[sandcountyalmanac]

After coming back empty-handed, again, after looking for powder and/or shells, I'm not sure I'm buying that the ammunition companies and manufacturers are going 7/24 pumping out product. If they are, where is it going? Every retail outlet in this city of 125,000 has virtually nothing, and this is going on week after week, month after month. If they're really making it, like they say they are, WHERE IS IT GOING???!!!

 

[JACK]

Pistol ammo. Converted the lines and target ammo gets the short shrift

 

[likemybrownings]

Anyone with production experience knows you don't just change a production line from shot shell to metallic or metallic to shot shell! You just don't flip a switch! infeed equipment, conveyors, rotary heads, weighing, sizing, to assembly, quality control, packaging, logistics, light, heavy product ejectors, optical sorters, and much more! If this equipment wasn't designed for multiple use when it was manufactured No One can flip a switch and Waa Laa new product!
DaveB OH

 

[racer]

Pistol ammo. Converted the lines and target ammo gets the short shrift

 

[skeet_man]

Powder is going into pistol rounds, priming compound is going into centerfire rounds, lead is going into pistol and rifle bullets, copper is going into pistol and rifle bullets and centerfire cases.

Shotshells, esp target shotshells, are at the bottom of the heap.

The same materials it takes to make 1 box of 12ga Top Guns can make 4+ boxes of 9mm (25 1 1/8oz loads will yield 109 lead 9mm bullets, a bit more factoring in the copper jacket) each of which selling for 20 bucks each, so 5 bucks for your materials or 80 bucks for your materials, which would you focus on?

I saw four Federal 4 packs on the shelf @ WM today, but they are 6.75/box now w/ tax so I passed, I'll keep shooting my handloads.

 

[racer]

Must be Utah Duck Season?

 

[skeet_man]

View attachment 1761205 View attachment 1761205

Looks like a majority in that case is steel shot, meaning the lead is going elsewhere as well.

 

[DuckNut]

Powder is going into pistol rounds, priming compound is going into centerfire rounds, lead is going into pistol and rifle bullets, copper is going into pistol and rifle bullets and centerfire cases.

Shotshells, esp target shotshells, are at the bottom of the heap.

The same materials it takes to make 1 box of 12ga Top Guns can make 4+ boxes of 9mm (25 1 1/8oz loads will yield 109 lead 9mm bullets, a bit more factoring in the copper jacket) each of which selling for 20 bucks each, so 5 bucks for your materials or 80 bucks for your materials, which would you focus on?

I saw four Federal 4 packs on the shelf @ WM today, but they are 6.75/box now w/ tax so I passed, I'll keep shooting my handloads.

Good points Skeet.

The machines on the production lines can only operate so fast.

I think the slow down is a supply chain issue. I believe they are making as much product as they can as fast as they can but if the machines are starving they can't spit out product.

 

[entropy]

This was the lockup at work when I left last night. Note a lot of it is steel hunting loads, and I suspect this might be where some of that production went to. There are some Trap loads here, too, as well as .22 LR, .22 WRM, even some rifle ammo; .30-30, .30-06. .350 Legend, and 6.5 Creedmoor. There were more in the lock up in back, so, hopefully we can keep the selves stocked for more than one day.

 

[traviszam]

I've seen some ammo come and go at the local Walmart. Very little 12 gauge target ammo, but more often than not what they've had is hunting ammo. I can't understand why the ammo companies are even making hunting ammo in the middle of the summer!

 

[sandcountyalmanac]

I've seen some ammo come and go at the local Walmart. Very little 12 gauge target ammo, but more often than not what they've had is hunting ammo. I can't understand why the ammo companies are even making hunting ammo in the middle of the summer!

Agreed. A lot doesn't make sense.

 

[skeet_man]

I've seen some ammo come and go at the local Walmart. Very little 12 gauge target ammo, but more often than not what they've had is hunting ammo. I can't understand why the ammo companies are even making hunting ammo in the middle of the summer!

Hunting season for a majority of the company is right around the corner, and hunting loads sell for 50-100% more than what comparable target loads do (excluding promo "Dove & Quail" or "Target & Game type loads), while using the same components.

Like I've said before, 12 gauge target loads are at the very VERY bottom of the priority list for manufacturers.

 

[Jon Reitz]

After coming back empty-handed, again, after looking for powder and/or shells, I'm not sure I'm buying that the ammunition companies and manufacturers are going 7/24 pumping out product. If they are, where is it going? Every retail outlet in this city of 125,000 has virtually nothing, and this is going on week after week, month after month. If they're really making it, like they say they are, WHERE IS IT GOING???!!!

I agree with you. We’ve basically been without target shotgun ammunition since before Christmas. I don’t “buy it” anymore either.

 

[colonel klink]

I was at a local Rural King last week and was surprised at all the ammo they had. Not much target ammo but two tables full of rifle rifle and pistol ammo. Even had 9mm.

 

[piney]

I talked to a State Trooper on thurs day and he said they used to qualify 3 times a year and now the are only doing it once .When he asked the higher command office he was told yes they are operating 24/7 but they had to fulfill the military first as that was arm co priority then other to follow

 

[Popsracer]

What has the NRA, ATA, NSSA-NSCA, done to represent (lobby for) their membership? These shortages are killing thsir sports. It is also bankrupting small and large shooting ranges all over the country.
Where is the campaign from NRA for every member to write his congressional representatives to investigate where the ammo supply went? Where is the social media campaign to save shooting sport? I say withhold your dues from all these organizations until we see some action, enough with all the whining, more action!

 

[JACK]

Browning guy is a friend, but he is wrong. I spent 40 years crawling thru manufacturing as an industrial salesman. Lines can be converted in weeks. And have been to accommodate cartridge demand.

 

[rapid86]

I could easily be wrong but I have a hard time imagining making shotshells and metallic cartridges on the same equipment.

 

[skeet_man]

What has the NRA, ATA, NSSA-NSCA, done to represent (lobby for) their membership? These shortages are killing thsir sports. It is also bankrupting small and large shooting ranges all over the country.

What would you like them to do? Write checks to the ammo mfgs so they can spend money on more infrastructure? The clay target sports are MICROSCOPIC in the grand scheme of ammunition sales, the manufacturers could COMPLETELY write off clay target shotshells and survive just fine. ATA/NSSA/NSCA have exactly ZERO sway in the decision making process of ammunition manufacturers.

Where is the campaign from NRA for every member to write his congressional representatives to investigate where the ammo supply went?

There is nothing to investigate. These companies are well within their rights to produce as much or as little product, and charge any price they think the market will bear.

I say withhold your dues from all these organizations until we see some action, enough with all the whining, more action!

This will have the exact opposite effect you think it will.

 

[skeet_man]

I could easily be wrong but I have a hard time imagining making shotshells and metallic cartridges on the same equipment.

Maybe, maybe not, but it definitely uses the same raw materials, and would use the same square footage in the factory if you were to tear down one line to put another, more profitable one in.