Giving away supplies/ammo

Very close friends or family I'll help out. Without knowing how long this round of craziness will last, I'm keeping most of my supplies. I will help out by trading supplies as long as I don't cut myself short.

Reciprocal agreement... they can use it on long-term loan, but if you need to use it, even if just briefly, you have ultimate dibs. Assuming they are good friends, this shouldn't be a problem.

The reality of the situation is your buddies just don't want to pay the current inflated rates for ammo and supplies. Anything is currently available if one is willing to pay, your buddies simply want to use you as the "whole sale price" supply chain.

In the Obama shortage I was a punky teenager who had stockpiled ammo and reloading supplies thanks to part time jobs, washing tractor trailers, cutting grass. Grown men begged me to sell them ammo and primers at pre shortage prices......... NO!

I have seen the handwriting on the wall since I was 13 and it's not my place nor your's to help the stupid out.

No one will help you out, all this brotherhood crap is for the birds. At the end of the day self preservation always win and you will be sold down the river. Take care of yourself and your family and leave the rest to struggle.

Axis II said:

I have a decent assorment of stuff I have accumulated over the years and just dont have the time to shoot/reload anymore. I mainly got into it so I could make better hunting ammo and have something to do during the winter. Well I have several buddies who didnt plan on the issues at hand and keep brining up me letting some of my supplies go so they can at least deer hunt this year. I have enough to get me through this year and maybe next year hunting season. Do you hang onto what you have to ensure your supplied or give some up to help someone else and possibly be without next year. I went through the Obama shortage and this one seems to be a bit worse. Just dont want to short myself.

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Well, I can tell you what I did:

When a co-worker and long-time work friend came to me about his hunt club not being able to fill their annual ammo buy, I helped out. Sold them my stored up factory boxed ammo at $20/box (20). Now most of that I paid $5-6/box on sale and sometimes less if it came in a trade or package deal. I made some money, they got huntin' ammo, win-win. I have been offered and given quite a lot of stuff by friends and neighbors who gave up reloading a long time back and don't want to start up again (for various reasons - none of my business) AND I have been asked for reloads in return on a few occasions. "Here's a couple sleeves of LPP I found in my old tool box - by the way, when you get a chance, would you mind loading up some night-time 'hog control' rounds for my .44? Like you made up last time we had a boar hog raiding troughs in the near pasture? Thanks!" I never mind doing things like that for nsighbors and I offered to provide ammo to a few farmers around here who didn't plan for an ammo shortage at all. Happy to help out.

It's up to you but in my experience, nobody in this life expects to be given anything for free. A reasonable profit is the American way. A favor for a favor is better but always look for the win-win. And yes, charity does begin at home so if its family asking, that all goes out the window.

EDIT: Quick reminder, not all blood kin is family and not all family is blood kin. I got some sisters and brothers who don't look a thing like me.

Some younger folks who were not through a shortage. Used to laugh at me for stocking up. Now they are begging me to help them out. Im the one who is laughing now and still shooting.

I have given friends primers and other stuff and told them to pay me back when they can or not. I wanted to help them out. Everyone has always paid me back. This goes back 20+ years. When supplies are available and of reasonable cost, I buy as much as I can afford. This has served me (and friends) well over the years. One can never have too much ammo and such. Best wishes

Axis II said:

I have a decent assorment of stuff I have accumulated over the years and just dont have the time to shoot/reload anymore. I mainly got into it so I could make better hunting ammo and have something to do during the winter. Well I have several buddies who didnt plan on the issues at hand and keep brining up me letting some of my supplies go so they can at least deer hunt this year. I have enough to get me through this year and maybe next year hunting season. Do you hang onto what you have to ensure your supplied or give some up to help someone else and possibly be without next year. I went through the Obama shortage and this one seems to be a bit worse. Just dont want to short myself.

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If you are worried about being short, then you may need to keep hold of what you have. We don't know how long the supplies will be in shambles.
You were the ant, and your buddies played the grasshopper.

I will add, if someone were newer to the scene, I could be charitable.

Went through the Clinton mess just scraping by, made it through the Obama mess with friends and connections I made through the first mess. Just like in business networking pays dividends.

I don't shoot a lot very often but I can when I want. I took up casting to fill a niche due to shortages and just roll with the flow. I chose powders to cover a multitude of calibers and weights for handgun and rifle. None may provide the highest velocities or BR accuracy but all go bang. Same with primers, Wolf and Fiocchi work just fine for target or general hunting in a pinch, saving higher priced ones.

I purchased bulk Rem CL' and blems as I could through the years. Having boxes of such that won't spoil or go bad can be passed down or traded is nice.

I share what I can when I can with family and close friends. Sometimes though when you tell people over and over, it's hard to strike a deal. Sort of like owning property, working it all year. When you need a hand everyone is busy, but come hunting season....

Axis II said:

I have a decent assorment of stuff I have accumulated over the years and just dont have the time to shoot/reload anymore. I mainly got into it so I could make better hunting ammo and have something to do during the winter. Well I have several buddies who didnt plan on the issues at hand and keep brining up me letting some of my supplies go so they can at least deer hunt this year. I have enough to get me through this year and maybe next year hunting season. Do you hang onto what you have to ensure your supplied or give some up to help someone else and possibly be without next year. I went through the Obama shortage and this one seems to be a bit worse. Just dont want to short myself.

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If hunting was the issue I could provide enough for many. Target shooting is where the real volume is. Family and close friends are taken care of, associates pay a fair price to help me continue forward. I would never allow my self to have zero for self defense reasons.

Nothing on a big scale, but giving a small quantity of components away to get someone I know by for a while doesn't phase me.

A couple things: A friend will help you move, a true friend will help you move a body.
I never loan anything that I would expect returned absolutely.
If I can't afford the loss no deal. Also if It will be a hardship for myself in the future to loan to you I will even think hard before giving to a true friend.
Now to a fault I am a giving, generous person to begin with so many try to take advantage of me. I have my limits though.

Now if I have a surplus or something I no longer need I will pay it forward in a heartbeat.

Axis II said:

I have a decent assorment of stuff I have accumulated over the years and just dont have the time to shoot/reload anymore. I mainly got into it so I could make better hunting ammo and have something to do during the winter. Well I have several buddies who didnt plan on the issues at hand and keep brining up me letting some of my supplies go so they can at least deer hunt this year. I have enough to get me through this year and maybe next year hunting season. Do you hang onto what you have to ensure your supplied or give some up to help someone else and possibly be without next year. I went through the Obama shortage and this one seems to be a bit worse. Just dont want to short myself.

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I work/worked my ass off to get what I have. You need to have a better reason than poor planning to get me to let some of my stuff go.

Last I looked hunting seasons happen every year. If your buddies can't plan a hunting trip over the course of an entire year they should stay home.

JMHO-
Depending on the legal limit of deer in
your region, I might be inclined to help
them out with a round per deer.
Say 5 deer limit, 5 rounds of ammo
I use 1 round per animal, and I've never
thought of myself as the big time target
marksman sniper man.
If I can expend 1 round per animal, I expect
anybody that I gift ammo to to do the same.
That's fair

I think you should ask yourself a few questions, and be honest with yourself when you answer.

Axis II said:

I have a decent assorment of stuff I have accumulated over the years and just dont have the time to shoot/reload anymore.

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Do you think you will have the time or desire to start again?

Axis II said:

Well I have several buddies who didnt plan on the issues at hand and keep brining up me letting some of my supplies go so they can at least deer hunt this year. I have enough to get me through this year and maybe next year hunting season.

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Are you planning on hunting this year and next, maybe the year after? Or do you think you're done hunting?

Axis II said:

Do you hang onto what you have to ensure your supplied or give some up to help someone else and possibly be without next year. Just dont want to short myself.

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I think your last sentence is the answer you're looking for.

chris

I loan, share and give but never anything I need myself.

If it is a popular caliber I may help them shop for factory ammo that isn’t terribly overpriced. Or I may have them shop around and find me some components to load them what they need if I didn’t have enough for all of us for the long haul, because this could last a while longer than we’d like to think. Or possibly have them trade guns for a caliber they can find ammo in may be an option.

All my friends were warned for years this could happen and when it did not to come begging for ammo. I explained this would happen and why they should stock up at least 2 years worth while it was cheap, and provided examples from the recent past of $125 AR or Glock mags, ammo being rationed to a box or two, and others. I still have helped some out because I knew they were just not able to stock up for different reasons, and others I have turned away empty because they just didn’t stock up expecting me to cover their shortage. There is a difference, and I’m fine with that. A couple I have traded with at a slight profit and we were both happy with the trade and nobody got gouged. My adult kids don’t reload and haven’t been able to work during the plandemic, so I have covered their ammo needs, both range and defense. An acquaintance I see maybe twice a year and only when he needs something got a list of websites and advice on how to shop for ammo online.

If you're a gun owner and didn't see this coming from four years away... sorry but why should I be the poor peasant that has to provide others with my stuff?!

I know some people think that communism is a good thing but I don't! Everything that I have, I worked my ass off for! I'm sure that you and others on the board are no different.

I get that they're your so called friends but there has to be a line that you need to have when it comes to hand outs! The other side of it, are they your "friends" or are they just people that you know?

Think about the things people have said here, if they're just people that you know, pass on giving away your hard earned stuff.

KY DAN said:

No one will help you out, all this brotherhood crap is for the birds. At the end of the day self preservation always win and you will be sold down the river. Take care of yourself and your family and leave the rest to struggle.

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I wouldn't leave myself in dire straits by giving away the last bit of ammo I had, but I definitely disagree that you can't count on having the right friends available when you someday need them. Friendships are a give and take. Although I have a lot of acquaintances, I also have a handful of really close friends that I know I could count on if I really needed something. Similarly, they can count on me!

As an example, I gave one friend a couple of magazines and 100 rounds of ammo when he bought a gun for which he could find none at the peak of the pandemic nonsense. But, this friend has also spent plenty of time using his expertise to help me fix my truck, repair problems around the house, or dog sit for me when I'm out of town. He's there when I need him, and I'm there when he needs me.

Another friend just spent the day helping me move 25,000 pounds of fill dirt at my house. He has also driven across town on a moment's notice when I've needed his help with other issues in the past. I've given him some ammo in the past. It's a give and take... sometimes I'm the one in the position to give, sometimes the opposite is true.

Another good friend was my partner at work for many years, I've known him longer than my wife, and we have been shooting buddies for 15+ years now. If he needs some ammo, I'll help him out, and I know he'd do the same for me.

Then we get into the issue of some lifelong friends... guys I've known since I was 3-5 years old. Some of them are just like family. If I needed it they'd give me a whole gun and ammo. I'd do the same for them.

But, yeah, if a "friend" is really just a mooch pretending to be a friend, then they can fend for themselves.

If you need another way to sort it out here's a thought.
Lets change the word ammo to food. How would you react if it was food for you and family that you had put away and unsure about future availability to replace it!
Food is a need and ammo is only a want mostly.

jmorris said:

I loan, share and give but never anything I need myself.

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This pretty much says it for me. I try to keep quiet about the amount of ammo, components, ect that I have. It helps to keep others from asking. My personal rule is that I will help those that would help me. Since the Pandemic started I have gifted toilet paper, powder, primers and ammo to others. When I refuse people I try to be polite about it. I'm not above telling a little white lie to avoid being blunt or rude.

Some of my friends (acquaintances) I was telling to buy some primers and some other things (before the Plandemic) and a couple of them said "yeah I should do that" but then never did. One of them even works at one of the local gun shops. After everything pretty much disappeared one of them started telling me "I should have listened to you". I keep telling them where they can buy stuff when it becomes available.
There are those friends that I can rely on that I am willing to help out with pretty much anything.
I have done some horse trading, I have helped out some people just getting started, nut just with materials but also information. Some of them seem more grateful than others, just how it works out sometimes.

It you're close enough to be my friend. I would give you the ammo to hunt. I have 3 friends.
If you're my acquaintance. I might hook you up at current prices. Most likely I will look on ammo seek and find you the cheapest currently available.
I bought 30-06 ammo for a friend when it showed up at a local store. This cut me out of being able to buy 22 mag that I am low on. But he was out for his teenage son's deer rifle.
My nephew who only calls to ask for something gets treated like an acquaintance when it comes to ammo. I gave him one box of 30-30. He asked for more but didn't save the empty brass. He knows I reloaded it. So I didn't give him another.

I just gave a friend of mine some primers, powder, dies and some reloading "stuff" to get him started. Tossed in an old tumbler as well. I had extra and know I'll be able to get more by the time I need so it's not a big deal to me. I'm not one prone to the hype of supplies never coming back or staying at astronomically high prices forever. Then there will be the hoarders who will eventually realize they don't REALLY need 100k primers when they're well into their 60's and don't shoot that much.lol!