Ammo shortage and competitions

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jmorris said:
Doesn't help the folks that are out but last November was an election year, you allways want to have what you need before people get spooked. I ordered everything I needed for this season in September. Everything was in stock and cheap.
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Only two problems with that. I had about a case and a half of 9mm last fall. And 1200 bullets for it for reloading. I shot most of the ammo practicing this spring, and loaded up the bullets one night on the Dillon. Now I'm (over) halfway through those. Down to about 500 now (shot some this week when I bought the cz)

First problem, was I didn't see the shortage lasting this long. So I practiced, not really worried about it. Last time, it wasn't this bad. Couple hundred rounds every other week or three and the factory ammo was gone.

Second problem, I was only marginally ready for a 9mm shortage. I have a LOT more stuff set back for 45, 223, etc. But I never did much 9mm reloading; economically, it just wasn't WORTH it. I've been shooting WWB for 15 years; probably have 60k-80k in brass in the 9mm bin (it's a LARGE bin).

So all of those years I've been saving my brass.. and never really stocked up on 9mm bullets. :)

Live and learn. As prices and availability get better I'll slowly get more of a stockpile built.
 
I took off work for 18 events this summer and made none so far. I am not shooting up ammo when I cannot reload for lack of components.
 
Only two problems with that
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Both of the problems are really just the same one. I ordered 30,000, or so, of everything for this year and that was only a fraction of what I already had.

Its not like the stuff has an expiration date if you don't use it but sucks when your out of it. I still have stuff from well before the AWB of '94 (it got bad back then too) and it still works.

Not to mention none of the components are not getting any cheaper, tell the wife its an investment.

Mine normally doesn't believe it but was quite impressed when I sold one of my 650's a few months back to pay for a new bullet fed 1050. Pays to have what others want when they can't get it.
 
Trent said:
So I'm down to 600 rounds of 9mm. I've got 31 events on my calendar this summer/ fall, and not enough ammo for USPSA production. I could switch to a 45 (don't have 40 anymore), but since there's no "major" in production division I'd be handicapping myself.

The ammo shortage biting any other competitors?

The only 9mm ammo I can find locally is junk. Looking for 5k 115gr projectiles.

Think I'll need to start casting!
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Perhaps you can find some commercial cast bullets? I've had fairly good luck with finding them.
 
For the 3-4 years prior to Newton i was shooting a steel challenge, USPSA and 3 gun match every month. Between this pas Jan 1 and June 1 i shot just 2 matches. I have ammo, but i don't want to shoot it all up. I don't see any showing up.
 
gotigers said:
For the 3-4 years prior to Newton i was shooting a steel challenge, USPSA and 3 gun match every month. Between this pas Jan 1 and June 1 i shot just 2 matches. I have ammo, but i don't want to shoot it all up. I don't see any showing up.
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Heck I have a box of 25 USPSA cardboard targets sitting here, and two steel poppers.. I was going to build up a practice range out behind my house.

Haven't bothered. Not enough 9mm ammo to practice.

I don't want to shoot a 45 in production, I don't want to shoot limited or open major (not remotely fast enough for those, I'm rusty as hell).

Got 1k of Berry's on order, found some other 115 gr but they wanted 130/1k for plated.. no way Jose!

Saving what little ammo I have strictly for USPSA shoots now, no practice. The shoots will be my practice. I guess there's nothing really wrong with that, since the whole reason I'm GOING is for practice. :)
 
gotigers said:
For the 3-4 years prior to Newton i was shooting a steel challenge, USPSA and 3 gun match every month. Between this pas Jan 1 and June 1 i shot just 2 matches. I have ammo, but i don't want to shoot it all up. I don't see any showing up.
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No need to be that conservative. Missouri Bullet Co is shipping bullets with 3-4 week backlog (or at least that's how long it took for me to get mine). Order 2-3k from them and that should keep you shooting for at least a little while.

I'd also get on the Precision Delta backorder log too. I got a shipment from them a month ago for 2k bullets. Haven't even started loading those yet (still working through some others) but I'm planning on placing another order just to get into the queue. Just deciding on whether to order 4k or 6k this time.
 
Oh man, I found the motherload today. 115/125/147gr lead round nose

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$31.95/500 at Dave's Trading Post in Pekin, IL.
 
Thankfully I have an ammo sponsor that has kept me shooting through all of this mess. And if they don't give me enough ammo each month to shoot then I can buy some more from them without paying inflated prices.

Being a college student I don't have the time (nor the funds) to reload competition ammo so without this sponsor I wouldn't be shooting.
 
BullfrogKen said:
There ya go.
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Just in time, too. Down to 336 loaded FMJ rounds.... got a 500 loaded hollowpoints tucked away but those are "Trent's special reserve", in case the world becomes a bad place. I never tap in to those reserves. :evil:

Also scored 10 pounds of Varget today at the same shop.

AND I had 1,000 8mm hornaday match show up from Midway (ordered them on clearance sale).

AND I spent 4 hours on the rifle range with my oldest son this evening.

Couldn't ask for a better day! They just don't make 'em!
 
I know of a few casual competitors who arent shooting because they are flat out of components or dramatically low. Yes stocking up and having a supply on hand is a good thing but keep in mind competitive shooting is an expensive sport (Even if you reload) I'm lucky enough to not be married or have kids so I could afford stock up decent quantities of components, but many people cannot drop hundreds (or thousands) of dollars at one time to buy in bulk. The bad economy doesn't help matters. They buy smaller quantities as they need them. These are the people who are no longer competing and its an unfortunate loss IMO. Furthermore its becoming a full time job (akin to day trading on the stock market) just to scour the internet and snatch up components for the 60 seconds they are available before they get "sold out." Casual competitors often don't have this kind of time either. The biggest issue seems to be primers from what I can tell, at least for rifle competitors. I haven't had an opportunity to buy them in a very long time.
 
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I need all the practice I can get. Got 3K bullets to load up now.

Reason I say I need all the practice I can get...

I took 16th place (out of 19) in production two sundays ago at that club level meet. (finally got around to checking the posted scores).

Man, I suck with a handgun, when I'm being timed. I can shoot GREAT groups but my transition is slow, my doubletaps are horrible (Alpha Charlie most of the time), and my grandma could reload faster than I do.

At least I'm doing great with rifles this year. Don't know if my ego could withstand failing in both disciplines. :)
 
I've shot 2 matches this year and quit half way through to conserve ammo. My ability to replace what I shoot is limited to whatever Academy gets in and their 1 box per caliber with a max of 3 calibers per day purchase limit doesn't help. My plan is to return to shooting sometime in August. It all depends on how much more 9mm,.40cal and 45acp I can pick up between now and that first match in August.
 
and my grandma could reload faster than I do.
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LOL, there you go, if she can still run a press put her to work (LOL), and the kids and wife.

Congrats on finding the mother load wishing you the best in your matches.

Jim
 
jim243 said:
LOL, there you go, if she can still run a press put her to work (LOL), and the kids and wife.

Congrats on finding the mother load wishing you the best in your matches.

Jim
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Haha I was talking about changing magazines, not reloading cartridges!

I had company over last night late, and woke up 4 hours too late to go to the classifier match today. Which is fine, I suppose, as it will give me a chance to get some ammo loaded up, and get that CZ75 I bought properly broken in.

So.. guess I'll burn up the last of my loaded ammo today practicing. See if that CZ trigger smoothes up some.
 
CZ75 BD Police

I'm in love with the damn thing. I shot up all my ammo this afternoon; that gun will punch the 10 ring completely out of the target at 10 yards. Very light recoil and not much muzzleflip compared to my other 9mm's.

Trigger pull is longer than my other guns but I'm getting used to it.

Double action isn't bad at all, I was scoring 10 ring hits off the draw at 10 yards.

Magazine changes were giving me some trouble at first (although not much), doesn't have any flaring and I caught the lip a few times.

Did 50x draw & doubletap today, then two magazine changes w/ 2 rounds each, for a total of 50 draw, and 100 magazine changes today (300 rounds).

At the end I had it running pretty smooth. ;)
 
I think you will really like the CZ once you get it running in a match. And no you can't have some of my 9mm (LOL)

Jim

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Trent said:
CZ75 BD Police

I'm in love with the damn thing. I shot up all my ammo this afternoon; that gun will punch the 10 ring completely out of the target at 10 yards. Very light recoil and not much muzzleflip compared to my other 9mm's.

Trigger pull is longer than my other guns but I'm getting used to it.

Double action isn't bad at all, I was scoring 10 ring hits off the draw at 10 yards.

Magazine changes were giving me some trouble at first (although not much), doesn't have any flaring and I caught the lip a few times.

Did 50x draw & doubletap today, then two magazine changes w/ 2 rounds each, for a total of 50 draw, and 100 magazine changes today (300 rounds).

At the end I had it running pretty smooth. ;)
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I've got a CZ75 TS. Its my main competiton gun. Shoots as well as my Sig X5 L1. Wish I had known that before buying the Sig. Oh well I have 2 most excellent 9mm's to compete with, that is when ammo returns to a reasonable price and is available in case lots.
 
When I went gun shopping, I wanted to hold the CZ75. Went to every gun shop in town, the biggest store was last. They had one... buried in the bottom of one of their display cases.

It pointed great, the balance was good.

Tried a Sig for comparison, pointed wrong. Grip angle must be different or something, would have had to relearn point shooting all over again.

(I don't know if the grip angle *is* different, I haven't looked it up, but it certainly *felt* different. The sights were consistently pointing high when I'd push the gun out from my chest)

I'm sure the Sig is a fantastic piece too, but at 2x the money, and having to fight that grip, I passed on it.

(I learned to shoot handguns on Glocks a couple decades ago, so "straight" grip angles don't go over well with me)
 
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