How much, if any has the current ammo and reloading shortage and inflation reduced the amount of varmint shooting, ( especially ground squirrels or prairie dogs), and target shooting people are doing?
In my case, not at all. We had a great four day sage rat safari a few weeks ago.
I stocked up on .22 LR enough after the last one so I could let the grandkids do their thing until I die.
We do most of our target shooting in the winter but we have lots of ammo saved up. I am working my way through odd stuff I bought during the height of the shortages.
The four of us all reload and we are well stocked on rimfire ammo except for one guy who is going through 17HMR like water. He can find it, he just doesn't care for the current prices.
I have about 6K bullets for my .223/5.56's, 17 lbs of my favorite powder and lots of primers. I hve about half that much for 9mm/.357. I admit I tend to use my most common cartridges more now. I usually shoot some rats with the rifles I plan to use on big game but didn't this year.
If this shortage period lasts 3 years or so I might get tight on some shotgun ammo, 20 gauge specifically. I may have to dig the Sizemaster out of the basement.
Interesting. Thanks for the response. I suspect that it’s guys like you that raise a generation of ethical hunters.
Not at all.. I don't shoot as much as I used to, but for many other reasons.. I am going to get with it from now on.. I hope..
I'm still shooting as much as normal but some things have definitely changed.
1. I'm behind on replacing supplies (primers, powders, bullets) that I've been shooting. Normally I'd have replaced as I shoot. Right now I replace as I can find things. I have purchased a few bags of primed brass at a higher cost than I normally would....mainly to save my preferred that I have set aside.
2. I'm shooting several bullets that are not my first choice. I like to shoot the same bullets I hunt with. For a couple of rifles I'm just using some odds/ends bullets. Most of this is to save the stockpile of my first choice bullets...but there are also other bullets I'd like to try that I can't get my hands on.
3. I've found enough 22 rimfire to shoot. Some of this was through picking up a different brand/type than I prefer but not really an issue with rimfire. I put a steel target across our pond, exactly 100 yards from our front porch, a few weeks back (thanks Higginez). We've shot A LOT of 22 rimfire at it. Except for Mondays and Wednesdays we're shooting at it, even if it's just 20-30 rounds a day.
4. I'm not shooting as many handgun rounds. I hate loading handgun rounds. If I can't buy some to replace them I'll just shoot rifle and rimfire until I can.
Primers, bullets, powder.....biggest issue is not being able to find what I want/prefer to replace things to I'm shooting non-choice on many of them.
I'm right there with ya. As I'm trying to replace as I go, as much as I can, but to be honest, I stocked up yrs. past and added just because. Not really seeing all this non sense going on that were dealing with, and refusing to pay these ridiculous premiums for what we enjoy, and waiting it out for common sense and prices to prevail! Good Luck!
None at all affected by this, i was ready. No big game, varmints waterfowl or targets, gongs, botttles, cans, rocks, dirt clumps are safe on my farm.
I've still been shooting quite a bit. I was stocked up it's just harder to replenish. Still have plenty of pistol, rinfire, and shotgun shells. I don't shoot much center-fire rifle aside from a few practice shots before hunting seasons.
Shooting as much as normal. Been doing a lot of load development, but I am now at the point of running drills with pistol and ARs. Nice thing is less folks at the range so I can run the drills that I want to work on.
And the only ammo I have been buying is 22 LR. I still have primers at the moment, but I hope they start showing up more often.
None at all affected by this, i was ready. No big game, varmints waterfowl or targets, gongs, botttles, cans, rocks, dirt clumps are safe on my farm.
Same here. The Obama scare taught me to prepare for future occurrences. Our son and five year old grandson can thank me for preparing them as well.
The only thing the shortage has slowed for me is experimentation w/new powder mostly. I don't want to develop a load and then not be able to lay in a reasonable supply, nor do I want to dip into an 8# jug of something for test loads and find I ultimately end up not wanting/needing.
Other than that, I shoot just like I always have.
I have cut back just recently because of the heat. I have plenty of pistol and rifle training ammo but only use hunting ammo to confirm zero on training days.
mike r
I've cut back some but not drastically. Thankfully I was pretty well set with reloading supplies and have been able to pick up a few things I've needed.
I haven’t seen anyone at our local gun range for weeks, nor have I seen anyone shooting ground squirrels, hence my questions.
I suspect it might be the average shooter/hunter that can’t find ammo or is dismayed by the prices.
I've cut back some but not drastically. Thankfully I was pretty well set with reloading supplies and have been able to pick up a few things I've needed.
Same, here.
Been busy with summer work and wifey’s chores list. It’s kept my shooting to a slow role.
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Business as usual for me. The public range up the road is a lot less busy though. The spray and pray crowd is largely absent now, as are large family gatherings on the pistol range.
Like someone else said, I’ve decide to clean up a bunch of this and that for practice.
A bunch. I have shot less this year than any of the last 10 or so years, by far. I have some supplies but have not had a chance to resupply so I have been tight with what I have.