Shotgun shooters across the UK suddenly found themselves getting less bang for their buck last month with cartridge prices rising due to the increasing cost of lead and the tumbling value of the pound.
Speaking to Shooting Times, David Bontoft, managing director of premium brand Hull Cartridge, said that despite widespread talk of “nasty cartridge people”, the price rises were unavoidable due to the global cost of lead soaring by 20 per cent in 2016 and the value of the pound falling against the dollar, in which natural resources are valued.
He added that given Hull buys its lead from the Continent, the company has also suffered due to sterling struggling against the euro following the vote in June last year for the UK to leave the European Union.
Summing up the situation, Mr Bontoft said the cartridge industry had been hit by something of a “triple whammy”. This latest rise follows cartridge prices increasing in October last year.
Charles Bull, owner of the popular online retailer Just Cartridges told Shooting Times that last month a box of 25 Hull Comp X 28g with fibre wadding went from £5.95 to £6.35, and a box of 25 28g Gamebore Velocity Plus climbed from £5.56 up to £6.15.
However, when the Editor spoke to Mr Bontoft at Hull, he stressed that the company would review the cost of its range if the pound bounces back and the price of lead falls.