Money Spent On Ammo At A Single Dealer - Target Sports USA

Have you ever taken the time to figure out how much money you have spent on ammunition at one particular dealer for about as long as you have dealt with them? Well, I did that today because I am having a bit of an issue with an order recently delivered to me in which 27 of 23 boxes of the ammo I bought were damaged, that evidently during shipment. Now, if I had bought this ammo with the intent of shooting all of it, the boxes being ruined would not matter much, but I had intended to sell much of it at guns shows, give some to my son as a gift and maybe shoot the rest if any was left over. The thing is, the boxes are so badly damaged that I'd have to sell them at a greatly reduced price, way under cost to get anyone to buy them. 

 

So, I contacted Target Sports USA, the dealer from which I bought the ammo. They got back to me quickly wanting to know how many "bullets" were damaged. Yes bullets was the word they used instead of cartridges. I don't know if any of the ammo is damaged as I have not opened the inner paper wrapping around them. I told them to send an insurance adjuster/examiner to determine that if they want to know, otherwise to file an insurance claim for me promptly since I paid for the shipment to be insured, or to arrange for a return/refund for the badly damaged ones. Their site says ammo cannot be returned because of federal shipping regulations as best I recall. Heck, anyone can ship ammo. Thus, I anticipate they may not honor my claim. Add to that  they have done the same at least once before (I think twice but am uncertain on that) by not honoring a claim, and apparently ignored me when I notified them of damaged goods received. One time though, they honored my claim and I think gave me a refund as best I recall and that was for almost exactly the same type of damage.

 

I will say this, I know for a fact that I have been making purchases from Target Sports USA for over ten years now, since at least March 1, 2015. I could have been doing so longer but did not save the invoices. In fact, I have 67 invoices saved and one MS Word document all showing purchases that I made from them. I actually may have made more purchases but did not save the invoices. When I checked my purchases on their website, it only showed 50 since 2020, so I am guessing they only go back so far and delete earlier invoices (but as I said I have 67 plus the Word document going back to March 2015).

 

Today, I decided to calculate how much I have spent there over the years. It worked out to a total of $15,454.48  since March 1, 2015, that  over a period of 10 years 5 months, or 10.42 years, or 125 months, or 3,803 days. That equals about $1,483.16 spent there per year, $123.64 spent there per month, or $4.06 spent per day (boy that last one does not make it seem so much). I am certain that I am not their highest paying customer by far but then I am no slug either. If I figure it correctly, I spent less each year during the first few years and much more since at least 2020. For example over the course of the last eleven months, since September 9, 2024 until today August 21, 2025, I spent $4,059.94 there. That is a little more than 26% of the total I spent with them in over ten years, and that 26+% was spent in only the last 11 months. Maybe I should slow down, then again - maybe not.

 

I have to say, pretty much my biggest and definitely my most frequent disappointment with Target Sports USA has been how little cushioning/packaging material they usually put into their shipping boxes. For example, this time they placed one rather insufficient piece of brown paper inside the outer shipping box atop the inner shipping box. Of course, it appeared that the parcel was dropped landing on its bottom or a bottom corner where there was no cushioning inside the box. A few more cents spent on cushioning probably would have protected this shipment much better. The other thing that bugs me about them is that their customer service is not that great in my estimation, that or the reasons I mentioned above regarding my past contacts about receiving damaged goods from them. 

 

Some things I found excellent about Target Sports USA have been: great prices, usually fast shipping, a usually decent inventory, an easy to navigate website, free shipping on cases of ammo, free shipping on any amount of ammo purchased with their Ammo+ membership, an 8% discount on ammo with that same membership making prices even better (which saved me about $324.80 minus the cost of the membership which was about $110.00 per for the past year; so I actually saved about $214.80 off of their already low prices). That may not seem like much but it could buy a case of 9mm, 115 grains, FMJ ammo at today's prices.

 

I am uncertain as how I am going to proceed if they decide not to honor my claim for either reimbursement or a return and refund for the damaged product. If they decide not to reimburse me via insurance for the damaged product, or to not allow me to make a return for a refund, I am going to remind them of what I spent there. If that does not change their tune, then I may tell them to go screw themselves if they expect me to pay another penny to them for anything. I'll then also be contacting my credit card company to see what they will do for me regarding reducing my loss. American Express is excellent in that regard, it's one reason why I use my American Express card whenever possible. I have to balance my loss against how much I save on ammo by purchasing from them before I do something as drastic as deciding not to purchase from them again. That is because they almost always have the lowest prices, at least that I have found, on ammunition when you calculate in the cost of shipping usually even without the Ammo+ membership. Oh what to do if they do not honor my claim, decisions - decisions, decisions! 

 

Then again, if they make good, I will be a happy camper or is that a happy shootist!

 

Edited to add, on September 5, 2025: Much to my relief, target Sports USA sent me a return label for the ammo in the damaged boxes. The lady in customer service, at first wanted to know how many of the actual cartridges were damaged; which was what they told me the first time I had the same issue with another order. It was evident, she only wanted to refund any money at all, if cartridges were damaged. After a bit of back and forth though, she relented and sent me the label. Luckily I found a box from a prior ammo shipment that fit all of the damaged boxes perfectly. I went to the UPS store and because it had a preprinted label, they accepted the ammo for shipment (which if I understand correctly, they do not usually do for ammo shipments saying they have to go through a UPS customer center - and the one near me closed their customer counter thus eliminating chances of shipping ammo through UPS in most instances for the average Joe). So my worry apparently was for nothing (that is at least once I receive my refund, it will have been so) and I am quite happy to remain a loyal Target Sports USA customer.

  

All the best,

Glenn B 

 

 

My Guns & Ammo Monkey Is A Strong Beast

I ordered the below listed ammo yesterday from the Target Sports USA Ammo Day sale which supposedly was a one day sale but continued today until 12 noon EST today. I would have sworn we were in daylight savings time right now.

 

There was a lot of hoopla made by TSUSA in advertising emails prior to the sale. I have to say that I think what calibers they had in stock, and what of those were actually on sale, and how they did it by offering different sale ammo at three different sales time slots over the course of yesterday was ludicrous and a pain in the arse at best. 

 

Sure it was nice to get an extra 8% off over & above the usual Ammo+ Club savings but I think they really ran the sale poorly and in my estimation a lemonade stand run by a 6 year old would be run better. Let's face it, a kid would offer a lot of ice-cold lemonade in the summer season and if a little experienced from the year or two before might also expand to offer some other cold drinks like bottled water, iced tea and so on. So, you'd think, or at least I thought, that TSUSA being an experienced ammo retailer would have offered a lot of hunting ammo being hunting season is just about here. While there was some of it, I think there was not much choice, at least that I could find, that was included in said sale. Anyway, this is what I ordered:

A 200 round case of Federal Power-Shok 30-06 Springfield 180 Grain Soft Point Ammo. My son asked me to pick him up a couple boxes of 30-06 ammo; I will give him at least half the case - maybe all of it. I think he will be pleased but if he reads this I guess the surprise will be ruined.

Two 1,000 round cases of New Republic Training and Range 9mm Luger 115 Grain FMJ Ammo. One case is for me and one for my daughter who just passed her probation officer training and was issued a Glock 19; she wants to go to the range ASAP. This had a great price at $201.43; of course tax made it higher but such is life. Regardless of tax, I have not seen 9mm ammo that low in price for a long time. That's almost as low as the lowest prices right before Covid & Biden a few years back.

A case of 1,000 rounds (in two 500 rd boxes) of Winchester USA 5.56x45mm NATO M193 55 Grain FMJ Ammo; 500 Rounds Value Pack

A spam can of Barnaul 7.62x39mm 123 Grain FMJ Lacquer Coated Steel Case Ammo, 700 Rounds (anyone know how this compares to Wolf ammo, quality-wise)

Five boxes, 100 rounds total, of Federal Power-Shok 308 Winchester 150 Grain Soft Point Ammo.

I cannot recall the last time I purchased 4K rounds in one day when none of it was 22 LR. After buying three guns and a lot of other stuff at an auction this past weekend and now this, I doubt I'll be buying any guns or ammo for a while; yet, I will admit that the the guns & ammo monkey on my back is a strong beast indeed and it has no regard for my finances; so, who can tell when it next will steer me to buy, buy, buy again!!! It's so strong maybe I should call it GAMzilla.

 

All the best,

Glenn B 

At Least 9mm Ammo...

 ...has dropped considerably in price lately despite the inflationary prices on almost everything else ammo. I'd compare ammo prices to the price of eggs and probably say 9mm ammo is currently the better deal but the last two times I visited my local Sam's Club they had zero eggs on the shelves for me to price!

 

Getting back to ammo, while 223/5.56 ammo remains ridiculously high (why should it being that 9mm prices have fallen markedly) some others have come way down from what they reached during the  buying frenzy caused by COVID & Biden. As far as I am aware, no ammo though has come down to the price it was before those two catastrophic events hit the USA like dual killer hurricanes but you can pick up 9mm (115 grain, FMJ) ammo for $239.95 per case of 1,000 rounds with free shipping. Of course, you need to add tax to that and you can opt to add full insurance coverage and adult signature required. Regardless of those add-ons, that is a pretty darned good price considering as high as 9mm prices had gotten over the past couple or few years.

 

The retailer I know of that has it at that price is Target Sports USA but only if you are an "Ammo+" member on their site (previously their Prime membership - but my guess is that Amazon did not like that name for it). If you are not a member it goes for $12.99 plus shipping or for $259.80 per case with free shipping. Only Ammo+ members get less than a case shipped for free. I believe it wise to buy it at this price if you need it now or even if you just want to stock up for a rainy day or a zombie 😂 apocalypse as opposed to actually needing it. I foresee ammo prices getting worse again in the short time left to me in my lifetime. No I am not dying imminently as far as I know - just getting, as Pink Floyd sang, "...shorter of breath and one day closer to death..." as each day goes by. 

 

Anyway, I think it a good idea to stock up on some now and even if it ever goes back down to what it used to be @ of about $189.99 per case for the same or similar stuff then buying even more would be my advice. If it does no go back down and goes up again instead you may lament not buying it now. More on it here at the source.

 

You can look elsewhere for it on a site like AmmoSeek.com and you may find this particular ammo (or similar) at a less expensive price. For instance, on AmmoSeek, the lowest price for this particular ammo is from a retailer offering it at around 15.3 cents per round, for a 300 round box. At that price it would be around $153.00 for a case of it - which would be a super duper excellent price if that was the whole price or even if you added tax. The thing is, as AmmoSeek indicates, that retailer has very high shipping rates (buyer beware because when you add the shipping quote I got for it, it is shy only a single dollar of double that price and I am not figuring in the tax).

 

This is not an advertisement for Target Sports USA, Sellier & Bellot or AmmoSeek nor is it SPAM - it is merely me discussing my opinion on when it would be a good time to buy 9mm ammo and some facts on the prices I discovered while searching the Internet for a good price on it. I do not receive anything as compensation from any of those mentioned sites (nor from anyone else) for anything I write in my blog (nor for anything else).

All the best,

Glenn B

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Talk About Inflation & Overpriced Goods

 I was looking through my email today and opened one from Speer Ammo.com. It included a link to purchase what they call their "Speer Mushroom Effect T-shirt". I took a look at the webpage for the shirt; I liked what I saw, in fact I was rather impressed with the look of it. I was about to order one for myself and one for my son until I saw the price. They are asking $35.99 for the shirt plus shipping & tax. The cost before tax but with shipping for two shirts was shown as $76.98! 

 

Are they out of their minds asking that much for two t-shirts - I think so! Fuck Joe Biden the inflation causing apparently dementia ridden anti-American, commie loving,  rights hating, money grubbing corrupt moron (Yes that is my opinion of him. ). As I see it, his economic policies are likely in great part to blame for outlandish prices like that!

 

As for Speer, I love their pistol and rimfire ammo and pay somewhat higher prices for it than other brands but that does not mean I am about to shell out $35.99 plus tax & shipping for a t-shirt. Would you pay that much for one?

All the best,

Glenn B

buy, Buy, BUY AMMO NOW

If you are short on 5.56x45mm ammo, I suggest you had best buy it now because sources have been quoted as saying Winchester has been ordered to stop selling Lake City M855 and SS109 to the civilian market. According to an article I just read, that ammo supposedly makes up about 30% of the 5.56 ammo in the market. Now, while that may be true, I think that figure seems rather high but if the Biden Administration actually put out such an order it will definitely adversely affect ammo supplies. Read about it at the source.

I look at it this way, as long as you don't need to hump it over hill and over dale - you cannot have enough ammo. Makes me think of the old movie Gunga Din with Sam Jaffe in the title roll. At one point, in battle, the troops called out to him: 

 

 I think they would have fared better had they brought their own full canteens and instead said:

Ammo Gunga Din, Gunga Din bring ammo! 

 

Anyway, I think we'd each be better off today to consider ourselves our own Gunga Dins of sorts and thus tell ourselves: "Buy Ammo Gunga Din, Gunga Din Buy Ammo"! Why? It maybe is about to be in even shorter supply than it was last year and that will mean one thing besides less supply and that one thing is much higher prices. 

 

So if you want to be ready for the civil war that I sadly believe is coming - because the leftists seem to be pushing for it (although, I hope I am wrong about that) by way of brainwashing our children, by turning men into women and women into men, by ripping full term babies out of a mother's womb and calling it legal abortion, by not only being easy on criminals but by actually facilitating crime with passage of laws and regulations that amount to doing nothing to prosecute, by creating the worst inflation in over 40 years, by destroying our ability to be energy independent, and by destroying our rights & liberties bit by bit and day by day - get your ammo while the getting is good at least still possible. I surely hope though it will never actually be needed for a civil war against enemies of the Constitution nor to overthrow a tyrannical government but then again the possibility of things like that that is why the Framer's of the Constitution & of the Bill of Rights thought up & wrote in the 2nd Amendment.

 

All the best,

Glenn B

A Truly Terrible Gun Show...

...in my estimation was the one Brendan and I visited today in Texarkana, TX put on by T&K Promotions. After reading the hype on their website about what excellent gun shows they put on, all I can say is I was sorely disappointed and sorry to have wasted $20.00 in admission fees for me and Brendan today. Once we had paid our admission and gotten my guns' actions strapped with nylon ties, I walked in with one of my Mauser Chileno 1895 rifles slung over my left shoulder. Since I was hoping to sell it I had a wooden dowel down the bore with a paper for sale flag at the top saying what it was - no price shown. As I was standing there talking to a dealer in the outside hall leading to the main showroom, a woman walks over and tells me I "You have to remove the deal from your gun". At first I had no clue, so I asked what she meant. She told me my advertisement had to come off of my gun and she would hold it (evidently the sign not the gun) for me while I walked around AND that I could just tell dealers what I was asking for it. I kept my mouth shut except to say, I would hold onto my sign. I folded the paper around the dowel and took the dowel out of the barrel. Right after I did so, the dealer I had been talking too said 'That was weird, first time I ever saw that happen'. Me too; never before had I been told I could not walk around in a gun show trying to sell a gun with a flag advertising what I was selling. Oh well, their show, their rules. Once inside the main hall, I figured carrying the dowel would be a pain so I tore off the sign and put the dowel back into the bore.

Then I walked around the show. I walked around it twice and had one dealer ask me what I was asking; when I told him $475.00 he paled and bowed his head. I walked on. No one else asked until we were leaving maybe a half hour later at most. Yes, I said a half hour at most. That has got to be about the shortest time I've spent in a gun show except maybe for one put on by Big Al's Gun Shows in Danbury, CT back in August 2009 but I think even though that show was worse I probably spent more time there if only because Brendan and I met a friend of mine from work there. We were in and out of today's show quickly for a couple of reasons, the first being me having to remove the for sale sign from my rifle, why bother trying to sell it if I could not advertise it. The rest of the reasons were that both Brendan & I thought this gun show sucked was subpar; it certainly was not what I had expected after reading the hype on the promoter's website.

First of all, upon entry into the main showroom, it was obvious that the whole front wall of the room was lined by tables selling junk items that were in no way related to firearms. There were plenty of nick-knacks though and other non firearms related things! My first full spin around the hall I noted there were plenty of other tables mixed in among the gun vendors' tables that also had non-firearms or non-knife related stuff for sale. As for the gun tables, most did not have tags on their guns with make or model number let alone prices. I heard one potential customer as a dealer how much he was asking for a revolver and the deal quickly spurted out "four hundred" then seemed to take a moment to think better and blurted out "and seventy five". I should have asked him a bit later about the same gun as my guess was the price would have been different because I figured he was making up prices on the moment. As for the ones who did show prices, most of those guns were older used ones, ones I'd likely have an interest in but as seems usual nowadays the prices were pretty high on most of those. In particular a used Charter Arms Undercover revolver wore a price tag of $500.00. 

Besides the tables selling what I thought were junk items not suitable for sale at a gun show, there were a lot of other non gun tables selling things like knives, optics, and holsters. While a few tables offered some ammo for sale, there was not even a single table dedicated to ammunition sales that I saw and I am pretty sure I saw them all. This all at a gun show that according to the promoter:

"The gun shows are organized and designed to highlight guns, knives and other outdoor sporting related items, so attendees get what they come for, the very best selection of guns and knives that can be found in East Texas" (source). 

You will note they call it a gun show then say they put it together to sell guns, knives and other outdoor sporting stuff (they mention archery somewhere on the same source page - but there was zero archery equipment that I saw). They also call it a boutique style show (and with that I can agree after seeing some of the junk items for sale there).

There FAQ page also says this:  

"What if I don’t have guns to sell?
Related items to hunting, fishing or such are acceptable. If your items are totally non-related, there is a small percentage allowed in each show so that we can keep our shows family-oriented and meet visitor expectations."

They have me wondering what is their idea of small percentage. I say so because I counted 34 tables, out of a supposed 200 table at the show (or 17% of the tables), that were selling items that were not firearms, firearms accessories or ammo and also were not knives or other sporting goods. Those were things like handbags, some sort of water repellent for shingles, coins, Christmas trees (no trees on display but a sign said that they were for sale), nick-knacks, hats, paintings, and other items. Then there were at least 4 to 6 tables that had nothing on them except signs saying they were being held for Saturday & Sunday (we were there on Friday, first day of this 3 day gun show).

This was not my idea of a gun show that I could appreciate. Apparently it was not Brendan's idea of a good show either. So, we left after only about 30 minutes of being inside. Now mind you, while I was not happy about having to take the for sale sign off of my guns (especially since they allow attendees to sell guns there), I was not upset about it, as I said - their show - their rules. Yet, it definitely was one of my reasons to leave early. I mean, why stay trying to sell a gun that I could not let other people know I was selling by way of a for sale flag! It seemed pointless to walk around with it slung over my shoulder while others would have no idea I was trying to sell it. Regardless of that, in my opinion this still wasn't a show worthy of our time or our money as I explained with the other reasons described above. I mean, if I want to waste my and Brendan's time at least we could be doing it having fun at home and maybe drinking a couple of beers or we could be somewhere else that bored us no end like this show but that I did not have to pay a $10 a head entry fee just to be able to waste our time. So out the door we went without selling my rifle and without spending the money from such a potential sale, or from within my pockets, on any items at this show.

All the best,
Glenn B

I Can Understand Walmart Not Wanting Open Carry But Not The Rest Of It

I recently wrote to Walmart to protest that they have cut back on ammunition sales by eliminating calibers such 223 / 5.56 NATO and 7.62x39mm. That is a knee jerk reaction to the problem of mass shootings. In fact, it is no solution to the problem as those bullets do not fire themselves and others can easily be used in their place to kill. I can understand them not wanting people to open carry in their stores and agree with the reasons they do not want such to take place. More on their reasoning, which I find mostly to be much the same as the balderdash that is spewed by leftist anti-gunners can be seen in the text of an email they sent to me. That email was in reply to my email of protest to them about ceasing sales of certain ammunition (and I am sure they sent the same email to tens of thousands of gun owners who also complained, if not more): 

"Question Reference # 190905-046243
Subject
Company Feedback and Questions
Response By Email (09/06/2019 02:54 PM) Hello Glenn, We have reviewed your email and want you to know that we have shared it with the appropriate team. We know these decisions will inconvenience some of our customers, and we hope they will understand. As a company, we experienced two horrific events in one week, and we will never be the same. Our remaining assortment will be even more focused on the needs of hunting and sport shooting enthusiasts. It will include long barrel deer rifles and shotguns, much of the ammunition they require, as well as hunting and sporting accessories and apparel. We believe these actions will reduce our market share of ammunition from around 20% to a range of approximately 6 to 9%. We believe it will likely drift toward the lower end of that range, over time, given the combination of these changes. As it relates to safety in our stores, there have been multiple incidents since El Paso where individuals attempting to make a statement and test our response have entered our stores carrying weapons in a way that frightened or concerned our associates and customers. We have also had well-intentioned customers acting lawfully that have inadvertently caused a store to be evacuated and local law enforcement to be called to respond. These incidents are concerning and we would like to avoid them, so we are respectfully requesting that customers no longer openly carry firearms into our stores or Sam’s Clubs in states where “open carry” is permitted – unless they are authorized law enforcement officers. We believe the opportunity for someone to misinterpret a situation, even in open carry states, could lead to tragic results. We hope that everyone will understand the circumstances that led to this new policy and will respect the concerns of their fellow shoppers and our associates. As it relates to concealed carry by customers with permits, there is no change to our policy or approach. This morning, we briefed your leadership team on how to communicate this change in policy to customers when needed, and they will be sharing that with you very soon. We will treat law-abiding customers with respect, and we will have a very non-confrontational approach. Our priority is your safety. We will be providing new signage to help communicate this policy in the coming weeks. As an additional step, we commit we will work alongside other retailers to make the overall industry safer, including sharing our best practices. For example, we are exploring ways to share the technical specifications and compliance controls for our proprietary firearms sales technology platform. This system navigates the tens of millions of possible combinations of federal, state and local laws, regulations and licensing requirements that come into effect based on where the firearm is being sold and who is purchasing it. We hope that providing this information, free of charge, will help more retailers sell firearms in a responsible, compliant manner. Finally, we encourage our nation’s leaders to move forward and strengthen background checks and to remove weapons from those who have been determined to pose an imminent danger. We do not sell military-style rifles, and we believe the reauthorization of the Assault Weapons ban should be debated to determine its effectiveness. We must also do more, as a country, to understand the root causes that lead to this type of violent behavior. Today, I’m sending letters to the White House and the Congressional leadership that call for action on these common sense measures. As we’ve seen before, these horrific events occur and then the spotlight fades. We should not allow that to happen. Congress and the administration should act. Given our decades of experience selling firearms, we are also offering to serve as a resource in the national debate on responsible gun sales. We have a long heritage as a company of serving responsible hunters and sportsmen and women, and we’re going to continue doing so. Our founder, Sam Walton, was an avid outdoorsman who had a passion for quail hunting, and we’re headquartered in a state known for its duck hunting and deer hunting. My family raised bird dogs when I was growing up in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and I’m a gun owner myself. We understand that heritage, our deeply rooted place in America and our influence as the world’s largest retailer. And we understand the responsibility that comes with it. We want what’s best for our customers, our associates and our communities. In a complex situation lacking a simple solution, we are trying to take constructive steps to reduce the risk that events like these will happen again. The status quo is unacceptable. Thank you for contacting walmart where we are always happy to help!"

There you have it, plain as day under a cloudless sky, Walmart (or walmart as they wrote it in the last line) is marching with the libturds on this one with a barely veiled outright call for an assault weapons ban. Not one mention of doing anything that would really help solve the problem but instead hopping on the band wagon with the left by eliminating open carry and certain ammo sales. Yes, they said that the root causes of these tragedies should be examined but that will never happen in today's political climate and meanwhile what are they doing but what the left wants them to do. Essentially they gave not a word to mention legislated mental health care improvements (we already know must of these killers are out of their minds), no mention of ceasing use of medications that cause urges to kill (we already know many of the killers had mental issues and were taking anti-depression and other drugs that often cause mood swings to violence, not any mention of institutionalizing the crazies who are running rampant and free in our society, zero to say about mandatory harsher jail terms or executions for those who kill - nope just blame it on the guns & the ammo as usual. While I can understand them not wanting people to open carry in their stores, the rest of it is the same old leftist anti-gun twaddle. It is pitiful.

All the best,
Glenn B

Shooting Skill = Not Bad At All

 

 

The boy (actually well into manhood but still "my boy") sent me a picture of one of his latest targets. He said it was either 3 or 5 yards with him shooting his Glock 43 as fast as he could pull the trigger. Note that is not a full sized silhouette target - it is only 12"x16". 

Looks like he paid attention somewhat when being taught how to shoot - wouldn't you say!  Could it do with a tiny bit of improvement - sure it could but it is not bad at all as I see it. (As for that one above the head, do not know if that was a hole from a round or a mark on the target.)

He told me he has been going to the range once a week lately and shooting 100 rounds through his two 9mm pistols. I like it - practice is good when doing it right. I suggested he ought to shoot at least 300 rounds per range trip and maybe only go every other week. Yet, he prefers going more often and shooting less ammo because he cannot afford much more of the ammo. So, what was a responsible loving pop to do but order him a case of 9mm to help him along.

I ordered him a case of Sellier & Bellot, 115 grain, FMJ ammo from TargetSportsUSA.com. I have shot it before and like it, one of the better things about it, as far as I am concerned, is that it runs hotter than most other practice ammo. TargetSportsUSA has a great price when you consider it includes shipping for a case. Now if he shoots the 300 rounds per range trip as I recommended, he will have 100 rounds left over after three trips. Damn, this could get expensive.

All the best,
Glenn B

 

I Am Going To Be Buying More Hornady Ammo...

...and it's not because I have a particular affinity for it like thinking it is better than other ammo (although I must say their 35 Remington is balls-on accurate) or that I think their quality control is better than that of other companies (but have to say it always goes bang) or anything like that at all. It's because Hornady just had one of the best responses to liberal leftist looney anti-gun government, specifically to the pissant tyrant governor of NY who recently requested that NY banks discontinue doing business with any among the firearms and ammunition industries. What was Hornady's  response, read it yourself:
 
"April 23, 2018

Hornady stands up to State of New York

Today, the State of New York did one of the most despicable acts ever perpetrated by any state by asking New York banks, financial institutions and insurance companies to stop doing business with the gun and ammo industry. 
While it may not make a difference to New York, Hornady will not knowingly allow our ammunition to be sold to the State of NY or any NY agencies. Their actions are a blatant and disgusting abuse of office and we won’t be associated with a government that acts like that. They should be ashamed.
-Steve Hornady, president of Hornady Manufacturing Company" (source).
 
Now if only the rest of the firearms and ammunition industries would do likewise and stop selling their products to anti-gun governments - and stop selling to any wholesaler or retailer who sells to those governments - you would see the anti-gun left change their tune rapidly. 
 
It is too bad that not all manufacturers will join in with Hornady but maybe some will follow their lead. So, I am hopeful that Hornady would stop selling to retailers or wholesalers who sell Hornady products to anti gun governments and am hopeful that Hornady will request that other ammunition and firearms manufacturers will follow suit. I just contacted Hornady media relations to request that they do just that. 

All the best,
Glenn B

 

I Am An Addict - A Regular Gun Auction Junkie

Really, I am an addict. I am completely addicted to firearms auctions or at least to the auctions run by the Hessney Auction Company LTD. in Geneva, New York. Mind you, I do not necessarily think that is a bad thing, in fact I kind of think it a good one - that is as long as my wife never finds out how many guns and how much ammo and other things I have bought from them nor how much I have spent there. Truth be told, I am carful to stay within certain spending limits and because of that I am kicking myself in the back o my pants' seat today.

Yesterday, I attended yet another Hessney Rod & Gun Auction. I drove about 310 miles to get there on Friday for the auction preview. I got there at about 430 and while I didn't quite get there when I would have liked to, at 3PM, when the doors open for the preview I still had enough time to look at just about everything. If you are wondering why I got there so late, it was not because I woke up late or anything like that. Yes, I am The Great procrastinator but try not to be when it comes to getting to the auction; so, I was up at 0530 hours and started getting ready. Besides packing for the trip, getting ready meant that I also had to appease she who must be obeyed adored before leaving home. That meant I had to take care of my critters, mow the lawn, sweep the sidewalk and driveway, rake the leaves, bag the leaves and whatever else it took to remain on her good side.

After all that was finally done, I was off telling her I was going upstate. She assumed I was going to her brother's house for the weekend, maybe thinking I was going hunting. I considered keeping her in the dark but I figured I had better tell the truth just in case she would see me walking back into our house with a new gun or three when I returned. So, I told her and she was just as disinterested as she is normally whenever I tell her something. That is a good thing if only because it is in line with the saying on one of my favorite t-shirts, so much a favorite I am wearing it as I key in this post - let me show you.

If that saying does not hit the mark then I'm a blind shooter.

Now you may think I am smiling because of the sentiment on that shirt and  guess, in a manner of speaking you would be right. In other words, yeah I bought a couple of new guns yesterday. I also bought a rifle scope, a pistol case, some ammo and some art work (outdoorsy stuff). I guess that since my wife was awake and watching television when I slinked in through the side entrance to our house last night, you might think she got up to greet me and saw my newly acquired firearms. If that is what you think, it means you have not been paying attention to this post (or previous ones) when it  comes to the interest my wife has in me! That too is a good thing in some regards, like being able to get those new guns down to the basement undetected. While she pays so little attention to me and the guns,  I still wonder if he ever checks in the checkbook to see how much I have spent at the auctions. Who knows and who cares since she has not killed yet killed me over it.

So what did I get:

Mossberg MVP Long Range Tactical in 5.566x45mm

 



KDF Voere in 22LR. According to this link, BATFE found this to be unsuitable
for further importation into the US of A. My guess is that this fires from an open
bolt and that could be the reason for the importation bn. Inquiries sent to KDF.



Wish it came out better in the photo, nature scene with Whitetail Deer on wood.

I think the critter facing off with the porcupine
is a Wolverine, fearsome beasts they are indeed.

Mountain Men, reminiscent of Charlton Heston and
Brian Keith in the movie The Mountain Men. If you
are into the days of the fur trapper - watch that movie.



A really nice oil painting depicting ducks about to come down on a pond (is it
landing when not on land). It's big - 24"x48" and almost did not fit into my
Toyota Corolla, I had to lower the back seats to get it in the car. It's going to be
 a house warming present for my daughter and son-in-law's new house.

As you can see in the caption of the last one, I am planning on making good use of that one. As for the other artwork, I guess my basement can use the two prints. Where I could hang that wooden plaque, and it is fairly good sized and heavy, is beyond me. Maybe it will become a gift for my brother-in-law for his house!

Then there was the ammo:

 

 

 

 

Lest you think that I am spending beyond my means, try to remember I said I stay within certain limits and thus my addiction does not get too badly out of hand. I may have to skip lunch for the next year to recoup the cash I spent but won't it be good if I loose 50 pounds of more! Actually (and yes dear, just in case you ever read it, this is the truth) I got almost everything at exceptionally good prices. The only thing on which I maaybe overbid (as far as the guns and ammo go - who can tell with the art) was the 308 WIN ammo. I got that for not quite but just about what I would have to pay in a store nowadays. Everything else was a steal - well I paid for it but you know what I mean. As for he art, the big oil painting was considerably less than a half a c-note and the prints were less than the oil painting and that was for both of the prints combined. The deer on wood - that was $10.00.  Besides getting good prices on it all, some of it is already for sale so that I can recoup some of what I spent. No guns for sale, at least not yet, but I am selling some of the ammo and the scope.

The two things with the best bids, relative to retail prices, were the Mossberg MVP Long Range Tactical rifle and the Hornady Match 338 Lapua Ammo. Then again, the KDF Voere was less than a hundred as well. I think I did okay. Of course, now that I bought all this new stuff, I have to sell some of my older guns; that is just how it works out now ever since I have been married;. Well anyhow, my wife thinks I sell them and yes, I really do sell some now and again so I can buy others but somehow it never seems to balance out.

 

There is an upcoming Hessney Rod & Gun auction scheduled in December but chances are I will not be going to that one if only because I will need money to buy some Christmas presents for the family. Besides that, I really am trying to shed my gun auction junkie status by fighting off those seemingly unavoidable impulses that I get to travel northward each time I read an email about an upcoming auction. Time will tell though. I may be there in December no matter what I think now about me being strong enough of will to sail on past that one while tied to the mast as was Odysseus when the Sirens sang their alluringly irresistible song to him and his men. By the way, did I happen to mention, 'Hi my name is Glenn and I am an addict...'

 

All the best,

Glenn B

The Trump Slump - Firearms & Ammo Sales Plummeting But Why?

Firearms and ammunition manufacturers are gnashing their teeth in agony because of falling revenues due to fewer sales with regard to guns & ammo ever since Donald Trump was elected to the presidency. They are calling it The Trump Slump as per this source. While I believe it is happening, and understand how it is happening; however, I simply do not understand why it is happening because it is an illogical phenomenon.

Well, maybe I do understand since people do not necessarily make logical decisions when faced with bad times nor even when faced with good times. In fact they often do the reverse of what would benefit them the most based upon emotions during both good and bad times. Despite it being easy to figure out logically - people often tend to do otherwise.

When supply is high  products are normally less expensive, thus that is the time to buy and stockpile for your future. Sure, you will want to enjoy some of what you buy then, that is just a normal thing to do, the if you have it enjoy it and flaunt it mentality. Yet, if you are smart you also will buy enough to put some away for a rainy day. You don't have to be wealthy to stockpile, you just need to buy what you can buy, of whatever it is being sold that you need or will need and logic dictates you do that when things are in abundance and at low prices. If you do not do that then, when times are bad and supplies are low and thus prices are high, what you are likely to do is to start panic buying and paying too much for what you should have already had in store. and that will make the problem even worse.

I don’t know about anyone else in the good old 'US of A' but I have continued doing my part, without any slumping, to support firearms, ammunition and related industries since Donald Trump was elected. Heck, I did likewise when Obama was in office but at a slower pace than I did before he was elected and slower than what I plan to do now that he is out of office. That is not due as much as to who is in office or not but to supply and demand no matter who or what the cause and to what I need for current use and for my stockpile. 

 

Somehow now though, despite what logic dictates, we have what they are calling The Trump Slump with firearms and ammunition sales. I don't understand why - now that ammo prices have already fallen dramatically and firearms prices seem to be falling somewhat - anyone would stop buying them. Now is the time to buy as the prices are lower and the future is the time to keep buying if prices keep going lower.

 

Sure, as I said above, I bought ammo and firearms when Obummer Obama was president but I did not do much panic buying, if any, as did many American gun owners. In fact, I think I was buying at a slower rate then than I am buying them now but yes I did keep buying because that was prudent in the event someone like Clinton would have followed Obama and made things much worse. Yet, my buying was more affected by supply, cost and my cash at hand than it was by a panic that things would get worse. So, I just bought at a slowed pace because firearms, and especially ammo, were much more expensive but I believed still needed to get my supply as usual. While I simply could not afford as much then, I kept on buying and stockpiling as much as I could afford. Now that prices are less, I see absolutely no reason to stop stockpiling but I do see that as an incentive to increase my rate of purchases, all again depending on cash at hand.  

 

So, as I see it, there definitely is no reason to slow down now that a better and much more RKBA friendly president is in the White House, especially now that prices have dropped. So why the so called Trump Slump! I am guessing it is merely because of panic buying, by idiots, coming to an end. To have bought more guns and ammo than as ever you did before just because Obama was in office is one of the things that caused prices to go sky high and supply to drop. Now, to slow down in your firearms & ammo related purchases 

because the political climate is pro-RKBA under Trump and your panic has subsided, leaving you all giggly and light headed with joy ,is not only illogical - it is lunacy.

 

Now is the time to start buying and stockpiling as much as you can while prices are lower and if they keep going lower you should just keep buying and stockpiling. The reason for that is that if Trump winds up out on in the cold in 2020 and an arsehat like Joe Biden (or worse) gets in to the White House - you can bet panic buying will commence anew. As panic buying again commences, prices will rise and supplies will fall. As it continues, under a butthead like a Biden, just as in Obama's 8 years in office prices will rise more and more as supply dwindles to less and less and we will be in the same or worse condition than when Obama was in office. 

 

Buying more now than during the 8 preceding years is my plan. Since Election Day in November, up through and including this past Saturday August 12, or in just a few days over 9 months, I have made quite a good number of purchases of firearms, ammo, accessories and supplies and spent a goodly amount in doing so. If you are curious as to what I think is a goodly amount to have spent toward those purchases, let me just say it was enough to buy 10 firearms a few thousand rounds of ammunition and a decent handful or three of accessories and supplies. Telling you that I spent over 5k for those purchases might get me in big trouble with my wife so, I am not going to tell you that. 

 

Now, to appease my wife, in the event that she somehow found out that I actually spent over 5K on guns & ammo, I would have to point out to her that it would not have been like I had not sold at least a few to several guns and a decent amount of ammo to help fund my habit those purchases. In addition, before begrudging me those purchases, she would have to consider that I also came into enough extra loot for one nice rifle (which paid for the Marlin 1895GBL I just bought). Beyond that there is the $100 rebate on the Marlin that I will get if I remember to mail in the rebate form which I have just about totally forgotten to do in the last two weeks!

Maybe telling her all that would appease her a bit. If it did not then I would just need to explain to her that I merely have been doing my part to help support firearms related industries, our economy in general and to support our president by putting to sleep the rumor of The Trump Slump.

All the best,
Glenn B