Cartridges , value for money versus cost
- Thread starter Salopian
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I managed to get 1000 Superfast plastic at £238, the new price is now £268. I shall be using the same supplier, but probably not the same brand.
Will Hewland
Well-known member
Martinj
Well-known member
I have been using them in 8 shot for the last six months or so, I recently bought a last slab at old prices (and a couple of slabs of Fblacks in 8 shot which only cost £2.00 a slab more.) I like the Power Blues and was confident that they would break anything if I pointed them in the right direction, we'll see about the FBlacks.
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I am not really a Fiocchi fan but I recently tried 500 F Blacks and found them to be very good. Certainly a lot cleaner than some of the cheaper Fiocchi cartridges.
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Daz W
Well-known member
The Fblack 8.5 plastic and 8 (UK) fibre are cracking cartridges. Have been getting some good kills with them and skeet chokes that I didn't think possible.
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Daz W
Well-known member
At my local club I shot a fair few Litespeeds in the past 18 months. Now Litespeeds are around £260, Fblus £270 and Fblack £275, a £10/£15 saving for the Litespeeds isn't worth the drive to pick them up.
Fiocchi are still the best value cartridges IMO. Even their top end cartridges are cheaper than other brands. Unfortunately for me (and fortunate for the pocket), I'm not good enough to notice the difference. Me and a couple of mates are going to pitch in and order 10 thousand at a time, if we can get hold of them that is.
Unfortunately this sport isn't going to get any cheaper. Think Ben H said something along the lines of "If you want to make a million pound shooting clays, you need to start off with two". Nowadays that'll be three at least.
Fiocchi are still the best value cartridges IMO. Even their top end cartridges are cheaper than other brands. Unfortunately for me (and fortunate for the pocket), I'm not good enough to notice the difference. Me and a couple of mates are going to pitch in and order 10 thousand at a time, if we can get hold of them that is.
Unfortunately this sport isn't going to get any cheaper. Think Ben H said something along the lines of "If you want to make a million pound shooting clays, you need to start off with two". Nowadays that'll be three at least.
philpot
Well-known member
Clay shooting was always regarded as a rich man's sport but then the barriers were broken down with a great number of smaller clubs sprouting up all over the land during the early 70s and 80s, many of which have now gone and the direction is once again heading towards it being a rich man's sport. Another reason for yougsters not entering our sport.
Phil
Phil
Nick Selby
Well-known member
Yes, nearly £300 near me (well, £293)....... that is a huge amount of money for a 'budget shell'. Pre covid, I was paying about £200. Absolutely ridiculous price now. I don't shoot that much anyway but will certainly be shooting less going forward. The sport is (not so) slowly killing itself....
The prices are crackers , I noticed last week as I was putting putting 2000 cartridges in the car boot , I had nearly spent enough to walk away with a new ATA shotgun … makes you think !
The majority will cut back, but the manufactures will still make a good profit due to the profiteering.
It's a short term profit though as imho a lot of the grounds will go first, leading to a drop in demand eventually, they aren't going to survive on competition days only
It's a short term profit though as imho a lot of the grounds will go first, leading to a drop in demand eventually, they aren't going to survive on competition days only
Nick Selby
Well-known member
Just renewed my SGC. If the prices continue to rise at the rate they are (nearly 50% in the last 2 years for Hull Superfast - used to be a budget shell!!), then I won’t be renewing my SGC in 5 years and will probably stop shooting before that. ! I suspect I won’t be alone in doing that too…
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Renewed mine last week and had a good chat with FAO. He has been doing the job quite a while and tells me the most he has ever known are no longer renewing.
Richard59
Well-known member
Mate, am another that has reduced his shooting, a habit of going out twice a week (although the dreaded work has also played its part ) does not draw me like it did, it will no doubt soon return in earnest ( probs with dry days & sunny skies ) or a it may ( it has ) take longer. Now your hiatus, as you currently hold a SGC I’d very much imagine that the renewal was a far easier / straightforward a process than new application so I’d suggest keeping SCG and use infrequently rather than in effect surrendering it up and later regretting so.
Keep rubbing up MrPhysio
Nick Selby
Well-known member
I’ll keep the SGC for the next 5 years but if the prices of shells continue to rise at the current rate, I will surrender it as shooting will no longer be a viable option for me.
Will Hewland
Well-known member
It does make you think. I shot twice this week already and reviewing going to Westfield tomorrow. I won’t pretend finance is a roadblock, but I can’t help thinking it’s north of £110 in travel, entry, cartridges and food, so I really need to want to go. I usually shoot with a mate who lives very near me and we alternate who drives. That alone is well over £1000 per year that we each save in fuel.
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Richard59
Well-known member
Nick, Ive had SGC since the late 80s, when Mrs, kids, mortgages, dire financial woes, cricket & rugby took precedence over clays I always kept the SGC and now it’s used and hearing the difficulty some have I’m really glad I kept it,
£1k?
That RR of yours does about 14mpg the way you racing types 
drive, think your mate is saving you lots more than you him, he should re negotiate that deal 
Daz W
Well-known member
Likewise with the transport, there's 3 of us that share the driving for weekend shoots. Makes a difference.
I'm surprised weekday registered shoots haven't taken more of a hit. If you figure in Mr/Mrs Average, on the UK median salary of £640/week, it's also "cost" them £128 to have the day off work. A weekday shoot is now north of £200.
I feel very fortunate my employer has a very flexible working structure, and as long as I average a 37hr working week, I'm pretty much allowed to work when I want. Put in the hours Mon-Thurs, shot Oxford Shooting School yesterday morning, home for 13:30, worked for a couple of hours in the afternoon. Happy days.
Richard59
Well-known member
Think most clay bashers are on far more than the median salary, crumbs lots of the motors (and most are privately owned) in the car park are that if not more alone, lots of guns we see are now north of 10k, look at the number of K80s all of which are premium price +. Like like yourself for most of us the days of being confined to a rigid Mon-Fri 8-5 working week are also in the long grass, thats those of us that are indeed slaves to the economy as there is quite a lot of retirees regulars getting out and about. Over the last few weekends the shoots in this area are getting 150+ entrants all taking hours and hours to get around whereas the mid week bash seems to be a more realistic 2 hours, what's not to like.
Oxfordshire eh, nice little ground, staggeringly decent cakes, a toilet block that many should aspire too and have always been made very welcome there to such an extent I really don't mind the fibre only policy.
