If you buy ammo directly from them, by the pallet, Challenger is the cheapest with Score just a few cents a box more. That may have changed lately but that's the way it was a year ago. European and American manufacturers were all more expensive because it costs money to get it into Canada. Our club chose to go with a Canadian manufacturer anyway. A lot of the markup is probably from the retailer's end.
They aren't made per se in Canada. Some of their ammo is assembled from components brought in from other countries. Challenger hulls and primers are Cheddite(France), where they source their powder, shot and wads from I've no idea but I doubt IVI or whatever they are now is the source for their powders any longer? On some of the Challenger ammo I've seen "Made In France" stamped on the boxes.
Even if US$7 worked out to C$10, you can bet your favorite Trap gun it’d be marked up to $12-13 box here.
I would call the guys at Score in Carberry, MB and ask them about a pallet price delivered if they have the availability. Last time we calked was a few years ago and they could not spurce components at competitive prices but I recently heard they were doing target load orders again and pallet prices were competitive. They are nice guys to deal with.
Despite being a Spanish company Rio shells are made in Texas.
Thanks
Challenger will not even talk to you if you don't have a business firearms license. Our orders go through our club license. The last order was in the spring and we ordered two pallets at 105 cases per pallet so 26250 rounds. It seems to me that we paid 115.00 and change per case FOB Smithers BC. We sell them at the club to members only for 120.00 per case. Leaving aside whether or not Challenger is made in Canada, it does come from Quebec (spit) and Score was ten cents a box more or so. Not much but enough to make a difference in the final price. I am due to order another pallet and we are seriously considering checking out Score this time.
I reload both 28 and 410, and the 410 is actually the cheapest to load, given that it uses only 1/2 oz of shot. But there is no way that I would shoot 410 or 28, if I had to depend on factory loads. I have a deal with a club member that shoots factory 410 loads, I give him one box of loaded 410, for two boxes of once fired 410AA hulls. This gives me enough new hulls to make up for the hulls that are past their service life, and it saves him some cost .
We have been discussing this at our club. Since Sellier and Bellot bought them out in 2021 there has been a definite shift in production and distribution. We have been told that the Rio shells we are getting in Canada are from Europe and the ones from Texas are exclusively for the US market. I cannot verify any of this but it makes for great conversation. Could be a Tariff thing or US shipping policies or nothing. I have found the 1250 Rio to be a great shell and would put it up against Winchester AA or clever T2 my .02
