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Old Dog

How is ammo shortage affecting you?

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I am like you try to introduce a few people to shooting each year. Most give up once I stop paying for their ammo. Others give up when they see how expensive the guns they like are. At today's prices I have not even attempted to introduce anyone to shooting since I live in a retirement community where they live on fixed incomes and watch every penny carefully. The last guy I taught did not want to spend more than $300 for a carry gun that he felt he would never have to use. He got discouraged when he could not get the guns he lusted after and settled for an LCP which he hates.

 

You area good man, thank you. The only reason we don't have a national AWB in 2013 is because so many more people are gun owners nowadays*, and because so many more people like modern sporting rifles or want guns for self defense.

 

Voting and calling legislators alone is not enough. We need wide public support for our cause, and that means numbers. We have that today.

 

*The General Social Survey 34% gun ownership is complete BS. There is no other survey under 50%, and they are an anti-gun organization despite their long and "honorable" service. If they stopped surveying about guns tomorrow, they would cease to exist in 2014 after 4 decades of success. They are by antis, funded by antis, all of their CEOs have been antis, and in 2003 their president said, "The most important thing we do is our gun survey. Because it gives politicians the bravery to do what we need to do about guns in this country."

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Gotta admit it's taking a toll.

Tough to go & shoot ammo I can't afford to replace.

Going to have to transition from shooting recreationally, to HD/SHTF prepping exclusively.

Try & shoot once quarterly to maintain some basic proficiency.

 

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The affect it has had on me is huge.

 

Before, when readily available ammunition, I could go on shooting spree's, and commit crimes up the wazoo. The combination of lacks gun laws and easily acquired ammunition was an enabler of crime. But good thing things are tightening up, and ammunition is harder to find. I haven't been able to rob a liquor store at gun point in a few months now. Said no criminal ever.

 

But seriously.

 

I haven't been able to go to the range as much, which means life is less enjoyable, and I spend more time on the internet playing with another type of gun.

 

:D

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I have also supplied holsters, gun belts, rail mounted lights and even a pocket gun to guys who would never spend a dime on any of this. So many around here carry without a holster or at best use a cheap one size fits all nylon holster they bought for $15. No one is aware that they make gun belts and Mexican and pocket carry do not need a holster. After all, your pocket is a holster and your belt will hold your gun in place. :) What gets me the most is that you give people good advice and they go and just do what they want. Pretty much most of the new guys I teach buy a gun based on everything but practicality. They either want a Glock like they saw on TV, an LCP as it is no bother to carry or another gun that is considered cool. I usually give them a list of guns in all price and size ranges for carry but they will buy a gun because it is shiny (for real), is dark earth colored, is on sale, allows them to change the grips to fancy wooden ones, etc.. I know that they never carried a gun before and try to guide them but they see guys on TV or the movies carrying these big guns and the think they are man enough to do the same and then learn that actors do not carry the prop guns until the scene calls for it. Just ask Don Johnson who took that shoulder holster off the minute the scene was over and only put it back on when he had to show it on camera. :)

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No one has mentioned that the lack of ammo affect the amount of time spent at the range and therefore forces you to spend more time with the wife. :) I know that my wife misses having me out of the house at least one afternoon a week so she can clean my home office/man cave and get the funky smell out. :)

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I have also supplied holsters, gun belts, rail mounted lights and even a pocket gun to guys who would never spend a dime on any of this. So many around here carry without a holster or at best use a cheap one size fits all nylon holster they bought for $15. No one is aware that they make gun belts and Mexican and pocket carry do not need a holster.

 

That is extremely frightening. I'm glad you are at least gearing up those lazy hicks. It's very tough when people refuse to spend money on things they need and we do it for them. Not just for them, but for society. And not because they don't have the money, just because they are completely irresponsible.

 

I rarely get satisfaction out of doing the right thing anymore :(

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I wonder how this shortage has affected attendance at matches. I know that most of us no longer go due to the high cost of ammo. Just too expensive on a fixed income for many. 9mm is selling for $40 a box of 50 for FMJ import brand if you can even find it. The last 3 boxes of 50 .45 acp Fiocchi I bought were $35 each. No .22 ammo at all to be found locally and online they only have the Ely or similar expensive stuff. I basically am finding other hobbies as my income get less and less each year as I slowly retire and the cost to shoot keeps rising too quickly. I just bought two guns simply because they were available after being hard to find for so long and were selling for less than MSRP. I do not need them right now but I figured that I would buy them now while I had the chance and at a good price.

All of the matches that I have been to since the "madness" have been at capacity.

Most competitive shooters tend to reload, and most have components to last several months or more.

Personally I would like to have more 223 ammo, but I am not paying double or more what I paid in October.

I could use some other items, but I am not hurting.

Also some components tend to pop up, you just need to be ready to order.

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I took up archery , reuse the arrows. Guns sit in the safe.

 

My wife wanted to learn archery for a learn time and when this whole ordeal started, i thought it was time. Now we are both hooked. We practice in the backyard and I've set up a 12 yard range in the basement :)

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Fortunately I loaded up on ammo for all my guns when Clinton was making threats and still have a lot of it. Only mistake I made was starting to buy 40 cal 25 years later and I only have a thousand of those left. I have 22 versions of all my carry guns and use them for practice. When I lived in jersey we had an inside range and bought cases of federal target ammo........still have a couple cases of that plus many bricks I bought since. Glad I stocked up. I have a home range outside now and can shoot as often as needed to stay in shape.

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took my boss shooting the other night. we started off with a 9mm, and then went into my CZ-75 .40 cal. Which he liked ALOT !!! needless to say, I had 100 ct box of winchester target, that we loaded up into 8 mags.

 

And I said to him, think of it as cocaine !!! Expensive habit, Fun to do, and goes way to quickly !!!!

 

And with that, there went 100 rounds.... HAHAHAHAHAHA

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I only have 2 guns, both take 40 S&W. I only have 300 rounds left and avoid going to the range because I dont want to use it up. I've been stopping at every place I can find and they are always out of 40 so I havent been able to replenish any. Online always gets sold out before I can get to it. So I think I will be looking to take up archery soon.

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Since Im new to this sport I haven't had to "change" per say since I don't know any other way. I stop in at various places and buy what I can. Just this past Friday I stopped in at Dicks in the morning, since I was off, and was able to pick up 500 rds of 22. Later that day I was out with the family and passed Cheyenne and grabbed another 250 rds. So there's a couple of range trips. Not to mention the bucket of bullets thats got 2/3 left in it about. I have maybe 500 rds of 223 and Ill bring 60 rds or so to the range when I go to shoot. Ill keep searching and keep stopping in whenever I can but Im not going to stop going to the range. If I stop going now to save my ammo, Ill be in the same position as if I just run out...............stuck not going to the range.............that I just paid close to $400 to join :-(

 

Im hoping that since Im new to this..............maybe it will only get better for me?

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Before the panic hit, I had almost convinced some mildly anti-gun friends to come to a range with me on my dime and give shooting a try. Now that's on the back burner because I don't know if I can replace what I shoot. My once weekly range trips have turned into once a month. I have HPs for the 9mm, some 30-06 for the Garand, and a few boxes of match ammo for my AR NMA2, but everything else is down to a box or two. I'm not comfortable "wasting" anything at the moment.

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Before the panic hit, I had almost convinced some mildly anti-gun friends to come to a range with me on my dime and give shooting a try. Now that's on the back burner because I don't know if I can replace what I shoot. My once weekly range trips have turned into once a month. I have HPs for the 9mm, some 30-06 for the Garand, and a few boxes of match ammo for my AR NMA2, but everything else is down to a box or two. I'm not comfortable "wasting" anything at the moment.

 

I hear you...but bringing mildly anti-gun friends to the range is important. We can influence opinions here...a little range time tends to make everyone more pro-gun. And if they are hooked after the first magazine and want to keep shooting, you can explain why current legislation is making that impossible...

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I hear you...but bringing mildly anti-gun friends to the range is important. We can influence opinions here...a little range time tends to make everyone more pro-gun. And if they are hooked after the first magazine and want to keep shooting, you can explain why current legislation is making that impossible...

 

You're right, but I need to narrow it down to the ones it will have the most effect on. Can't afford to just throw stuff at the wall hoping something will stick.

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I'm going to buy an air rifle to use until things get near normal again. Meanwhile, I'll shoot what I have until I run out which won't be long. I can't get the powders or bullets I want for reloading so that's not an option. I have a lot of lead and tin and was thinking of casting bullets for the 45/70 but the air gun will be easier.

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If you don't have the cash then trade for it. It works for me all the time, better yet find a surplus rifle or older rifles with surplus ammo and the plinking never ends....

 

PROBLEM SOLVED!!!!!!'

 

I haven't stopped plinking yet.

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I'm just being careful what I shoot and now only bring 100 rounds of .22 lr when we shoot in the woods. I don't know how much .45 acp is going for a box in NJ. But before this mess started, I was able to get a box of 50 for $23. I was considered lucky to be able to find a box of 50 of .45 acp for $32. The store owner could not guarantee a steady supply.

 

Inlaws over in Ohio mentioned that they had to camp out in front of Dicks Sporting Goods waiting for the truck to arrive in order to get any handgun or rifle ammo. Meijers (which is a much smaller type of Walmart regional store chain here in the Midwest) hasn't had handgun or rifle ammo since late December 2012.

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