It's been going on for months, but an ammunition shortage will become obvious and possibly more severe as hunters prepare for Sunday's Montana general hunting season.

Ron DeStein, manager of the gun department at Snappy Sport Senter, pointed to a large bare space on the shelf behind the counter where .30-30 ammunition normally would be. The store is out of that caliber, along with the popular .30-06 and some "low-production" calibers, DeStein said.

"Now a lot of people are going to realize what's happening who haven't been paying attention," said DeStein, noting that other parts of the shelf likely will empty as the Sunday hunting opener approaches. "We'll be out of .270 this week."

New shipments eventually will come in, but arrivals have been unpredictable and the reasons for the shortages are not being explained by suppliers, DeStein said.

"You can't get an answer out of anybody," DeStein said, referring to manufacturers.

The shortage started after last November's election when Barack Obama won the presidency and Democrats were winning majorities in the U.S. House and Senate.

"After the election, people started buying" firearms and ammunition out of concern that there was a higher likelihood of restrictive legislation on guns and ammunition, DeStein said. The initial hoarding had an immediate impact on ammunition supplies and prices.

No gun or ammunition legislation is advancing in Congress so far, but that doesn't seem to matter.

"People are just worried that [guns and ammunition] are going to be harder and harder to get," said Joe Power, sporting goods manager at the Sportsman and Ski Haus in Kalispell.

A national Associated Press story in Septemsber found that shooting ranges and gun dealers across the country were reporting that they have never before seen such ammunition shortages.

A spokesman for the North-Carolina based Remington Arms Co. said at the time the shortages are not the result of a decline in production.

"We are working overtime and still can't keep up with the demand," Al Russo said. "We've had to add a fourth shift and go 24-7. It's a phenomenon that I have not seen before in my 30 years in the business."

DeStein said handgun ammunition shortages were the most severe for months, but the store has recently restocked on all calibers except for .45 Colt.

Power said the Sportsman is "doing pretty well" in stocks of rifle calibers, but it has struggled in other areas.

"For us, the big one was .223 ammunition and some of the handgun ammunitions, especially over the summer," he said.

Both Snappy's and the Sportsman have struggled to find reloading components, such as primers for rifle ammunition.

Power said that for the first time ever, the store has for most of this year set daily limits on how much of some types of ammunition a single customer can buy, such as a limit of two boxes for .22 long rifle ammunition.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com