US fears leave shooters short on ammo
US President Barack Obama's push for tighter gun controls after yet another American shooting is causing ammunition shortages in Kalgoorlie-Boulder.
Camping and outdoor recreation business Freerange Supplies is Kalgoorlie-Boulder's only ammunition supplier and owner Mark Sweet said the business was being impacted by demand in the US.
"Most of the ammo comes from America and they are having their own shortages at the moment," he said.
Mr Sweet said fears of tighter gun control in conjunction with President Barack Obama's re-election was driving a rush on ammunition supplies by American gun enthusiasts.
"All our importers import from the States, so we're going to get what's left over," he said.
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Mr Sweet said shortages would have a heavy impact on Kalgoorlie-Boulder hobbyists and pastoral leaseholders who liked to customise their ammunition, also known as "reloading".
"When you reload your own, you can tailor-make it specifically for your rifle," he said.
"Reloading is going to be an issue because the availability of powder is going to be an issue.
"Reloading is a big thing for a lot of farmers and sporting clubs because it's cheaper to reload than to buy loaded ammo."
Mr Sweet said the reduction in choice of ammunition was having an impact on sales.
"Where someone would have bought a calibre for a rifle … and his rifle likes a particular brand, a Remington brand 80 grains, but you can't get it," he said.
"So he's got to shoot something else which is not as accurate.
"So when he comes in he asks for a specific brand and if you haven't got it, they'll just take one box of something instead of a couple of boxes."
