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.
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.