Ammunition Shortage | Video

Rene Thibault | 3/11/2013

Hunters and gun enthusiasts are dealing with some big price jumps in ammunition. But there`s an even bigger issue going on. Recently hunters and shooters have had just one question in mind, “Where can I buy ammo?”

That was the response from Erik Lahner, a local sport shooter. Empty ammo shelves have been a common and frustrating sight for hunters and sport shooters. It’s thanks to a big shortage across the country.

“It`s getting really hard to restock ammo. You`ve seen the shelves, ammo is flying off the shelves”, said Tyler Burton of the Sportsman’s Loft Gun Shop.

Talk of a possible assault weapons ban may have helped cause the shortage, but one of the biggest factors now is that there are just more people buying guns for the first time and looking to join shooting sports.

“More and more shooters are getting into the shooting sports, just from what I`ve seen running the indoor range, some people rely on retail sales for the ammo out there”, stated Lahner. “Running the indoor range I`ve seen people that would normally come and shoot five or six boxes of ammo, now they`re leaving after three. Why you taking off so early? I don`t want to shoot up all my ammo, because its hard to get it, I want to come back to shoot week after week.”

It’s no easier for retailers to get that ammo. Sportsman`s Loft gun shop has an order for three million rounds of the .223 caliber bullet, but they have no idea when they`ll see it.

“It`s kind of a double-edged sword. We`re moving a lot of product, but we have nothing to replace it with. And in the long run, if you have nothing to sell its hard to keep doing what your doing. We`re just going to have to adapt and change and keep trying to get ammo in,” said Burton.

Some ammunition factory representatives have been quoted as saying that this country-wide shortage could last up to six months.

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