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Range business/Ammo shortage
chiefr
Member Posts: 14,115 ✭✭✭✭
The public range I shoot at is the largest in my state. Usually plenty of both rifle and pistol shooters. Been going to this range for close to 30 years now. There are always waiting lines around deer seasons and usually after the holidays the range is busy.
However, for the past week there has been little business at all. Only 2 shooters on the pistol side and 2 on the rifle side. Range can accommodate up to 40 shooters on both pistol and rifle. Never seen business this bad.
Of course the reason is obvious: No or little ammo
Anyone else seeing similar effects?
Comments
USPSA is being decimated by COVID & the political climate.
I skipped the 2021 Fl state champ This wknd - which would have previously been really important to me.
Right now I will shoot a club match once a month, the Florida state Glock GSSF match in February- last year it drew over 700 shooters, this year it has already been shortened by 1 day...,
In March I will hit some USPSA match and April I will shoot area 6 championship in North Carolina. After that just see how it goes until Nationals in Alabama in October- which is still a goal but I expect my shooting will be down by about 75-80% this year compared to 2020- which was about half of what I shot in 2019 & 2018.
My group of guys I like to squad with has basically stopped shooting all together.
No doubt about it. At a free public range close to my tree farm there are always the same cars? Think they own a money chitter.
New indoor range with restaurant attached just opened near me. Friend of mine said she will visit the eatery but not the range. .380 ammo too hard to find to shoot it up right now.
I re-upped my membership at an indoor range I frequent....Hoping things loosen up in the future. I fired a couple different pistols but limited myself to 50 rounds total...
The range has a gun shop and it was a pretty sad sight....15 firearms in the whole place where there is usually over a hundred. They had ammo but it was only available with the purchase of a firearm. The interesting thing I did observe was the number of folks there for range lessons and others signing up for the next CCW classes....
Talking to my sister in Katy, Tx and she said ammo supply is losing the battle with demand for their range. They extended hours, and only closed one day a week, and they still have an average of 300 shooters a day from opening to close. Ammo never makes it to the shelves, sold right off the pallets.
Her newest worry is something she got through the grapevine, kameltoe has plans to stop all imported ammo, Aguila, Privi, S&B, Tula, etc.
They have shut down most of the matches around here. (covid)
Saves on ammo.
Circumstances prevent me from going to the range much, so I can't say what is going on there.
Wondering if Law Enforcements are limiting their practice. Yrs ago our Sheriff Dept ask the citizens for donations of ammo.
There is a LEO range less than a mile from my house and can always hear the activity, it has been silent more often.
Also at the public range I shoot is a 20 round LEO only pistol range apart and from the civilian ranges. Various LEOs from all over the state use the range qualification and comp. Little activity there as well.
Covid is not a factor as the only place masks are required is in the range house where you sign up. Range is outdoors and plenty of space between shooters. Rifle side has partitions.
There is a range about 2 miles up the road. from my house . I can usually hear the gunfire fairly well . Not much noise coming from that direction anymore . Local shop with indoor range is still open but no rental guns or ammo available . You have to bring your own .
Ammo shortage is affecting our Sunday morning .22 matches. This is out third week and every week we have seen fewer shooters than the week before. Some just do not have the stock that they want to use and no stock has been available locally at least a couple of months now.
Even the clay target shooters are feeling the squeeze. Most that I know reload but are finding supplies like powder, primers & shot to be exhorbantly expensive.
I agree on the comments for clay shooting. I find it hard to believe lead shot is so scarce and pricy. Ive got about 4 bags that I paid about $9 a bag when we bought it by the pallet, then I dont know what Im going to do. Thats about all the powder I have, so hope things loosen up.