At the Columbia County Sheriff's Office firing range, deputies are getting by with fewer bullets -- half as many as a year ago.

Gun dealers like Steve Fishman, of Sidney's, are having a tough time keeping certain firearms in stock, and classes have surged at shooting clubs like Pinetucky in Augusta and the Carolina Star in Windsor, S.C.

It's a sign of changing times for sport shooters, hunters -- even law enforcement agencies -- as an increasing demand for arms and ammo seems to contradict the trends of recession.

"Every manufacturer is working double shifts producing as much as much as they can," said Fishman. "Right now guns are very difficult to find and I'm buying everything I can get my hands on -- and paying top dollar, too."

Traditional deer rifles in common calibers like .270 and .243 aren't particularly scarce right now, but demand for certain types of repeating rifles that could be lumped into the "assault" category are harder to find and more expensive than ever.

"I'm sitting here looking at 16 ARs on my counter right now," Fishman said. "There probably aren't that many left in the rest of Augusta."

Why such a rush on arms?

Fear of stricter gun control laws could be driving part of it, he said, and a tough economy might make homeowners more prone to self protection.

Ammunition is as scarce as some firearms, especially in .223, .308 and 7.62 x 39 calibers. "I think people are hoarding it," Fishman said. "It's just harder to find.

Columbia County Sheriff's Capt. Steve Morris said ammunition prices have doubled in the past year and a half for his department -- and the amount of ammo allocated to officers has been cut in half.

"We went from issuing or allowing 50 rounds per officer each month for training purposes to 50 rounds every other month," Morris said. "Obviously, we'll continue that into the future."

Ordering ammo for law enforcement agencies has also become more difficult.

"We're having to place orders six to eight months in advance -- at a minimum," Morris said. "No longer can you place an order and expect it in a couple days, a couple weeks or even a couple months. Now it might even take a year."

Steve Meldrum, who manages the Pinetucky Gun Club, said more and more beginners are participating in shooting classes.

"We've definitely seen an increase in people coming to the range, wanting to know how to shoot versus just buying a gun and not really knowing what they're doing," he said.

"That is a good thing, especially with people who are buying a first gun."

Pinetucky also has set up more training courses for people who already have guns and just want more instruction.

"We just did a 'First Steps' program for beginning handguns," he said. "We also have a 'Women on Target' program for ladies and we have 28 signed up already. We did four of these classes last year and had 140 ladies participate."

Many first-time gun owners don't bother to seek out instruction -- which Meldrum said is a bad idea.

"Using a gun safely and properly is like driving a car, driving a motorcycle or flying an airplane," he said.

"Any person in the industry will tell you, if you buy one you need to know what you're doing."

The spiraling interest in arms and ammo in the Augusta area is part of a national trend.

Data from the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System show background checks on the sale of firearms jumped 29.2 percent in March, compared to March 2008; and were up 27.1 percent for the first quarter of 2009 over the same quarter last year.

The increase follows a 23 percent rise in February, a 28 percent rise in January, a 24 percent rise in December and a 42 percent jump in November, when a record 1,529,635 background checks were performed, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

GEORGIA EAGLES: Georgia's bald eagle population continued to increase again in 2009, according to the Department of Natural Resources' annual statewide survey.

Checks conducted by helicopter this winter and spring counted 124 occupied bald eagle nesting territories, 98 successful nests and 162 young fledged. That's up from last year, when 112 occupied territories, 85 successful nests -- those in which eagles are raised to the point they can fly -- and 134 eaglets were reported.

Nongame program manager Jim Ozier, of the DNR Wildlife Resources Division, said this year's survey found 13 new nests, including the first one ever documented at Lake Blue Ridge.

SHOTGUN CHAMPS : The Columbia County 4H Shotgun Team held its County Shoot & Picnic on March 28, with the first-place junior shooter award going to Jason Yergin, of Thomson High School. Second- place junior shooter went to Austin Rachels, of Harlem Middle School.

First-place senior shooter was Cody Knox, of Greenbrier High School, and second- place senior shooter was Evan Brassell, who already has graduated. The adult winner was volunteer team coach Greg Banford.

Reach Rob Pavey at 868-1222, ext. 119 or rob.pavey@augustachronicle.com.</p>