I thought this would come to pass...
Posted: 08 May 2021 12:26
Passed by the old indoor range where my shop was on Friday. Its gone downhill, but folks still shoot there. In the window, with sticky vinyl letters:
WE BUY YOUR AMMO
I didn't stop in. My first thoughts were like the schlock "WE BUY GOLD" sign spinners on every other street corner, they're probably wanting to give old ladies and pensioners two bucks a box for 9mm, while they're selling it for $50.00 a box.
I did stop in another indoor range though on Wednesday. As I've reported, I've got a 12g CZ Bobwhite G2 inbound, and thought I'd see what was available in 12 gauge ammo. I've got maybe 10-12 boxes of #7-1/2 here, and maybe another 5-6 boxes of #9's, so I wanted to see if there was any hunting ammo available, and if I was lucky some target ammo. I usually go though 75 rounds when I trudge down to the trap/skeet range. Well, it shouldn't be a surprise, they had a scant few boxes of #4, no 6's, and some #2 and BBB. Priced at only $72.50 per box of 25 rounds. The #7-1/2 "Dove and Quail" loads were a "bargain" at 2-bucks/shot, or $49.50 per box of 25 rounds. The 28 gauge stuff was $99/box.
This is not "so many new shooters, so many guns being sold to them". This is panic and pandemonium. I tried some online places, and you can get target loads for about $10 a box... but... wait.... the shipping gets it closer to $20 per box, so the $99 for 10 boxes goes for $189 "shipped". It doesn't cost that much to ship. Especially if you're in the business of shipping. I ship well over 300 parcels at day from our warehouse, and were about 80 off "retail" shipping charges with UPS "hundredweight" service. Qualification for that is 200lbs daily, no quantity of parcels. Two hundred pounds of ammo is easy if you're selling it, so the shipping is still a rip.
This will end eventually.
WE BUY YOUR AMMO
I didn't stop in. My first thoughts were like the schlock "WE BUY GOLD" sign spinners on every other street corner, they're probably wanting to give old ladies and pensioners two bucks a box for 9mm, while they're selling it for $50.00 a box.
I did stop in another indoor range though on Wednesday. As I've reported, I've got a 12g CZ Bobwhite G2 inbound, and thought I'd see what was available in 12 gauge ammo. I've got maybe 10-12 boxes of #7-1/2 here, and maybe another 5-6 boxes of #9's, so I wanted to see if there was any hunting ammo available, and if I was lucky some target ammo. I usually go though 75 rounds when I trudge down to the trap/skeet range. Well, it shouldn't be a surprise, they had a scant few boxes of #4, no 6's, and some #2 and BBB. Priced at only $72.50 per box of 25 rounds. The #7-1/2 "Dove and Quail" loads were a "bargain" at 2-bucks/shot, or $49.50 per box of 25 rounds. The 28 gauge stuff was $99/box.
This is not "so many new shooters, so many guns being sold to them". This is panic and pandemonium. I tried some online places, and you can get target loads for about $10 a box... but... wait.... the shipping gets it closer to $20 per box, so the $99 for 10 boxes goes for $189 "shipped". It doesn't cost that much to ship. Especially if you're in the business of shipping. I ship well over 300 parcels at day from our warehouse, and were about 80 off "retail" shipping charges with UPS "hundredweight" service. Qualification for that is 200lbs daily, no quantity of parcels. Two hundred pounds of ammo is easy if you're selling it, so the shipping is still a rip.
This will end eventually.