[Dave McCracken]

Like Gas and Sin, the price of shotgun ammo keeps going up. Even we reloaders are affected.

A year ago, my price for a bag of West Coast Magnum shot was $22. Now, it's $31 and will go up soon, I'm told. Primers and wads are also up a bit.

Reasons given for the hike include gas prices, increased lead use by China, plant closings and the Vast Left Wing Conspiracy. Could be all of the above.

UsIng the cost calculator over on trapshooters.com, my price for reloading a box of 25 has risen from $3.05 to $3.55. That's for a 7/8 oz load at 1200 FPS,

The Gun Club loads I buy when I don't reload are $44 a case. That's $4.40/box for a generic load with soft shot and budget driven components. My loads are better, though either will do the job at wobble, trap singles etc.

$3-4 more a week for ammo is not The First Sign Of The Apocalypse, but anything that further increases shooting costs is eyed askance by The Permanent Head Of The Budget Committee here, AKA Wonderful Wife and by myself.

What are you paying and what are you doing about it?....

[Thin Black Line]

Dave, if you know what you paid for various items during specific years,
this can be a good tool to compare things:

http://www.minneapolisfed.org/Research/data/us/calc/index.cfm

Also, do you remember the primer shortage back in the early/mid 90s? We
had difficulty getting them back then, but the prices for primers at this time
are on par with inflation only. But, yes, bullets, brass, etc have been a
problem over the last few months.

[Oldnamvet]

The last time I bought shot I bought a bunch. To give an idea how long ago it was, I paid $14/25 lb bag and it came in a heavy canvas bag, not the plastic ones. I am now about out and cringing at the prices I see. With the gun club discount here, I can get shells at $38/case at Dunhams. With time being at a premium currently, I haven't reloaded for several months, just shot the cheap, black, Remington shells. I need to get back to reloading as soon as I buy more components. It gives me more than better shells, I get satisfaction from the process itself.:cool:

[RKellogg]

Oldnamvet ,
I looked on Dunhams web site and couldn't find any shells . Do they have a differant site for ammo , or am I just not seeing it .

[Dave McCracken]

TBL, thanks for that. An interesting calculator. I've bookmarked it.
In 1991 I stopped loading metallics, so the primer shortage passed me by. I do recall a shortage of various ammo at the time.

ONV, I like reloading, it gives me the same satisfaction as flytying.

[Whole Hog]

I'm going to keep on shooting and reloading, but I'll be watching for bargains where ever I can find them. I've been buying components in larger quantities, and recently discovered that by joining the Ft. Bliss Rod and Gun Club I can get magnum shot for about $22 per bag. I've also switched from 1 1/8 oz. to 1 oz. loads. I reload all my practice ammo, but for most sanctioned sporting clays matches have to use factory ammo. I've found that the lower priced loads - Estate, Gun Club, etc., work well enough out to 20 or 25 yards, so I use those and save the AA and STS for longer shots. I haven't calculated my cost to reload in a while, but it's still less than the $3.99-$4.25 I pay for the Estates and Gun Clubs.

[foghornl]

I looked on Dunhams web site and couldn't find any shells . Do they have a differant site for ammo , or am I just not seeing it .

There must be some sort of really Looney Leftist that does the Dunham's web-ads from time to time. Sometimes the web-ads include shootin' irons & ammo, but most times not.

E-mail to them about that has gone unanswered.

In my day job, I'm network admin for a metal forming company. Brass, copper, stainless steel, aluminum prices have been rising meteorically for the last 18 months or so.

[sargenv]

Personally, unless I'm loading for something special, as in 'not available commercially', I tend to just buy my shotshell ammo these days. The last time I bought shot it was about $15/bag, I picked up 500 pounds. I still have 400 pounds and I'm bummed it's all 9's (shooting 3-gun I tend to like 6's or 7.5's). The only other thing I'd prefer to keep handloading is buckshot ammo. I can control velocity and can utilize a buckshot size not commonly available (#1). Otherwise, it's Factory fodder for me.

[huntsman]

It's all going up in price. I stocked up pre-2000 and I don't target shoot
(Well informal only) so I'm still ok. But I keep an eye out for sales and they seem few and far between.

I blame the haz mat laws; you know I can't even find "strike-anywhere" stick matches locally.

[Juna]

I've seen the same around here, and not just with shotgun ammo. Around here about 1 yr ago, you could get 7.62x39mm for $60-80/1000 rds at a gun show--now it's more like $200/1000 rds! Likewise, 9x19mm was $11-12/100 rds, and now it's more like $15/100 rds. Same thing with .380 ACP, .32 ACP, 12 gauge, .22 LR, etc. across the board as far as I've seen.

I can only imagine it's the same with all calibers and types of ammo. It's getting ridiculous, IMO, and it's affecting how much I can afford to shoot. :cuss: My wife has definitely noticed, too. :eek: I'm hoping once this war is over maybe ammo prices will decline a bit back to semi-sane levels.

[Dave McCracken]

The Anti-Jihad war may be driving stuff up a bit, but while lead and brass are strategic materials, 209 primers and the plastic used on cases and wads is not.

Whatever is causing the rise, I'm sure we're in for it for a while.

I did E Ballistic Products' techy about 3/4 oz loads. Will advise....

[CZ52GUY]

...doing more basic drills with budget shot from Wal-Mart, Cabelas, Natchez, etc.. Hoarding my centerfire components, trying to get some quantity ahead a little at a time.

Spending time getting re-focused on the basics has been quite useful, and it's relaxing to pick up my hulls and go home vs. scrounging my brass for centerfire.

No shotshell loading here...I have several hundred pounds of components, 4 presses for centerfire...can't fit another press and associated components for shotshell...would love to try it someday, maybe when I retire.

Safe Shooting,

CZ52'

[jlbraun]

It's not that prices for basic materials are going up, it's that the dollar is going down relative to the material prices.

[scout26]

Bought 125lbs of reclaimed (#7.5-#9) shot to try out. Works pretty good, but then it's just our family and friends trying to see how many clay pigeons we can chip, not for competition or anything serious.

Also down to 7/8 oz (from 1 oz) loads in 12 ga.

Plastic cases are made from oil, so Adam Smith's invisible hand is at it again. but mostly it's the prices of metals, (not just lead and brass). Pretty much all metal prices are up across the board. http://www.lme.co.uk/

Just go to the nearest rail-line or port and you'll see why. All those big metal shipping containers are filled with stuff either made from plastic, metal or a combination of both (and other rmaterials).

Walk thru any Target, Wal-mart, K-mart or other store. How many things do see that either run on batteries or need to use a device that uses batteries ??? There's your lead usage.
What's the primary material used to conduct electricity ?? Yep, that's right, copper wire.
And then you need a bunch of steel to make the shipping containers and the ships, rail-cars and trucks to carry them.

And as far as 209 primers. Could be that same equipment used to make rifle and pistol primers also make 209 primers (using different tooling). So the Anti-Jihad war may have an impact there. Don't know for sure, just guessing. I know that were I work, we make all different size metal cans on the same equipment, just have to make some adjustments and change some tooling. And I'm sure the ammo companies don't want to invest in a whole bunch of new equipment when the main customer (Uncle Sam) could decide at any moment or possibly after the next election to cancel or dramatically reduce their ammo/component order(s).

Maybe that's a great career opportunity: Scrap metal (brass) dealer in Baghdad.

[Thin Black Line]

Whatever is causing the rise, I'm sure we're in for it for a while.


The dollar is weakening:

http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?amt=1&from=USD&to=EUR&submit=Convert

http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?amt=1&from=USD&to=INR&submit=Convert

Yes, ppl, that's right, your money is losing its value in India!

[greg531mi]

I don't reload shotshells, but found bargains at Calballa's with #4 buckshot, at $52/200 and at MC sporting goods with wolf slugs at $1/5....
Stock up with bargains when you can!!!

[TFin04]

I'm paying $3.59/box for Remington "Game Loads" that I shoot clays with.

I can get their "Target Loads" (which seems to be the exact same to me) for $4.19/box.

I bought two cases of the game loads last time I could. Cabela's around here regularly sells Winchester loads for $40 a case. I buy whenever I find a good deal. Currently looking for another safe just to store my ammo in. I think one of those cheapo Stack-On's will work fine. Anyone use one?

[mswestfall]

I believe that most things are going up because the Chinese are buying lots of raw materials. Everything from backbone molecules to make thermoplastics to minerals and metals.

It will continue as long as two of the three major economies of the world (North America, Europe and Asia) are going strong. Commodity pricing is a funny thing.

Well, that's my experience anyway...

[Thin Black Line]

LOL....

http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?from=USD&to=MXN&amt=1&t=3m

Maybe I should be crying instead....

[Ben Shepherd]

I just wait for bargains, and when I find them I buy in bulk.

Example:

Did I use 30 caliber speer 165 grain hot-cor slugs before last year? No.

But when I found them at $6 per hundred, I bought 5500 of them. Now I have 5000 left. I used 500 for load development in my 308, 30-06, and 300 win mag.


Same with powder, primers, and brass. I only buy every couple years, but when I do, it's in bulk. Say 16 lbs of powder, brass is usually in 5,000 increments, and primers by the 10,000 count.

That way if I have a short term budget crisis, I'm still shooting.

Last weekend the local cabelas had federal rifle loads on clearance. Federal is changing the box graphics, and wanted to blow out all the old stuff. They had 30-30 at 7.99/20 round box, 243, 270, 308, and 30-06 were 9.99/ 20 round box, 7mm and 300 mag were 12.99/ 20 round box. I filled 3 shopping carts FULL. Good thing I had the truck and not the car. :D

[huntsman]

They had 30-30 at 7.99/20 round box

that's my kind of deal :) I used to get remingtons before hunting season for$7.99 but no more,they're up over $12.99 a box now