# ICP Profile: PRS Competitor

**Cold Bore Ballistics™ LLC — ScopeDOPE™**
**Classification:** Highly Confidential (04_-_Highly_Confidential/)
**Status:** Active

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## Table of Contents

1. [Profile Summary](#1-profile-summary)
2. [Demographics](#2-demographics)
3. [Equipment Profile](#3-equipment-profile)
4. [Psychographics](#4-psychographics)
5. [Current Ballistic Workflow](#5-current-ballistic-workflow)
6. [Pain Points](#6-pain-points)
7. [Buying Triggers](#7-buying-triggers)
8. [Objections and Counters](#8-objections-and-counters)
9. [Discovery Channels](#9-discovery-channels)
10. [The Right Message for This Profile](#10-the-right-message-for-this-profile)
11. [Competitive Landscape Awareness](#11-competitive-landscape-awareness)
12. [Kestrel Displacement Tier](#12-kestrel-displacement-tier)
13. [References](#13-references)

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## 1. Profile Summary

The PRS Competitor is a serious, technically sophisticated precision rifle shooter competing in the Precision Rifle Series — a centerfire discipline with target distances from 100 to 1,000+ yards. This is a smaller, more elite community than NRL22. Equipment investment is substantial. The shooter's approach to data is obsessive by most standards. They do not use a tool unless they trust it, and they do not trust a tool unless they understand exactly how it works.

This ICP represents a more difficult initial conversion than the NRL22 competitor — many already own a Kestrel 5700 Elite — but a higher lifetime value and a substantially higher influence multiplier. A PRS top-200 shooter who publicly endorses ScopeDOPE is worth more in community credibility than any paid placement.

Many PRS competitors also shoot NRL22. The communities overlap substantially, and NRL22 is explicitly a PRS feeder. A competitor reached through the NRL22 ICP who advances to PRS carries their ScopeDOPE data and habits with them.

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## 2. Demographics

| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| **Age range** | 25–55 primary; 25–40 skews toward newer entrants; 40–55 skews toward experienced and well-funded |
| **Gender** | Majority male; Ladies PRS division growing and active |
| **Geographic concentration** | Texas, Southeast, Mountain West — strong regional match circuit infrastructure; national competitors spread broadly |
| **Income** | Upper-middle to high. Total equipment investment $8,000–$15,000 is common at competitive level. Household income $100K–$200K+ representative. |
| **Occupation** | Veterans and current/former military snipers are a meaningful subset. Engineers, executives, and business owners well represented. Firearms industry professionals common. |
| **Competition level** | Club through national. Top 200 PRS is a meaningful benchmark — sponsors and partnerships notice it. This ICP includes shooters at all levels of that range. |

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## 3. Equipment Profile

**Rifle:**

| Tier | Setup | Cost Range |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive entry | Tikka T3x CTR or Savage 110 FP + chassis + mid-tier optic | $2,500–$4,500 |
| Competitive mid | Remington 700 or Surgeon action + Manners or McMillan chassis + quality optic | $4,500–$8,000 |
| Competitive high | Custom action (Impact Precision, Defiance, BAT) + Krieger or Bartlein barrel + premium chassis + ZCO, Kahles, or Nightforce ATACR | $8,000–$15,000+ |

**Common calibers:** 6mm Creedmoor, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6mm GT, .308 Winchester (entry). Higher-end competitors converge on 6mm GT, 6XC, and 300 Norma Mag for ELR.

**Optics (common):** ZCO ZC527 (consistently among the highest single-brand share in the PRS top 200), Kahles K540i (growing rapidly, increasingly present among top competitors), Nightforce ATACR, Vortex Razor HD Gen III, Tangent Theta, Schmidt & Bender.

**Existing ballistic tools:**
- Kestrel 5700 Elite with Applied Ballistics — most common among serious competitors; long-standing as the dominant hardware platform in the PRS community
- Applied Ballistics Mobile — iOS/Android, $19.99/year subscription (reduced Dec 2024); companion to Kestrel or standalone
- JBM Ballistics — used for cross-checking and validation
- Hand-written or printed DOPE cards as a stage-level supplement to any electronic tool — even Kestrel owners maintain a physical card

**Weather sensing:** Most serious PRS competitors already own or have access to a Kestrel. The Kestrel's integrated weather sensing is a primary reason many bought it. Any pitch into this ICP must acknowledge this honestly.

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## 4. Psychographics

**Extreme technical standards.** The PRS competitor holds their tools to a higher standard than the general public holds any consumer product. Claimed accuracy numbers must be backed by documented methodology. An app that states "validated against real-world fired data using exhaustive C(N,k) cross-validation across 22 test cases" gets a different reception than one that says "accurate results." Specificity is credibility.

**Institutional trust in Applied Ballistics.** Bryan Litz's work and the Applied Ballistics ecosystem carry substantial credibility with this audience. The Kestrel 5700 Elite with Applied Ballistics is the dominant hardware platform in the PRS community and has held that position for years. Any product entering this space is measured against that standard. Acknowledging AB's genuine advantages while articulating ScopeDOPE's architectural difference is the only credible approach — dismissing AB earns distrust.

**Skeptical — but genuinely open to a performance edge.** This audience has been sold gear before. They are skeptical. But they are also always looking for the next measurable improvement. If ScopeDOPE demonstrably improves their first-round probability — especially at distances they haven't confirmed — they will adopt it even alongside a Kestrel.

**Influence-heavy.** A top-200 PRS shooter has a following. A forum post, a match conversation, or an Instagram photo from a credible competitor carries genuine weight. This ICP is an amplifier — reaching one high-profile user is worth reaching a hundred casual followers through advertising.

**Lot-aware and lot-obsessive.** PRS competitors buying centerfire match ammo at $1.00–$3.00/round are acutely aware of lot-to-lot variation. They test lots. They track muzzle velocity by lot. They do not change lots casually. ScopeDOPE's lot-level architecture codifies behavior they already practice — it gives structure to a discipline they already impose manually.

**Ownership values.** A subscription for a ballistic app is philosophically objectionable to this demographic. They believe they should own their tools outright. A subscription implies ongoing dependency on a vendor's servers and goodwill. ScopeDOPE's one-time purchase, fully offline, no-account posture aligns with this worldview even at an income level where $19.99/year is not meaningful financially.

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## 5. Current Ballistic Workflow

**The Kestrel workflow (most common at this level):**
1. Input load data (BC, muzzle velocity, scope height, twist rate) into Kestrel 5700 Elite
2. Kestrel's onboard sensors provide live atmospheric conditions
3. Generate a drop table for match distances
4. Shoot at known distances; apply field calibration corrections (additive layer on top of physics)
5. Read firing solution off the Kestrel display at the stage
6. Supplement with a hand-written or printed confirmation card for specific match distances — the Kestrel is not always at eye level at the line

*Gap:* Field calibration on the Kestrel is additive — it layers a correction on top of the physics model. The underlying theoretical trajectory is not replaced by real data. Session data is not portable or exportable. No printing capability. A PRS shooter relying on a hand card for stage distances is transcribing from the Kestrel by hand — introducing errors.

**The Applied Ballistics Mobile workflow:**
Similar to the Kestrel workflow but on a smartphone. Subscription required ($19.99/year as of Dec 2024). No DOPE management at the session level — confirmed impacts are not stored and carried forward as foundational data. No printing capability. Corrections are additive.

**The manual DOPE card (supplement to both):**
Even Kestrel owners maintain a physical DOPE card for match distances. The Kestrel display is not readable at the line in all conditions, and dialing a solution mid-stage costs time. A sticker on the stock is instant. Transcription from the Kestrel to a hand card is a step with error potential.

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## 6. Pain Points

**Kestrel field calibration is a bolt-on, not a foundation.** The PRS competitor who has used the Kestrel's field calibration feature understands it layers a correction on top of a theoretical trajectory. ScopeDOPE inverts this relationship — real impacts are the foundation, physics is the interpolation layer. At a distance the shooter has not yet confirmed, the Kestrel interpolates from theory. ScopeDOPE interpolates from their actual correction curve. The practical difference is real and the serious competitor will understand why it matters.

**Lot management is a spreadsheet, not a system.** At $1.00–$3.00/round, PRS competitors do not change ammo lots casually. When they do, they track the new lot's velocity and BC independently — typically in a notebook or spreadsheet disconnected from their ballistic tool. ScopeDOPE's lot-level architecture captures this in the app itself — velocity, BC, temperature sensitivity — per lot, per session.

**The Kestrel has no printing capability.** The most common supplemental workflow for PRS competitors is a hand-transcribed DOPE card. Transcription introduces errors. A ScopeDOPE-printed scope sticker is zero-error relative to the app, durable, and legible in direct sunlight. No other ballistic product at any price point can produce a printed scope correction card.

**Session data is locked to one device.** A Kestrel holds data that cannot be easily exported, shared with a training partner, or archived between rifle builds. The `.dope` format provides what the Kestrel cannot — a portable, shareable, archivable record of every confirmed session, readable by any tool that implements the open standard.

**Applied Ballistics Mobile requires a subscription.** At this income level, $19.99/year is not a financial burden — but a subscription for a ballistic tool is a philosophical objection. Ownership is the norm for this audience's tools. ScopeDOPE is a one-time purchase.

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## 7. Buying Triggers

**New rifle or new barrel.** DOPE resets completely with any new build — new action, new barrel, or new scope mount. ScopeDOPE's workflow is the most systematic way to rebuild from confirmed downrange data, and the result is explicitly anchored in real impacts rather than a theoretical trajectory.

**Change of ammo lot, especially for a key match.** Moving to a new lot before a significant match triggers a verification session. ScopeDOPE's lot tracking makes this a managed, structured workflow — not an improvised re-verification that resets the tool's state.

**A stage miss that shouldn't have happened.** First-round miss on a known distance under familiar conditions creates immediate demand for a more accurate system. This emotional moment drives research and is often the triggering event that makes a Kestrel user willing to install a second tool.

**Frustration with Kestrel field calibration output.** A shooter who has thought carefully about why their Kestrel corrections are tighter at confirmed distances than interpolated ones has already diagnosed the architectural limitation ScopeDOPE addresses. They are a high-intent prospect. The DOPE-Blend™ architecture is the direct answer.

**Peer endorsement from a respected competitor.** The single highest-conversion trigger for this ICP. Especially effective if the peer is a named competitor with a leaderboard presence. A top-100 PRS shooter publicly using ScopeDOPE — and explaining why — moves this audience.

**ScopeDOPE visible at a match — especially the printed sticker.** Seeing another competitor with a printed scope sticker and learning it came from an app is a high-interest moment. The print feature is the wedge for this audience. The DOPE-corrected architecture is the reason they stay.

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## 8. Objections and Counters

**"I already use the Kestrel 5700 Elite with Applied Ballistics."**
The Kestrel is the best ballistic calculator on the market. It is still a calculator. Its field calibration applies a correction on top of physics — ScopeDOPE starts with your confirmed impacts and uses physics to fill in the distances you haven't shot. The architecture is different in a way that matters: at an untested distance, your Kestrel interpolates from a theoretical trajectory. ScopeDOPE interpolates from your actual correction curve. Install ScopeDOPE alongside your Kestrel and compare the output at a distance you haven't confirmed. The curves will differ.

**"Applied Ballistics uses Litz-measured BCs that are more accurate than published specs."**
Accurate. The Litz library is the best static BC data available — measured from Doppler radar on real bullets, not manufacturer averages. ScopeDOPE uses manufacturer-published BCs as the starting point. But three to five confirmed impacts in ScopeDOPE produce a correction curve anchored in your actual rifle — your barrel, your seating depth, your lot, your scope mount. A Litz-measured BC applied to a different barrel in a different chamber is still a theoretical prediction for your specific kit. Your confirmed data is not.

**"This app is new. I don't know if it's reliable."**
The ballistic engine is validated: G7/G1 point-mass solver built against McCoy tables, cross-verified node-by-node against JBM Ballistics, validated against real-world fired data with documented C(N,k) cross-validation methodology across 22 test cases. Mean error against field-fired impacts with DOPE correction: 0.063 mil. The methodology is reproducible and documented. This is not "we tested some numbers and they looked right" — the validation approach is publishable.

**"The Kestrel is the official PRS ballistic calculator."**
Correct. ScopeDOPE is not asking you to replace your Kestrel. It is asking you to add one capability your Kestrel cannot provide: a firing solution built from your confirmed downrange impacts, and a printed scope correction sticker. Keep your Kestrel. Add ScopeDOPE. Let the DOPE-corrected output at untested distances speak for itself.

**"I don't need the label printing — I have a DOPE card system."**
Your current DOPE card was transcribed by hand from your Kestrel or a calculator. Every transcription is a potential error. ScopeDOPE's printed label is zero-error relative to the app, durable, and readable in direct sunlight. No other ballistic product — at any price — prints anything. It replaces the step you're already doing with a version that cannot have a transcription error.

**"Applied Ballistics Mobile is only $19.99 a year now."**
AB Mobile is a capable calculator that requires a subscription. ScopeDOPE is a Ballistic Computer with a one-time purchase. Beyond the pricing difference: AB Mobile is additive — it applies corrections on top of a physics model. ScopeDOPE is foundational — confirmed impacts replace the physics model at confirmed distances. These are different architectures that produce different outputs at distances you haven't shot. See §11.

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## 9. Discovery Channels

| Channel | Relevance | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| **Sniper's Hide** | Very high | Primary forum for the PRS community. A credible thread in the Rifles section or the Applied Ballistics subforum is the highest-value organic placement available. Must be earned — a promotional tone is immediately visible and damages credibility. |
| **PRS Facebook Groups** | High | Match discussion, gear threads, and general technical community. High signal-to-noise among serious competitors. |
| **Instagram** | High | Competition results, gear posts, match coverage. Influential PRS competitors have significant followings. A single post from a top-100 shooter demonstrating ScopeDOPE reaches the right audience directly. |
| **YouTube** | High | Gear reviews and app walkthroughs. PRS-specific channels (Practical Precision, etc.) carry significant weight. A walkthrough that shows the DOPE-Blend output at unconfirmed distances — compared to a pure-physics prediction — is a compelling demonstration. |
| **Reddit r/longrange, r/PrecisionRifle** | Medium-high | Organic participation. A recommendation from a known contributor resonates. Promotional posts do not. |
| **Match sponsorships and barrel maker partnerships** | High (targeted) | Krieger is the tier-one partnership target. A Krieger mention at a PRS match — on a packing slip, at a booth, in a conversation — reaches this ICP with maximum credibility and zero promotional taint. |
| **At-match conversation** | Highest | PRS competitors talk gear at every stage. A competitor with a printed sticker on their stock generates questions. The conversation that follows, if honest and knowledgeable, is the most effective acquisition tool available. |

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## 10. The Right Message for This Profile

**Core claim:**
> ScopeDOPE is the only Ballistic Computer on the market. Everything else is a calculator.

**The proof point this profile finds most credible:**
The architectural distinction — DOPE-Blend is foundational, not additive, and this produces a meaningfully different interpolation at untested distances. Pair with the validated accuracy claim. This audience will read the methodology section if it exists.

**Technical credibility message:**
> G7/G1 point-mass solver. JBM-equivalent accuracy. DOPE-corrected for your rifle. 0.063 mil mean error. Field-fired. Documented.

**The Kestrel distinction (architecture, not dismissal):**
> Your Kestrel tells you where the bullet should go. ScopeDOPE tells you where yours actually goes.

**The untested-distance angle:**
> At a distance you haven't confirmed, your Kestrel interpolates from theory. ScopeDOPE interpolates from your actual correction curve.

**Lot tracking:**
> Your lot changed. Your Kestrel doesn't know. ScopeDOPE does.

**Print feature — unique and unchallengeable:**
> No other ballistic product on the market — at any price — prints anything. ScopeDOPE prints your scope correction sticker directly from your confirmed DOPE data.

**Entry point for Kestrel users:**
> Already own a Kestrel? Keep it. Install ScopeDOPE alongside it. Add what your Kestrel can't: a firing solution built from your confirmed impacts, and a printed correction sticker. Compare the output at a distance you haven't shot.

**Voice note:** This is the most technically sophisticated audience in the entire addressable market. Vague claims will be dismissed. Honest acknowledgment of Applied Ballistics' genuine advantages earns more trust than dismissing them. Specific numbers, documented methodology, and transparent treatment of where ScopeDOPE is strong and where it differs from AB will earn attention. See `MARKETING_ENGINE.md §3–4` for engine credibility messaging. See `SCOPEDOPE_MARKETING_GUIDE.md §4.2` for banned phrases.

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## 11. Competitive Landscape Awareness

**Applied Ballistics Mobile** — The most directly competing software at this ICP level. As of December 2024, AB Mobile reduced its subscription from $29.99/year to $19.99/year. This price drop increases its accessibility but does not change its architecture — it remains a calculator that applies additive corrections. ScopeDOPE's counter is architectural: AB Mobile's corrections sit on top of a physics model. ScopeDOPE's corrections replace the physics model at confirmed distances. Do not compete on price against AB Mobile with this ICP — compete on architecture and on the specific claim that the interpolation output at unconfirmed distances differs in kind. The Litz BC advantage is real and must be acknowledged honestly before the counter is landed.

**Kestrel 5700 Elite with Applied Ballistics** — Hardware. Not a software competitor, but the dominant tool in this segment. Most serious PRS competitors own one. ScopeDOPE's positioning with this ICP is explicitly complementary — add ScopeDOPE, don't replace the Kestrel. The wedge is printing (nothing else prints) and the foundational vs. additive architecture distinction. The goal is to be installed alongside the Kestrel first; the data accumulation and demonstrated accuracy do the retention work over time.

**Revic Radikl RS** — Integrated onboard ballistic computer in a scope body. Huntin-focused, premium price (~$3,995). Not a direct market overlap for PRS competitors — but monitor. If Revic releases a competition-focused variant, the competitive calculus shifts.

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## 12. Kestrel Displacement Tier

Per `SCOPEDOPE_COMPETITIVE_ANALYSIS.md §7`:

- **Tier 3 (Kestrel non-Elite users):** PRS competitors who own an earlier Kestrel model without the full Applied Ballistics ecosystem. ScopeDOPE's DOPE-Blend architecture provides what their Kestrel cannot — a firing solution anchored to their actual rifle rather than a static theoretical trajectory with manual offsets.

- **Tier 4 (Kestrel 5700 Elite / Applied Ballistics loyalists):** The goal is not displacement — it is temptation. Install ScopeDOPE alongside the Kestrel. The label printing feature is the wedge. The DOPE-corrected accuracy at untested distances is the reason they stay. Conversion to primary use follows data accumulation and demonstrated accuracy over time.

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## 13. References

| Document | Relevant Sections |
|---|---|
| `SCOPEDOPE_MARKETING_GUIDE.md` | §1.2 (the problem), §1.3 (terminology — know it cold for this audience), §2.3 (PRS demographics), §3.2 (brand voice), §4.2 (hard rules — banned phrases), §6.1–6.2 (system argument) |
| `SCOPEDOPE_COMPETITIVE_ANALYSIS.md` | §1 (Kestrel comparator profile — know it before any PRS conversation), §2.1 (DOPE-Blend), §2.2 (printing), §2.5–2.6 (portability, .dope format), §3.1–3.4 (Kestrel advantages — acknowledge them), §7 (displacement tiers) |
| `MARKETING_ENGINE.md` | §2 (validated accuracy claims — use exact figures only), §3 (key differentiators), §4 (PRS/competition messaging and technical skeptic messaging) |
| `OPTICS_PARTNERSHIP_TARGETS.md` | §ZCO (top single-brand share in PRS top 200), §Kahles (fastest-growing premium tier) — brands dominant with this ICP |

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## Document Control

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| **Document owner** | `jschwefel@coldboreballisticsllc.com` |
| **Classification** | Highly Confidential (04_-_Highly_Confidential/) |
| **Location** | `OneDrive/ScopeDOPE/04_-_Highly_Confidential/Marketing_Guide/ICP/ICP_PRS_COMPETITOR.md` |
| **Cross-references** | `SCOPEDOPE_MARKETING_GUIDE.md`; `SCOPEDOPE_COMPETITIVE_ANALYSIS.md`; `MARKETING_ENGINE.md`; `OPTICS_PARTNERSHIP_TARGETS.md`; `PERSONA_OVERVIEW.md` |
| **Created** | 2026-06-08 |
| **Last updated** | 2026-06-09 |
| **Next full review due** | 2027-06-08 |

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## Revision Control Block

| Rev | Date | Changed By | Reviewed By | Approved By | Summary |
|-----|------|------------|-------------|-------------|---------|
| DRAFT | 2026-06-08 | jschwefel | — | — | Initial draft |
| DRAFT 2 | 2026-06-08 | jschwefel | — | — | Revised: AB Mobile Dec 2024 price drop addressed in §8 and §11; untested-distance angle added to §10; Revic Radikl monitor note added to §11; ownership psychographic expanded; ZCO/Kahles market share data added to §3; TOC updated |
| DRAFT 3 | 2026-06-08 | jschwefel | — | — | Specific ZCO market share percentage (20%) and "official PRS ballistic calculator for 2025 season" removed — replaced with directional language to avoid factual claims that can be checked and disproven |
| DRAFT 4 | 2026-06-09 | Claude (Opus 4.8) | — | — | Fixed "DOPE-blend"→"DOPE-Blend™" (5 occurrences) per BRAND_LEGAL_LANGUAGE_GUIDE; applied ™ to first use of ScopeDOPE/Cold Bore Ballistics. |
