Yes everything hunting related are expensive here, exxept the actual hunting are cheaper. Swedish made Norma ammo costs much more in Sweden than in US after it are exported. 25% VAT are included in consumer prices.
Posts: 3611 | Location: Sweden | Registered: 02 May 2009
A few years back when Bergara was still making Encore barrels I bought one of the 16.5" stainless barrels through Haus of Arms. I Scoped it with a 2-7 Leupold and have had more fun with that gun than one person should be allowed to have. 99% of what it gets fed is subsonic, either any of the LeHigh expanding subs for big game or 90gr Hornady XTPs. With a Silencerco Octane its short, weighs next to nothing and is a quieter than most air guns. The 90gr Hornady makes a great small game load
I wish I had bought some other calibers before Bergara quit making them. If these new ones are anything like the older ones you'll enjoy it.
I had a 16-inch .300 BLK barrel made for my TCR-87's and have a suppressor on it. My subsonic handloads for it with 220-grain Nosler subsonic bullets are good for about 3 MOA. But with Hornaday factory 195-grain subsonic ammo it gives 1.0 MOA.
Everything hunting related is expensive in Europe and UK. I think a lot is that we have small markets, very few distributors and little market pressure. If you are a retailer that tries to offer product at lower prices you find that your account with distributor is frozen.
Also strict gun laws in Europe limit number of firearms that each hunter owns. Would suggest vast majority have a shotgun or two, a 22lr and a deer calibre rifle. Most of us will purchase two or three rifles in our lifetime - I have purchased 4 - and am probably over the average.
So there is not the turnover, number of hunters etc nor the competitive forces to keep the prices down. From what I have seen / read, many American hunting stores are volume operations run on the basis of moving lots of stock at low margins, whereas UK / European tend to be small owner managed businesses run by real enthusiasts with better margins, where the business is more of a lifestyle choice (or millstone) rather than a pure business one. Shop owners retirement fund has often been the property value of the premises rather than the business itself.
Posts: 987 | Location: Scotland | Registered: 28 February 2011