“Prices on Shotgun and Rifle Shells, Along with Components for Loading, Have Increased More Than 50 Percent Since Sept. 1”
July 30th, 2007Via: Statesman:
If you haven’t bought shotgun shells in a few months — and most people have not — you’re in for a surprise when you buy a few boxes along with your hunting license next month.
Prices have been going up for at least a year, and they will go up again in September. Overall, prices on shotgun and rifle shells, along with components for loading, have increased more than 50 percent since Sept. 1.
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Remington, Federal and Winchester, the major shotshell manufacturers in this country, are all raising prices, citing the rapidly escalating cost of metals, mostly lead, essential to shell production. However, copper, steel and bismuth shotshells also increased during the same period. Fuel price increases have forced up the cost of shipping and delivering the shells, and war-time contracts have created competition for materials and manufacturing time.
The price increase is actually much higher then this for bulk rifle ammo. Bulk packages of ammo (battle packs) have increased over 100%. Anyone investing in ammo last year could make a very nice profit. Buy ammo now – it won’t ever be going down. Component costs have jumped dramatically for powder, brass and bullets, as has shipping. If the U.S. attacks yet another sovereign country (expect it), ammo will go even higher.
I bought a gun and several boxes of ammo last week. As a first time buyer I wouldn’t know the difference in price, and quite frankly, I didn’t care.
It seemed the gun counter at the store was full of twitchy, almost rabid people. Are gun stores ALWAYS like that? Or do some Americans get it and are as anxious as I am to get some protection of my own? I could only imagine what this store would be like if some news blurb came out on CNN – a real mob scene!!!!
One buyer asked whether there were sales on any ammo – salesperson laughed at him. No sale on ammo since Gulf War I! Is that true ?- I am a novice.
I was at the gun store recently and a box of 50 Blazer brand aluminum shell 9mm target rounds (about the cheapest you can get) is $7. I told the guy behind the gun counter that last year they were $6. He said “Yeah, and the year before that they were $5, and the year before $4.”
If people are really serious about guns, and getting good deals on ammo, they can be found. Even if you dont live in an area with gun stores.. I am a member of a message board dealing with guns (www.warrifles.com), there are always great buys on bulk ammo, guns, parts, survival gear, even constant buys on freeze dried food. People on the message board group up and buy wholesale, I just stocked up on a lot of Mountainhoues food that way for a great cost. Its full of rednecks though so keep it gun realated.
I too, expect ammo to only go up in price in the near future. You can never buy enough, you can always sell it or trade it if needed. Same goes with supplies and freeze dried food. Better investment then gold in my opinion, but not nearly as good investment as having your own garden!