243 rounds

[bignoel]

just tried to purchase some 243 rounds in 55/60gr and none of my local shops have any in stock all out found another shop a bit of a trek and he wanted £38.00p for 20 .i have got to wait till tuesday for some 60gr to be deliverd at £26.00p for 20 to my local shop cant understand why they are now so hard to find even the heads for reloading i enquired they only have 100gr .

[Vipa]

just tried to purchase some 243 rounds in 55/60gr and none of my local shops have any in stock all out found another shop a bit of a trek and he wanted £38.00p for 20 .i have got to wait till tuesday for some 60gr to be deliverd at £26.00p for 20 to my local shop cant understand why they are now so hard to find even the heads for reloading i enquired they only have 100gr .

 

 

I was having a discussion with one of my mates who is a very senior RAF Regiment officer and he tells me that the ongoing conflict in Afghan is causing huge supply problems in the states, the US military have Pre ordered/booked a whole years factory production worth of propellants and all other military factory ammunition components are running very short on supply. When a box of ammo arrives now and they open it up it could be Federal, lapua, nosler, winchester etc... in other words the military are starting to buy up non military supplies which in turn is causing huge shortages and subsequently price rises in off the shelf private user ammo. Obviously we buy most of our ammo in from the states so the knock on effect to us will be magnified both in availability and cost.

 

I could understand it if .223 ammo was unavailable as that is NATO 5.56mm gear but not .243... my local RFD had loads of it in when I was there today, bloody expensive though!

 

Bought 2 boxes of Federal Powershok 6.5x55 at £31 each today!!

Edited May 8, 2010 by Vipa

[Harnser]

I was having a discussion with one of my mates who is a very senior RAF Regiment officer and he tells me that the ongoing conflict in Afghan is causing huge supply problems in the states, the US military have Pre ordered/booked a whole years factory production worth of propellants and all other military factory ammunition components are running very short on supply. When a box of ammo arrives now and they open it up it could be Federal, lapua, nosler, winchester etc... in other words the military are starting to buy up non military supplies which in turn is causing huge shortages and subsequently price rises in off the shelf private user ammo. Obviously we buy most of our ammo in from the states so the knock on effect to us will be magnified both in availability and cost.

 

I could understand it if .223 ammo was unavailable as that is NATO 5.56mm gear but not .243... my local RFD had loads of it in when I was there today, bloody expensive though!

 

Bought 2 boxes of Federal Powershok 6.5x55 at £31 each today!!

 

Proberbly the ammo manufactures are turning their production to the millitary calibres causing a shortage in production of the sporting calibres .

 

Harnser .

[Vipa]

Proberbly the ammo manufactures are turning their production to the millitary calibres causing a shortage in production of the sporting calibres .

 

Harnser .

 

Good point Harnser! Hadn't thought of that scenario

[Vince Green]

This is a popular excuse but I just don't believe it. The truth is that dealers are strapped for cash and only holding minimal amounts of stock because they can't afford the layout. Its a worrying sign never the less because it shows how close to the edge many dealers must be. Kranks for one have got shed loads of .243 in stock, they only took in a new delivery a couple of weeks ago.

Edited May 8, 2010 by Vince Green

[Vipa]

This is a popular excuse but I just don't believe it. The truth is that dealers are strapped for cash and only holding minimal amounts of stock because they can't afford the layout. Its a worrying sign never the less because it shows how close to the edge many dealers must be. Kranks for one have got shed loads of .243 in stock, they only took in a new delivery a couple of weeks ago.

 

 

The conversation we had wasn't about shortages/cost so no excuses... he was just telling me what was what on the front line from where he has just returned and relaying info gleaned from similar senior ranks from the US forces. I put 2+2 together on this one.

[Dunkield]

This is a popular excuse but I just don't believe it.

+1

I would say it's cobblers too, if it isn't the war on terror it's them Chinese using all the raw materials - it's always someone elses fault.

There seems to be ammo about if you are prepared to pay through the nose for it.

[al4x]

Its cashflow with a lot of shops particularly at the moment they are running down stocks. My local reckoned he was dead and after all as he said theres not a lot about to shoot at the moment. Game season is over, pigeons aren't on crops in numbers, you can't see rabbits and a lot of people only clay in warm weather.

[cleaner4hire]

Its cashflow with a lot of shops particularly at the moment they are running down stocks. My local reckoned he was dead and after all as he said theres not a lot about to shoot at the moment. Game season is over, pigeons aren't on crops in numbers, you can't see rabbits and a lot of people only clay in warm weather.

 

where is your local al4x - is it any good? Im moving down to henlow in 6-8 months so want to have a look about incase I need to stock up first!!

[al4x]

Its Stuteley Bros in Baldock, but if you're into reloading I have a new contact who will order in what you want

[fortune82]

I wouldnt disregard the shortage problem. Since 2003 the US army has fired 1.8 billion rounds of all calibers in Iraq! Thats going to cause some level of shortages. A mate in the marines told me a couple of years back that he was told the British forces had fired as many round in Afghan in 3 months as they would expect to use in 1 year.