Click here to download the catalog as a PDF file. To view this site you need Adobe Flash Player and your browser must allow javaScripts. Go here to get the latest Flash Player. Fiocchi uses nickel-plated lead shot in its Turkey loads, giving hunters the benefit of a denser, more consistent pattern with fewer stray pellets and increased range and penetration. rimfire packs. Promotions like this get the product in front of the customer and produce a higher volume of sales. Ample Supply The growing popularity of AR15-style rifles, along with the military’s war on terror, is driving the demand for .223 ammunition. Despite the pressure on supplies, there’s still ample .223 available. “Because of the war, there’s been a lot of talk of low supplies and I don’t know where it is coming from,” Stevenson said. “I keep seeing reports from writers and news magazines about low supply issues and that’s just not the case. In fact, at Remington, our sporting arms don’t generally cross over to military sales.” Stevenson says the .223 cartridge is extremely popular and a top seller for dealers. “The caliber is popular in both bolt-action and semiautomatic rifles, and has a huge varmint hunting following,” Stevenson said. The .22-250 also is a popular varmint and predator cartridge, along with the .204 Ruger. shooting sports market is shotgun shells. An important innovation in recent history is the creation of better-performing nontoxic shotshells for waterfowl hunters and hunters regulated to nontoxic shot on public lands. Stevenson says hunters who are not impressed with the characteristics of steel will definitely be impressed with new advances in nontoxic loads. “With the advent of Remington’s Premier Hevi-Shot, a lot of the other manufacturers, including Winchester and Federal, have jumped on the bandwagon because the load is so superior to steel and even lead,” Stevenson said. “But despite more offerings on the market, costs have gone up, because of the cost of raw materials. Even so, we’re still seeing consumers willing to pay for the performance.” Steel shot remains somewhat economical and some versions are actually decreasing in price. Stevenson believes high-volume shooters are not going to convert to Wingmaster HD because of the large amount of shotshells they shoot. He reminds retailers to continue stocking the steel loads for budget-minded consumers. Nontoxic Facelift The largest ammunition segment of the Variable Power There are a lot of big-game hunters in Winchester’s .204 Ruger offerings include a 32-grain Ballistic Silvertip load. It combines a Ballistic Tip design with Winchester’s proprietary Lubalox coating. CIRCLE NO. 218 ON INQUIRY CARD 34 FEBRUARY 2008 WWW.SHOOTINGINDUSTRY.COM