I don’t use surplus ammunition in my Lee-Enfields, for the reason that it’s almost always corrosive- If you don’t clean the barrel after you’ve finished shooting, it will start to corrode. :eek:
Commercial .303 ammunition- Highland AX (Prvi Partizan), Remington, and Winchester, typically, but you can get Federal ammo sometimes too- is between $20 (Highland) to $38 (Winchester CXP3) for a box of 20 rounds. Remington Core-Lokt ammo is about $25/20rnds, and is my ammo of choice for general use. (I use Winchester CXP 3 for important hunting trips, though)
Commercial .455 Webley ammunition is only available in the Fiocchi loading, which is $75/50rnds when you can get it, usually by special order.
As for why it’s so expensive- the ammo is all made overseas and has to be shipped to Australia. International Hazardous Goods Shipping is nightmarishly expensive, and then there’s all the customs hassles, the exchange rate, and finally the fact that there just aren’t as many gun owners here as there are in the US.
Shotgun shells and .22 ammunition are cheap because it’s made here (Winchester have a factory in Melbourne, I believe), but almost all the centrefire rifle and handgun ammo comes from overseas, hence the higher costs.
A box of Remington Core-Lokt .30-06 ammunition was USD$10 when I checked in at a Big 5 in Los Angeles a few months ago; the going rate here is about $28 a box, but I must admit I don’t own a .30-06 so I wasn’t looking to closely at the prices the last time I was getting ammo.
As I’ve said before in other threads, I’d do it in a heartbeat if I could get a green card and a decent job there.
I don’t actually have much ammo- I buy it as a I need it. It’s easier to get it from the range or at the gunshop before I go hunting- we don’t have cheap mail-order ammo the way you guys in the US do, so there’s no reason to buy crates of the stuff.
Something no hunter will ever admit to you: If you fire more than 20 rounds on a hunting trip, it will rank as a Truly Epic Adventure which will be re-told over a few beers with your mates for years to come. Last hunting trip I went on, I fired 8 rounds, and two of those were “sighters”. That was a really good hunting trip, by everyone (the hunting group’s) standards.
Incidentally, next time you’re in your local (US) gun shop, ask them if they have .303 British ammunition. I’d be willing to bet they’ve never ever heard of the calibre, and if they have, they don’t have any ammo in stock.
But expensive is relative, I guess. Himself and I really don’t make much money and live pretty frugally*, so really nice yarns are a luxury for me. Racing or flying would be completely out of the question.
*Please note that this is not a complaint. I like the way we live, and far prefer it to the way I used to live, when I had more money but much more stress and much less happiness.
Can I just say I’m shocked at the number of people in this thread with textile-related hobbies? Not that I’m putting it down; I think it’s cool. I just wouldn’t have expected it.
See, I never was tempted by Magic Online. The idea of paying real money for virtual cards offends me on some primal level. If there wasn’t a fairly active local scene, I wouldn’t have gotten sucked back in with Coldsnap and Time Spiral…
Most of my hobbies are cheap. I row but recieved my oars as a handy me down gift and since I coach, I also get my club dues comped.
I study Japanese but I spent most of the money on the front end. I now have a great collection of text books/dictionaries/work books/audio material to study with. I do buy around $75 worth of Japanese language comics a month.
My expensive hobby is designer shoes. I would rather save up and buy the genuine article than try to find a passable imitation. I’ve spent more on shoes than anything else in the last year.
Having a family: no, not husband and kids. Just the one I was born into. My mother is the worst money drain I’ve ever had.
Computer games: given the general quality, it’s kind of a Good Thing I finally decided to splurge on WoW about 20 months ago - every time that I can’t play it (“moving again”) and buy some titles that are supposed to be oh so darn good they’re pretty bleah. And I’m definitely not paying for gold (reported an apparent ebayer yesterday and not so long later got the message that he’d just been deleted, yay).
My stupid line of work. Yeah yeah, it pays a lot. But moving internationally every n months and having employers who don’t give a shit if you live or die so long as they can charge for your work is expensive, nerve-wracking and bad for your tax records.
Solar-system necklace - crappy photo, but probably my favorite piece. Because it took me so long to find each piece, I think I might try and learn how to lampwork. Assuming that the ultimate money-hole (a house) goes through in the next 14 days, I might finally have a place to set up shop, yay! But then I’ll have no money, boo!
