The rising cost of shooting in 2026: What’s gone up, why it’s happened, and how you can fight back
06-Apr-2026
Mark Eves
If you’ve visited your local gun shop recently, you’ll already know the score. Whether you’re a clay shooter picking up your regular slab of cartridges, a stalker replacing rifle ammunition, or someone eyeing a new shotgun from the cabinet, the prices are higher than they were six months ago, and considerably higher than they were a year ago.
It’s not your imagination, and it’s not just one brand or one product. Across firearms, ammunition, and accessories, shooters in the UK are facing a sustained period of price inflation that shows little sign of slowing down. In this article, we’ll look at the real numbers, explain what’s driving the increases, and most importantly, share practical tips on how you can keep shooting without breaking the bank.
Ammunition: The biggest hit to your wallet
Ammunition has seen some of the sharpest increases, and it affects every discipline. Whether you shoot clays, game, or targets, the cost per shot has risen significantly over the past 12–18 months.
Shotgun cartridges
For clay shooters, cartridge prices have been creeping upward year on year. Back in 2020, it was still possible to find budget 28g clay loads for around £167 per thousand. By 2022, shooters on forums were reporting paying £214 per thousand for mid-range cartridges like Fiocchi F Black, and remarking it was the first time they’d breached the £200 mark.
Fast forward to 2025, and the picture has shifted again. Hull Comp X 21g slabs were sitting around £75–£80 per 250, Gamebore Evo 24g loads were £85–90 per slab, and Eley Select 28g, once considered a premium cartridge, had become a value option at around £73–78 per 250.
Heading into spring 2026, expect another jump. Major ammunition brands including Federal, CCI, Remington, Blazer, Speer, Fiocchi, and B&P have all confirmed price increases of between 2% and 10% effective from 1st April 2026. This follows an earlier round of increases from October 2025 when the Kinetic Group (parent company of Federal, Remington, CCI, Speer, Fiocchi, and others) pushed prices up by 3–12% across rifle, shotshell, and handgun ammunition.
For UK shooters buying through GMK, who distribute Federal and Speer ammunition, these upstream increases will inevitably feed through to dealer prices.
Rifle ammunition
Centrefire rifle ammunition has followed the same trend. In 2025, brands raised prices by 3–12% due to higher input costs, and the April 2026 round will add another 2–10% on top. Stalkers and target shooters using popular calibres like .308 Winchester, .243, and 6.5 Creedmoor are all feeling the pinch. Premium hunting loads from Federal, Hornady, and Norma have seen particularly steep climbs, with some boxes now sitting 15–20% higher than they were 18 months ago.
Rimfire
Even rimfire ammunition, traditionally the most affordable option, is included in the April 2026 price adjustment. High-volume .22 LR and .17 HMR shooters will notice the difference, especially those buying in bulk for practice and competition.
Firearms: New gun prices keep climbing
It’s not just ammunition. The cost of new firearms from all the major manufacturers has risen sharply, and UK shooters are particularly exposed, given that the most popular sporting guns are imported from continental Europe.
Shotguns
The Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon I, arguably the UK’s most popular over-and-under, is a useful benchmark. New Silver Pigeon I models in 12 gauge are now typically listing at around £1,850–£1,890 from UK dealers. The 20 gauge and 28 gauge variants are sitting at similar or slightly higher levels. Five years ago, this same gun could be found new for several hundred pounds less.
The recently redesigned Silver Pigeon I Sport, with its updated top lever, stainless steel trigger, and enhanced engraving, commands a premium over the older model. While it’s a genuinely improved gun, the price point reflects both the upgrades and the broader cost pressures hitting Italian manufacturing.
Rifles
Tikka T3x rifles, distributed by GMK through their Sako/Beretta Holding connection, offer a clear example of price creep. One contributor on The Stalking Directory recalled buying a new Tikka T3 for £725 in 2012. The Bank of England’s own inflation calculator puts the equivalent at around £922 today, but current Tikka T3x prices have risen well beyond that, reflecting manufacturer-driven increases on top of general inflation.
At the premium end, the new Sako 90 has launched with an RRP north of £3,000, a significant step up from the Sako 85 it replaces. Forum discussions suggest that Beretta Holding has simultaneously pushed Tikka prices upward, narrowing the gap between the “budget” and premium tiers.
Why are prices going up?
The increases aren’t arbitrary, and they’re not unique to shooting. Several major factors are converging to push costs higher across the entire firearms and ammunition industry.
Raw material costs
Copper, lead, zinc, and antimony, the core materials in ammunition, have all seen significant price rises. Copper alone is up over 30% year on year, driven partly by a major mine going offline and partly by surging demand from the electric vehicle and green energy sectors. Lead faces increasing regulatory pressure and mine closures. These aren’t temporary blips; they reflect structural changes in global commodity markets.
Smokeless powder and primer shortages
This is the bottleneck that’s really squeezing supply. Military contracts, driven by ongoing global conflicts, have diverted huge quantities of smokeless powder away from civilian ammunition manufacturers. Some companies have reported that their primary powder suppliers have redirected their entire inventory to fulfil defence contracts. Building new powder production facilities takes years, not months, so this constraint isn’t going away quickly.
Currency and import costs
For UK shooters, this is a double hit. GMK imports Beretta and Benelli shotguns from Italy, and Sako and Tikka rifles from Finland. When sterling weakens against the euro, the landed cost of every gun, accessory, and box of ammunition increases, and those costs get passed straight to the consumer.
Manufacturer-led price adjustments
The Kinetic Group, parent company of Federal, CCI, Speer, Remington, Fiocchi, Blazer, B&P, and Hevi-Shot, has now implemented two rounds of price increases within six months. The October 2025 adjustment saw rises of 5–7% on rifle ammunition, 7–10% on shotshells, and 3–12% on handgun ammunition. The April 2026 round adds another 2–10%. Manufacturers have signalled that further adjustments beyond mid-2026 are possible if commodity costs remain volatile.
Broader economic pressures
UK manufacturing as a whole is under pressure. Industry surveys show that most manufacturers expect prices to rise and production volumes to decline in the near term. Energy costs, labour costs, and regulatory compliance all add to the burden, and firearms distributors and dealers are not immune.
How to keep shooting without going broke
The good news is that there are practical steps you can take to manage the impact. None of these will eliminate the increases entirely, but together they can make a meaningful difference to your annual shooting budget.
1. Buy ammunition in bulk before the price rises
If you know a price increase is coming, and with the April 2026 adjustments now confirmed, buying ahead makes financial sense. Purchasing 1,000 or more cartridges at current prices locks in today’s rate. Even a 5% saving on a year’s ammunition can add up to a significant sum for regular shooters.
2. Switch to lighter loads
Many experienced clay shooters have discovered that dropping from 28g to 24g, or even 21g, makes negligible difference to their scores while reducing both cost and recoil. Hull Comp X 21g loads remain among the most affordable options on the market at around £75–80 per slab. As one forum contributor noted: “I’ve changed to 24g and I cannot notice any difference in kills or recoil.” The cartridge doesn’t break the clay; the shot pattern does.
3. Shop around and compare dealers
Cartridge prices vary enormously between dealers. Tools like The Cartridge Hubs now allow UK shooters to compare prices across suppliers in real time. The difference between the cheapest and most expensive source for the same cartridge can be £30–50 per thousand, that’s real money over the course of a season. Agricultural merchants and farm supply shops often undercut dedicated gun shops on ammunition.
4. Consider the second-hand market for firearms
With new gun prices rising sharply, the second-hand market offers excellent value. Platforms like Rightgun.uk have thousands of used shotguns and rifles available, often in excellent condition. A well-maintained second-hand Beretta 686 or Tikka T3x can save you hundreds compared to buying new, with no meaningful compromise in performance or reliability.
5. Explore reloading (for rifle shooters)
While reloading 12 gauge shotgun cartridges offers minimal savings, centrefire rifle reloading can substantially reduce your cost per round, particularly for premium hunting and match ammunition. The initial investment in equipment pays for itself relatively quickly if you shoot regularly. Components like brass cases can be reused multiple times, spreading the cost further.
6. Reduce your round count intelligently
Rather than cutting shooting days entirely, consider making each session more purposeful. Focused practice with a specific drill or target type can maintain or even improve your skills while using fewer cartridges. Quality of practice matters more than volume. Some grounds also offer discounted “straw baler” or informal shoots at lower clay and entry fees.
7. Join a club for member pricing
Many shooting grounds and clubs offer member discounts on cartridges, clays, and entry fees. If you shoot regularly at the same ground, the membership fee can pay for itself within a few visits through the savings on consumables alone.
The bottom line
There’s no sugar-coating it: 2026 is shaping up to be another expensive year for shooters. Ammunition prices have risen significantly and will rise again in April, new firearm prices continue to climb, and the underlying causes, raw material costs, military demand, currency pressures, and manufacturer-led adjustments, aren’t going to resolve overnight.
But shooting has survived price pressures before, and the sport remains vibrant. By buying smart, shopping around, being open to lighter loads or second-hand firearms, and making every session count, you can keep doing what you love without watching your bank balance disappear down the barrel.
Stay informed, plan your purchases, and don’t let the price tag keep you off the range or out of the field.
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