Marketing Advice: Choose 6 Calibers for Free

[SigMatt]

This is going to be a bit of an odd request but a fun game everyone can play!

I am looking for some marketing advice.

I am working on an application I've had in the pipeline for a long time and looking to release it in the next couple months. It is a reloading concordance of sorts indexing powder, bullet and caliber information for the major reloading manuals. It will allow you to answer questions like:

What powders are compatible with a given bullet?
What calibers can I load with a given bullet?
With a given powder and bullet, what calibers can I load?
With a given powder, what bullets and calibers are compatible with it?

And so on.

It's scratching an itch of mine but the amount of data is so massive that I want to offer it in free and paid versions. The paid version will include all caliber, powder and bullet information.

I want to offer a free version with all of the powder and bullet information but restricted to cross-referencing a limited set of calibers. This will let you play with the app, use it and get value out of it to decide if the full version is something you might want.

To that end I am conducting an informal MDS survey. I want the free version to use the top 6 or 8 "most common" calibers. I really don't mind if you use a common caliber and never want the full version. But for those hardcore reloaders and exotic users, I want to entice you into the full version.

So fellow shooters, what would be your top 6 or 8 calibers I should offer in the free version of the app? Only criteria is it must be an even split between rifle and handgun calibers (3/3 or 4/4) and if you're offering 4 of each, one may be an "exotic" caliber

Please reply and let me know your choices! I'm interested.

Mine would be at present:

3/3 Mix:

Rifle: 223 Remington, 308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield
Handgun: 9mm Luger, .45ACP, .357 Mag

4/4 Mix:

Rifle: 223 Remington, 308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, 6.5 Creedmoor
Handgun: 9mm Luger, .45ACP, .357 Mag, .380ACP

What would be your preferences for free cross-reference data?

Thanks!

Matt

 

[lowoncash]

Rifle .25-06, .243, .300wssm, 218bee

Pistol .38, 9mm Luger, .45acp, .32-20

 

[RedTide]

Rifle: 5.56, 6.5 Creed, .300 AAC Blackout, .308
Pistol: 9mm, .380, .40 S&W, .45 ACP

 

[Blacksmith101]

Rifle: .223, .243, .30-30, .30-06
Pistol:9 mm, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .45 ACP

 

[RuralRifleGuy]

I like your 4/4 mix option since it includes 3 calibers I'm going to be reloading for and 2 others that I plan to eventually add.

One thing to note about free and paid apps if you are making them for Apple devices is in recent years Apple has cracked down on apps that offer the same functionality from the same developer. One of my clients apps started out with both lite (free) and full (paid) versions, when I tried to make another app for him with the same setup Apple said no and I had to move everything to in-app purchases for unlocking features. In-app purchase is probably the best way to go if you're building for Apple, most apps nowadays use it and people are used to it. Plus it means only having to update one app when you want to make changes.

 

[ironpony]

Rifle: 300 bo, 45-70, 300 WinMag
Pistol: 9 mm, 10 mm, 300 bo


I'm willing to bet there are more 300 bo loads for pistol length than rifle length? so I used it twice. I am guessing most reload to save $ on $$$$ calibers too.
Good Luck OP!

 

[Anotherpyr]

I’d be happy with the ones in the OP.

 

[44man]

Rifle; 223, 308, 45-70, 30-06

Pistol 44mag, 45acp, 9mm Luger, 45 lc

 

[Silverlax]

Rifle: 5.56, 6.5 Creed, .300 AAC Blackout, .308
Pistol: 9mm, .380, .40 S&W, .45 ACP

+1

 

[Pinecone]

5.56/.223, .308/7.62, .30-06

9mm, .45ACP, and .40 S&W or .38/.357

Problems I see, if you are referencing other peopel's data, then you could run into copy right issues.

Secondly, how to you keep updated to the latest loading manuals? And deal with differing min and max loads between different sources? And your potential liability if your data blows up someones gun?

 

[Squaregrouper]

6.5CM, .300AAC, 5.56/.223, 6.5 Grendel
.357 Sig, 9mm Luger, .38 Special, .380 Auto

 

[Moorvogi]

Rifle: 223, .300 AAC Blackout, .308, 30-06 m1 GARAND safe loads
Pistol: 9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP

 

[Rockzilla]

Rifle:
.223 Gas gun Platform
.308 Gas gun Platform & Bolt Platform
6.5 Creedmoor
.300 Blackout
..300 WM (not my choice but popular)
.338 LM.

Pistol:
9mm
.45 ACP
45 Long Colt
.44 Mag.
10mm


if I had to modify Rifles my choice instead of popular
would be.
.223 Gas gun
.308 Gas & Bolt Gun
30-06 Gas (Garand)
.338 LM
.50 BMG maybe replace this with 6.5 CM (sorry like the big boys)

-Rock

 

[Doco Overboard]

.224 264. 284 .312 .323 .308 .257 .429 .458.

Im not sure if you are requesting calibers or cartridges.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding your request, I took the liberty of listed 9 instead of 6

 

[Suleiman]

That's easy for me, I've already consolidated my reloaded calibers down to 6.

Rifle:
.223
.300 Blk
.308

Pistol:
9mm
.45acp
.357 Mag

 

[SigMatt]

5.56/.223, .308/7.62, .30-06

9mm, .45ACP, and .40 S&W or .38/.357

Problems I see, if you are referencing other peopel's data, then you could run into copy right issues.

Secondly, how to you keep updated to the latest loading manuals? And deal with differing min and max loads between different sources? And your potential liability if your data blows up someones gun?

Because I am not actually including the data.

The application is an index of everything around the data.

Select Sierra #9377 .224 77gr HPBT Match King as a bullet and it will show you what calibers you can load with that round and what powders are compatible with it for that bullet in a given caliber.

Select H4895 as a powder and it will tell you all of the calibers you can load with it. Select a bullet and it will tell you if that bullet and caliber combo will work.

And it will give you the manual reference and page number to find the manufacturer's load data for all compatible cases. I'm not using anyone's data but directing you to where it is.

To my knowledge it isn't a violation of copyright to organize existing information in different ways when that organization isn't already published. Just like walking through the phone book and making one's own directory of existing businesses that meet certain criteria.

No one is publishing a cross-reference of the top 7 reloading manuals and telling you where to find data across them. But to use my information you still need the manuals. I am simply telling you from the components you select what you can do with them and where to find the information to make it useful.

And to the second question, the data is designed for ongoing updates and is internally versioned. I designed in support for future manuals and the data can be updated over the network. And since I am not displaying load data, I avoid the liability of having someone's gun blow up since I am not giving them the information to make the loads in the first place.

It is really intended as a sales and purchase support tool. In a store looking at a given selection of powder or bullets and want to know if you can use it for your needs? Fire up the app and it will tell you what you can use them for. The great ammo shortage of 2013 inspired this idea.

That's the rough outline of what I am doing. I'm a data junkie and I don't like flipping through manuals to cross-reference components to maximize my reloading dollar and efforts. I'd rather have a computer tell me that my inventory of IMR-4064 and my components can be turned into a given list of loads in order of most to least useful.

I do plan to consult a copyright attorney to vet the idea before an app ever hits the App Store but from the research I've done, I'm not crossing any boundaries. Keep in mind Loadbooks sells photocopied pages of existing load manuals as gathered sets of data and they're still around. So its either fair use (doubtful) or they've got permission from the component producers to do it. And if that is the case, I am pretty certain I can cut a deal to make load data available for the right price even if it includes competitor's products (which Loadbooks already does).

Matt

 

[jonathanglock]

Rifle - .223/5.56, 270 Win, 30.06, 308
Pistol- 9mm, .40S&W, 10mm,. 45ACP

 

[2nd=Good+Substantial]

Rifle: .223; 300BO; 30-06; .308
Pistol: 9mm (Luger); 45 ACP; .38 spl; .44 magnum

 

[Rockzilla]

Because I am not actually including the data.

The application is an index of everything around the data.

Select Sierra #9377 .224 77gr HPBT Match King as a bullet and it will show you what calibers you can load with that round and what powders are compatible with it for that bullet in a given caliber.

Select H4895 as a powder and it will tell you all of the calibers you can load with it. Select a bullet and it will tell you if that bullet and caliber combo will work.

And it will give you the manual reference and page number to find the manufacturer's load data for all compatible cases. I'm not using anyone's data but directing you to where it is.

To my knowledge it isn't a violation of copyright to organize existing information in different ways when that organization isn't already published. Just like walking through the phone book and making one's own directory of existing businesses that meet certain criteria.

No one is publishing a cross-reference of the top 7 reloading manuals and telling you where to find data across them. But to use my information you still need the manuals. I am simply telling you from the components you select what you can do with them and where to find the information to make it useful.

And to the second question, the data is designed for ongoing updates and is internally versioned. I designed in support for future manuals and the data can be updated over the network. And since I am not displaying load data, I avoid the liability of having someone's gun blow up since I am not giving them the information to make the loads in the first place.

It is really intended as a sales and purchase support tool. In a store looking at a given selection of powder or bullets and want to know if you can use it for your needs? Fire up the app and it will tell you what you can use them for. The great ammo shortage of 2013 inspired this idea.

That's the rough outline of what I am doing. I'm a data junkie and I don't like flipping through manuals to cross-reference components to maximize my reloading dollar and efforts. I'd rather have a computer tell me that my inventory of IMR-4064 and my components can be turned into a given list of loads in order of most to least useful.

I do plan to consult a copyright attorney to vet the idea before an app ever hits the App Store but from the research I've done, I'm not crossing any boundaries. Keep in mind Loadbooks sells photocopied pages of existing load manuals as gathered sets of data and they're still around. So its either fair use (doubtful) or they've got permission from the component producers to do it. And if that is the case, I am pretty certain I can cut a deal to make load data available for the right price even if it includes competitor's products (which Loadbooks already does).

Matt

would be my first thing....

so let me get this right something along the lines SQL, key in bullet #, then powder type, you plan on displaying all calibers that in this case match
the criteria "Sierra #9377 .224 77gr HPBT Match King"and "all load data
from min. - max. from all the manuals? or where to find it if I read correctly

SQL, Filemaker Pro.. Queries or an indexing tool, or data miner in a sense
pointing to the man. manual or site
sounds like the old day library card index
supply the nfo I'll tell you where to find it

1.)Select bullet #:
2.)Select Powder:

will display all Calibers?
but add
3.) Cartridge:
will reduce the amount of cailbers displayed

4.) Select All:
will display all Calibers.

some manuals have bolt & gas sections, also pistols have
sections for Ruger / TC loads

-Rock

 

[Biggfoot44]

Regarding the basic concept -

People will have the caliber as their starting point , not a specific bullet . Yes , among Hooligans , a stash of empty brass will lead to getting a gun . But I can't see " Ohhh , I found a box of Nosler 180gr Ballistic Tips . Quick , I need to go buy a .308 Norma Mag ! " What would be more likely is " I wonder which powders to try my new to me .308 Norma Mag ? " ( The answer is , the same usual suspects as .300 Win Mag , in case anyone besides Ted76 has one .)


As far as most popular cals ( really most popular to reload ) , they've already been listed .