Will the Ammo Shortage/Price Increase Kill Our "Sport?"

[Tangle]

"SPORT"? Am I the only one that cringes when "Defensive Carry and training with a Defensive Carry weapon" is referred to as a "SPORT". I have referred to my carry of a weapon as a "COMMITMENT", but never a "SPORT". I just can't picture myself in a Condition Orange situation, and then saying to myself, "Ut Oh, it looks like I'm gonna have to practice my SPORT". Sorry, I just found the term amusing. I know how it was meant, BUT I bought my ammo when I had the chance and still pick up the occasional box or two if I run across it. All I can say is "stay alert" and you'll find some "sporting ammo" somewhere!

I don't recall anyone referring to defensive carry as a sport. The term sport addresses a larger audience than self-defense alone. It was even mentioned that many will not be able to shoot in as many competitive events because of ammo availability and costs.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[First Sgt]

I don't recall anyone referring to defensive carry as a sport. The term sport addresses a larger audience than self-defense alone. It was even mentioned that many will not be able to shoot in as many competitive events because of ammo availability and costs.

Tangle, please go to the line of my post directly following my "Ut Oh..." statement. Please notice that I said....Sorry, I just found the term amusing. I know how it was meant, BUT I bought my ammo when I had the chance and still pick up the occasional box or two if I run across it. No one (myself) was implying that shooting was or could not be a "sport". I am fully aware of competitions that are referred to as "sport shooting" as well as other ways of referring and implying the word "sport" to shooting.. I also did NOT accuse anyone on here of referring to Defensive Carry as a sport. I specifically stated that I cringed if someone called the practice of defensive carry and self defense a sport. Please notice the other posts on this thread and how "sport" is put into quotes, even by the original poster. Obviously I wasn't the only one that found it in humor, but as I said and will say again, I know how it was meant. As this site is titled DEFENSIVE CARRY, hence my comments in the first part of my post. My humblest apologies to you and those who read my post and either took it the wrong way or did not comprehend my meaning. I accept the correction.

[McPatrickClan]

No hard feelings here from the OP! People use ammo both for "sport" and for defensive purposes... both are good ideas. If there was no "sport" everything would be hollow points!

[Fred]

As far as sport shooting who knows. But do you think all those people buying guns and ammo are doing so just to punch holes in paper. There is nothing sporting in their reasons for buying. In the same vein many long time CC holders have been buying extra guns and ammo just in case the government tries to move against our RKBA.

[Armorkingg]

This will mean less crowding at the ranges, fewer "wannabees" that are clueless and dangerous, and maybe even a stop to the price gouging that goes along with panic buying.

I wish that where true here in OK, not there before 3:00 PM? Get on the waiting list. As for the wannabees, it's good to see them gone, or at least taking the sport more seriously. The current situation has added more supporters of the second amendment then ever, and that's a good thing by me.

[Pikachu711]

From my point of view the difficulty of locating ammunition shouldn't "kill" our sport. It will only make it that much more difficult.

As far as I can see the two most serious issues we have to take into consideration is locating the ammo & the price of the ammo. I don't see much of an improvement in either of these two areas. Ammo WILL get scarcer and WILL get more expensive.

We'll all have to adjust our budgets accordingly. When I started this hobby years ago I never anticipated the problems we are now all experiencing. But they are a fact of life.

[Hopyard]

Unless you live in Detroit.

Yeah, there are exceptions to everything.

I keep about 1 K total divided between the 3 calibers I shoot, and frankly if it ever gets to where that isn't enough for SD, our society will not be worth hanging around in-- I'll save one for myself.

The only good reason I can see for hording is if someone thinks they can make money reselling in the future; buy and trade as with stocks. But since we are now in the midst of a bubble, I think the hoarders will lose money. Remember all the folks who ran out and bought futures contracts when oil was going through a bubble; I bet they weren't too happy when they had to deliver at 50 bucks a barrel.

[Tangle]

Tangle, please go to the line of my post directly following my "Ut Oh..." statement. Please notice that I said....Sorry, I just found the term amusing. I know how it was meant, BUT I bought my ammo when I had the chance and still pick up the occasional box or two if I run across it. No one (myself) was implying that shooting was or could not be a "sport". I am fully aware of competitions that are referred to as "sport shooting" as well as other ways of referring and implying the word "sport" to shooting.. I also did NOT accuse anyone on here of referring to Defensive Carry as a sport. I specifically stated that I cringed if someone called the practice of defensive carry and self defense a sport. Please notice the other posts on this thread and how "sport" is put into quotes, even by the original poster. Obviously I wasn't the only one that found it in humor, but as I said and will say again, I know how it was meant. As this site is titled DEFENSIVE CARRY, hence my comments in the first part of my post. My humblest apologies to you and those who read my post and either took it the wrong way or did not comprehend my meaning. I accept the correction.

Hmmm, our words seem to be getting in the way, so I apologize for words that led you to believe I was correcting; that was not my intent at all. I thought that you thought someone was equating sport to SD and I didn't see the connection.

[orangevol]

AMM-534 - American Eagle Centerfire Pistol, .40 Smith & Wesson, 155 Grains, Full Metal Jacket, 50 Rounds Per Box, 20 Boxes Per Case

Prices like this can kill our sport!!! $47.79 for a box of 50

[Torrid]

From my point of view the difficulty of locating ammunition shouldn't "kill" our sport. It will only make it that much more difficult.

As far as I can see the two most serious issues we have to take into consideration is locating the ammo & the price of the ammo. I don't see much of an improvement in either of these two areas. Ammo WILL get scarcer and WILL get more expensive.

We'll all have to adjust our budgets accordingly. When I started this hobby years ago I never anticipated the problems we are now all experiencing. But they are a fact of life.

That's where I'm at. I haven't been able to find much in the area of target ammo and right now all of my ammo is JHP. I'm not shooting as often as I like, but I shoot a little bit less and pick up as much of my carry ammo as I can find and afford at the time. It might be overkill, but I have 150rds of the LE Gold dots and around 50 left of the Hornady XTPs. Sure, it's more expensive shooting, but knowing it cycles great does a lot for my piece of mind every time I go out the door.

[cvhoss]

.........
If its any consolation to anyone, I spoke with someone in the ammo industry and they claim the "shortage" only exists because the stores are buying less. He told me flat out that most ammo makers are sitting on truck loads of already made ammo that is waiting to ship out, but the shops are buying less.

He said if you go to a shop willing to spend the cash on inventory, you will find an endless supply. He said the true shortage is over, and only existed because the manufacturers were caught a bit off guard by the ammo hording. Since then the makers ramped up production and the shortage now is on the stores.................

I find it no consolation because I don't buy that for a second. That just makes absolutely no sense on so many fronts it's hard to hit on them all but here's just a few.

1. I've seen no indication that manufacturers have substantially raised prices so there's no reason that the product wouldn't be moving out of their facilities. The demand is there and if the product is available at a reasonable price, it will sell.

2. There's no incentive for a LGS to not invest in ammunition. Think how difficult it makes it to sell firearms when you don't have ammunition to go along with them. Look at the new Kahr 380. Here's a $600+ pistol but you'll just have to take it home and hold it because we don't have any ammo for it. And if we did, it would cost you over a dollar a round to do the factory required 200-300 round break in so you've now got close to $1000 in your pistol that you may not be able to buy any more ammo for.

3. While I can't speak for Wal-Mart, I know one thing. Wal-Mart doesn't sell guns and ammo as a hobby or because they enjoy it. They sell them to make money, period. If the manufacturers had trailers full of ammo, Wal-Mart would be buying it because they know that it will sell. Wal-Mart has not substantially raised their ammo prices so it's obvious that they aren't perpetuating an artificial shortage to sustain over-inflated prices.

(step on soapbox)

I also must take issue with calling this situation a "dead horse". While the ammo shortage has been much talked about, it is far from a dead issue. I'm sure it will at some point in the future rectify itself, but I see no indications of it happening anytime soon. But, it is something that we, as consumers, can do something about. We have to curtail our usage and refuse to pay outrageous prices for ammunition or components. Until we do, profiteers will continue to buy up supplies and sell them at inflated prices at gun shows or online auctions. sgtD hit it on the nose. Go over to the supplies section at GunBroker and do a search on primers in that category. I see most primers over there going in the $60-$70 per 1000 range. Add normal shipping of $8-$10 dollars plus a $22.50 HazMat fee and you're close to $.10 per round just for a primer.

To the OP -- while I don't think this shortage will kill the shooting sports, it is definitely going to have a detrimental effect until it is corrected. I shoot CAS matches and am limiting myself to two matches this year and shooting them cold (no practice). I have enough primers on hand for those but will not replace them at the current over-inflated prices. If that means I have to give it up until common sense returns, then that's what I'll do. It's time for us as consumers to quit feeding the frenzy and say "enough is enough".

(step off soapbox)

Hoss

[McPatrickClan]

While nosing around on the web, I found a local guy's pro-gun webpage. He had an old announcement on there about making a particular day in November "Ammo Day." The idea was that if everybody would go out & buy two boxes of ammo on the same day, it would send a clear message to any of the politicians in the Senate, Congress or even the White House that we are here, we are active, we are aware & we are watching you to see if you want to stay in power.

Judging by the fact that virtually every retailer (including Wal-Mart) is now rationing ammo, anyone with a handgun can hardly find rounds to practice with and primers are going for prices never seen before, I think the message is pretty clear!

On a good note, the bigger stores like Cabela's seem to be making an effort to keep at least a good supply of major caliber practice ammo in-stock when they can. As stated before in this thread, selling guns that people cannot buy ammo for will seriously hurt their ability to generate profits.

[fotomaker57]

To the OP -- while I don't think this shortage will kill the shooting sports, it is definitely going to have a detrimental effect until it is corrected. I shoot CAS matches and am limiting myself to two matches this year and shooting them cold (no practice). I have enough primers on hand for those but will not replace them at the current over-inflated prices. If that means I have to give it up until common sense returns, then that's what I'll do. It's time for us as consumers to quit feeding the frenzy and say "enough is enough".

(step off soapbox)

Hoss

Amen my brother. If we all look back at gas prices a year ago and the prices now we will see that a drop in consumer usage will bring the prices back down. Don't feed the sharks by paying their high prices. Let them sit on their over priced ammo and worry because they have capitol tied up and nothing coming in.
Mike

[hogdaddy]

Hoss is right my local WW has alittle more than usually

[SleepingZ]

What incredible horse pucky.
Businesses are only in business to sell.
They know they can sell every popular caliber shell they can get their hands on, and generally for a higher profit margin than ever, so they don't buy any?

Totally absurd and illogical explanation.

- OS

Spot on!!!


Z