Ammo shortage, are you see more or less shooters at the range and matches?

[Walkalong]

if normal ever happens again.

It will, patience my friend, patience.

 

[BillWM]

If you by $50-$100 worth of ammo components each month you should now have plenty to load and ammo to burn off. Stock up, shoot it but keep a supply of X amount at all times of each caliber. This way you can survive during shortages.

 

[Paul R Zartman]

I dropped my membership in April last year when they shut down the ranges and everything, not planning on going back till this stuff blows over.

 

[giggitygiggity]

I was at a local gun shop that has an indoor range a couple weekends ago. The place was packed with people happily buying $39.99 boxes of 9mm to blast away with on the range.

 

[mcb]

Other than buying rimfire ammo I have bought very little else since this market took a hard sellers turn. I have sort of taken this as a challenge to see how long I can go using what I have stored up. If I don't have ammo for it I pick another gun. I am pretty sure I could go a few years right now especially if I shoot a little less competition and spend those weekend hunting. But I still really like competition so I will do my best to balance the two interest and might be shooting some less used guns in various competition simple because I have ammo for them.

 

[DMW1116]

I went to a rimfire competition yesterday. They said it was the most they had there. I notice the range I usually go to is fairly crowded on Saturdays, but no more so than before. I rarely get ti go on week days, so I don't know about then.

 

[Constrictor]

I am seeing quite a bit more shooting action at the ranges. Of course it could just look that way since every other lane is closed due to the china virus. I am shooting a lot more than normal.

So as we have talked about over and over in various threads we have an ammo shortage. We also know most of that is due to a variety of reasons driving demand through the roof and that the supply is not substantially diminished, though no doubt Remington's trouble played a minor roll. In short there is as much if not more ammo moving out into gun owner's possession than any time before but demand is higher than supply. Just about everything being produced is being bought almost as quickly.

So with this mass purchase of ammo my the general gun owning population are you guys seeing more people shooting all this ammo? Or is it just sitting in a storage locker somewhere?

About the only public shooting I have been doing for the shortage is NRL22 matches and since starting this I have seen a modest increase in match attendance but that is likely due to the newness of the sport in general, and this particular club more specifically, than anything to do with the massive production and purchase of ammo. My first match was, IIRC, about 15-16 shooters and my last match last month was about 21 shooters.

So are you guys seeing more or less shooting and participation in your shooting circles, both recreational and competitive?

 

[Gumby0961]

Because of Covid and winter my range visits have dropped off. I have noticed less people there when I do go. I load all my own so I have no shortage. Because of the component shortage I am not bringing anyone along to show them the joy of blasting ammo. I am so happy I had been building up my component supply. Hope it goes back to the way it was but I'm pretty sure it wont.

 

[Virginia Jim]

I don’t go to a shooting range, but I can hear shooting around the valley where I live. It has been very quiet, lately.

 

[lsudave]

There's been a big dropoff at the range I belong to, from all accounts. I don't go as much as I used to, but still try to strike up a conversation with a couple guys who work there that I like.

The owner hasn't helped; he makes more money selling ammo than memberships now, so he's cutting back on member benefits. We used to have access after hours until 9pm, they stopped that. We used to get a discounted price on FFL transfers, they quit that.
I pay for a family plan that we've had for years, I don't see the benefit to renewing it anymore. I'm looking at driving to a WMA about an hour away, they have an outdoor range that only requires some form of license (hunting or fishing, either is good).

 

[George P]

There's been a big dropoff at the range I belong to, from all accounts. I don't go as much as I used to, but still try to strike up a conversation with a couple guys who work there that I like.

The owner hasn't helped; he makes more money selling ammo than memberships now, so he's cutting back on member benefits. We used to have access after hours until 9pm, they stopped that. We used to get a discounted price on FFL transfers, they quit that.
I pay for a family plan that we've had for years, I don't see the benefit to renewing it anymore. I'm looking at driving to a WMA about an hour away, they have an outdoor range that only requires some form of license (hunting or fishing, either is good).

I have found places like WMAs to not be as safe (generally speaking) with more yahoos and folks who don't even know the 4 basic rules.

 

[Gun4Fun90]

Every time I go to the range recently it is packed. Way more than normal and mostly with new gun owners. However I live in a fairly anti-gun area and there are not a lot of ranges nearby and the range I go to is one of the biggest outdoor range in the area.

I have actually been going less due to this. I have been visiting my uncle who lives 2 1/2 hrs away in the next state over more though as he belongs to a very nice (although a bit smaller) range out by him and going shooting with him which has been nice getting to see him and all.

TL;DR: the range I normally go to has been packed with mostly new shooters, I have been going less. I have also been visiting family to go shoot with them at their ranges more.

 

[aarondhgraham]

I went to watch a silhouette match at my range a week ago,,,
There were only about 2/3 the shooters as normal,,,
Several of them were shooting bulk ammo.

A cryin' shame if you ask me.

Aarond

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