Originally Posted By: GLShooterIf you can sell 100 223's over 10 17's what do you make assuming the same profit margin
Greg
It's even worse than that. If you can sell 100 each 25 gr. .17's over 10 each 30 gr. .17's... .17's themselves are a niche. But 30's are a niche within a niche.
How many factory barrels are 9 twists that can even shoot the 30's? Some of the newer ones are but all of the older ones are 10 twist. I know a couple guys do use 30's in the Mach IV, but really, they aren't that suitable for anything smaller than a .17 Rem. and whatever it is needs a 9 twist barrel.
The only real demand is guys like the few of us on this thread, shooting coyotes with larger capacity .17's. Most of us with custom barrels chambered for wildcats. Just not very many of us, in the grand scheme. And almost nobody else has any use for a 30 gr. .17.
It's pretty telling that when the guys on Saubier put together a group buy to get a special run of the old match .17's made, they had 25's made, not 30's.
I have enough 30 Golds on the shelf to finish wearing out my .17 Predator barrel. Which, really, I might get that done before I die or get too old to hunt coyotes or I might not. But I also have a lot of other old 29's and 30's on the shelf, Berger Match, Genco, Starke (got a ton of them, Clint hooked me up before he sold his dies to Chan Nagel), etc.
And, not for nothing, but Chan Nagel makes his own very concentric jackets and a pretty dang fine 30 gr. bullet. Small quantities, not always available, but with a little planning and patience you can get a lifetime supply from him pretty easy. That's actually what I'm shooting now, saving my Golds for who knows what. For my kids to throw them away a few years after I croak probably, lol!
- DAA