Reloading best solution to rising ammo costs
John Johnston

Lindeman leads LHS golf to 2nd

The word is out: Ammunition prices will rise approximately 40 percent this month or next.

I know what you are saying: "Again?" That 40 percent is on top of the 60-70 percent increases we have seen in the last two years.

So what is causing these increases? It is not the manufacturers who are making more money. They have a set profit margin that they stick to each year. Besides, they want you to shoot more ammunition, not less.

The cost increase is due to rising material costs. Lead, brass and copper prices have shown significant rises over the last two years. Part of this is due to the weakening dollar in foreign countries and also the higher demands of China. So it may be time to stock up on your favorite shotgun shells or buy a few boxes of rifle ammunition.

What can one do to combat higher costs? The answer is reloading. Yes, the components will cost more, but in the end you will save money, start a new hobby, make cartridges tailor-made for your rifle and get better accuracy.

How much can one save? Let's look at a typical .30-06 round: hunting 150-grain Remington bullet, 17 cents; powder, 20 cents; primer, 3 cents. Using your own empty cases, a 20-round box would cost about $8. This does not include the initial cost of the reloading equipment but as you can see, you will recover that cost quickly.

For shotgun shooters, the savings vary according to the gauge used. If you shoot 12- or 20-gauge, your savings may not be that great, but if you shoot .410 or 28-gauge, the savings are substantial. Lead is very expensive right now, and the cost of shipping it also is costly. So it would depend on what you shoot and how much you shoot.

For pistol shooters, the savings are even greater. For example, a 50-round box of .45 ACP can be reloaded with jacketed ball bullets for around $8 per box, compared to the current retail of $19.

I reload 95 percent of all the rifle ammunition I shoot. For me, I want the best accuracy and performance out of my rifles, and the cost savings is nice, too.

If you have any questions about reloading, send me an e-mail. If I cannot answer your question, I know where I can get an answer.

John Johnston is a retired sergeant detective who served with the Austin Police Department for 25 years. He also was a licensed gun dealer for 25 years and now lives in Lampasas County. He can be contacted via e-mail at olsingleshot@gmail.com.

Stayton Lindeman shot a 73 Monday at Llano to lead the Lampasas High School boys' golf team to a second-place finish at the Yellowjacket Tournament.

Lindeman's total won the tournament and anchored the best team round the Badgers have produced this season.

Colton Perkins shot an 81 while Jonathan Watson, Layne Kendrick and Tanner Belanger shot 84, 85 and 86, respectively.

The Badgers also exhibited serious depth as Colin Scheafnocker and Vann Millican played as individuals, and Scheafnocker recorded an 81 and Millican an 86.

"We're getting there," LHS head coach Ryan Bailey said. "The kids are playing well, and a couple of these guys had chances to shoot even lower scores, so the potential to get even better is there."

The Badgers will get extremely familiar with Delaware Springs Golf Course in Burnet the next couple of weeks. They are scheduled to play in the final pre-district tournament of the season there on Monday before returning April 2 to play the opening round of the district tournament.

The second round of the district tournament will be at Hancock Park Golf Course on April 8, and the final round will be the following day at Legends Golf Course in Kingsland.