finally bought some small pistol primers

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Is reloading still worth it at these primer prices. Maybe not plinking ammo. I can understand harder to find calibers
I don't reload to save money, per se, but for the convenience.

I haven't been to a LGS and bought factory ammo in a decade. If a buddy calls and says, "Lets go shooting in the morning" and I don't have any of that ammo on hand from the last time I went out, I just step out to the garage and crank out about 300 in a half hour...if I'm lazy, I'll wait until he says he's on the way over to pick me up in the morning to do it...won't be the first time
 
Is reloading still worth it at these primer prices. Maybe not plinking ammo. I can understand harder to find calibers
Don't know if I even consider the "worth it" question any longer. I reload. That's why I reload...because I can. Yes, I'm disheartened by the current prices...but it's forced me into a new behaviour...buy what's available, when it's available, at the price my heart and mind tells me I can live with. When things loosen up, and they are just starting to do so, prices will settle to a new norm. More than I have paid in the past, but much less than some unfortunates have paid just to get started. It's my main vice as I rarely drink, never smoke, don't gamble (aside from trading stocks), and don't do drugs. When my wife says, "Mark, I think you're spending too much on reloading!" I'll reconsider my position. For now she's in the "Shouldn't you buy those...you were complaining that you haven't seen (fill in the component here) on shelves in years! camp. I love this woman!!
 
Local Bass Pro has a lot of primers on the shelf right now. Probably 50K or more. CCI, Federal and Win. $90 per k is the lowest price, bench rest and Fed Gold were more. Not good enough prices to get me buying, but good to see them sitting on shelves and not being cleaned out in a day or two.
 
All I want for Christmas areSmall Pistol Primers.
My son bought me four 100 primer boxes of CCI Small Pistol magnum primers for $9.95 a box.
Putting them beside my remaining 1 and a half boxes of CCI Small Pistol magnum primers, I noticed I last paid $3.95 a box for CCI SPMP.
Ow! Ow! Ow!
 
I bought 1000 small Federal match pistol primers for $100. That’s a penny more each than the CCI SRP I usually get, but if they shoot just a little better I’m ok with it.

It’s getting close to the point where I can buy 115 grain FMJ for just a little over what I can reload. However I cannot buy equivalent ammo for the same price. 147 grain match ammo for my Canik is $23/100. I cannot replicate the accuracy with any 115 grain range fodder. 8 in 1.5” at 25 yards. 34DF048B-5B7A-4086-A725-C53BE1B723DB.jpeg
 
My problem is; do I have enough projectiles? Do I have enough primers?

So I buy more bullets thinking I’m short. Then I buy more primers because I think I’m short.

I really need to do an inventory. Last one was 2 years ago and I haven’t kept it up to date.

Probably have enough of everything to last the rest of my lifetime, but “ better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.”

And the grown children get 250-500 rounds each for their BD and for Xmas.

Really feels good to give each of them what they shoot a year, 2Xs a year.
 
True 9mm and 223 kinda not worth it froma. Time and gear standpoint.
But I'd never shoot 460s&w at over $2 a bullet eithout being able to reload
 
My problem is; do I have enough projectiles? Do I have enough primers?

So I buy more bullets thinking I’m short. Then I buy more primers because I think I’m short.

I really need to do an inventory.

Same! Just bought a couple thou of .223 bullets because I realized I've got 3k primers and only a few hundred bullets. My .380/9mm situation is just the reverse...

Keep hoping the primer price will drop, but it keeps not happening!
 
Same! Just bought a couple thou of .223 bullets because I realized I've got 3k primers and only a few hundred bullets. My .380/9mm situation is just the reverse...

Keep hoping the primer price will drop, but it keeps not happening!
Must still be millions of old-hand reloaders out there failing the patience test buying up ##K’s at too high prices. We’re coming into cold weather season up north, which means reloading season for all the snowy climate dwellers, and that means the folks who are depleting their stocks will want to restock, even at the cost of the inflated market prices.
Patience, my northern brethren. Stop buying at the inflated prices.
 
Yup, matches my philosophy. It's fun. Hard to put a price on fun, whether it's reloading, racing cars or whatever.
haha, racing cars! I raced an MGB in scca showroom stock a few times in the 70s with dreams of graduating to some level of production racing. So I went to bill Scott racing school at summit point wv for 5 days and learned quickly I was and would always be a great spectator. That $500 saved me tons of dough over the years, but not my first marriage.

But back to primers, if one is fairly new to this reloading madness without years or decades buying them at $25/1000, the current prices aren’t so high as to prevent most folks from buying them. Or anyone for that matter. They may complain or not admit it, but they’re buying just the same.

I mean some have thousands and tens of thousands of dollars sunk into their firearms’ collection. What’s a few hundred more to go shoot them?
 
Is reloading still worth it at these primer prices. Maybe not plinking ammo. I can understand harder to find calibers
Reloading and then testing those reloads is therapy for me.
I was fortunate to have an adequate supply of primers going into the Biden pandemic, so I’m still reloading although with little belt tightening.
I’m going to just back off and let the primers fall where they will. I’m certainly not going to stress out about it. One day they will free up or just plane disappear. I’m an old fart now anyway.
 
I really need to do an inventory. Last one was 2 years ago and I haven’t kept it up to date.
There is an app made by HornadyLoader (RIP!) on the tube. It's called Reloader's Workshop. It combines many valuable features in one tool, including inventory tracking. I've added a salvaged laptop to my reloading bench and ensure that all of my components are entered in. It also has a nice database of my firearms inventory so I have something in the event of a loss..say in a boating accident. The tool is FREE since HornadyLoader's passing. It isn't orphaned as a kind reloader/skilled database engineer has taken over maintenance and support. Home Page - Reloader's WorkShop (reloadersworkshop.net)
 
Don't know if I even consider the "worth it" question any longer. I reload. That's why I reload...because I can. Yes, I'm disheartened by the current prices...but it's forced me into a new behaviour...buy what's available, when it's available, at the price my heart and mind tells me I can live with. When things loosen up, and they are just starting to do so, prices will settle to a new norm. More than I have paid in the past, but much less than some unfortunates have paid just to get started. It's my main vice as I rarely drink, never smoke, don't gamble (aside from trading stocks), and don't do drugs. When my wife says, "Mark, I think you're spending too much on reloading!" I'll reconsider my position. For now she's in the "Shouldn't you buy those...you were complaining that you haven't seen (fill in the component here) on shelves in years! camp. I love this woman!!
You my friend hit the lottery with your lovely bride.
To steal a bit from one of the "indiana Jones" movies......you choose wisely.
 
Don't know if I even consider the "worth it" question any longer. I reload. That's why I reload...because I can. Yes, I'm disheartened by the current prices...but it's forced me into a new behaviour...buy what's available, when it's available, at the price my heart and mind tells me I can live with. When things loosen up, and they are just starting to do so, prices will settle to a new norm. More than I have paid in the past, but much less than some unfortunates have paid just to get started. It's my main vice as I rarely drink, never smoke, don't gamble (aside from trading stocks), and don't do drugs. When my wife says, "Mark, I think you're spending too much on reloading!" I'll reconsider my position. For now she's in the "Shouldn't you buy those...you were complaining that you haven't seen (fill in the component here) on shelves in years! camp. I love this woman!!
Awesome, and well said. My wife is the same way. It's a nice problem to have when go into a store that has primers and she says "Shouldn't you get some of those?". I always say not at the current prices. She pushes a little, but knows I'm well stocked even for the amount we shoot. But it's still a little hard to say "Why not?". I'm hoping patience will pay off in driving prices back down.

You know when Sportsman's Warehouse is selling them for basically $60 per K, the rest of these places are just taking advantage of the situation.
 
Awesome, and well said. My wife is the same way. It's a nice problem to have when go into a store that has primers and she says "Shouldn't you get some of those?". I always say not at the current prices. She pushes a little, but knows I'm well stocked even for the amount we shoot. But it's still a little hard to say "Why not?". I'm hoping patience will pay off in driving prices back down.

You know when Sportsman's Warehouse is selling them for basically $60 per K, the rest of these places are just taking advantage of the situation.
My sadness is knowing how far the "closest" Sportsman's Warehouse is from me. Just a bit too far to "drop in". I'd surely do it if I knew they had what I needed in stock. Nonetheless, I signed for their mailing list just to keep a watch on things. I'll make the excursion as soon as they bring back Buy Online/Pickup in Store for powder and primers. Maybe early 2023?
 
My sadness is knowing how far the "closest" Sportsman's Warehouse is from me. Just a bit too far to "drop in". I'd surely do it if I knew they had what I needed in stock. Nonetheless, I signed for their mailing list just to keep a watch on things. I'll make the excursion as soon as they bring back Buy Online/Pickup in Store for powder and primers. Maybe early 2023?
I hear that. We had a local Sportsman's Warehouse. It opened shortly after we moved here 17 years ago. It was the first "big box" sporting goods store in NW Arkansas at the time. But they went through some kind of financial hardship and closed most of their stores, including ours. We've since gotten a Cabela's (now a Bass Pro) store and Academy, but I still miss the SW store.
 
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At my LGS yesterday and they had some Turkish brand primers on the shelf for $89/1000. They had over 50 boxes on the shelf. I take this as a good sign.

A while back I did a calculation using $80/1000 for primers and as a result I can load 9mm for about $11/box of 50. Is that worth it ? I dunno, I have not seen $11 9mm in quite a while. Maybe if you only shoot a few boxes a year it's easier to buy. Same with .223.... I can still load for about 50-60% of off the shelf cost but I have to do it. Rifle and premium pistol you realize better savings.
Of course you save nothing because you always shoot the difference :)

-Jeff
 
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