This weekend I ended up making a tour of the local sporting good shops. Montana's about one month from there big game rifle season and except for some Remington 7X64 there was no hunting ammo. There were some Hornady 30 caliber hunting bullet at one shop and a fair amount of 223/308 full metal jacket ammo but that was pretty much it. Last year people went to the ammo shelves and picked up three or four boxes of hunting ammo and then went to the gun counter and said I need a rifle in this caliber. A lot of new 6.5 Creedmoor hunters last year. That's not an option this year. Unless things change noticeably here in the next month or so I think a lot of deer and elk are going to have holes in them from 308 FMJ's. Hope everyone's tracking skills are up to par.
General Rifle Hunting Season Ammo Situation
- Thread starter david s
- Start date
RBHarter
West Central AR
If the FMJ is shaped the same as the old 06' M2 the bullet will tumble within an inch or so of impact becoming a 130gr about 40×90 cal wrecking ball ....... If not I guess they should be breaking shoulders .......
The above is in no way an endorsement for the use of any non expanding bullet in the clean harvest of any game or other critter .
In 14' that was exactly how my buddy Jorge (Scandinavian not Latino) bought 1 of the only 7 left hand Browning A Bolts made in 300 WSM .
No 06' on the shelf lots of 300 so he bought a rifle and 10 boxes of 1 lot .
The above is in no way an endorsement for the use of any non expanding bullet in the clean harvest of any game or other critter .
In 14' that was exactly how my buddy Jorge (Scandinavian not Latino) bought 1 of the only 7 left hand Browning A Bolts made in 300 WSM .
No 06' on the shelf lots of 300 so he bought a rifle and 10 boxes of 1 lot .
Wiresguy
Active Member
I have been in the LGS a couple of times when people came in looking for '06 and 30-30 ammo, but it wasn't available.
One "solution" proposed a few decades ago, if military FMJ was the only '06 ammo available, was to use a side cutters plier to snip off the tip of the FMJ bullet in hopes of converting it to an expanding bullet. A minor potential problem with that idea was that the usual FMJ bullet's core was exposed at the base, and it was possible in theory that the core would exit the barrel, leaving the jacket behind as an obstruction.
My BIL complained that he only had 17 rounds of 30-30 for this season. I asked if he had saved his empty brass, and he had not. Maybe some of the "once a year" guys will start paying a little more attention to events and people that can have a negative effect on the arms/ammunition market.
One "solution" proposed a few decades ago, if military FMJ was the only '06 ammo available, was to use a side cutters plier to snip off the tip of the FMJ bullet in hopes of converting it to an expanding bullet. A minor potential problem with that idea was that the usual FMJ bullet's core was exposed at the base, and it was possible in theory that the core would exit the barrel, leaving the jacket behind as an obstruction.
My BIL complained that he only had 17 rounds of 30-30 for this season. I asked if he had saved his empty brass, and he had not. Maybe some of the "once a year" guys will start paying a little more attention to events and people that can have a negative effect on the arms/ammunition market.
Charles Graff
Moderator Emeritus
This is correct, plenty of ammo out there, but expect to pay several times the old price. This is the world in which we now live.
RicinYakima
High Steppes of Eastern Washington
I was at the Colorado Springs gun show last weekend. A lot of '06, 30/30 and 7 MM Mag ammo. Prices are about $2 a round.
I haven't looked on the internet. Personally I don't need any ammo. A friend and I made the rounds of the local pawn shops and sporting goods stores. The ammo situation locally was mostly an observation. Isn't 30-30 suppose to be $9 a box for the promo stuff put out by Remington, Federal and Winchester? Times change. Forty bucks for a box of 30-30, the new normal.
Bret4207
At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Yeah, or drilling the FMJ nose to make it a HP. Saint Elmer tried all that jazz, didn't work. If you're stuck with FMJ, either head shoot it or bust the shoulders and then head shoot it.
Petrol & Powder
Well-Known Member
In the overall scheme of hunting, the ammo makes up a tiny fraction of the expense and necessary equipment.
While ammunition is important, it's not not needed in large quantities for most hunting.
A lot of hunters use the same firearm year after year and likely are going into this season with more than enough ammo in reserve.
Beware of the man with one gun - He probably knows how to use it.
While ammunition is important, it's not not needed in large quantities for most hunting.
A lot of hunters use the same firearm year after year and likely are going into this season with more than enough ammo in reserve.
Beware of the man with one gun - He probably knows how to use it.
CZ93X62
Official forum enigma
My deer ammo supply chain is in fine condition. 
Gotta use that Condor Cuddler Unleaded Bullet Ammo here in Kalifornistan, and I have that loaded and ready in 6.5 x 55 and 45 Colt. Good to go.
A much larger question about this year's deer hunt got answered this week--the San Bernardino National Forest has been totally closed to entry (excepting state highways and settled towns) since mid-August. My Zone' deer hunt starts on Columbus Day weekend. Today, SBNF opened most of the back-country roads within the Forest to entry, excepting the area nearest to where I live (of course). There is still plenty of country to hunt, and if an inch of rain or foot of snow falls these still-closed areas might open up. Needless to say, I am pretty happy to learn this. Now--if the pharmacy will get off its a-- and fill a critical prescription I need, I might feel up to actually HUNTING A HATRACK.
Gotta use that Condor Cuddler Unleaded Bullet Ammo here in Kalifornistan, and I have that loaded and ready in 6.5 x 55 and 45 Colt. Good to go. A much larger question about this year's deer hunt got answered this week--the San Bernardino National Forest has been totally closed to entry (excepting state highways and settled towns) since mid-August. My Zone' deer hunt starts on Columbus Day weekend. Today, SBNF opened most of the back-country roads within the Forest to entry, excepting the area nearest to where I live (of course). There is still plenty of country to hunt, and if an inch of rain or foot of snow falls these still-closed areas might open up. Needless to say, I am pretty happy to learn this. Now--if the pharmacy will get off its a-- and fill a critical prescription I need, I might feel up to actually HUNTING A HATRACK.
L Ross
Well-Known Member
Grew up on venison and with beef at astronomical prices and the fact that it always seems too fatty to me, I'll stick with venison. I have 93 acres of prime deer habitat, surrounded by many more acres of prime deer habitat and see deer every day. My only regret is our bow hunting lobby is so powerful we cannot hunt in nice weather with a gun. We have to wait until the weekend before Thanksgiving for our opener. Oh we have liberal regulations and full use of cross bows etc. but if you are a rifle guy at heart you have to wait until the snot freezes on your nose to take your annual meat.
Winelover
North Central Arkansas
Almost always, fill my tag during the early archery season. Which starts this Saturday. I don't usually hunt till after October 1st........ just too hot. Suppose to be 85* Saturday, low 90's Sunday-Tuesday. Mid 80's the rest of the week.
Few years ago, went to a X-bow because of shoulder issues. It's like shooting a carbine. Good for at least 40 yards, offhand. I receive no pleasure sniping deer at rifle distances. Haven't used a bottleneck cartridge on deer in over twenty five years.
We have a 10 day muzzle loading season which starts October 16th and coincides with the archery season, that runs till the last day in February. May not even bother loading a muzzle loader.......just hunt with the X-bow.
It gets below 32* here, during gun season, which starts the second Saturday in November and runs till second weekend in December. This will be the tenth season hunting here in Arkansas. Took the legal minimum (3 points per side) buck every year, except for the year I had both knees replaced. Never harvested a doe. Only took four deer with firearms. Two were with muzzleloaders (one with ROA), two with 44 Magnum. Our limit is 6 deer....... two bucks, four antlerless. One deer is usually enough for Cindy and I............. after that, I hunt with a camera.
I prefer the mild hunting weather, had my fill of the artic conditions when I lived in Michigan. Gun season always started on November 14th, muzzle loading on December 10th.
BTW, were all reloaders here. There is no excuse for not having hunting ammo.
Few years ago, went to a X-bow because of shoulder issues. It's like shooting a carbine. Good for at least 40 yards, offhand. I receive no pleasure sniping deer at rifle distances. Haven't used a bottleneck cartridge on deer in over twenty five years.
We have a 10 day muzzle loading season which starts October 16th and coincides with the archery season, that runs till the last day in February. May not even bother loading a muzzle loader.......just hunt with the X-bow.
It gets below 32* here, during gun season, which starts the second Saturday in November and runs till second weekend in December. This will be the tenth season hunting here in Arkansas. Took the legal minimum (3 points per side) buck every year, except for the year I had both knees replaced. Never harvested a doe. Only took four deer with firearms. Two were with muzzleloaders (one with ROA), two with 44 Magnum. Our limit is 6 deer....... two bucks, four antlerless. One deer is usually enough for Cindy and I............. after that, I hunt with a camera.
I prefer the mild hunting weather, had my fill of the artic conditions when I lived in Michigan. Gun season always started on November 14th, muzzle loading on December 10th.
BTW, were all reloaders here. There is no excuse for not having hunting ammo.
smokeywolf
Well-Known Member
Haven't hunted here yet. Got my lifetime hunting/fishing lic. last May. Have determined a layout for a blind and shooting lane that I'm hoping will intersect travel of deer from Northern end of the property to food plot.
Whether or not I hunt this year depends mostly on Mrs. smokeywolf's health and medical needs. She still cannot be left alone for more than a few minutes at a time.
Whether or not I hunt this year depends mostly on Mrs. smokeywolf's health and medical needs. She still cannot be left alone for more than a few minutes at a time.
Rockydoc
Well-Known Member
I agree! The only factory loaded ammo I buy (or have bought) in many years is .22LR.
The rifle deer season in my area of Florida starts on Thanksgiving Day and lasts that weekend, closes and opens again the first weekend in December and then lasts til the end of February. The bag limit is very generous, more than I would ever need, thus the reason for my not knowing exactly what it is. That is a long hunting season. The bucks don't go into rut until late December or early January.
No excuse for us not to, but lots of folks aren't in the same boat. A couple guys here shoot target loads with cast bullets year 'round, and just grab a box of factory ammo for deer season. And then there's the folks who wait til the week before deer season starts to look for their annual box of .270 super-short-double-belted jeroboam. . .and wind up calling around to borrow a rifle and a handful of cartridges.
I should probably get some '06 loaded with 220 Hornadys, for the loaner rifle.
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fiver
Well-Known Member
heck I just start screwing swage dies in the machine if I need more copper projectiles.
dunno how long that's gonna last since Sierra went all Remington and jacked their jacket [not jacketed] prices up to about 17-22 cents each.
it'll be a while before I gotta suck those prices up though.
dunno how long that's gonna last since Sierra went all Remington and jacked their jacket [not jacketed] prices up to about 17-22 cents each.
it'll be a while before I gotta suck those prices up though.
smokeywolf
Well-Known Member
Dad pretty much lost interest in reloading back in about 1965. I picked up the hobby a few years later. Along with sizing dies there were swage dies, jackets and half jackets. Still haven't gotten into swaging. Someday I'll inventory and see what's there.