Price of Everything is Going Up, Bullets Included.

Calkins · Post by **Calkins** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 12:25 am

I heard on the news lastnight that as copper and other metals found in bullets continue to go up in price, bullets and shells price increase 75% this year compared to last.

Why not? :roll:

lion hunter · Post by **lion hunter** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 1:12 am

Good thing my arrows are reusable. makes me wonder if there is some other material that could be used for bullet material, like christmas fruit cake.

nmplott · Post by **nmplott** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 2:21 am

yeah they have been going up since we invaded Iraq.

michael.magorian · Post by **michael.magorian** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 9:54 am

Iraq has nothing to do with it. One of the reasons that the price of so many things rising is because of the cost to ship it. When a guy is looking at a two in a half dollar increase on diesel fuel, they have to make up losses by increasing the cost of the goods, and as long as the demand holds up, there is no reason to drop the price. Another aspect a person could look at is that China is buying up as much copper as possible and is draining the market on it and many other metals, so the cost to produce a product is also rising.

nmplott · Post by **nmplott** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 4:31 pm

Iraq has a lot to do with. We are not slinging water balloons at the insurgents we are using bullets, and since bullets are used on a daily basis, there is a demand for bullets and the materials required to make them and the government gets priority for them. But you are right about the fuel required to extract, refine and process it into the bullet does play an effect, so its a one-two punch that drove the price up.

michael.magorian · Post by **michael.magorian** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 9:59 pm

I will appologize to you right off the bat nmplott, but I just hate it when people blame the economics back home on the war in Iraq. The ammunition that the US Army uses are mostly are .223, .308, .50, 9mm, 22mm, and 40mm, and these rounds are not shot constantly every single day. Many of the weapons in Iraq are used only once every 2 months to be test fired. These rounds are bought dirt cheap from the lowest bidder. I am not trying to start an argument

with you, more or less trying to offer you some insight. Happy hunting and taker easy.

Mike

Mike Leonard · Post by **Mike Leonard** » Thu Jun 05, 2008 10:06 pm

Well boys it's time to start hitting the tire shops up for all their used lead wheel weights. I had barrels full of that lead back in the day, and I also got lino-type and mixed some babbit #4 in to harden those I was going to shoot at higher velocity. I killed many a critter with my hard cast bullets some gas checked some not. I use to shoot around 500 rounds of 44 magnum a week while doing some silloutte comp. and general shooting. I rolled a lot of jack rabits with those loads in practice as well as rock chucks, coyotes, badgers and other vermin. When hunting season rolled around the old Redhawks, black hawks and above all the Model 29's put a lot of steaks on the table. 22.5 gr. of 2400 powder behind a 250 Gr. Keith type Semi-wadcutter cast fairly hard will certainly mess up a bull elks day, if you can put the pill where the pain is. I also used a 45-70 a good deal and although you have to learn to be a bit of a still hunter and stalker that old round is still one of my favorites.

So if Hornadys, Sierras, Noslers, and Barnes get too high for us, we will get the old hot pot going and the bees wax melting.

Heck I have so many Sierra varmint, and Core Loct Remingtons laid aside that I have bought in bulk over the years I may have to set up a bullet lemonaid stand if they get much higher. LOL!

Moonshiner · Post by **Moonshiner** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 2:31 am

Ya'll want to have a nice little figure to sit on, in December of 2006 i paid $120 for 1000rds of Wolf .223 and now I cant find a dealer with any on hand for less than $400. Ya want to know what drive the price of ammo?
CHINA...WAR...FUEL, in that order.
China is going through their "Industrail ReRevolution" and theyre buying up all my &%^$*^% copper, the folks in Iraq are blasting away (More than a couple of times a month, please...really?) Its not just the U.S. soldiers its also the Allah folks, and everywhere else that bullets are being used.
Which is why im for fighting with missles, very little copper used and more effect on the folks holding out.
And lastly, Fuel, Im a fella who drive an 8k-lb diesel rig, and on average i get 14mpg, thats because i like to go a bit faster than everyone else, anyway, OPEC is slowing down their production because they finally figured out that fuel is an inelastic quantity(and yes i know about the 1970's crisis), which means they could charge us $5 a freaking gal and we'd still buy it. Which is why i support bio-diesel, not cause im Greenpeace, but cause I like paying $3.69 instead of $4.80 a gal.

Sorry for the rant, but i used to like reloading shotty shells and now that lead is $50 a bag for #8 shot (dont even get me started on buck) my college budget wont let me load no more. Id love to melt down tire weights for my shot, but unfourtunatly the shot had to be hardened somehow, so looks like i might have to do alot of hunting with a lever .357 or .44 this year, easy to reload and relatively inexpensive ammo.

michael.magorian · Post by **michael.magorian** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 9:35 am

I'm sorry again, but I just can't take it. The war in Iraq has nothing to do with the price of ammo. I will say it again, the war in Iraq has nothing to do with the price of ammo. The junk NATO rounds that are used make those Wolf rounds look line Hornadays. The rounds used are the cheepest that can be bought from the lowest bidder. Everyday in Iraq is not a constant gun battle. 99 out of a 100 times, if you are shot at in Iraq, you will never see the shooter. The majority of the battle is taking place on the sides of the roads, and during midnight raid missions for specific targets. The Army waists a lot of rounds in a year's time, but the difference from pre-war to a time at war is very minor (for this war anyway). Yes, once every two months each weapon must be test fired to make sure that it still functions properly, and that is all the firing that most of them will ever see in Iraq. Again, I appologize, but I am just so sick and tired of everything being blamed on the war in Iraq, when the truth is right here at home with other countries and our own taking advantage of us, but main stream media likes to find a scape goat and until this war is over, that's what it is going to be. Taker easy and sorry for the rant.

Cowboyvon · Post by **Cowboyvon** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 5:58 pm

Umm.. is there oil in Iraq?

WTP · Post by **WTP** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 3:40 pm

Well do thoes junk NATO rounds as you call them use copper,brass, primers, led, powder last i checked they do
it is supply and damand and if the military needs the supply then the price is goen to go up for the average consumer

onegreen · Post by **onegreen** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 4:10 pm

Thought I would chime in on this one. I am in the building business and buy lots of building materials with metals involved and I can assure you that the prices of all medals is through the roof. Have a friend that owns a large scrap yard and he is paying obscene prices for all scrap brought in.
When the China market took off they drove the prices up for all metals.
Copper and brass, key ingredients in ammo but also found in wiring and A.C. units have been ridiculous. Standard rebar (#5) has tripled in price over a very short time. Used to pay $3.00 a stick now it is in the $10.00 range!

Mike Leonard · Post by **Mike Leonard** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 7:51 pm

Moonshiner,

I hunt a lot with a 357 lever gun, and I have used the 44 lever for years as well. As you said you can buy practice ammo thru Cabelas fairlt reasoanble ( and that is a relative word these days). I use the 158 JHP and SP in the 357 and at carbine velocity it is a wicked little killer out to 100 yards. Witht he new Hornaday lever-revolutions that they have come out with for these round I am sure you could add another 50 yards or so on that. I know that is pretty dull stuff to the thousand yard ( Best of the West) type shooters that head to the woods these days but it will fill the freezer.I killed a very large 350 plus bull several years back with this little gun. Yes I got to within 75 yards and made the shot, and yes he ran about 50 yards after the hit before piling up lung shot deader than dead in a quakie patch. First pick for an elk gun? Not hardly but when I snicked it out of the saddle scabbard off that old gray pony and dropped the hammer on him it sure acted like an elk gun. The 44 just has a lot more of the same.

As for shot shells I search the bargain pages and load up with trap loads and dove loads when I can buy them in case lots. That handles the bulk of my shooting and then a squeal like a pig under a gate when I have to buy heavy field express or steel loads for pheasant and waterfowl, but I still buy them. I don't take as many chance shots as I use to and maybe that is ok.

Moonshiner · Post by **Moonshiner** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 8:15 pm

very true, well i gotta by myself a new .40 but if i come across a good priced marlin "trapper" 16" .357/.44mag ill pick it up, i like levers but carry my .45/70 around is a bit over kill especially for rabits and coyotes. Im also gonna start toten my .44 Blackpowder pistol around, and might start hunting more with my .50cal Hawken the way ammo prices are goin, lol.