With the current costs of ammunition it is often hard to justify casual shooting or sometimes even defensive practice in addition to the overall general cost of just day-to-day living. Ammunition costs went up a nominal 11 percent in January and we can expect another price increase towards the middle of this year. With baseline raw material costs and/or metal shortages the ammo makers simply need to raise their prices so as to continue making a profit, which is understandable since even making ammunition is a business. Understanding the business and profit aspect doesn’t make it any easier for those of us who buy ammunition on a regular basis.

Another business perspective is the cost of ammunition affects our ability to run a shooting school with the current school joke being — sort of — pretty soon it will cost more for the ammunition than it will cost for the class tuition for those seeking instruction and training. Add to the cost of ammunition the tuition and the cost of travel and lodging and very soon it becomes an expensive proposition. And all of this affects you, the consumer.