Your Pistol Customer Is Shopping for a Rifle. Do You Know Why?

Many women find their way to A Girl & A Gun through a pistol. For 70% of our members, the reason is personal, home, or family security. But that first handgun is rarely the last firearm they buy. As they train more, compete, and connect with other women shooters, their interests expand, and rifles are a big part of where they go next.

A recent AG & AG member survey found that 40% of respondents already own their own rifle, and 22% say a rifle is the firearm they’re most likely to buy next.

For rifle manufacturers and marketers, that second number deserves a closer look. It doesn’t only represent first-time rifle buyers. It includes women upgrading, women adding a rifle for a new purpose, and women who already know exactly what they want. If your marketing treats women as a single entry-level customer, you are missing most of that 22%.

One Customer, Many Purposes

Our members buy rifles for home defense, hunting, recreation, and competition. Others are still asking whether they need a rifle at all and what they could do with one. Each of these women is solving a different problem, and each shops differently.

Some of our members grew up with a rifle in hand, hunting alongside family. Others picked up their first rifle only after years of pistol training. Both are in the market, and they shop very differently.

Experienced shooters know how to research platforms, who to ask, and which brands they trust. Newer shooters lean heavily on women’s groups, instructors, friends, retailers, and industry content to help them decide what to buy, and sometimes to help them figure out why they want a rifle in the first place.

That “why” drives everything that follows. A woman looking for a hunting rifle weighs different features than one choosing a home defense carbine. There is no single female rifle buyer, and messaging built around one will miss most of the market.

What Women Are Actually Choosing

Our polling shows how sharply brand preference shifts by purpose.

Among members buying for home defense, SIG Sauer leads at 15%, followed by Daniel Defense and Ruger at 9% each. Among members who hunt, Remington leads at 25%, followed by Savage Arms at 19% and Winchester at 13%. Members who shoot competitively named Ruger and Daniel Defense as top brands, and custom or hybrid builds ranked second on their list, a reflection of how specifically competitors configure rifles around the matches they shoot.

Two things stand out for the industry. First, the leaders change completely depending on use, so a brand’s strength in one category doesn’t automatically carry over to another. Second, among our members, no brand dominates. In home defense, the top choice holds just 15%. That is a wide-open market, and share is still up for grabs.

Brand Loyalty Is Earned Twice

AG & AG members tell us that when they find a firearm brand they like, they are likely to consider more models from that brand. At the same time, 57% say participating in AG & AG has made them more open to trying new brands.

These findings aren’t in conflict. They describe how women develop as shooters. A good experience with one firearm opens the door to a brand’s other models. Broader exposure through training, events, and peers makes her confident enough to look elsewhere. As her skills grow, so do her needs, and the rifle that made sense a year ago may not be the right rifle now.

For manufacturers, this means loyalty has to be earned and then earned again. It isn’t won by telling women what to buy. It’s won by giving them reasons to come back to your brand as their interests evolve.

What This Means for Your Brand

Market by purpose, not by gender. Speak to what she plans to do with the rifle. A hunter wants to hear about accuracy, weight, and caliber for her game, not a generic “rifles for women” pitch.

Build a path from her first purchase to her next. Your pistol customer is a future rifle customer. Your first-rifle buyer is a future upgrade buyer. Think about how your product line, content, and communication guide her from one stage to the next.

Show up where she learns. Newer shooters rely on instructors, women’s groups, and retailers to make decisions. Hands-on access at training events and women’s programs puts your rifle in her hands before she ever walks into a store.

Respect the experienced buyer. Many women buying rifles aren’t beginners. Technical specs, configuration options, and honest performance claims matter to them as much as to any other serious shooter.

Treat the open market as opportunity. Among our members, no brand holds a commanding share in any category. The brands that invest in understanding this customer now are the ones positioned to win her.

The Opportunity

The opportunity isn’t simply to sell more rifles to women. It’s to recognize that the woman buying a rifle today may be a very different customer next year, one with more knowledge, more experience, and new reasons to buy. The brands that grow with her will keep her.

A Girl & A Gun doesn’t just know that our members are buying rifles. We know why, what they choose, and how their needs change over time. We welcome the opportunity to share these insights with manufacturers and marketers who want to reach this growing customer.

About A Girl & A Gun

A Girl & A Gun is the most influential women’s firearms organization in the United States, helping women of all experience levels learn how to safely and responsibly own and use firearms. The organization provides multiple pathways for growth, including self-defense training, competitive shooting, educational programs, and social events that foster both skill development and lasting friendships.

Members have access to thousands of instructional videos and articles, along with hands-on training led by highly qualified instructors. Programs range from beginner-friendly introductions to advanced, performance-focused courses and are offered at hundreds of shooting ranges across the country. A Girl & A Gun also hosts destination training events that give women opportunities to develop new skills, build confidence, and connect with other women who share their commitment to responsible firearms ownership.

More than a club or a shooting organization, A Girl & A Gun exists to inspire women to live their best lives through firearms education, competition, and connection. It is a community built on the belief that confidence extends well beyond the range, empowering women to thrive in every aspect of life. That’s why A Girl & A Gun has always been, and continues to be, More Than Shooting®. For more information or to become a member, visit AGirlandAGun.org. Follow AG & AG on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, and LinkedIn for social media and corporate news.