Economics of reloading ammo(e) - Page 7

HardCase · 06-04-2009, 06:16 AM

Bump.

A couple of things.....first of all, it seems as though some of the shortages are very gradually beginning to abate. Primers, with the exception of large rifle, are sporadically available now and I'm seeing more in the way of powder and bullets as well. Same with both guns (Glocks, ARs, M1As, S&W revolvers....stuff which had become unobtainable for several months there) and loaded ammo. I realize that this thread is about reloading, but I suspect more than a few new reloaders have been created by the recent "crisis" and consequent upward tick in ammo prices.

What are you guys seeing? Aurelius? You're in the opposite end of the country from me so I'm curious to know what is and isn't readily available there.

Recent reloading project of mine: The 9.3x74mmRimmed round!! Picked up a beautiful Ruger No. 1 Medium Sporter in that oddball caliber. It's a .366 bore and bullets aren't readily available. I ordered some from Midway, some Hornady 286 grainers (seems to be a fairly 'standard' weight in that caliber) and also some Nosler PBs, same weight. I'll use it for deer and elk hunting this fall. Dies were tough to find, I ended up ordering both FL and neck sizers directly from RCBS. Just yesterday I rec'd the neck sizer and the seating dies, but the FL sizer was backordered. Oh well, this will get me started. I've got 100 brand new Norma cases, so will put together some rounds this evening and take them to the range this weekend. The power of this large round is less than a 375H&H, probably closer to the 338 Win. Mag. It ought to make a great deer and elk gun out to 200 yards, and I don't take shots on big game beyond that distance anyway. I'm more excited about playing with this strange duck than I have been about any "black gun" or fancy-ass tactical rifle, much as I enjoy all aspects of shooting sports.

Mr Kawasaki · 06-04-2009, 06:25 AM

No shortage of guns on the shelves around here. The bulk packs of .22 are still disappearing from wallyworld. Some of the gun shops have them but at $35/500 they are not moving. I've started to see .223 but haven't priced it. Primers are still scarce.

HardCase · 06-04-2009, 06:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Kawasaki

No shortage of guns on the shelves around here. The bulk packs of .22 are still disappearing from wallyworld. Some of the gun shops have them but at $35/500 they are not moving. I've started to see .223 but haven't priced it. Primers are still scarce.

I've noticed the same deal on .22, although it is sporadically available. One small shop here seemingly has a nearly endless supply of bricks of Centurion .22 ammo. I'd never seen nor heard of it and asked who made it. He claimed it was made in Mexico by Aquila and it runs about $18 a brick. Anyone ever tried any? I bought a brick and poked it away and will give it a try one of these days.

P B G · 06-04-2009, 07:06 AM

My main reloads are 28 and 20 gauge shotshells.

Costs according to the reloading calculator come to
3.90/25 for 28 gauge or 156$/1000 this compares to 508+$/1000 for factory ammo.

toolfan · 06-04-2009, 09:19 AM

Worse than ever here.

Bi-mart normally has at least 2 types of ammoes on sale,

right now, bare shelves. But, they implemented a 4 boxes of ammo limit, so maybe it'll start showing up again. I asked the sporting goods manager about it - he said they are getting stuff in but "people are being pigs."

The only thing you can buy right now are 12 ga sport loads and .22 rat shot.

Motor31 · 06-04-2009, 11:54 AM

Things have definitely slowed down in AZ. I went to a gunshow last weekend. There was a major ammo supplier that showed up and they usually bring multiple truck loads of ammo. They took back quite a bit of it this time. Of course part of that is due to the fact that they could not process credit card sales due to equipment problems so were only doing cash sales and the ATM machine ran dry the first day. Still there were other folks with ammo that didn't sell much either.

Gun sales were doing well so it wasn't a total bust for vendors. Primers were available in fair numbers but there was some price gouging going on as well. Loading dies were still selling well and the pistol calibers went fast.

toolfan · 06-04-2009, 11:59 AM

I haven't seen a pistol or rifle primer on a shelf yet this year.

Some dudes are reselling with a HEALTHY mark-up on craigslist and a local outdoor internet market place.

donnyh · 06-04-2009, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HardCase

What are you guys seeing?

Primers and powder are showing up on shelves, and the private party sale prices are returning to sanity.

No .22lr at all at my local walmart for six months now, Cabelas is the only source in my county for .22, Winchester 500 packs in the fancy wooden box for $27 with a limit of two.

.380 is still extinct, .40 and .45 are still very very rare.

One bright spot: 9mm Blazer Brass is showing up at walmart for $9 a box, over a two week period I scored over 2500 rounds of it, one store even had enough that the guy waived the six box limit and sold me a full case.

Guns are still selling here in Utah at a furious pace, shelves remain mostly empty.

Side note: New law here in Utah (HB 357), anyone over 18 who isn't a restricted person can now legally carry a handgun concealed in their vehicle.

HardCase · 06-05-2009, 04:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by donnyh

Primers and powder are showing up on shelves, and the private party sale prices are returning to sanity.

No .22lr at all at my local walmart for six months now, Cabelas is the only source in my county for .22, Winchester 500 packs in the fancy wooden box for $27 with a limit of two.

.380 is still extinct, .40 and .45 are still very very rare.

One bright spot: 9mm Blazer Brass is showing up at walmart for $9 a box, over a two week period I scored over 2500 rounds of it, one store even had enough that the guy waived the six box limit and sold me a full case.

Guns are still selling here in Utah at a furious pace, shelves remain mostly empty.

Side note: New law here in Utah (HB 357), anyone over 18 who isn't a restricted person can now legally carry a handgun concealed in their vehicle.

I've noticed that the bigger sellers around here have no bricks of .22, whereas a couple of the small shops have it, albeit oddball brand-name stuff like the Centurion. For the longest time there were no primers, not even shotgun primers, and yet .22 was available on a periodic basis. That has reversed. Odd how spotty and regional this 'shortage' has been.

I have enough of everything to last me for several years, longer if I were more restrained in my shooting activities, but I would like to pick up some large-rifle primers, that's the only size that I'm a little short on. Not willing to pay scalpers for them however. I'll wait.

toolfan · 06-18-2009, 09:07 AM

I had a primer go off in my lee loader last night.

Mildly exciting.

But I can do up half a box of 45 when I get home from work nowadays without much problem...

Just need to find some more bullets.

HardCase · 06-18-2009, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toolfan

I had a primer go off in my lee loader last night.

Mildly exciting.

But I can do up half a box of 45 when I get home from work nowadays without much problem...

Just need to find some more bullets.

Ummm, are you using the really rudimentary system of hammering the primer into place? I personally find that to be verging-on-insanity! If that is the case, invest $10 or whatever in a 45acp size hand-primer, a much safer and probably more accurate way to go.

toolfan · 06-18-2009, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HardCase

Ummm, are you using the really rudimentary system of hammering the primer into place? I personally find that to be verging-on-insanity! If that is the case, invest $10 or whatever in a 45acp size hand-primer, a much safer and probably more accurate way to go.

Yeah. I'm cheap.

Actually, I haven't been able to find the lee hand primer ($15) in stock anywhere. I don't want to pay ~$35 for the RCBS or Hornady, so I'll continue whacking away for now.

lorazepam · 06-18-2009, 03:39 PM

Went to look around at the gun show last weekend. White box winchester 9mm 30.00, 7.62x39 300.00/1000, plenty of primers if you want to spend 60.00/1000.
Blazer brass 9mm 18.00/50.

I can reload hornady xtp in 9mm for ~.20 each, so the cheap stuff isn't so cheap any more. Ridiculous is the only word that describes what has happened with the ammo situation around here.

toolfan · 09-05-2009, 10:25 AM

I'm thinking about buying a tumbler or an ultrasonic cleaner.

Cleaning brass by hand sucks.

But that's going to throw my economics out the window.

Patriot4570 · 09-05-2009, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by toolfan

I'm thinking about buying a tumbler or an ultrasonic cleaner.

Cleaning brass by hand sucks.

But that's going to throw my economics out the window.

You got that right.I need some more crushed corn cob media for my tumbler having clean brass makes life so much better.

06-04-2009, 06:16 AM	#91
HardCase winter is coming Joined: Mar 2004 Location: chambers on the Third Oddometer: 9,153	Bump. A couple of things.....first of all, it seems as though some of the shortages are very gradually beginning to abate. Primers, with the exception of large rifle, are sporadically available now and I'm seeing more in the way of powder and bullets as well. Same with both guns (Glocks, ARs, M1As, S&W revolvers....stuff which had become unobtainable for several months there) and loaded ammo. I realize that this thread is about reloading, but I suspect more than a few new reloaders have been created by the recent "crisis" and consequent upward tick in ammo prices. What are you guys seeing? Aurelius? You're in the opposite end of the country from me so I'm curious to know what is and isn't readily available there. Recent reloading project of mine: The 9.3x74mmRimmed round!! Picked up a beautiful Ruger No. 1 Medium Sporter in that oddball caliber. It's a .366 bore and bullets aren't readily available. I ordered some from Midway, some Hornady 286 grainers (seems to be a fairly 'standard' weight in that caliber) and also some Nosler PBs, same weight. I'll use it for deer and elk hunting this fall. Dies were tough to find, I ended up ordering both FL and neck sizers directly from RCBS. Just yesterday I rec'd the neck sizer and the seating dies, but the FL sizer was backordered. Oh well, this will get me started. I've got 100 brand new Norma cases, so will put together some rounds this evening and take them to the range this weekend. The power of this large round is less than a 375H&H, probably closer to the 338 Win. Mag. It ought to make a great deer and elk gun out to 200 yards, and I don't take shots on big game beyond that distance anyway. I'm more excited about playing with this strange duck than I have been about any "black gun" or fancy-ass tactical rifle, much as I enjoy all aspects of shooting sports. __________________ Μολών λαβέ Hard cases make bad law.

06-04-2009, 11:54 AM	#96
Motor31 Beastly Adventurer Joined: Nov 2006 Location: Wherever we park - full time RV'ers Oddometer: 1,917	Things have definitely slowed down in AZ. I went to a gunshow last weekend. There was a major ammo supplier that showed up and they usually bring multiple truck loads of ammo. They took back quite a bit of it this time. Of course part of that is due to the fact that they could not process credit card sales due to equipment problems so were only doing cash sales and the ATM machine ran dry the first day. Still there were other folks with ammo that didn't sell much either. Gun sales were doing well so it wasn't a total bust for vendors. Primers were available in fair numbers but there was some price gouging going on as well. Loading dies were still selling well and the pistol calibers went fast. __________________ Wherever we go, there we are. DEFINITION OF A VETERAN A Veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard or reserve - is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a check made payable to "The United States of America", for an amount of "up to and including my life." Author Unknown

06-18-2009, 09:07 AM	#100
toolfan Broken Hearted Joined: Jun 2006 Location: NoPo (pdx) Oddometer: 9,543	Pop! I had a primer go off in my lee loader last night. Mildly exciting. But I can do up half a box of 45 when I get home from work nowadays without much problem... Just need to find some more bullets.

06-18-2009, 03:39 PM	#103
lorazepam Two fisted burger Joined: Mar 2005 Location: Ashland County, Oh Oddometer: 8,169	Went to look around at the gun show last weekend. White box winchester 9mm 30.00, 7.62x39 300.00/1000, plenty of primers if you want to spend 60.00/1000. Blazer brass 9mm 18.00/50. I can reload hornady xtp in 9mm for ~.20 each, so the cheap stuff isn't so cheap any more. Ridiculous is the only word that describes what has happened with the ammo situation around here. __________________ "In the end, I just want to break even." R. Manuel

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06-04-2009, 06:25 AM	#92
Mr Kawasaki Sardonios Irritatus Joined: Jan 2005 Location: Springfield, MO Oddometer: 6,346	No shortage of guns on the shelves around here. The bulk packs of .22 are still disappearing from wallyworld. Some of the gun shops have them but at $35/500 they are not moving. I've started to see .223 but haven't priced it. Primers are still scarce.

06-04-2009, 07:06 AM	#94
P B G Beastly Adventurer Joined: Mar 2008 Location: Greater Chicago Oddometer: 9,781	My main reloads are 28 and 20 gauge shotshells. Costs according to the reloading calculator come to 3.90/25 for 28 gauge or 156$/1000 this compares to 508+$/1000 for factory ammo.

06-04-2009, 09:19 AM	#95
toolfan Broken Hearted Joined: Jun 2006 Location: NoPo (pdx) Oddometer: 9,543	Worse than ever here. Bi-mart normally has at least 2 types of ammoes on sale, right now, bare shelves. But, they implemented a 4 boxes of ammo limit, so maybe it'll start showing up again. I asked the sporting goods manager about it - he said they are getting stuff in but "people are being pigs." The only thing you can buy right now are 12 ga sport loads and .22 rat shot.

06-04-2009, 11:59 AM	#97
toolfan Broken Hearted Joined: Jun 2006 Location: NoPo (pdx) Oddometer: 9,543	I haven't seen a pistol or rifle primer on a shelf yet this year. Some dudes are reselling with a HEALTHY mark-up on craigslist and a local outdoor internet market place.

09-05-2009, 10:25 AM	#104
toolfan Broken Hearted Joined: Jun 2006 Location: NoPo (pdx) Oddometer: 9,543	I'm thinking about buying a tumbler or an ultrasonic cleaner. Cleaning brass by hand sucks. But that's going to throw my economics out the window.