Things are getting worse.

[skeet]

I did the gun show in Billings Last weekend. Worst show I have ever done in a larger town. Sales were down to about half of what I usually do. It was really unexpected. I didn't do bad mind you. Actually made a profit which is what it is all about. People just weren't buying. What they were buying though was ammo.. primers powder rifle cases and I sold a LOT of .224 size bullets.. But in a month or two it is gonna be Prairie Dog shootin time.

What I bought though is part of what I gauge a show on. And that was down quite a bit Bought a 98 rounds of older 348 ammo including 2 boxes of 250 gr Silvertips. The hard ones to find. Also got 2 boxes of new brass.which really tickled me. Couldn't find any bullets in that caliber to reload .A friend back east sent me a box of 200 grainers though. However I did find 2 new Single cavity Lyman moulds for the 350 size. So I can make my own..350 Size are very hard to find. That means expensive, of course. But finding them in new condition is neat. Bought one gun and don't know why. Not my usual fair. It is a Nice Trapdoor in 50-70. An original made in the late 1860s. Bore is not perfect but is good. A nice shooter with the cartouches in great shape. Think it had to belong to a state militia as it has company markings.. I don't know all that much about them. The metal condition is great. BUT,I think I lost my mind. And to top it off. On Thursday..I bought a really nice 1885 Win High wall. Still has about half the color case on the receiver. Only bad thing for me is it is in 32-40 caliber.. I am pretty certain though that it is sold for a good profit. I have also found but not purchased yet an ol 1886 Winchester in 40-82. These guns were sitting in a closet for over 50 years. Luckily they were in Wyoming with no humidity. The fellow also has a fairly nice condition 1876 Winchester in 45-75. Good grief..I even have a set of dies in that caliber. Another thing I bought and can't really figure WHY..is a new in box Contender barrel in 300 Whisper. I also got the dies and 200 cases. I just think it was because I think it is just a neat caliber I also got a box of Corbon factory 300 Whisper ammo. They were the only commercial company to ever load it. Powder other than what I had was almost non existent except forsome older stuff from the loading rooms etc

[Adam Helmer]

skeet,

Do you have a CDL? You MUST drive an 18-wheeler to the shows and back! LOL.

Adam

[skeet]

LOL.. Not any more but I still have a class C M.. Farm Trucks and motorcycle.. Have to have the C in case I want to drive grain trucks or whatever. I used to have a CDL with the endorsements even for articulated buses etc. I did away with the Haz Mat when Homeland Security got involved. Gummit crap. Federal Law will not let the gummit have ID cards..but to get a drivers license now you have to give 'em all the same info..and it goes into a Federal database..Sucks.

[Rapier]

Had some folks set up next to us in Tulsa that were selling 2 ammo, had a big banner on PVC pipe 22 Ammo For Sale and cart loads, large stacks, of 22 ammo behind and under the table. I think that is where the 22 ammo is going, when it appears folks are scrapping it up, doubling and tripling the prices. So as to keep the prices artificially high. I think there were 3 or 4 such tables at Tulsa, with the banners and all. Hope they all go broke for scalping.

We had a good show, I got a 700 BDL in 308 by doing some horse trading and changing out a black 7x08 barrel for a stainless 308 barrel and running a reamer in it. A spl ops troop asked if I could find him a decent walk around in 308. So I was happy, he will love it.

Saw an older guy that bought an RCBS Pro Melt for $130 on Friday he was a happy camper.
Ed