Do you consider ammo cost/availability?

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For me? no, but thats a conscious decision. I reload, and gauge if im going to load for that particular gun, that particular range trip, based on whats available and how much i want to shoot. Ill usually load 100 or so .44 specials before every range trip, but ill buy 4-500 rounds of 9mm since even with current pricing its STILL cheaper for me to pay someone else to make ammo. I simply dont shoot stuff I dont have ammo for, or dont feel like making ammo for.

One SHOULD consider the implications of ammo availability tho. A coworker bought my 6.5-284 from me, and theres zero ammo available on the shelf. I tried to convince him to buy the .243 instead, but hes on a milsurp kick, and liked the Arisaka......I gave him the dies and stuff to load for it, but if i hadnt he would have to order it, as he cant get ammo or reloading equipment/components for it locally. Ive been giving him boxes of .223 rounds also, as those have been hard to come by.....he cant have my 9mms tho.
 
Flintshooter said:
. . . would you recommend pricing the cost/availability of the ammo at least as much as the cost/quality of the gun?
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10 years ago, I called this the WalMart Rule: never buy a gun you can't by ammo for at WalMart.

Since then the Marxists took WalMart, and I own firearms that you can't buy loaded ammo for, but the idea remains. Ammo availability and your willingness to stock up are an integral part of owning a useful weapon. Plan for both.
 
Flintshooter said:
If you were to recommend a gun for self protection to a first time buyer - who is going to need to burn at least enough ammo to become used to the gun and halfway proficient with it - would you recommend pricing the cost/availability of the ammo at least as much as the cost/quality of the gun?
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Absolutely, without ammo ANY gun is a real nice paperweight. Well, you could throw it at a target I suppose. Of perhaps feign defense, if being attacked. Traditionally, I suggest at LEAST 200 rounds of hardball to a new pistol shooter, and that is if it's a nicer gun. Cheaper gun, I suggest more. Not only to get them used to the pistol but to press home the costs of the extras,and, see that bug eyed look on their faces.
 
A little personal note since I started this string yesterday.
A couple of years ago I sold my Smith 586 to a friend, and since it was the only 38/357 I owned I threw in several hundred rounds of handloads, mostly 38 148 grain wadcutters.
But I still have the dies, and looking at various handguns that might be good choices threw an urge on me. I ended up with a S&W 637. The dealer is a reasonably well stocked small store but only had one box of ammo. I got online and bought 500 once fired cases. As already mentioned, I still have the dies, and I still have a .358 size/lube die. Once I buy a mold I’m good to go. The shop where I bought the gun does have primers.
But a lot of people aren’t set up for hand loading, and all that saved me from only having fifty cartridges is that I have what it takes to roll my own.
 
When the GA state patrol changed away from the 45gap there was a local gun&pawn that had them for $300 with 300rnds of ammo and 2 mags, I purchased some to use as a truck gun when I found my 1911 had some rust from being in the truck. The only reason I purchased them was the included ammo, afterwards I found boxes of ammo for $10ea and purchased enough to last a while. I enjoy reloading so the oddball caliber doesn't bother me as much as someone who doesn't, I won't purchase something I can't get brass for.
 
Flintshooter said:
If you were to recommend a gun for self protection to a first time buyer - who is going to need to burn at least enough ammo to become used to the gun and halfway proficient with it - would you recommend pricing the cost/availability of the ammo at least as much as the cost/quality of the gun?
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I would definitely recommend pricing the cost/availability of the ammo as a priority given the current state of ammo availability. Becoming proficient is paramount to SD, and he'll need ammo to do so.
 
Not really but I am my own supply chain.

If I wanted to buy something new today and didn’t already own something in that caliber or have components for one already in hand I might.

So yeah if I came across a smoking deal on a new 6.78 x 42 EtronX, I’d likely pass on it :)
 
Depends on the purpose.
For a range toy, I want available and cheap. Not likely to happen now, but I might grab something in an out-of-stock caliber for the future.
For a carry, defense, or hunting gun, I want effective ammo available. Doesn't have to be exceptionally cheap, but I should be able to afford or reload enough to practice.
For a safe queen or novelty? Something has to be available. I can splurge or reload as needed.
Given access to information and machines, I wouldn't completely rule out having to make a swaging die for unavailable bullet diameters or hand-making something like gyrojet rounds, but that would have to be the most darn interesting gun I've ever seen.
 
For myself personally I do not considered availability at this point. I am certainly aware of probable availability of ammo, and parts but in most cases I buy the firearms I want knowing that worst case I can reload for the caliber and make my own parts. I like odd and obsolete cartridges. For competition I go mainstream but that is more out of a necessity to be competitive than availability since I will probably be reloading for it either way.

Now advising new shooters that are getting into firearms and the various uses (self-defense, hunting, competition, etc) then I would put more emphasis on price and availability of ammo and parts. Once they have acquired enough experience and knowledge then they can make their own decision to travel down the old less trodden paths if they choose but I would suggest they start with main stream stuff and only leave that when they are comfortable doing so.
 
Yesterday I picked up my new Ruger American Ranch in 300 Blackout.

Walmart doesn't carry it, no one else has it in stock and it's never been inexpensive.

Thankfully I reload for it.
 
I used to consider such things.
But then I started handloading and started to consider them less.
Then I started casting and the thought doesn't even cross my mind anymore.
 
I recently bought an upper in 350 Legend for deer hunting. Knowing that the ammo probably would be hard to find, I looked into reloading dies before the real panic hit. I picked up enough that I can get used to accurately shooting the new gun while I get my reloading worked out. I found out that it shoots cheap 9mm bullets great for practice & people drop 9mm all over the place at the range. It's easy to break down the discarded ammo to use the components to reload other things. Ooh the brass was easy to get started with I just used .223/5.56 brass & reshaped it until I could fire form it into something I could use in the Legend. It doesn't last as long as the real legend brass but as long as I don't overload, it works.
 
AK Hunter said:
I recently bought an upper in 350 Legend for deer hunting. Knowing that the ammo probably would be hard to find, I looked into reloading dies before the real panic hit. I picked up enough that I can get used to accurately shooting the new gun while I get my reloading worked out. I found out that it shoots cheap 9mm bullets great for practice & people drop 9mm all over the place at the range. It's easy to break down the discarded ammo to use the components to reload other things. Ooh the brass was easy to get started with I just used .223/5.56 brass & reshaped it until I could fire form it into something I could use in the Legend. It doesn't last as long as the real legend brass but as long as I don't overload, it works.
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Every Walmart around me has 350 Legend ammo on the shelf.
 
Everything in my safe that was purchased in the last 10 years was based on the cost of reloading. 9 mm, 38, 45, and 223 bullets mostly. When there are periods of relative abundance that's the time to build your reserves. That practice would also hold true for ammo. If a person felt a need to buy a pistol now that philosophy would still hold true. Because there isn't a supply of 9 mm now doesn't mean there won't be in the future. I refuse to be pessimistic about the ammo supply. If the market is there manufacturers will eventually resupply the market. Prices may not dip again to 2019 levels but the ammo will become available. The more common cartridges will always be cheaper than the out-of-favor cartridges. The difference now is availability, not price.
 
Since I’m not a reloader (or wealthy) ammo cost has always been an issue.

I own two 9mm SD handguns simply because they’re cheaper to feed.

But will Spend $4.00 a shell for Remington Copper solids because rarely will I shoot more than a couple during a season.

So for me it’s not always what’s cheapest cost wise but instead what’s cheapest use wise.

I’m apprehensive about the current Ammo pricing because we could be witnessing a transitional period where what was may not be again.
 
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Chuck R. said:
Nope, but this is my rec room:

View attachment 939665

I already load for 30+ calibers and 4 gauges.

and this is my backyard:

View attachment 939666

New shooters I always advise to stick with something they can afford to practice with, and with light enough recoil to become quickly decent with. 90% of the time it's a polymer "something" in 9mm and an AR15 in .223/5.56 for those wanting an HD long gun.
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Gorgeous setup!!! Need a room mate?
 
Flintshooter said:
This might be more of a handgun question than a rifle question but it can apply to both.
When gun shopping do you take the cost of shooting enough to be proficient into account?
Seeing a Facebook post from a friend who has never owned a gun about taking a concealed carry class got me to thinking about what is involved buying a handgun for self defense right now. If you buy something in 9mm, ammo is hard to find and priced like it has solid gold cases. Other common handgun calibers like .38 Special and 45ACP weren’t quite as bad but still pricey. 10mm, at least with a quick check, seemed almost cheap compared to the others.
So.
If you were to recommend a gun for self protection to a first time buyer - who is going to need to burn at least enough ammo to become used to the gun and halfway proficient with it - would you recommend pricing the cost/availability of the ammo at least as much as the cost/quality of the gun?
Similar concerns are to be had with rifles chambered for .223. Do you buy it if it might be a long time before ammo is readily available at less than a market inflated price.
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To a degree but not much. As one who reloads, 44 mag is the handgun cartridge i should most folowwed by either 38 special or 40 S&W. Definitely wouldn't be the case if I didn't reload.

Edit: One thing I do consider is if I already load for that particular cartridge. Especially now I wouldn't want to be ordering components and tooling to load a new cartridge. Because of that my newish Glock 41 has been sitting idle until I feel like buying dies and collecting brass.
 
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Flintshooter said:
When gun shopping do you take the cost of shooting enough to be proficient into account?
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Don't worry.

It's like when you buy a car, do you factor enough fuel cost to be proficient driver into account?

No.

Car, for some, is life's necessity for transporting you from place to place. How proficient you drive depends on what kind of driving you do and where you live. Do you need to race SCCA/Baja 1000/NASCAR/Formula One or just drive to work and shopping? Do you live in heavy traffic metropolitan city with crazy drivers or rural countryside where you are the traffic?

Gun, for some, is life's necessity for protecting your life from other people and animals. How proficient you shoot depends on what kind of shooting you do and where you live. Do you need to compete in IDPA/USPSA/Precision long range 1000 yards matches or just defensive shooting at 7-15 yards? Do you live in gangland urban/suburban war zone area with home invasion robberies or quiet rural countryside where people don't even lock their doors?
 
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To keep ammo inventory simple I buy most of my fun guns ( I don't hunt ) in just a few calibers - .22lr, 38/357, 9mm, 5.56/223, 12ga, and 20g.
 
Yes. All my revolvers are .357, 38 spl or 22lr. Long guns are 12 gauge, 22lr and 35 Remington. My semi autos are both 9mm. Maybe boring but I got a late start with handguns (at 65).
 
Maybe not the "cost to be proficient"... but certainly the overall cost (and availability).


It is why I try to stick to a minimum of calibers for general use. It is also why I don't own a .45-70 yet.
 
375supermag said:
No...
Cost of ammuntion doesn't enter into the equation.
If it did I probably wouldn't shoot .375SuperMag(which basically no factory loads for) or .41Magnum.
I reload for everything I shoot except shotgun and .22 rimfire. If I buy a firearm in a new to me caliber, I buy reloading dies and components to reload it.
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I have had a s/w 41 mag for 30 years, love it, actually have 4 now, but here recently I’ve been considering reloading , do you have any recommendations, do’s and don’ts on what to buy? Like I mentioned, have just considered it do to recent activity’s.
 
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