Adage: A man will not pay more for his rifle than the cost of a set of 4 new tires, and he will not pay more for a box of ammo than the cost of a pizza.

Comments?

I believe this is partly true. I think that the great majority of shooters fall into three groups:
1.) Casual shooters that buy factory ammo and are looking for the lowest cost ammo that is adequate for their needs.
2.) Handloaders who buy little or no factory ammo and bargain hunt for premium components.
3.) A miniscule population of shooters who buy the premium ammo.

I don't buy the premium ammo, because the "regular" stuff does everything I need it to, and shoots pretty well in my rifles, to boot. I hunt deer, and a heavily constructed bullet is not necessary. If I hunted bigger game, I'd buy premium ammo, or else reload. I do have the equipment to handload, but I just don't have much time for developing loads. My big game rifles all cost more than a set of tires for my truck though. I think there are quite a few hunters out there looking for the cheapest stuff they can get, but if that's good enough for them, I see no harm in it. I buy the highest quality I can afford, especially when it comes to guns and optics. You do get what you pay for, most of the time.

Here a box of standard ammo costs 50 pizzas. This thread clearly should be restricted to the First World citizens.

We can buy a box of Remington 30-06 ammo for US$8.00 and a box of 12 gauge trap loads for under US$5.00.

I don't see what's wrong with that. The general shooting public is probably better off not knowing how ineffective their .270 is for Elk, how their core-lokts will bounce of anything larger than an anemic wood chuck, or how their .30-06 is too old to be climbing mountains with them

Seriously, what's wrong with not paying a pile of cash for you gun / ammo? A stripped down, Wal-Mart Rem, Win, Savage, or Ruger w/ plain-jain factory power-points or core-locts will certainly get the job done. These combos are not sufficient for us gun nuts, but then again, how often do you see a high end sports car afficianado happy to be driving a chevy sedan?

-Lou

We are surely spoiled here in North America with good ammo at reasonable expense. For a few of my rifles I don't even bother loading ammo, I just buy Federal Premiums, they shoot them that well.

Just yesterday witnessed a guy pop a mature cow elk at a lasered 327 yds with a Fed Premium 165 TB with a .30-06 Sako 75. The hit was a good heart/lung area shot. Bullet made large holes in both lungs and was found under the hide on the off side. Very good wt retention and accuracy. All for $25 a box of twenty.

With bullets so good these days I can't understand anyone NOT using them for the truly big stuff. Talking elk/moose bigger bears on up.

FN in MT

Adage not true - several of my guns cost more than a set of tires. And, when using premium bullets and fresh cases, even my reloads cost more than a Peter Piper Pizza! I suppose that adage applies to many folks in the work-a-day world, but as a bona-fide gun/ammo/hunting/shooting nut, it doesn't really work for me. Most of my hunting buddies fit into that category though, and kill just as many critters as me, so it can't be all bad!

I actually prefer the Remington Core-Lokts over most of the premium bullets for most deer-sized game. They expand reliably on small animals and usually penetrate reliably, leaving nice 2" exit wounds.

That they are among the cheapest factory loads surely doesn't hurt. I do shoot partitions almost exclusively for "trophy" hunting. I have all the reloading equipment to do so, but I really don't have a good place to set it up, and my guns all shoot factory ammo pretty well, so I don't bother...

I do agree that most hunters won't spend more than $500-600 for a hunting rifle-something I experienced all too often when working in a large gun store in college. It's just not as big of a priority on the "list of things to buy" as it is for some of us.

500,

this is probably true, you have to remeber the blokes who hang out here are mostly gun nuts. I am not concerned with the price of ammo but rather wether or not I have an interest in the caliber at hand.

some blokes would feel sick at the cost of buying .585 nyati cases at $5.00 a pop but would think nothing of downing a dozen over pirced scotch & coke beverages at the local pub.......funnily enough both the products I just mentioned will give you a headache if you consume to many

My rifles probably cost the same as a set of 4 tires for my SUV.

But then again so does the scope.

I used to shoot Remington Core-Lokt's (180 gr.) out of my .30-06 and they shot very well but the price of a good pizza was more so I switched to Federal Premiums, 165 gr. BTSP that shoot slightly better, sort of like the taste of that more expensive pizza.

I used to shoot Fail Safes out of my .338 Win. Mag. but they left a bad taste in my mouth so I switched to the much reviled Federal Sierra pro hunters. No bad taste!

Scotch and cola.....? Bleech.
I'd rather have a warm beer.

It depends on what the person drives and the tires they buy. Are they standard tires or premium tires.

I'm a catagory #2. I found a Kelly tire sold under a generic name that has extra ply side walls that haven't punctured on the sharp jagged rocks in the Sierra Navada and Inyo Mountains. On and off road traction is great. They are a heck of a lot less expensive than the Good---- brand tires and work/wear just as good, so I won't call them cheap.

Most of my rifles have cost me more than a set of those tires, including mounting balancing and disposal fee.

Haven't shot factory fodder in so long I can't remember when.
Bill

If tires and pizza ever get that expensive...
I will be walking.... and with an empty belly.

After a bit of observation on these topics during the last couple of years, I have this to say

#1 I'll probably never buy another big factory rifle without modifying it somewhat, or I'll buy a semi custom rifle.

#2 I never understand why people fret about the cost of ammunition. I reload, but...I don't understand why so many are unwilling to pay a little bit of money so they can practice a bit.

Noone whines about the price of the food at the diner on your way to hunt, or the price of a case a beer, but SO MANY whine about the price of ammo????

It never fails to amaze me when people buy a $500 - $700 rifle and put a $70 scope on it!

Then buy $12 ammo on sale at Big 5, and sight in with 3 or 4 shots at 25 yards.

Then spend $1,500 to $2,000 on a hunt out of State??

I'm catagory 2. I look for the best price on the components I WANT, and then pay what it takes.

But I also cast my own lead boolits!? Which may very well be in my rifle in Idaho next year.

I'm with beeman...who the hell drinks scotch and coke? Must be awfully bad scotch. (No offense intended to Aussies)

I found that the cost of guns and ammo has to so a lot with the amount of money one makes. I am all for saving a dollor but the more money ai make the less it effects me to spend more on the guns and ammo I buy. I still look for the good deal but if I really what something I'll buy it if it is in my price range.

Just bought a new set of Michelins for my truck and they cost me just at $320 installed, balanced and road hazard warrantee at Sam's.

You can't buy a new bolt action rifle today for that kind of money. Saw a Win Ranger M94 advertised today for $249 and a Rem 310 for $350 or there abouts. (You couldn't run me down and give me either of them.)

Local chain store is selling WW 30-06 and 270 ammo for $13.00 a box. I can get two pizzas for about that on Wednesday with a coupon at Dominos.

Looks like we loose on tires and win on pizzas! Ku-dude

Last set of tires I bought 4, were about 120$, and they were new. I just dont understand why a pair of tennies cost more . I generaly dont buy factory ammo now unless its a function test or preformance comparison.
I will not buy a *new* rifle from almost any manufacture now days, a few exceptions. Its mostly pre-letter 700s, mausers, 64s, older push M70s.

It's hard for us, the "highly focused" to admit it, but for 98% of hunting in the US, a Wallyworld 710 package with Coreloct ammo is more than sufficient.

And if that would be the choice, I might have to give up hunting...! Still, my first big game gun was a Savage package rifle. Of course, now it carries steel mounts and a Burris, a custom barrel, match trigger, aluminum bedding, and has only shot 20 factory rounds (out of several thousand).

It's part of the natural cycle of life: start with the basics to try on a new hobby, and then get better, better, until we get to the pinnacle of the sport. How else would one explain double rifles? LOL! Dutch.

I paid $65 for a goat cheese pizza at Spago. Four new tires for my truck are about $600 and I might be willing to go a little higher for something that doesn't wear out in 18 months. People and their money are always an amazement to me.

JeffP and thats exactly why a lot of Aussie shooters shoot shitouse rifles

A few months ago there was a bloke at the gym whom had just purchased a Weatherby Vanguard .243, he then proceeded to tell me how much of a cannon it was that the recoil was quite severe.....that is a fairdinkum story. I did not mention that I was into "guns" just a little bit

Just a little back ground on Aussie drinkers, I worked the nightclub scene for 5 years while putting myself through my first Uni Course, and most will drink beer through until about 12.30-1am and then commence to drinking spirits;

the majority would then drink

bourban & coke
Scotch & Coke
Bundaberg Rum & Coke

By 5.00am there smashing glasses over each others heads and vomiting over themselves, they also think that the skank that is escourting them home for some carnal pleasure looks like Kylie Minouge.......they wake up the next day and get a visual on that butt and realise it ain't as petite as Kylies Butt....but rather looks like a bucket full of cottage cheese

Ammo is reasonably priced IMHO & if you set yourself up to reload it is even more so.

[ 11-19-2003, 23:44: Message edited by: PC ]

Regarding factory ammo, when I get a rifle in a chambering that's new to me I buy two or three types of premium factory ammo loaded with bullets that I'd consider using when reloading. I can then find out which bullet my rifle likes best, and at what velocity. I consider the trade-off of paying for factory ammo vs. buying dies, several types of bullets, and sometimes even different powders initially to be a reasonable one, especially given the potential of the rifle not being accurate and therefore not worth keeping.

Then when I start handloading, I use the same bullet and work up to the same or similar velocity, as long as the point of impact is close to what the corresponding factory ammo prints. This way I'll always have a factory ammo fall-back position if my handloads are lost in transit, or I don't have time to reload prior to a trip.

In .308 Win, for example, my Steyr Scout likes Federal Premium ammo loaded with 180-grain Nosler Partitions at 2400 fps. My handloads with the same bullet are most accurate at 2500 fps with negligible difference in point of impact at 100 yards.

From where I see the world, the bullet selection available to handloaders today is so outstanding that anyone who insists on spending a buck a bullet is just strutting their tailfeathers. Even the lesser brands are closing in on premium quality what with Deep Shoks, Interbonds and whatnot.

Yes, the adadge is true. Just take a look around any sporting goods store, you will notice a lot more run of the mill ammo on the shelves (and leaving the shelves) than premium ammo, although premium ammo is growing in popularity. And I can also garantee that Wally world moves more rifles than any custom shop. Then again, there are more Fords on the road than Lamborgini's... Its all relative.