The cost of ammunition is rising

The Fresno (CA) Bee is reporting that the cost of ammunition is rising, with retailers saying prices have climbed between about 10% and 20% this year -- and some even higher.

From the story:

"As a percentage, it's the biggest we've experienced in my lifetime," said Barry Bauer, president of Herb Bauer Sporting Goods in Fresno.

Ammunition made from copper, lead and brass is affected.

The cost of a box of 25 shotgun shells used for dove hunting went from $3.99 to $4.89 since the beginning of the year, for example.

The increase isn't drastic and hasn't appeared to deter hunters, but it has inspired grumblings among customers and put an extra burden on some police departments.

Mark Sasser of Fresno said the extra dollars haven't stopped him from hunting deer, wild hogs and the occasional bear.

"The ammunition that I used to buy for $21, $22 a box is up in the $30 range," he said. Yet, "in the big scheme of things, it's not huge."

Tony Aeschliman, a spokesman for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, told the newspaper that several factors are driving the rising prices, including increasing demand and the cost of metals used to make bullets.

Eric Wittenauer, an industrial metals analyst at A.G. Edwards in St. Louis, is quoted as saying metals prices have climbed dramatically. Copper contracts that traded at $1.40 a pound in 2004 and 2005 are selling at $3.24 a pound.

Demand is also up:

Aeschliman said demand for hunting supplies is up. Populations of deer, wild turkeys, ducks and geese have exploded in many parts of the country, bringing out more hunters, he said.

Increased shipping costs are also playing a role for retailers, said Jeff Huth, general manager of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis.

Although many speculate that the bullets being used in Iraq and Afghanistan are driving up the price, the military says that's not true.

While all branches of the military are using more than three times the bullets used five years ago in conflicts and increased training, Army spokeswoman Gale Smith said the military makes most of its own ammunition -- 83% of it at a plant in Missouri -- and uses a different caliber than hunters.

However, Aeschliman said it's possible the increased demand for metal by the military also could be a factor in the increased cost. He said there isn't a shortage of ammunition, but some buyers are finding that suppliers are filling orders more slowly and that getting their normal supply is more expensive.

The .223 caliber bullets used by police are proving to be one of the more difficult types to get.

The story goes on to note that the shortage has led some police departments around the country to cut back on officer training, and that the increasing price of metals isn't just effecting ammunition.

The cost of fishing weights has jumped 30% to 40%, [said Jeff Huth, general manager of Valley Rod and Gun in Clovis].

"We're seeing a huge increase in anything that has lead in it," he said.

A small bag of split shot weights that once cost 99 cents now sells for $1.39, he said.

And though customers may complain, they still buy it, he said.

"It's a staple," he said. "It's something you gotta have."