Guidelines to use after the "Great Component Shortage"

[ExMachina]

The more each of us "stocks up" the more each of us contributes to the continued shortage.

And I don't see how stocking up is even useful--if the purpose is to buffer ourselves from the next shortage, then we're all guilty of contributing to the creation of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Stop buying crazy amounts and I predict the stocks will magically return to the shelves.

If the purpose of stocking up is instead to prepare for a "ban" of some sorts, then I also have to ask, why? If there's a real, honest-to-God ban none of us will not be doing much, if any shooting. Yeah, you will be prepared for the few shots that you may need to make to survive but most of the accumulated stores will never get used since high-volume ammo consumption will not be an option.

Overall, I am just pissed off. It seems that the worst enemies I have in my pursuit of the shooting sports are my fellow "shooters" who are in fact not shooting much of what supplies they are accumulating (I base this impression mostly on more recent range visits where the firing line has been much emptier than in years past). Simply put, there's a lot of hoarding being done, and it is resulting in a decrease in our ability to shoot. That decrease looks like it is proving more effective than any "Obama ban" that could have ever have been enacted.

EDIT: As to my "guideline" it's simple: hoard less, shoot more. The best way to keep a right is to exercise it.

 

[USSR]

Stop buying crazy amounts and I predict the stocks will magically return to the shelves.

Sorry, but I don't believe in "magic". If you don't want to buy something, don't, but don't belittle those who have the money and want to make a legal purchase.

Don

 

[gahunter12]

Hold on! I saw that Gahunter used 16 pounds of pistol powder this year...at 5 grains a shot that is 22,400 rounds in 6 months, 3733 rounds a month. 44,800 rounds a year! Wow, no wonder we can't find pistol powder, how many more are there out there that shoot like that? Wow! I wish I could shoot 861 rounds a weekend every weekend. I would need at least two part time jobs!

I use about 16lb of Titegroup per year @ 3.5gr for my 40s&w. I shoot about 900-1,000 rounds per week. My wife also shoots about the same in 9mm. We normally shoot 3 indoor IDPA matches during the week, and a outdoor match 3 Sundays, and 2 Saturdays out of each month. I try to load more than I shoot so I can keep a years worth put back at all times.

 

[LiveLife]

Overall, I am just pissed off.

With all due respect, let me remind you the objective of this thread. Since we have experienced two major component shortages in recent years, instead of us ranting "We told you to stock up after the last shortage, didn't we?" which doesn't help anyone, we are taking the "High Road" and giving those who are new to reloading and those who weren't properly prepared for a protracted component shortage some guidelines to follow in increasing the stock for current usage and having extra for any future component shortage.

I absolutely understand your frustration as many shooters/reloaders came my way the past few years pissed off that ammunition for their favorite pastime were unobtainable. Of course, explaining human psychology and herd mentality did absolutely nothing to produce ammunition they could use but showing them how to reload their own ammunition and sharing my stock of reloading components did.

But since this thread is about preparing THR members and guests how to stock up reloading components practically (with reference to where to find components at the lowest available prices using the "Where are there reloading components?" thread), perhaps you could consider starting a new thread to discuss why you are pissed off.

Stop buying crazy amounts and I predict the stocks will magically return to the shelves.

No. We cannot dictate the actions of others; therefore, we can either choose to buy or not buy. Since shooting and reloading is my hobby, I choose to buy; but I decide when, where and at what price. The supply and demand aspect of the free market system will take care of the rest. What you do is your "choice" but you cannot dictate to me what I am free to do with my money. If you choose not to prepare for the next component shortage that may come many years from now, I will say the same thing, "I chose to prepare for my component usage, why did you not?".

I base this impression mostly on more recent range visits where the firing line has been much emptier than in years past

Perhaps in your area ranges but that may not be an accurate representation of national trend where historical (can you say biblical?) record setting number of firearms were sold in the recent years and all the gun owners may want to buy ammunition for these millions of new guns.

So, can we get back to topic on how to properly make purchases to support our current component usage and prepare for any future shortages we may face by making incremental increase in our purchases over time to build up a sufficient reserve?

Thank you.

 

[ExMachina]

can we get back to topic on how to properly make purchases to support our current component usage

"Stocking up" is the problem and has nothing to due with "usage". People here are advocating hording powder for a 10+ (!!) year supply. That's not helping new shooters/reloaders at all and only perpetuates the shortage.

 

[LiveLife]

Are you able to stop anyone from purchasing anything?

No.


Will ranting about people buying things on gun forums change their buying behavior?

No.


Are you going to accomplish anything positive by your posts on this thread?

Not likely.


Can I help some THR members/guests make better buying choices by pointing out lower priced components on sale so they may be able to stock up for the future?

Maybe, but it would be their "choice"

 

[Walkalong]

Stocking up was going on for decades before the last shortages. No one here is advocating buying massive quantities, they are saying to buy a little extra along the way to build up a reasonable inventory. (We are not going to argue how much that is in this thread.) Also, no one is advocating stopping shooting while they stock up, and I seriously doubt we would "lose our right" if we slow up to keep from depleting supplies.

Again, if you want to discuss stocking up (The OP's intent) do so, but if you want to fuss about people who have always done so, and new ones who have learned they need to do so, then save it for another thread.

 

[HighExpert]

I thought I was being a little paranoid until I read this. One other little discovery I made while doing inventory, I still have two cases of .22lr that I paid $9 a brick for. Sometimes buying lots at one time pays off.

 

[W.E.G.]

I just stocked up on the stocks of a guy who had stocked up 15 years ago.

I got a sweet deal.

More of this to come when folk's (eventually-to-be-adult) kids confront the old man and say, "NO, the zombies are NOT coming and NO I'm not going to skip my 8-year-old's soccer game so I can babysit you at the shooting range."

"Find something to do with that 50+ pounds of gunpowder you haven't touched since Obama was president, or I'm going to haul it all down to the Fire Department."

 

[buck460XVR]

I could never understand why my local gun shops sell primers in the little 100 count trays. Particularly for pistol primers, but even for rifle primers, who the heck bothers to reload but only makes 100 rounds at a time and then goes back to the gun store to buy another 100 primers??

The idea that one had to keep tens of thousands of primers on hand is a fairly new phenomenon. When I was growing up, most of the old guys that reloaded for their hunting rifles loaded maybe 40 rounds a year. A sleeve of primers would last them a coupla years. 'ell, I remember my granpa loading up 7 rounds the night before opening day of deer season, cause that's all that fit in his 30/30 and all he figured he needed. Primers used to be like.22 ammo, plentiful and cheap, even when bought in small quantities. No reason to buy in bulk when the LGS always had them and the price was the same whether you bought 100 or 5000. The reason so many folks years ago had SS and Lee hand pressed as compared to the progressives we see so many of today, is that most folks didn't shoot more than 100 rounds at a time at the range. This 500 rounds twice a month is also a new thing. Whether it has to do with more expendable income or just because it now the fad, while common today, it was a rarity years ago. 90% of the friends/family I hunt with, still shoot their primary deer hunting rifles less than 20 rounds a year.....and several of them reload for those rifles. 10,000 primers would be a foolish investment for them.

Yes for those of us that shoot multiple calibers multiple times a month and average hundreds of rounds at each range visit, buying primers 100 @ a time seems foolish unless we are short of funds(BTDT). But we certainly aren't everybody. Even times when I buy 1000 primers at once, I sometimes buy 400 SP, 400 LP and 200 LR, depending on my stock at home. Few months back when any primer you found was a blessing, even a finding a single sleeve on the shelf put a smile on my face........and since my hand-primer only takes 100 primers at a time, AFAIC, they don't need to be packaged in larger containers.

 

[taliv]

i'm not a fan of buying a little here and there as 'savings'. that may be less painful if you are on a budget, but you will pay more. in other words, it's not an efficient method of procurement. it's an emotionally accommodating one.

my method is patience. i wait for deals. when i see a GOOD deal, i buy all i can afford.
as a result, i'm still shooting from a stock of 223 bullets i paid $75/3000 for 10 years ago. i JUST ran out of primers this year that i paid $14/k for many years ago, so earlier this year i bought a sizable amount of wolf to replace them.

this has the added advantage of having components from the same lot, so you don't see much variation like you would buying 1 lb or one box at a time.

i have actually moderated this slightly because of other shooters. when i saw H4350 and titegroup and varget for sale earlier this year, i purchased a small amount instead of all of it, just because i know it's difficult out there and it just didn't feel right to hog it all at this time. but when all the shelves are stocked, i'll be looking for a deal again.

as a general rule, i don't like to fill my house with highly flammable and explosive components. (or for that matter, boxes of lead and copper) if storage were free, buying a lifetime supply would make sense. as it is, i think a 3-5 year supply is about right for me

 

[Potatohead]

That's pretty interesting Buck. Nowadays it's hard to imagine 20 shots a year. Especially with all the components and ammo folks are packing away these days.


I can really understand this shortage better after reading this thread. People are packing away some serious cheese My wife and I thought I had a problem, LOL.

And Im not being critical of packing it away or whatever, it just is what it is..

Oh lawdy, I just caught up on the thread, after posting the first part of this post. Did someone come into a reloading forum and blast people for buying to much gunpowder? Interesting.

 

[USSR]

my method is patience. i wait for deals. when i see a GOOD deal, i buy all i can afford.

+1. I do the very same thing. In addition, I tend to make large purchases (provided the price is right) 6 - 9 months prior to a presidential or mid-term election. Reloaders tend to get nervous sometimes at election results when a President or Congress critters from a certain unnamed political party come into office, so I like to hedge my bet and buy early. Hey, it's not like this stuff has an expiration date.

Don

 

[gahunter12]

Everyone's mileage differs. Some of us shoot pistols, some rifles, some for fun, and others for competition. I load for every caliber I own, but shoot way more pistol, and AR than bolt guns. 400-500 rounds of .300wm, 7mm, or .300RUM would last me a life time. On the other hand my wife and I shot 600 rounds of .223, 400 rounds of .40s&w, and 250 rounds of 9mm just this past weekend between Friday, and Sunday. So 48lb of pistol powder, and 100k primers won't last me very long at all shooting the we we shoot, but may be considered hoarding to others. Powder isn't shipping, and when it does show up, it's gone in minutes, because so many need it, and others want it. I just pray we start seeing more powder being shipped soon.

 

[Jim Watson]

I trust those of us with a reasonable stockpile of 160 lbs of powder have it in a proper magazine.

 

[Reloadron]

That's pretty interesting Buck. Nowadays it's hard to imagine 20 shots a year. Especially with all the components and ammo folks are packing away these days.


I can really understand this shortage better after reading this thread. People are packing away some serious cheese My wife and I thought I had a problem, LOL.

And Im not being critical of packing it away or whatever, it just is what it is..

Oh lawdy, I just caught up on the thread, after posting the first part of this post. Did someone come into a reloading forum and blast people for buying to much gunpowder? Interesting.

Potatohead is a good example of a new shooter who was dragged into this latest mess. He is relatively new to shooting and hand loading. Yet, if I look at every post he has made since he got here to THR I never see a bad word let alone crying about others stocking supplies. No peeing and moaning and never have to offer the guy cheese with his whine.

This is an interesting exchange from the early 90s, how many remember the great primer shortage?

Primer Shortage?

tgt40 said: Hi folks. Word out West is there's a primer shortage either here or coming. Anybody heard different?

r*cciardelli said: Haven't heard anything at all...

P*ncho said: Happens from time to time, That's why we usually reorder when we get down to 30 or 40K

D*gleg said: I know some guys that are still using hoarded primers from "The great primer shortage" in the early 90s. Panic buying causes these shortages, but knowing that doesn't help if shelves are empty.

pr*sper said: hmmm I better stock up then, I'm down to a few thousand. It ALWAYS weems that there's a shortage though, if you buy a wholesale sports - never have any in stock

HPL said: I hope there's no shortage. I just ran out of large pistol primers.

L*fty Dick said: Have'nt heard diddly, probably just hype being forwarded to put another spending spree in motion. Since the 90's I've kept no less than 3 K of my most popular primers on hand at any one time, so I can weather most of the bumps in the road. BTW: who fed you the rumor? I bet it's someone who has trouble keeping their shelves stocked and can't place a booking order to save their life.

tgt40 said: Well, we checked around Calgary and found supplies short, then somone from Fort McMurray mentioned the same thing and inferred that retail was experiencing some difficulties securing stock. Probably just a rumor......

t*c-driver said: just bought the last 3000 primers in my area. Apperently small primers are being used for Iraq (.40 and 9mm). Better stock up!

Those who recall prior primer, ammo and reloading component shortages of prior years tend to stock up. Having 20, 30, 40 or even 50 thousand primers in reserve really isn't that unusual. These people were once comfortable with a few hundred in stock. They were comfortable right till...

There is no good number as it depends on what you shoot. As to calling anyone a hoarder I call BS. You buy and stock what you can afford to buy and stock. There is no magic number. When this latest and greatest began it was Deja Vue all over again. When you survive enough of these things you walk away with lessons learned and apply those lessons. Again, it doesn't get any simpler.

This mess will end and yes Virginia, 22 LR will return to the shelves and become once again abundant.

The serious hand loaders who have been at it for many decades all have added their views and all are about the same. If you hunt and only hunt a 40 round stash for your hunting rifle is a 10 year supply. If you are a range rate and love to target shoot you just may need a few more rounds.

However, finger pointing at those well stocked as "hoarders" is where I call BS. Lead, follow or get out of the way.

Ron

 

[Walkalong]

A fitting ending.