UPDATED 09.10.2023
Cheap shotgun cartridges – is it still possible to get them at affordable prices? Cartridge prices have only gone one way the past few years, and far too quickly I might add. Some prices at the moment are eye-watering. Whilst I can be a cynic at the best of times, I can’t really see prices coming down anytime soon. So, how do we make the best of a challenging situation?
Economies of scale (buy in bulk)
There’s not the time for an economics lesson, but essentially what I’m saying is; buy the largest quantity you can, to maximise on volume savings. It’s no secret that buying 1,000 cartridges at a time saves you money compared to buying a slab (250) at a time. Now, if buying a thousand at a time may seem a bit of a stretch, particularly if you’re more of a causal shooter and £260+ a pop is a bit of a push too far for the purse-strings, there are still ways you can maximise on volume savings…
This is an opportunity to club in with a few shooting mates or fellow club members. Buy a thousand between you and divvy them up. If there are 4 of you, by following this approach you can secure a slab for well under £70 instead of the £80+ if buying a slab separately.
Shop around
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen the exact same cartridges for such a difference in price! At the moment, I am enjoying shooting Eley Olympic Blues (28g, 7.5 shot). There’s a gun room about 30mins drive from me that has them for under £281/1,000. Looking at a major online retailer (no names mentioned), they’re £299/1,000 BEFORE delivery charges (approx. £314/1,000 all in). Even if you add £5 for petrol/diesel for the 30min journey, I’m still almost £30 better off! Per THOUSAND. If you shoot 1,000 every couple of months (which is conservative as it’s about 125/week, which is 1 DTL session), you’ve almost saved almost £200 over the year.
To be honest, I’m not sure why shooters buy from certain retailers – it makes me think that either they don’t think to shop around, can’t be @rsed, or I guess they likely just don’t care – which is good as they won’t be reading a blog about budget shooting then!
“Downgrade”
OK, this might sound disingenuous. I’ve included the quotation marks purposefully, as I believe – especially for less advanced shooters – that there isn’t double the performance in a cartridge double the price. Or at the very least, there isn’t a “perceived” 2x increase in performance for 2x the price. I’m sure there will be some serious shooters out there baying for my blood, pitchforks in hand and spittle flying from their lips. But my goal is give the regular shooter the best shot at maximising their value for money.
If you’re a club shooter, even a serious one entering competitions, I believe there are plenty of quality, more affordable cartridges out there. Think about going down a peg with your favourite brand, or even trying a different brand – you can’t knock them until you try them. Chat to other shooters, see what they prefer and why. DYOR (do your own research) and find something that fits the specs and your budget.
Conclusion
As the motto on my homepage alludes to; you can make shooting as expensive as you like. If, like me, you’re out to maximise the value you can get from the sport, finding a way to economise on the biggest variable cost of shooting – your ammo – is key. You don’t need to be flashing the shiniest of shells. Rather than trying to look the biz on the grounds or over a coffee at the clubhouse, focus on BEING the biz – most cartridges can break clays just as easily. Focus on your shooting and when you’re a crack shot, blow your load on some shiny shells.
