[MisterDK]

Many years ago I purchased a Dan Wesson .357 revolver. At that time you could purchase 2 boxes of .38 Special wadcutters for the price of one box of .38 Special JHP. If you compared the wadcutters to the price of a box of .357 JHP you could probably get 3 boxes of wadcutters.

I made the mistake of selling the Dan Wesson and have regretted it ever since. I finally had the funds to get a new .357 and was just pricing the cost of ammo. I was shocked to see that wadcutters are now nearly as much as more powerful defensive ammo.

My question is, Why is a target load priced so highly. In some cases, sellers actually have defensive loads cheaper than the wadcutter target loads.

Thanks,
Duane

 

[Rvrctyrngr]

Many years ago I purchased a Dan Wesson .357 revolver. At that time you could purchase 2 boxes of .38 Special wadcutters for the price of one box of .38 Special JHP. If you compared the wadcutters to the price of a box of .357 JHP you could probably get 3 boxes of wadcutters.

I made the mistake of selling the Dan Wesson and have regretted it ever since. I finally had the funds to get a new .357 and was just pricing the cost of ammo. I was shocked to see that wadcutters are now nearly as much as more powerful defensive ammo.

My question is, Why is a target load priced so highly. In some cases, sellers actually have defensive loads cheaper than the wadcutter target loads.

Thanks,
Duane

Simple supply and demand. No one makes a lot of wadcutters any longer.

 

[TitleIIToyLover]

I have about a dozen S&W revolvers in 38 and or 357 somewhere in the back of the safe. After stockpiling enough 9mm and .40 S&W to last the rest of my life, I decided I should have some 38 and 357 ammo, put away for a rainy day.

SHOCKED...shocked I tell you. Revolver ammo prices had skyrocketed in just the 17 years that I had been busy playing with semi-autos.

Did I mention that I was shocked? Guess I will have to dust off the old reloading stuff.

I agree, supply and demand.

 

[brownie]

Simple supply and demand. No one makes a lot of wadcutters any longer.

This ^

 

[Riverpigusmc]

don't count soft lead wadcutters out as a defensive load. They are designed to cut holes in paper easily seen at distance, and make a nasty wound channel that does not close easily

 

[TitleIIToyLover]

Simple supply and demand. No one makes a lot of wadcutters any longer.

Was there not a time, in a land long forgotten, that men would stand in front of targets and have a friendly discussion concerning the little hole, and if it was indeed breaking the ink, used to print the scoring ring, on the target?

Oh yes, those where the days of the wad-cutter and the perfect hole it left in the paper.

 

[mike_1950]

When looking for ammo for my wifes's .32 mag I find wadcutters outnumber regular ammo 3-1.

 

[Steve48]

I was shocked to see that wadcutters are now nearly as much as more powerful defensive ammo.

My question is, Why is a target load priced so highly. In some cases, sellers actually have defensive loads cheaper than the wadcutter target loads.

I doubt that power has much to do with it. That's primarily a function of powder, and powder is a relatively small part of the cost in factory ammo. Case and bullet are the biggies, with powder and primer way back. I do expect the cost of the JHP bullet to be more than that of the wadcutter, but total cost isn't going to differ by that much.

 

[K4AC]

Having cleaned many revolvers many times after shooting full or semi wadcutters, I truely appreciate FMJ revolver ammo.

 

[BigDinFl]

My question is, Why is a target load priced so highly.

Besides Supply and Demand, there is simple production costs - it costs a lot to retool a line to make a run, and when you aren't making the volume that you would for JHP or LSWC, your costs per round go up.

 

[Denverd0n]

Simple supply and demand.

The reason why EVERYTHING costs what it does!

Trying to figure out why something costs what it does, by backing into it from the cost of production, will only work in cases where there is a lot of competition. Competition drives prices closer to production cost.

And even in this case, it still is really a matter of supply and demand. When supply matches, or exceeds, demand then the price to the consumer goes down as near to cost as a business can get it, and still stay in business. When it gets to where they cannot sell it for a reasonable profit above cost then they either go out of business, or find something else to sell.

In the end, when you ask why something is priced the way it is, the answer is ALWAYS... Because that is what the market will bear.

 

[BigDinFl]

Because that is what the market will bear.

Or, out another way - what the buyer is willing to pay - buyer always sets the selling price.............

 

[LabGuy]

Its a numbers game, set up time, production numbers and demand. My guess is a lot more FMJ pratice ammo is sold over 38 special wadcutters. Not to mention everyone has been told lead is evil. I have two 38 wadcutter moulds, cast about 1000 at a time, one pot full. Have about 3k in stock so I'm good untill it cools off.

 

[TitleIIToyLover]

The reason why EVERYTHING costs what it does!

Trying to figure out why something costs what it does, by backing into it from the cost of production, will only work in cases where there is a lot of competition. Competition drives prices closer to production cost.

And even in this case, it still is really a matter of supply and demand. When supply matches, or exceeds, demand then the price to the consumer goes down as near to cost as a business can get it, and still stay in business. When it gets to where they cannot sell it for a reasonable profit above cost then they either go out of business, or find something else to sell.

In the end, when you ask why something is priced the way it is, the answer is ALWAYS... Because that is what the market will bear.

Did you have the same micro-economics professor that I did in 1973?

 

[Denverd0n]

Did you have the same micro-economics professor that I did in 1973?

Only if you went to the University of Nebraska.

But then, this is Econ 101. It is the most basic of all economic laws. Which is why it is so disappointing that so many people do not "get it."

 

[AFJuvat]

Interesting historical note:

On February 1st, 1959, Penny Bjorkland murdered August Narry, "Just to see if I could, and not worry about it afterwards."

She was eventually caught because she used wadcutters, San Francisco police checked with a few gun stores, one of which admitted to selling 50 wadcutters to a "young blonde". The seller had her name and address on a receipt.

She refused mental health examinations, and was sentenced to life in prison.

 

[Rick McC.]

Interesting historical note:

On February 1st, 1959, Penny Bjorkland murdered August Narry, "Just to see if I could, and not worry about it afterwards."

She was eventually caught because she used wadcutters, San Francisco police checked with a few gun stores, one of which admitted to selling 50 wadcutters to a "young blonde". The seller had her name and address on a receipt.

She refused mental health examinations, and was sentenced to life in prison.

"They've" always walked among us. Some just don't seem to be interested in hiding it these days. And there seem to be a LOT of them... uke

 

[TitleIIToyLover]

Only if you went to the University of Nebraska.

But then, this is Econ 101. It is the most basic of all economic laws. Which is why it is so disappointing that so many people do not "get it."

Nope, not Nebraska.

In 1973,I was stationed at NAS JAX and was taking all of the night courses I could fit in between deployments. Took micro and macro from an adjunct, at what was called FJC or Florida Junior College at the time. I had one of the best profs for economics, that I have ever had. I was trying to get my BS and jump from enlisted to Naval Aviator. That is a summary, It's a long story after that.

 

[Skeptic 9094]

I wonder if the soft lead wadcutters fully inserted into the cases requires a different crimp on the case mouth and possibly a cannelure on the case to stop the bullet from moving backward under recoil.

Geoff
Who notes he's got a box of wadcutters around here someplace...

 

[7.62Kolectr]

don't count soft lead wadcutters out as a defensive load. They are designed to cut holes in paper easily seen at distance, and make a nasty wound channel that does not close easily

Plus they really put a whack on hard things like bones if they hit one.
I've seen wadcutters flatten out to silver dollar size on some things.