Archery

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Make the most of archery in your gun shop - Outdoor Marketplace

Author: Shooting Industry

"If you're a gun dealer, there's definitely money in archery for you," said Julio Claps, owner of Camillus Gun & Bait outside Syracuse, N.Y.

Julio knows what he's talking about. He has been working in a retail gun and archery shop for 20 years.

"Archery equipment has better profit margins and you have more return customers for service all the time," said Julio. "They come in for bowstrings, arrows--there are lots of accessories. If it's not an arrow rest, it's a sight, and if it's not a sight, it's a release. There's always something new.

Julio's father, Julius Claps, started Camillus Gun & Bait as a gun shop and hobby 20 years ago. When Julio graduated from school, he found he was working full time in what started as a part-time business. With that, the shop was off and running. In 1988, he and his father added archery to the shop.

"The archery part of the business started taking off, and now it's 90 percent of what we do," Julio said. "We moved, and put an addition on the building so we could have indoor shooting lanes. We've gone from nothing to everything, and we've done it without taking out any loans."

For the past five years or so, as Julius has moved toward retirement, Julio has taken over management of the shop.

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