"You should reload.."

I understand what you're saying.
Reloading components are harder to come by than before.
Also, reloading isn't for everyone.

However, one advantage is that you are not usually limited to one product only. For example if you shoot an obscure caliber that isn't as mainstream like for instance a .280 AI or somthing of that nature, you are going to have a difficult time finding it on most shelves.

If you handload, there are dozens of powders that will suffice. Any 7mm bullet you can get your hands on will safely shoot in it. Any brand of primers will work. You may not find what you want, but even during the height of the shortage I could always fine SOMETHING that would do the job at hand.
Except for primers. There was a time when there were no primers on the shelf at all around here. But those are easy to stock up on during good times.
AND, when you're done you will pay less than half what a box of ammo costs.

The bottom line is, if you shoot a hard to find caliber and dont hand load the chances are present that you will one day run into a situation where ammunition is unavailable to you.

They must be making lead shot from gold nowadays....
$55/#25bag?? (if you can find any)

Yeah if you're talking about shotguns, you can save a little with 6, 7 and 8 shot but the real savings comes when you cast your own buckshot or lead slugs. There are substantial savings to be had there. Also if you shoot 28 gauge or .410 you can save quite a bit.
You just have to compare and see if its worth it to you.

Some folks don't think that its worth it to load 9mm and .223 and others, like myself still load them, even though the savings isn't as much as other calibers.

The shortage is actually recovering. It can be patchy to find the powder you are looking for, but it's out there.

In theory, you can cushion the effect of a shortage, but really only if you save up components well in advance. (which makes it effectively.....just like the ammo shortage.) There were months where you couldn't get primers at all. To me, primers and powder are the easier components to save up on, they aren't particularly expensive on a 'per round' basis. It's bullets I'm trying to bulk up on now.

Reloading doesn't really help with shortages unless you have stocked upon components beforehand. If you stock up on loaded ammo beforehand then can avoid shortages as well. In the most recent shortage loaded ammo started becoming available before reloading components got back on the shelves.

I reload, but it is no more effective in getting you through shortages than buying loaded ammo. You have to be prepared either way.

I reload and really enjoy it, but like others have said you go from searching for loaded rounds to searching for powders, primers, bullets, chasing after brass, etc.
The nice thing about reloading is that the primers and powder are relatively cheap so you can stock up significant quantities with out much investment and be good to go for a long time. You just have to be able to find significant quantities.
Hopefully the shortage will be ending soon, but I'm not holding my breath.

Please define "cheap". Even "if" the shortage ends the prices are not coming down.

kbbailey
They must be making lead shot from gold nowadays....
$55/#25bag?? (if you can find any)

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Well, there are lead shot making devices available and apparently you can build your own.

http://www.info.com/search?qcat=web&r_cop=xxx&qkw=shot+maker

http://video.info.com/search?qcat=video&r_cop=xxx&qkw=making+lead+shot

There was some guy somewhere who was selling lead which I wondered about. He described it as the decay product from uranium and thorium and hot stuff like that. I don't know if he was joking or not.

Terry, 230RN

I reload, but it is no more effective in getting you through shortages than buying loaded ammo. You have to be prepared either way.

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Very true. A lack of preparedness is going to bite you in the hind end either way. You still have to plan ahead.

Even "if" the shortage ends the prices are not coming down.

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They may stay a little above what they were previously but they most certainly will come down from where they were at the peak of the shortage, and in fact already have.

.22 lr 550 packs were going for $80-$100 at the peak
Now you can find them locally for $35-$40 or so.

Dealers were selling primers for $12 per 100 at a show I was at during the peak
Went back to a gunshow in the same building not long ago and bought 1,000 primers for $35 (not that that's cheap, but it beats the hell out of $12/100).

So they will come down.

Been reloading for 50+ years and have no regrets......have good stocks on components. Caught a shop closing up and bought ahead.
Dan

I consider Primers and powder to be relatively cheap. You can find primers for $.03 a piece and powder is $.003 a grain. For your typical handgun round that's $.05 to $.08 a round. I would consider that relatively cheap compared to the price of loaded cartridges.

2015 is going to be the ideal time to get started in reloading. Gun and ammo sales have slowed way down and prices have dropped according.

Primers are readily available at 2012 prices.

Brass is still spotty however Starline is showing more & more as available.

Supply of lead bullets are unlimited.

Powder supply is still tight but I expect (hope) that will change by mid-year.

Watch for sales on reloading equipment.

Lead is likely to become the next item of value as the EPA keeps twisting the tourniquet tighter and tighter. When they discover that many of you are pouring molten lead at your domicile they will be after you the same as they are the smokers and their second hand smoke. After all, if you are too dumb to recognize the risks you are taking by being free they NEED to protect you from yourself.

What's that 2 word boys out motto again??? In either realm, it is equally important. For ammo buyers you have to stock up on ammo. For reloaders you have to stock up on components. The biggest difference is in focus on what...as in what ammo or what component you expect to be your bottleneck when supplies get scarce

I've seen everything available locally for reloading save pistol powders. I am fortunate enough to have worked up a healthy number of loads over the years using numerous powders and I still have a fair amount of powder on hand.

Moving forward my component purchases will be large quantity whenever available to save haz mat fees and reduce overall cost. If you live in a 4 season climate like I do, buying a press now can seem as intelligent a purchase as a new road bike; something you cannot enjoy just yet but the initial investment behind you, the time will come when you can reap the rewards of ownership.

PS, I actually found a box of CCI .22 shorts two weeks ago for $9 on the shelf. That spells the beginning of the end of the great ammo shortage as I measure it.

When I got back into guns about 10 years ago, my wife said "you should get into reloading, my ex used to make his own ammo and saved a lot of money". Of course, I already knew this because I had reloading gear long before I met her. But that comment from her was all the green light I needed! I think I'm up to 15 calibers now.

The next road I want to explore is casting my own bullets, and possibly swaging my own jacketed bullets. God help me though, as that stuff is 'spensive!

I'm set up so that a will be able to load, walk right out the door, and shoot

It's a lot easier to shoot when I can put together a hundred rounds in fifteen minutes for less tha $10 instead of going twenty five miles and paying $75 to $100 for the same thing

I've got boxes of factory ammo that I can't bear to shoot because it's so expensive

Years ago I bought an 8# jug of Blue Dot for $49. Still working off that years later. That jug will load over 7,000 rounds.

Where loading your own really pays off is non common calibers. I have .45 Colt and 10mm. Factory Ammo is ungodly expensive

I've been a dedicated hand loader since 1970. The secret is to maintain your stock and pay close attention to "trends". You can read trends to mean "panics".

I was somewhat prepared for the Clinton-caused shortages, but after that I paid closer attention. I and my family shot all we wanted to; it helped I had over a ton of alloy and cast most of my own bullets. Basically it's a case of fool me once it's your fault, fool me again it's my fault.

I've been a brass scrounger since my first trigger pull and I've always maintained stores of more than what I needed even when I didn't need it. This last time around when ammunition started disappearing I began buying powder, primers, brass and bullets. I favor plated now days, but I still have almost a ton of alloy and some 5,000 sized, lubed and load ready bullets.

The secret is not in the "reloading", it's in the preparation that enables that loading. A modern day take on The Ant and the Grasshopper fable.

Drail said:

Please define "cheap". Even "if" the shortage ends the prices are not coming down.

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"Cheap" is relative. If I want it and I can afford it, price is irrelevant. Shooting is a very inexpensive hobby. If you want to see an expensive one, try Bass fishing. I have a bass fisher buddy and when he bought his new rig (boat, motor and trailer) he paid enough to buy my gun collection several times over and have money left over for more ammunition than I would likely shoot between now and the grave. If you include the cost of his 2011 Ford F-250 pickup cost get really ridiculous. And he buys this stuff ... no time purchases. He can afford it.

The same for golfers. I have several shooting buddies that also play golf; they complain about the cost of a round of golf but never about lead pellets they buy with the idea of throwing away.

It's all relative. To me, shooting in all its forms and with all its accoutrements added in is "cheap". Bass fishing and golf ain't cheap.

Shanghai McCoy said:

The title is a standard comment these days for when someone posts about the difficulty in finding (insert caliber here)... Inevitably, someone will post "You need to get the press, dies,primers,cases,bullets,etc,and just reload". Not bad advice but finding the stuff these days can be a royal pain.

I do reload and while at the KCK Cabela's yesterday I checked for powder. There was not much on the shelf and none in the types that I use. So, just to check I went to both Midway and Graf and they are out of most of the usual popular powders with "Out of stock no back order" or "Unavailable at this time no back order .

Bad luck or is this some new shortage that we are stuck with...?

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Interesting, as I was at the Columbus, Ohio store last weekend picking up a drop shipped order and while pistol powder was scarce there was plenty of other powder, primers, bullets and brass. I tossed a few pounds of AA 2495 in my cart. Simply because I use it and it was there. I also got a discount on it.

My standard procedure is while out and about, if I see things I use, especially at a good price, I just buy the stuff. That way I am always well stocked.

Ron

If you reload.......

Stock up on components when things are good

Look for deals that you may not need, when the price is low


It cycles in availability.............


I dont get too excited when ammo is expensive. I already bought mine

To me, reloading is another part of shooting sports. I stocked up on components (and rimfire ammo) after the first Obamination. Fool me once, etc. I especially loaded up on .223 Rem and .38 Spl components. I reload 5 pistol and 5 rifle calibers. These are the 2 calibers I shoot most. I've got plenty of .22-250 and .357 brass so I can load for them also. I ran out of AA-2460, my goto for .223, but I found 2 lbs of H-335. You can't always find your favorite but you can usually find something that will work. Good luck.

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