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Ammunition shortage easing, but some calibers still hard to find

Local shops say they have options available in most deer hunting calibers.

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Some store shelves remain low on ammunition as deer hunting season approaches. But some Northland shops say they finally have most popular calibers in some options. Brands and load options may be limited.
John Myers / Duluth News Tribune

DULUTH — An ongoing shortage of ammunition continues to plague hunters, especially deer hunters in the Northland who may have a problem finding some calibers again this season.

It’s the third season in a row where ammunition shortages have hit, now coupled with price hikes that have doubled the cost of ammo in some cases since pre-pandemic times.

The shortage hit hard in 2020, spurred by a pandemic-pushed increase in demand coupled with supply chain issues due to COVID-19. It continued last year with industry officials saying they were making ammo as fast as possible but that buyers were gobbling it up just as fast — essentially hoarding.

Pat Kukull, owner of Superior Shooters Supply, said the shortage has eased some since 2021. But a few calibers are still unavailable and choices of brands and loads may be limited.

“We are in better shape this year, but still not wonderful. For instance, we have .30-06, but not in lead-free. We have a nice selection of .270 in stock. We have a lot of .308,’’ Kukull noted.

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The store has ordered all sizes and brands, but because orders take months to show up, it’s unclear what may arrive on any given day.

“We have shipments in every day, but because everything is backordered, it just shows up,’’ Kukull noted.

ammunition on shelves
Sporting good store ammunition shelves have more options this year as deer season approaches than they did in 2020 and 2021, but some calibers and loads are still hard to find.
John Myers / Duluth News Tribune

Fisherman's Corner at Pike Lake, just outside Duluth, reports a decent selection of most popular calibers for deer hunting, including .30.06, .270 and even .30-30 Winchester, in some cases from multiple manufacturers. It’s still not easy to get all the ammo they want, they noted, but it’s better than the past two seasons.

Fleet Farm in Duluth this week had some popular calibers, like .308 and 7 mm magnum, but had no .30-06 and no .30-30.

Cabela's/Bass Pro Shops had several calibers available online while most calibers and brands showed up as out of stock in the company’s Minnesota stores. Be prepared to dig deep, however. A box of 20 Winchester .30-30, 170-grain cartridges now sells for $29.99 on the Cabela's website (limited supply available), while a box of 20 Federal Supreme, 140-grain .270 Winchester cartridges is selling for $47.99.

Minnesota's firearms deer season starts Nov. 5; Wisconsin's starts Nov. 19.

John Myers reports on the outdoors, natural resources and the environment for the Duluth News Tribune. You can reach him at jmyers@duluthnews.com.
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