Ammo Shortage Affects Local Gun Stores’ Hunting Season Sales

JEFFERSON CO., Pa. (EYT) – Supply chain issues and ammo shortages continue to plague local gun stores, and as hunting season is in full-swing, retailers are left feeling the pressure.

(Pictured above: Long Shot Ammo and Arms. Photo by Prince Brooks of Prince Brooks Photography.)

Gun stores in Clarion, Jefferson, and Venango Counties all said they are specifically short on hunting rounds, like .243, .30-30, or .30-06.

“Hunting ammo is tough to get,” Levi Miller, manager of DSD Sports in Brookville, told exploreJeffersonPA.com. “Guns are also a little difficult. It’s just tough.”

Miller said sales during hunting season are down as compared to last year, stating DSD would be doing “a lot better if (they) had hunting ammo.”

Jody Maurer, owner of Maurer’s Trading Post, in Franklin, tells the same story as Miller.

“It’s still a big problem. Ammo is trickling in,” he said.

Maurer illustrated the shortage, explaining that he would have previously received 100 boxes per shipment of a hunting round like .243 from multiple suppliers like Remington, Winchester, or Federal. Now, he gets around four to eight boxes per shipment.

“People are passing through every day, and if they see it, they buy it,” said Maurer. “We’re limiting it to one box per customer per day, but it still doesn’t last.”

Maurer said he heard reports of individuals buying as much in-demand hunting ammo as they could find and then reselling it online for huge profit margins. He said boxes of ammo that he sells for around $12.00 in his store have gone for as much as $100.00 on online auction sites such as eBay.

“People are willing to pay the price,” Maurer said.

However, some gun stores are still doing well despite low ammo supplies.

Scott Keen, manager of Long Shot Ammo and Arms in Fairmount City, said hunting season is the best time of the year for sales and that the ammo shortage has not slowed them down.

“Obviously, it’s been great,” he said. “It’s the busiest time of the year.”

Maurer echoed Keen’s sentiments, stating that recently guns and optics have been selling extremely well.

Although he has no numbers to back it, Maurer said sales this year are not less than last year’s, and he credited his customers for helping the store.

“The customers have been really good,” he said. “We sold a lot more incidental items, walking sticks, optics.”

Additionally, Maurer said archery gear has increased in popularity this year.

“I know guys who went (the) first day of rifle season with a crossbow,” he remarked.


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