[skeet_man]

I'm curious as to what the thoughts are about the price tipping point for ammo (specifically target shotshells), where the price reaches a point where sales drop off dramatically.

I remember buying Top Guns in 2003 for $35/flat out the door. In the late 2000s they were in the mid 40s, now they are in the low 60s. AA/STS were in the low 40s in the early 2000s, mid to low 50s in the late 2000s, now they are in the mid to high 70s.

Do you think we'll see Top Guns in the $100+/flat range, and AA/STS in the $150+/flat range a decade from now? At that point, 28s and 410s will probably be pushing $200/flat.

I have a feeling there will reach a point, and we are VERY close to it now (if we haven't already passed it), where enough people will be priced out of the market that a nosedive in sales will take place. In fact, seeing the rebates that win/rem/fed put out the over the last few years, they may have seen that we are already past that point.

 

[SeanMan30-06]

You're forgetting trap shooting is an addiction. We can find things to give up or sell to get our fix. Ammo suppliers know it too. I can give up eating as much. I think a lot of trapshooters probably could. =)

 

[Zoom.Golly]

It will hit different people at different points. I think we are past the point for many.

We used to have a lot of new sporting shooters that never reloaded. They shot all new stuff. The high ammo prices went thru that group like the Grim Reaper.

I mentioned that to guy that runs our skeet fields. He says they used to get a lot of new shooter that got excited about skeet, bought tubes, and a lot of them went on the registered. He says none of them are doing that now and he blames on the price of the small gauge skeet ammo. He says guys that would have been buying tubes are few years ago are buying a reloader (12 gauge) and loading 7/8 and 3/4 ounce 12 gauge ammo. You can still save money reloading those light loads and they like the lack of recoil.

I don't know if this is related to ammo prices, but I was talking to some guys as our trap league finishes up. We all said how much we enjoyed it. Several of them said they are now retire and gave up, or are ready to give up, ATA shooting. They just wished there was a summer league. Maybe they'll get on started.

 

[dickgtax]

I agree with Ian. Even the economy shells have reached that point. $60 a
flat is the cheapest that you buy Rio's when they're on sale; $65 is the normal price, and they're talking about a 9% increase this year. Target prices are going up as well. You're looking at spending $12 to $16 for a practice round plus the gas to get there.

That'll keep a lot of people home.

 

[APrice]

I'm not sure there is a tipping point. My wife just paid 52k for a Lexus! Hell, our first house, a 3/2 brick ranch was only 10k.
The Lincoln Mercury dealer was a good customer of mine back in the 60's through 80's. I don't remember the year but one day he came in and said he thought he may be going out of business soon. He had just gotten the new Lincolns in and the sticker on a couple of them was 8k. He said there is no way in hell anyone is going to pay that much for a vehicle.
The only way the government can keep spending more than it takes in is to print more money, so get used to everything inflating.

 

[Claybird2]

Just wait till January 15......when The Safe Act goes into effect in NY. ALL ammo, whether it be 10 flats or 10 shells will require a background check AND a $10.00 fee to perform such !! Also ALL ammo dealers will have to be registered with Big Brother to sell. NO MORE INTERNET SALES !! FTF only with registered dealer. No more gun club ammo sales to new shooters....no more gun club sales to members who ran short, or otherwise flat out bought there shells at the club. All this to make us......"safer"..........yea right..............

 

[dead on 4]

I don't know but their seems to be a relativity between the age groups. When you're young shooting is out of your reach because most youngsters don't have income to support the game. When you're old unless you paid attention to your retirement and brought your lifestyle inline with your income, shooting is out of reach just as when you were young.

I can remember sub $40.00 cases of target shells, cases not flats; but even then with a wife and two children and house payment it was tough to support any type of ongoing shooting without taking away from the family. It wasn't until I hit my stride in my career that I could afford to shoot as much as I liked, but then I didn't have time due to comitments.

There will always be a segment who has the means to support a shooting habit some buying new and others reloading to keep costs in check.

Surfer

 

[gun1357]

It isn't just the ammo. Targets can cost more than ammo unless we are shooting factory premium shells. Ron

 

[Zoom.Golly]

I don't totally agree with B12, but there are some supply and demand issues. The dollar is weak. Imports cost more.

When the dollar was strong, imports were cheaper, i.e. we could buy more of an import with a strong dollar, including foreign ammo. And there was a bunch of it and at a good price. Too keep from losing even more market share, US ammo companies came out with their Top Guns, Estates, Gun Clubs, SuperTargets. They cut their margins on those, but kept some market share. They still made money on that ammo, just not as much as they would like, or usually did. Market share is easy to loose, but hard to gain. Market share is the key to long term profitability. They didn't want to loose market share US ammo companies could pretty much keep their high margin on their premium ammo, e.g. AAs, STS, Gold Medals.

When the dollar weakened, foreign ammo got more expense. U.S. ammo companies could raise the price of their promo ammo to match, make more money, and not loose market share. The premium they could charge for STS and AAs could still be charged, but the premium could be added to a higher base price.

So the weak dollar makes for less competition from foreign ammo. That means higher prices.

 

[Brady509]

We are able to buy pitch targets for just under 10.00 a case(good targets not coasters).

Shooting reclaim for singles and doubles and cheap powder keeps that cost low.

Shooting new shot and better IMO powder for caps is where I spend my money.

Still trap targets are cheaper than sporting clays targets. Do they complain about the prices?

Have never bought new shells and carry a decent average for ata targets.

If the added money went up with the cost of everything that would be nice.

Brady Gies

 

[BigM-Perazzi]

It's once again a wealthy mans game.

 

[Joe Potosky]

RE: ALL ammo, whether it be 10 flats or 10 shells will require a background check

That part of the law has been postponed.

Those who passed the law though they could use the federal system for the checks and were wrong.

As for now the State Police who are suppose to administer the system have no way to implement it.

 

[ysr_racer]

When ammo gets to $8 a box, I'm out.

 

[2llc]

What we shoot depends a lot on the event. Club shoots and practice rounds I shoot my reloads, about $3.50 for a box. Registered birds I often buy Nitro27 at $9.50. What is the value we will place on recreation? Pretty much that is up to the individual and each will know when the cost of the game is excessive. With most when it becomes a choice between taking care of the family or shooting... the shooting will stop...... Larry

 

[mallard2]

It has happened, and that is why many gun clubs do not shoot registered shoots now, because they take too many shells.

Lots of places just doing Annies and teamers and such. Not very interesting to me, but also can't afford 10,000 rounds a year any more.

Sad, but true.

 

[dickgtax]

Like doubles, sporting clays is 50 pairs. The difference is that 50 pairs in doubles are shot as fast as you can reload. 50 pairs in sporting is half day romp in the woods.

 

[mike campbell]

In 1923 a box of Remington trap loads cost $1.32.

According to the inflation calculators, a box of Nitro 27's should cost $17.99.

So, how we doin'?

 

[Claybird2]

Joe Potosky............Thx for the update !! Good news.........at least for now..........

 

[Star4Ever]

Right now, my cost (yours may vary) for all components (assuming hulls are free) is $52.40 per flat or $5.24 per box of 25.

That cost includes taxes and freight and estimated gasoline to get some of the components here to me. So the way I look at it, any time I can get a flat of factory for less or close it is a no brainer.

I tend to use coupons / rebates from Winchester, Dick's and Cabella's to help lower the cost of a flat when I purchase factory ammo. However, I purchase only ammo that is reload able such as Gun Clubs, AA, STS and Nitros. You NEVER see the latter three brands for cheap.

Art

 

[1oldtimer]

I have said it many times. Trapshooting started out as a rich mans sport and it will end up there. Did you ever notice the suits and ties the early shooters wore? Most shooters were professional men. Doctors,Lawyers etc. I can still buy Top Guns for $50.00 to $60.00. I quit STS with ridiculous prices & no rebates. Having shot over 150,000 Registered targets,I won't miss it much. I've paid my dues.

Clyde