Friday, September 05, 2008
Higher ammunition prices create shell shock
Mark Taylor
Mark Taylor's Outdoors column and notebook appears regularly in The Roanoke Times.
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Tim Divers is one of those accuracy-obsessed shooters, a guy who isn't satisfied unless every shot he sends down range with his tricked-out .22 goes through a single hole.
Until recently, he got a charge pitting his skills against buddies in informal shooting matches, often with a few bucks on the line.
"But I've slowed down from doing it every weekend to doing it not very much," said Divers, a manager at Sportsman's Warehouse.
Divers is carefully rationing his supply of his favorite match ammo, which now costs a couple more bucks per box than it did just a few months ago.
"I've got several boxes," he said, managing a smile. "I just don't want to waste it."
Like other hunters and recreational shooters, Divers is feeling the pinch of the rising cost of ammunition, which has more or less doubled in price over the past couple of years.
But it seems few shooters or hunters are ready to quit over the rising prices. Instead, they are adjusting, shooting less often or shooting smaller calibers so they can continue enjoying their passion.
"I don't golf," said Bryan Sheehan, who was buying reloading supplies at Sportsman's Warehouse on Wednesday. "Shooting is my hobby.
"I've had to adjust some, but I don't plan on quitting."
The rising prices stem from a variety of factors beyond the increased price of oil that has affected the price of just about everything.
Heavy demand for raw materials used for making shells has driven up the prices of components dramatically. The price of copper and lead, for example, both roughly doubled from the summer of 2006 to this summer, although prices have eased lately. The price of powder also has climbed significantly.
Military demand has also affected the market, leading to relative shortages of certain cartridges.
Also, a weak U.S. dollar has contributed to high prices because much of the ammo used in the U.S. is imported.
But while the underlying reasons for the increases are somewhat complex, the bottom line is hard to miss: Prices are higher than ever for shells.
Sportsman's Warehouse manager Brad Hodl said some customers grumbled when prices started rising dramatically a couple of years ago.
"There was kind of a shock and awe stage," Hodl said.
With price increases coming almost quarterly since, most shooters have reached a level of resignation.
"Most of the guys who shoot consistently are used to it," Hodl said.
While it might seem that the price increases would drive more shooters to get into reloading, Gander Mountain manager Jayson Jongquist said he hasn't seen any evidence of that.
Reloading tools and supplies require a pretty good initial investment, so it's usually taken up only by avid shooters who run through lots of ammo. Those shooters would be taking up reloading no matter what the price of ammo.
The quickly rising prices have created interesting challenges for smaller ammunition retailers who deal in smaller volumes.
Some still have stocks of ammo purchased before the big price hikes. Priced at pre-increase levels, boxes of shells would be quite a bargain.
"I've seen people going from shop to shop, trying to find bullets priced at old prices," said Mike Snead at the Virginia Outdoorsman in Moneta.
Raising the prices to market levels can create dissatisfaction among customers who think the retailers are price gouging to take a higher profit.
"I price mine to the market," said Snead, who uses prices at Midway USA, a large mail-order supplier, as his gauge. "That way I don't have to deal with customers who are surprised.
"There's not a lot of money in ammo anyway because there's not a large mark-up. It's more of a service."
Of course, while pricing to the market can mean higher margins on inventory purchased prior to major price hikes, it can also mean lower margins should ammo prices eventually start declining in the wake of currently declining commodities prices.
While retailers have their individual approaches to handling the price increases, so do hunters and shooters.
Sheehan, who pastors Pecks Baptist Church in Bedford County, said he's spending more time shooting smaller calibers that use smaller bullets and less powder.
"I thoroughly enjoy even the .22 rimfire," he said. "You can get a brick [of 500 rounds] and go spend the afternoon shooting.
"I can't think of anything I'd rather do."
The increases will impact some hunters more than others.
Deer hunters can expect to spend $1 to $3 per shell, depending on the caliber and type of ammo. But because they typically won't shoot many rounds over the course of a season, the increase is more palatable.
"They're going to be more impacted by gas prices," Hodl said.
For dove and waterfowl hunters, who can blow through lots of shells in a hurry, the days of taking marginal shots may be over.
As he browsed the ammo section at Gander Mountain on Wednesday afternoon, Charles Tracey of Amherst pointed at a box of 25 high brass, buffered shotgun shells that carried a price tag of $29.99.
"You'd want to aim carefully with those," he said, chuckling.
