lksopener Posted September 7, 2017 Report Share Posted September 7, 2017 One of my local RFDs only had a 7% margin, he's binned off selling cartridges. Contacted one of the big suppliers to see if there was an extra couple of % to keep it going and he got a polite no. It's a shame really but the margins are tiny for dealers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted September 7, 2017 Report Share Posted September 7, 2017 Not surprised he gave up on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted September 7, 2017 Report Share Posted September 7, 2017 Dealers make 10% as a starting point on cartridges, if you buy enough 15,000+ you might get an extra 2% and if you have the money to pay up front you might get another 2%. BUT most suppliers will have basic clay loads at a nett price anyway, the extra only applies to the higher priced clay loads and game loads. And don't forget the carriage! Usually £50+ vat unless you buy a pallet of around 25,000 which goes to around £6000! Cartridges are a service item for the dealer, not a money maker! They want you to by the cartridges and pick up the other bits while your there. Which would mean that.......... One of my local RFDs only had a 7% margin, he's binned off selling cartridges. Contacted one of the big suppliers to see if there was an extra couple of % to keep it going and he got a polite no. It's a shame really but the margins are tiny for dealers. ....... as you're not there then before long neither will he be. Should these percentages turn out to be right then there's something wrong. Whoever is driving the price up at one end of the process and whoever is driving it down at the other is academic because once our local RFDs (like gunsmiths) have all but disappeared then the remaining big boys will have a monopoly so it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out which way the price will go then - and probably at the same rate of acceleration that said scientist is used to working with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinfireman Posted September 7, 2017 Report Share Posted September 7, 2017 Bloody Hell...............what weight of shot is in one of those things then ? A ton of SSG,s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinfireman Posted September 7, 2017 Report Share Posted September 7, 2017 The only answer is to form a co-operative, and buy in bulk direct from a manufacturer! All it needs is for one person to have access to adequate premises, and conform to the Explosives Act, and bingo! What would kill it is that most shooters cannot agree on all buying one particular brand......but that is the only way forwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted September 7, 2017 Report Share Posted September 7, 2017 The only answer is to form a co-operative, and buy in bulk direct from a manufacturer! All it needs is for one person to have access to adequate premises, and conform to the Explosives Act, and bingo! What would kill it is that most shooters cannot agree on all buying one particular brand......but that is the only way forwards. You can't kill what was never born. The best way forward is for our local RFDs and gunsmiths to prosper - I don't mean excessively so. The last thing we want is for cartridges to be priced as the same percentage of the average wage as they were when I started shooting, but it does seem that that's where we're heading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinfireman Posted September 7, 2017 Report Share Posted September 7, 2017 You can't kill what was never born. The best way forward is for our local RFDs and gunsmiths to prosper - I don't mean excessively so. The last thing we want is for cartridges to be priced as the same percentage of the average wage as they were when I started shooting, but it does seem that that's where we're heading. Never happen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted September 8, 2017 Report Share Posted September 8, 2017 Never happen! Which won't? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wilts#Dave Posted September 8, 2017 Report Share Posted September 8, 2017 And HC are not a massive cartridge manafactuer in the world of cartridges . Good post Stevo. They've all jumped on the bandwagon for sure, there's no way materials had suddenly shot up at the rate they're increasing prices. Greed, but I guess unless people stop buying (which they won't) they will keep going up! Doesn't seem to be a 'budget' load anymore! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westley Posted September 8, 2017 Report Share Posted September 8, 2017 I wonder what would happen if one manufacturer had a TOTAL boycott. Maybe they would reduce their prices to start selling again (IF the 'cartel' would allow them to). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cookoff013 Posted September 8, 2017 Report Share Posted September 8, 2017 I heard on the grapevine that cartridges now will be sold at half price. To qualify for the discount you need to.. Go to your local RFD. Carrying a French stick. Blink twice Ask to see the manager. Wink twice. Ask for the exact shells you want. Roll up your left trouser leg. Wink again. And ask for "the deal" The manager will try some tactics to reduce the discount. Continue asking for your shells and winking. After a few goes he has to give you a discount of 50% or more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salopian Posted September 8, 2017 Report Share Posted September 8, 2017 A very interesting post by Stevo . But , do we really need to use Hull Sovereigns or Gamebore Black Gold ?? There are perfectly good cartridges available at less than £200 per thousand that WILL break clays . IF sales of premium cartridges drastically fell which is a distinct possability if they keep going through the roof will they cease to be produced ? Make no mistake we are being well and truly shafted . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinfireman Posted September 8, 2017 Report Share Posted September 8, 2017 After 45 years of shooting (and reloading) I soon realised that the only hedge against inflation was to buy in bulk......difficult to do on a "normal" wage, and when bringing up a family. So I enlisted 4 friends who were themselves feeling the pinch on cartridge prices, and we pooled our resources.....we soon found the shop that would give us extra discount for a bulk purchase. We kept rigidly to the same cartridge and shot size, (after all, 7,s kill pigeons just as good as they break clays). We scoured the gun auctions for stuff, and started to look for reloading components, using the same bulk buying as for cartridges. It worked for us.... although 3 of those friends are no longer with us. I do not wish to sound smug, but I have not bought any cartridges now for some years, (I still have 2500 Winchester AA,s from the early 70,s) and enough reloading components to see me to the end of my shooting days. Band together, use your buying power, there is no other way! Prices will ALWAYS go up, they will NEVER come down! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodeer Posted September 8, 2017 Report Share Posted September 8, 2017 A very interesting post by Stevo . But , do we really need to use Hull Sovereigns or Gamebore Black Gold ?? There are perfectly good cartridges available at less than £200 per thousand that WILL break clays . IF sales of premium cartridges drastically fell which is a distinct possability if they keep going through the roof will they cease to be produced ? Make no mistake we are being well and truly shafted . Exactly! For game a budget 28/30/32 load will kill 90% of what most people shoot at. For clays a budget cartridge over some nicer looking one will do the same job also. Maybe on some long target a polished shot with certain % atominy might help but in most cases people are believing all the advertising hype. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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