I don’t get this ammo shortage thing.

6 months ago I thought I understood this ammo shortage thing. Now I am confused. Scratching my head here.

 

Clay Target Shooting isn't the big dog anymore Beagles in the ammo game. Today the money (demand) is handgun and black rifle ammo. There were No hunting shot gun shells around all winter either.

You look at this like the ATA and trap shooters actually mean something in the big picture. The ATA has a little over 30,000 members of which half are SCTP kids forced to be members. Last year there were over 5,000,000 first time gun buyers. How many of those do think bought a trap gun?

If the SCTP got their heads out of their ass and didn't force those kids to be ATA members you'd see a true picture of Trap Shootings' buying power, 15,000 old men don't command much respect. To me making kids be members of a dying association is just as wrong as forcing someone (kids) to take a Covid Shot that doesn't keep you from getting covid, doesn't keep you from spreading covid, and doesn't keep you from dying from covid and also has 1291 reported side effects.

I used to talk about the good old days of trap shooting in the 70's and 80's, hell today the way the country is going I'm talking about the good old day's of last week.

 

Shotgun shells require around 20gr of powder and about 400-500gr of lead shot, and sells in a box of 25 for around $10-12. Your typical 9mm requires about 4gr of powder and 115-150gr lead bullet, and sells in a box of 50 for around $17-20. Math will tell which would be more profitable.

 

That DAM cipherins

 

Well...brace up because i don't think things are going back down anytime soon.

 

True enough, as far as it goes. The only other aspect to consider is that the bullet in a handgun, while containing less lead, actually cost about 5X more to manufacture than the lead shot in most target shotshells.

 

mudpack I've never heard that 5X figure before. Might be true I'd like to see the evidence.

 

I don’t think the increase in the cost of shot shells has anything to do with quality control because there isn’t any.

Jon Reitz

 

Shotshell manufacturers have made the decision to change their marketing strategy. In the past, volume shooters and clubs bought ammo and components from distributors. Now the manufacturers have eliminated most distributors and have embraced selling product to the retail customer via Walmart, etc. Good luck to shooters who can only obtain product in this distribution scheme. Clubs are suffering along with shooter's. Nothing available for months, yet for the 2021 Grand the manufacturers rolled up with about 21 semi loads of ammo sold only at the shell house in amounts equal to cover cashiered events. Again, nothing since then. Draw your own conclusions as to the direction the Board's of Vista and Winchester have chosen. They won't even release any new B.S. statements they used in the past.

 

ive been telling the shotgun community all along.....the gun/ammo industry is only concerned with profits. our needs and wants is the caboose in the chop chain. all this (we are family) (we are committed) advertising is bunk.
its a hard pill to swallow but the only way youll get their attention is to stop buying at high prices and let their warehouses fill up with no sales.
and....stop shooting!
how dare they occasionally spit out some inventory only to watch us attack it like sharks on flesh, only to take marketing notes on what we are willing to pay, so they can jack it again.
and like i said before, they always empty their annual inventory at the end of the year with lower prices to avoid taxes but try to make it look like they care about us by offering deals.....because all they do is jack it back up in jan. they arent stupid. we are, for trusting them and begging for it.

the american way has alway been that consumers demand, industry provides.
when industry demands from its customers, you are no longer driving the market, the market is forcing its demands on you. backwards capitalism.
(hate to say it but...its socialism.)
like russia/china does? eat what we give you and be happy. drive what we offer you or walk.

 

I'm getting ready to attend a couple shoots in June and July, does anyone know the Price of shells at state shoots?
Thanks

 

The number "5" was a WAG, but I don't think it is far off.
Look at how lead shot is made and how a jacketed bullet is made and I think you'll agree.

 

sadly, as it was mentioned, we are in competition with rifle-pistol shooter/owners needs. everyone is afraid of thugs and everyone all of a sudden is a sniper needing enough ammo to fend off a full scale invasion in ones community. yet cant hit the broad side of a barn.

 

Yes everyone that I know that has a “ tacticool “ gun thinks they need 800,000 rounds on hand at all times. Even though they haven’t shot the thing in two years. About 95 percent of people who bought during the last shortage still have that ammo and couldn’t shoot all they have in a lifetime.