Antimony shortage

[J.B. Books]

Picking up on part of a discussion in another thread. Antimony is used to make lead shot harder and it is used in many other applications. It appears it could be in short supply going forward. Will it push up the price of a bag of lead shot higher than it already is?

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-G...rzseGTXjNALC7w

[Cold Spring]

Last week a friend in the industry predicted 15-20% higher pricing for hard lead shot and much higher prices for loaded shotshells, both as the current supply chains start to be refilled.

PS: Most of my friends that shoot often are keeping 30 or more bags of lead shot on hand, along with equivalent powders, wads and sleeves of primers = Aesop's Fables ant and grasshopper analogy.

[Randy Roberts]

I read that as well Pete. While I don't know the answer, (does anybody) given the current state of affairs with tariffs etc. I am picking up another 20 flats of Fiocchi 1 oz 12 gauge loads tomorrow at $82.50 out the door while I still can. If none of this ever comes to fruition they won't spoil. Never thought I would consider $82.50 out the door to be a good price but..........

[Steve Hodges]

Pete, good warning for all of us. Thanks

[Clark McCombe]

I'm looking at RST 2 1/2" for $230 a flat plus shipping

[Dean Romig]

This could spell the end of clays shooting for some folks and to limit their shooting to hunting only.





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[Clark McCombe]

Has someone calculated the cost of reloading? I never thought I'd have time to, but at almost a dollar a shell to shoot the Parker, I just might.

[John Davis]

I have stockpiled enough AA’s to get me through this target year and maybe some of next year. And I continue to add to it as I clean out the shelves at Walmart when they have them in stock. As far as practice goes, I buy whatever I can find at the cheapest prices. I’ll go through 8000+ rounds on registered targets this season and don’t even want to think about how many practice rounds. I used to reload but components got so hard to find and I wasn’t saving any real money on 12 gauge. And Winchester does a much better job than I do.

[J.B. Books]

Originally Posted by Clark McCombe

Has someone calculated the cost of reloading? I never thought I'd have time to, but at almost a dollar a shell to shoot the Parker, I just might.

Using the following parameters; $50 for 1 pound of powder, $80 for 1000 primers, $15 for 500 wads and $60 for 25 lbs of shot the cost to reload a box of 25 shells with 7/8 oz of shot with Perfect Pattern powder is $8.66.

Obviously this price changes if the cost of components changes or you have to buy your hulls.

I think reloading is the only way to go if you shoot vintage guns, it allows me to make shells that are not widely available with low pressure and lighter recoil that is kind to vintage guns and in many cases at much less cost.

[Frank Good]

Originally Posted by Pete Lester

Using the following parameters; $50 for 1 pound of powder, $80 for 1000 primers, $15 for 500 wads and $60 for 25 lbs of shot the cost to reload a box of 25 shells with 7/8 oz of shot with Perfect Pattern powder is $8.66.

Obviously this price changes if the cost of components changes or you have to buy your hulls.

I think reloading is the only way to go if you shoot vintage guns, it allows me to make shells that are not widely available with low pressure and lighter recoil that is kind to vintage guns and in many cases at much less cost.

I lucked out this past week and picked up 17lbs of powder at $50/lb, 5000 wads for $190, 5000 primers for $450 and 200lbs shot for $440 and that is in CDN prices and dollars. Most dealers here are as much as 50% more on the same component pricing and once the tariffs hit it is going to get much worse. My wife and I both shoot and I have been stockpiling as much as is affordable as we get nearer to retirement age. Pricing of targets, gas, travel etc. has caused us to curtail our registered trapshooting to the point we will not be renewing our ATA memberships for 2026 and I have my last dedicated trap gun posted for sale. My wife says she is not selling hers, lol. Fortunately we have about 80 flats of factory ammo in 12 and 20ga to shoot trap and skeet informally for a few years to come and I stockpiled us enough non-toxic loads in 12 & 20 to last us at least a decade of waterfowl hunting.