Time to register our discontent about cartridge prices

[Salopian]

With the imminent Vat increase we will soon have a price increase of cartridges.

I know there are those of you who believe that cartridges have been artificially cheap for years.BUT we had a significant price increase some years ago when mineral prices went through the roof, blaming China's industrial growth and demand for lead for industry as the reason. Since then the price of lead has fallen, but not the price of cartridges.

Ha, that is because oil is so dear and plastic as a byeproduct has gone up, they said.Then oil prices came down, ha transport costs are up they said.

Well gentlemen, how about returning to paper cases?

Is it not time that a manufacturer produced a reasonably priced 7/8th ounce cartridge and stopped ripping us all off?

Have they not realised that people are forsaking shooting in droves? Times are very hard and people do not have the disposable income that they used to have and it might have escaped the manufacturers notice but we do NEED cartridges to shoot. Or is that the reason that they are holding us to ransom.

Frankly I cannot afford to shoot as much as I used to.But the guntrade does not seem bothered.

[Gordon R]

Just a couple of minor points.

 

I don't accept shooters are leaving the sport in droves.

 

I was paying around £90 per 1000 for shells in 1982 ish. In real terms, they are still cheap.

[apache]

25 clay cartridges cost me £3.50. So I pay £24 for one hundred clays, and £14.00 for a hundred cartridges. Can I have more fun for £14? Is the cost of carts significant in my clay shooting, barely!

 

How cheap do they need to be? What is the issue?

[Catamong]

Just a couple of minor points.

 

I don't accept shooters are leaving the sport in droves.

 

I was paying around £90 per 1000 for shells in 1982 ish. In real terms, they are still cheap.

 

That may be so, but it doesn't feel that way, with anything decent now costing in excess of £200 per thou. :blink:

 

Cat.

[Cranfield]

Shooters may not be "leaving the sport in droves", but I know many live quarry shooters that are no longer clay shooting, as they cannot afford to do both.

Having a chat at two Clay Grounds recently the owners said that business, especially mid week, was well done on the same time last year.

 

I shoot both 20 and 12 bore and struggle to find good cartridges under £200 per 1000.

[apache]

That may be so, but it doesn't feel that way, with anything decent now costing in excess of £200 per thou. :blink:

 

Cat.

Stop being a snob then! Plastic wad carts @ £130/1000 and fibre at £140/1000 still break clays, just as well!

[Catamong]

Stop being a snob then! Plastic wad carts @ £130/1000 and fibre at £140/1000 still break clays, just as well!

 

I'm no snob, but I won't compromise on carts for Clay shooting, I only ever shoot what I consider to be very best, and they are Hull Sovereign 28 gram 8's in plaswad, which now run out at over £200 / 1000, with another increase imminent.

 

I don't shoot fibre wad shells, as I don't pander to the beardie weirdy "green" lobby, and none of the farmers I know give a fig about plaswads on their land, which is 100% arable. Plaswads hold a tighter pattern than fibre and therefore are more likely to kill a pigeon cleanly.

 

As for shells at £130 / 1000, not around here matey.

 

Cat.

[apache]

I'm no snob, but I won't compromise on carts for Clay shooting, I only ever shoot what I consider to be very best, and they are Hull Sovereign 28 gram 8's in plaswad, which now run out at over £200 / 1000, with another increase imminent.

Mate, I don't disagree with your premiss. If you only shoot what you consider the 'best' then money can't be such a barrier to your shooting, because cheaper options are available. That was what the OP brought up. I wouldn't shoot any less if cartridges doubled in price, nor any more if they halved in cost!

 

http://www.kelbrookshootingschool.co.uk/cartridges.pdf

[sitsinhedges]

I'm no snob, but I won't compromise on carts for Clay shooting, I only ever shoot what I consider to be very best, and they are Hull Sovereign 28 gram 8's in plaswad, which now run out at over £200 / 1000, with another increase imminent.

 

I don't shoot fibre wad shells, as I don't pander to the beardie weirdy "green" lobby, and none of the farmers I know give a fig about plaswads on their land, which is 100% arable. Plaswads hold a tighter pattern than fibre and therefore are more likely to kill a pigeon cleanly.

 

As for shells at £130 / 1000, not around here matey.

 

Cat.

 

 

Post me your empties then I can shoot Hull Soverign at £90/1000 when I fill 'em back up again.

 

Those and Pro One's are superb shells for reloading

[Salopian]

So, sitsinhedges, are you saying that you can reload 1,000 cartridges for £90-£100?

If so that is my point entirely, I used to reload but found that it was uneconomical to do so for 1oz loads.

If some of you don't think that people are leaving shooting sports, both clay & game then I think that you are looking through blinkers.

The fact remains we are a captive clientele who have to pay the manufacturers inflated prices like it or not. But if more of us reloaded I would bet the prices of factory ammunition would come down.

[sitsinhedges]

So, sitsinhedges, are you saying that you can reload 1,000 cartridges for £90-£100?

If so that is my point entirely, I used to reload but found that it was uneconomical to do so for 1oz loads.

If some of you don't think that people are leaving shooting sports, both clay & game then I think that you are looking through blinkers.

The fact remains we are a captive clientele who have to pay the manufacturers inflated prices like it or not. But if more of us reloaded I would bet the prices of factory ammunition would come down.

 

 

The sorry fact is that it costs more to buy the components than you pay for cartridges, my price didn't include lead because I usually try to scrounge that.

 

£135/1000 for 28gram cartridges is a bargain in reality.

 

If someone pays over £200 for the same then more the fool them

Edited December 26, 2010 by sitsinhedges

[Catamong]

Post me your empties then I can shoot Hull Soverign at £90/1000 when I fill 'em back up again.

 

Those and Pro One's are superb shells for reloading

 

Yes, I'd love to, only trouble is reloads are not allowed in proper competition shooting, good job too, in the States they get regular blown barrels when some muppet double powder loads a home load. :blink:

 

Cat.

[Chard]

The sorry fact is that it costs more to buy the components than you pay for cartridges, my price didn't include lead because I usually try to scrounge that.

 

£135/1000 for 28gram cartridges is a bargain in reality.

 

If someone pays over £200 for the same then more the fool them

 

But they're not the same

[sitsinhedges]

But they're not the same

 

I know

 

They're nearly twice as expensive

[sitsinhedges]

Yes, I'd love to, only trouble is reloads are not allowed in proper competition shooting, good job too, in the States they get regular blown barrels when some muppet double powder loads a home load. :blink:

 

Cat.

 

No accounting for stupidity

 

The way reloading machines work make it almost impossible to double charge a cartridge but I suppose if you try hard enough you can do almost anything

 

It's called the Darwin Awards, IIRC, for stupid people who are good enough to remove themselves from the gene pool

[kdubya]

But they're not the same

 

your right they are better shot size is more consistent and powder is accurate

 

KW

[BlaserF3]

When I first started clayshooting in the 1980's Winchester Trap 100/'s cost about £100 per thousand. I think the average salary was about £7000 at the time.

 

If we take the average salary today as say £24000 cartridges prices actually are cheaper now, even though the top class one's are priced at over £200 per thousand.

 

Forget to mention paper cased cartridges, where I work the last time we made a product to be used for paper cases was over 25 years ago and the destination was Pakistan, On average a tonne of paper costs over £1800.

Edited December 26, 2010 by BlaserF3

[poontang]

I suppose everyone could change to steel?

 

They're cheaper (for now) and if Mr Digweed recommends them they must be good.

[tweedledee]

well guys i`m trying to put a few quid away as i think hard times are round the corner.i have n`t shot clays since march time and have only used the shotgun once or twice this year.i`m flat out with my fac air and hmr. better value for me and i guarantee you once the initial outlay is spent pellets are cheap as chips.not caring bout the shotty anymore.

[The Duncan]

well guys i`m trying to put a few quid away as i think hard times are round the corner.i have n`t shot clays since march time and have only used the shotgun once or twice this year.i`m flat out with my fac air and hmr. better value for me and i guarantee you once the initial outlay is spent pellets are cheap as chips.not caring bout the shotty anymore.

I know what you mean - 2p per shot for best quality air rifle pellets, 10p per shot good quality rf rounds and 20p per shot for carts.

How much do yhou want your rabbit to cost? :yp:

[Chard]

I know what you mean - 2p per shot for best quality air rifle pellets, 10p per shot good quality rf rounds and 20p per shot for carts.

How much do yhou want your rabbit to cost? :yp:

 

 

Air rifle pellets are a bit of a bitch on the clays though, especially long crossers (this being the clay shooting section)

[Cookiemonsterandmerlin.]

I know one thing that as mainly a sole woodie shooter there is huge decrease in other shooters out in my area swindon wilts oxon gloucester .

 

Why there is a awful lot of pigeon shooters in the building trade who go shooting and with the cut backs in building and also the cold weather for 4 weeks some have not earned a penny /

 

So they cant afford to shoot the cartridges off which is good for me as it equals more ground but sad for our sport as some will not return.

 

I think this will be the same for clay shooters in the area.

 

Cheers OTH

[sitsinhedges]

I know one thing that as mainly a sole woodie shooter there is huge decrease in other shooters out in my area swindon wilts oxon gloucester .

 

Why there is a awful lot of pigeon shooters in the building trade who go shooting and with the cut backs in building and also the cold weather for 4 weeks some have not earned a penny /

 

So they cant afford to shoot the cartridges off which is good for me as it equals more ground but sad for our sport as some will not return.

 

I think this will be the same for clay shooters in the area.

 

Cheers OTH

 

 

Im a builder, a carpenter actually and I have had my worst year ever, which is why I spend so much time on here probably.

 

The day when I can't afford a box of cartridges for a spot of woodie bashing will be a sorry one though.

 

I think it all comes down to what's important and to some people shooting isn't a priority when they need their money for fags etc instead. The rest of us just have to cut down our habit somewhat, my main expense being fuel to get there to be honest.

[silpig5]

Air rifle pellets are a bit of a bitch on the clays though, especially long crossers (this being the clay shooting section)

[vmobiler1]

Im a builder, a carpenter actually and I have had my worst year ever, which is why I spend so much time on here probably.

 

The day when I can't afford a box of cartridges for a spot of woodie bashing will be a sorry one though.

 

I think it all comes down to what's important and to some people shooting isn't a priority when they need their money for fags etc instead. The rest of us just have to cut down our habit somewhat, my main expense being fuel to get there to be honest.

 

 

Get that diesel van running on veg oil, for a man of your Kalibre it would be easy fitting a twin tank!!! Then you`ll be laughing all the way to the woodies at 35ppl.

 

 

Clay carts round my way have gone up about £8-10/1000 in the last 3 years or so.

 

 

Anyway cart prices - They are still under £140/1000 for stuff like Kent Velocity, Modena and Gambore SuperSteel

Edited December 27, 2010 by vmobiler1