January 7, 2023

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had an enjoyable and restful holiday season.

In this newsletter, we will be talking a little about ammo prices and availability, training plans for the new year

2024 AMMO PRICES

Late last year, several ammo factories and suppliers sent out letters indicating there would be a substantial price increase in ammo early this year. The stated reason behind the increase has to do with nitrocellulose - one of the main components of smokeless powder that is being diverted to artillery propellant production in support of the Ukraine conflict. I've seen a marked increase in reloading propellant prices, around $50/pound, which is almost double from prices a year ago. The upside of this for handloaders is that primer production is now starting to outpace ammo production and primers are becoming more available than they have been for years, albeit at inflated prices.

So, why are you still getting ads from the ammo places advertising last years' prices? The simple answer is that the market is a bit saturated right now. Prepared folks have been stocking up for a long time now and they don't need to panic-buy. I think there is also a lot of hope that the Presidential election will soon change the dynamic in the US. This is wishful thinking that I hope is correct, but it isn't over till it's over.

My advice, as always, is to ensure you have what you need for the foreseeable future. Also remember that there are different ammo types you need to pay attention to: practice ammo, defensive/hunting ammo, and for rifle shooters; long-range capable ammo with heavier match bullets. Make sure you have enough of all types.

2024 TRAINING

I'm still working on finalizing the training calendar for the year and setting up dates. I'm planning on some of the old favorites (Black Rifle 101, Defensive Pistol Elements, Intro to Precision Rifle) but I'm also trying to set up a class this year I've wanted to teach for a long time: Designated Marksman/Special Purpose Rifle. This class is neither a precision rifle class, nor a carbine class, but will include some elements of both - and more. This challenging class is designed specifically for semi-auto rifles with low-power variable optics.

March 9 & 10 I will be at Badlands Tactical in Oklahoma teaching an AR Armorer class. If you are interested in a deep-dive into the AR15, come on down to Badlands, it's a great place to train!

I was a little surprised no one was interested in the reloading class last month, but I am going to host a few online classes this year anyway. I will be putting on my precision optics class, Black Rifle 101 (online version), and a new class: Defensive Mindset for the Armed Citizen.

Online Precision Optics class will be held January 18th, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Mountain Time.
Online BR 101 will be held February 6 & 8 (this class is in 2 segments) from 7:00 - 9:00 PM Mountain Time each evening.
Defensive Mindset for the Armed Citizen will be held on February 22. 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Mountain Time.

If you are interested in any of these classes, message or email me!