With the hunting season not far off here in Pennsylvania, hunters and clay target shooters may be in the market for some new gear. If so, you may be interested in a recent buying survey Southwick Associates did of Hunting and Shooting Participation purchases made in 2022. This in-depth resource tracks consumer purchases for approximately 100 products of the most frequently purchased equipment.

Purchase information includes the percentage of sales across different types of stores, brand purchased, price paid and demographics for hunters and shooters buying specific products.

The results of their survey is as follows with the most popular equipment listed:

*Traditional Rifles - Savage and Ruger

*Handguns - Smith and Wesson

*Shotgun Ammunition - Federal

*Reloading Dies - RCBS

*Reloading Components - Hornady

*Laser Rangefinders - Sig Sauer

*Red Dot Sights - Holosun

*Nonpowered Aftermarket Sights - Meprolight

*Scope/Accessory Mounts - Leupold

*Hunting Apparel/Camo Brand - Mossy Oak

*Tree Stands/Ladders/Towers - Big Game

*Food Plot Seed - Deer Creek

*Trail Cameras - Cabala’s

*Game Calls - Primos

*Benches and Rests - Caldwell

*Shooting Sticks - Bog Gear

*Gun Cleaning - Hoppes

*Choke Tubes - Carlson

*Magazines - Magpul

*Trigger Assemblies - Timney

Now you may not agree with some or all of these, and these results could change per state, even area within each state.

If you’re looking to try hunting with a PCP (Pre-Charged Pneumatics) rifle or handgun, a newer firearm type that has become popular on the market, be aware of their legal use in Pennsylvania.

According to Travis Lau, Pennsylvania Game Commission media representative, using an air gun depends on the caliber and can only be used for small game and furbearers.

For small game seasons: Permitted devices are allowed to hunt small game except woodchucks. And during any small game season with the following devices being a manually operated or semi-automatic air rifle or manually operated air handgun between .177 and .22 caliber, inclusive, that propels single-projectile pellet or bullet ammunition. BB ammunition is not authorized.

For Furbearer seasons: Permitted devices allowed to hunt or take furbearers during any furtaking season are a manually operated or semi-automatic air rifle or manually operated air handgun .22 caliber or larger that propels single-projectile pellet or bullet ammunition. BB ammunition is not authorized.

PCP rifles in larger calibers are being used to take some large animals including big game in Africa. Their one advantage is that they are whisper-quiet. Plus, they’re available from .177 to .72 caliber. And they can rival the most accurate firearms on the firearms market. We’ll do a future column on PCP rifles.