Is lack of ammo starting to hurt participation?

[-JCN-]

Local match participation has taken a nose dive and people are saying that they are rationing ammo. 
 

Are you guys (as a club, not necessarily you in particular) experiencing this where you’re at?

[Nathanb]

Haven’t seen it yet. 

[travail]

Not sure if this is the specific reason but participation here has taken a nose dive since last year. Local 3 Gun matches used to have 95 shooters, last match was only 28. Sure there are several variables.

[TonytheTiger]

10 minutes ago, travail said:

Not sure if this is the specific reason but participation here has taken a nose dive since last year. Local 3 Gun matches used to have 95 shooters, last match was only 28. Sure there are several variables.

In MN? 3 gun capitol of the world? That's bad news.

[Intheshaw1]

Maybe I'll finally get to shoot a match. They have been filling up immediately here and I haven't be able to shoot one yet this year.

 

But I have heard some are considering going lower round count as people are getting a little worried.

[looking4reloadingdeals]

In Michigan, while the ammo shelves are bare here as well, participation is still crazy and you need to sign up for a match immediately after it opens as they’re full in about an hour at the very most. Some of the more popular clubs fill up in about 10 minutes


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[Lastcat]

Here in Ore, people have been jumping on squads, as soon as it opens and filling within minutes. I think many have reloaded for Matches for the remaining year, during the shut down. 

[gerritm]

Here in the Houston metro area I have noticed that 3-gun matches have slowed some in participation, but MD's have lowered round counts especially rifle and have bumped up the shotgun & pistol/pcc. Rifle rounds seem to be the hardest to find. 

 

USPSA/SC is still very busy and filling up. Some MD's have limited the number of shooters per match & squads and sign up on PS or their club website is mandatory  with no walk ups. Several have gone to payment on PS so no one having to take money and eliminated the shooter's meetings. 

 

gerritm

[mwx40x40]

As previously posted , the match I’m shooting in this weekend filled in 7 minutes.

However, it’s harder to get new shooters involved with current circumstances.

[rowdyb]

Just listening to other shooters who I see on and off, they are competitors who get all their ammo commercially rather than reloading. I had not yet heard a competitor who reloads say they are slowing their match participation.

[anonymouscuban]

Haven't seen any slowing at the USPSA matches here in California. They fill up immediately. Most level 1 club matches have >90 shooters. Level 2s have wait lists.

I do know a couple of guys that don't reload that are scrounging for ammo but they seem to find it.

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[Fishbreath]

Anecdotally, it feels like attendance has been lighter at the more casual of the two local matches I attend. The other one (populated, I expect, mainly by people who reload) hasn't seen much of a dip at all.

 

Everyone was busy in June and July, since matches didn't start until June on COVID grounds.

[Blockader]

I run a 3 Gun match and help with a PCC and Pistol 2 Gun match. Registration has been a bit slower for both and at the 2 Gun last weekend there were a lot of ammo woes discussed. i put a 200 round match on the ground which at current prices may have been too much I reckon. At the same time, I'm not wasting my time and energy to build a 50 round match, nor would I attend one. 

 

It seems to me that the people who started shooting in the last 4 years during the Golden Days of Ammo did not prepare for this either in stockpiling or setting up reloading operations. At least some portion of the older guys are set, although I have been amazed at the number of mid and top tier shooters who I have seen say they have little to no ammo. 

 

For 3 Gun matches I am going to lean heavily on birdshot since its still reasonably available and affordable and reduce rifle and pistol. 1 shot on long range rifle steel instead of two, for example. I use a lot of optional white steel so I imagine people will start choosing to engage that with shotgun more. 9mm seems to be the biggest issue around here, of course, folks could just choose to shoot the A one time and save ~50%. 

 

Looks like we might all just be shooting shotgun only matches next year. Its the best gun anyway, haha. 

[Joe4d]

Last weeks pin match had about half turnout from last year.  Could be ammo, but most of the regulars reload. Probably more Covid worries as we tend to all be fat old farts.  Also the weather in SE VA has been horrible hot and humid last month. Probably pick up in next couple months.

[zzt]

Up until last week I would have said no.  As a normal rule you have to be on your computer and logged in to Practiscore when registration opens.  If you are 60 seconds late you are on the wait list.  However, the last match had one spot open when registration closed.  That is unheard of unless a club schedules a shoot while the Mid-Atlantic Sectional or Area 8 Championship is going on.  My favorite club to shoot at cancelled the Aug match because there was no one to run it.  Everyone will be up at the two matches I mentioned.

 

As far as ammo shortages limiting participation, I don't know.  I know component shortages are causing some to switch Divisions.  For instance, one of the guys I shoot with normally shoots a PCC.  A couple of matches ago he switched to CO.  I was teasing him about it and he told me that he will shortly be switching to SS.  He can't get primers, so he is shooting up anything he had already loaded.  I was almost in that boat until I lucked into 2000 Berry's 124s.  I could have had 4000, but I figured why be a pig.  Now that I'm halfway through them, I wish I had ordered more when I had the chance.

[Stdz]

If you're a reloader you're probably fine. Buying up bulk has been my biggest issue. 

[davsco]

MD's PLEASE don't reduce round counts!  I'd rather skip a match here and there to save ammo vs shooting less at more matches.  Between the commute time back and forth and 4-6 hours at a match, i damn sure want to get lots of shooting in!

[Umbrarian]

52 minutes ago, davsco said:

MD's PLEASE don't reduce round counts!  I'd rather skip a match here and there to save ammo vs shooting less at more matches.  Between the commute time back and forth and 4-6 hours at a match, i damn sure want to get lots of shooting in!

 

Problem is, ranges would rather see reduced round counts with full squads, than full round counts with reduced squads.

[MikeBurgess]

1 hour ago, davsco said:

MD's PLEASE don't reduce round counts!  I'd rather skip a match here and there to save ammo vs shooting less at more matches.  Between the commute time back and forth and 4-6 hours at a match, i damn sure want to get lots of shooting in!

MD's please don't conflate high round count with good stages,  interesting and challenging stage designs are totally separated from round count.

[B_RAD]

1 hour ago, MikeBurgess said:

MD's please don't conflate high round count with good stages,  interesting and challenging stage designs are totally separated from round count.

Crazy talk!  Stages have to be 32 rnds to be good. 

Edited August 6, 2020 by B_RAD

[davsco]

22 hours ago, MikeBurgess said:

MD's please don't conflate high round count with good stages,  interesting and challenging stage designs are totally separated from round count.

well, you can hopefully have the best of both worlds...  not mutually exclusive.

[zzt]

On 8/6/2020 at 3:04 PM, Umbrarian said:

 

Problem is, ranges would rather see reduced round counts with full squads, than full round counts with reduced squads.

 

Not around me.  The four clubs I shoot USPSA at have no problem with high round count, complex stages with full squads.  Full squads as in if you are not registered within 90 seconds of registration opening, you are wait listed.

[MemphisMechanic]

On 8/6/2020 at 4:24 PM, B_RAD said:

Crazy talk!  Stages have to be 32 rnds to be good. 

My schtick at the locals is to be the guy designing the medium field course with a few little technical challenges. Feel free to continue to hate me.

 

(Despite the fact that I coached you to that Area match HOA win. You ungrateful SOB.)    

 

Edited August 7, 2020 by MemphisMechanic

[Umbrarian]

2 hours ago, zzt said:

 

Not around me.  The four clubs I shoot USPSA at have no problem with high round count, complex stages with full squads.  Full squads as in if you are not registered within 90 seconds of registration opening, you are wait listed.

 

Yeah that is what I said. Full squads is what they want.

[B_RAD]

11 minutes ago, MemphisMechanic said:

My schtick at the locals is to be the guy designing the medium field course with a few little technical challenges. Feel free to continue to hate me.

 

(Despite the fact that I coached you to that Area match HOA win. You ungrateful SOB.)