would purchase a Westley Richards double-rifle over a Merkel.

People who buy a Gunwerks gun will be those wanting elite performance and a package system, but who don't care much about getting a custom gun built for a given need. Someone whose time matters more to them than the price tag, and who have the financial means to where the price tag is probably less that the equivalent of a day or two of work, not much more. Unless they're purchasing it as a kind of reward or accomplishment item. But quality is definitely a big part of what they're looking for.