Has the current market caused you to rethink how varied your ammo usage is?

[mcb]

Before the 2020, now 2021 ammo shortage I remember seeing a fair number of threads (here and other forums) talking about consolidating their firearms collections down to a smaller selection of cartridges. Most often they were consolidating to current popular cartridges. Often you saw someone that would consolidate to 9mm, 223/556, 308 and 12 gauge or a similar selection. Now that we are a year into this shortage I was wondering if any of you have changed your selection of ammunition you can utilize? Have you increased it or continued to consolidate?

I personally love weird cartridges so I was pretty diverse before the shortage hit and have continued to expand that collection of weird cartridges. So though I do not always have the particular ammo or reloading supplies I want for a particular gun, I always have been able to find something for some of my guns.

 

[edwardware]

In years past (before the bastards took over) I used "The Wal-Mart Test" to assess new cartridge decisions: if you couldn't buy the cartridge at Wal-Mart, you shouldn't buy the gun. Cartridges NOT sold at Wal-Mart at odd enough that they aren't mass-market cheap, therefore you won't practice enough. . . and lots of practice is almost always more valuable than a cartridge improvement.

Nowadays, I just stock 15 years worth of components for whatever I want to shoot.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I bought a 224 Valkyrie strictly because I could buy several hundred rounds of hunting ammo at the same time. Looking back I may have been better off with 358 Winchester but the guns were pricier. May still do that..,

If I can’t get hunting ammo for it then I don’t want it. I don’t care about FMJ stuff since I have been stocked up on that since 2007. It seems FMJ is more available in 223, 308, 7.62x39, etc so I am not too interested in any of those right now.

 

[theotherwaldo]

I figure that I can always find something that I can load into one of the 40 or so calibers or gauges that I currently possess... .

 

[PapaG]

My biggest consumption is of shotgun shells, mainly trap loads. It is more of a challenge finding loaded shells or components, but I'm good for another year or two before panic sets in. Other caliber/cartridges I'm not worried as I can cast and load for anything I have except the rimfires and I'm pretty well stocked with that so, no, I haven't changed much. I just found a guy with five flats of trap loads he'll sell me at his cost and another sold me a thousand primers for what he paid. I pay back in kind when they need it.

 

[CoalTrain49]

I consolidated about 6 years ago. I was down to 4 cartridges. I kept telling myself that if I added anymore I would be sorry. I couldn't stand the pressure and added one. Then the perfect storm hit and I came up short on bullets for the new cartridge. That lasted about a month so it wasn't a yuge deal, I'm back reloading for it already. Thinking about adding another one but not in any big hurry. I'll wait until this fall to see where we are with components. Brass seems to be the biggest problem right now. I had everything else for the new cartridge.

 

[mcb]

I guess I never saw the advantage to consolidation, especially as a reloader. One bullet could be loaded in several different cartridges as needed. I thankfully have a fair bit of ammo and reloading supplies stashed away so I have bought very little since this market started, but as I shop various gun stores I was always amused by the fact that when the shelves were nearly empty I could almost always have bought something that would work in one of my firearms. I remember seeing a huge ammo section nearly bare and their sat one lonely box of 30 Remington AR. That made me chuckle and I nearly bought it just because it was lonely but I have a heap already and left it for some other shooter of, obsolete and dead before their time, cartridges.

 

[.38 Special]

I used to need to own a gun for every cartridge ever made, but that was a long time ago. Once I figured out that most cartridges are doing essentially the same thing, I started whittling down. It's got nothing to do with end times, though. As a handgunner who mostly shoots cast, loading for a different caliber just means that I need to pull out the correct mold and get to work. Granted, I might not always have the ideal powder on hand, but I honestly can't think of a handgun cartridge that can't be made to work at least passably well with Unique. I try to keep at least ten pounds of it on hand, and along with the hundreds of pounds of lead in the shop, I'm good to go until the primers run out.

 

[CoalTrain49]

My biggest consumption is of shotgun shells, mainly trap loads. It is more of a challenge finding loaded shells or components, but I'm good for another year or two before panic sets in. Other caliber/cartridges I'm not worried as I can cast and load for anything I have except the rimfires and I'm pretty well stocked with that so, no, I haven't changed much. I just found a guy with five flats of trap loads he'll sell me at his cost and another sold me a thousand primers for what he paid. I pay back in kind when they need it.

I stopped reloading for my trap habit about 10 years ago. At that point it seemed like commercial shells were about the same cost as reloads. I think it was about the time that shot went from one to two dollars a pound. It's pretty hard to make your own shot. I'm not sure what the current situation is for commercial shot shells but it's probably about the same as metal because of the primer shortage.

 

[Tallinar]

I consolidated to four centerfire cartridges a few years ago, and have no regrets -- 9mm, .45 ACP, .45 Colt, .357 Magnum. I handload the latter three.

Once I figured out that most cartridges are doing essentially the same thing, I started whittling down.

I honestly can't think of a handgun cartridge that can't be made to work at least passably well with Unique. I try to keep at least ten pounds of it on hand, and along with the hundreds of pounds of lead ion the shop, I'm good to go until the primers run out.

Exactly my feeling. Keep it simple.

 

[kalielkslayer]

I checked “unchanged” in the poll but as I sit here I realize I recently purchased my 1st .380 acp. And am thinking seriously about getting my .338 rebarreled into 33 Nosler.

When I got the .380, I couldn’t find ammo anywhere so I started loading for it. Then everywhere I turned, there was .380 ammo.

Seems it works that way.

 

[WrongHanded]

If I were going to consolidate, and limit myself to a few cartridges, I would choose the unpopular ones that disappear from the shelves last. Once the panic started, I could go to every store and buy all the oddball stuff still on the shelves before anyone else turned to it.

 

[PapaG]

I guess I did make one change. I started reloading 380. Both boys and I have at least one each.

 

[George P]

Currently remaining unchanged, but I have been preparing to downsize since before the election.
I have 4 handgun cartridges (3 of which I reload for) that I could eliminate (along with the guns and components)
I have 3 or 4 rifles I never shoot any more as where I live, hunting is down by joining expensive hunt clubs and using deer stands - both foreign concepts to me from living out West
I have thought about getting down to one shotgun bore size. Either I keep my 12s and get rid of my 20 or I sell all of those and go back and buy a few 28s.

 

[theotherwaldo]

-I also have 33 sets of molds, including for slugs and buck shot, and sets of dies to go with them.
It's a pity that I don't have a place to make drop shot like I did when I was a kid.

 

[Riomouse911]

No, I’m still shooting the same calibers I always have.

I will say that I am watching my centerfire handgun ammo usage a bit closer and shooting rimfire a lot more than in 2019. SPP aren’t easy to locate locally and I don’t want to run short if I go on a SPP-fueled cartridge bender.

Stay safe.

 

[mcb]

No, I’m still shooting the same calibers I always have.

I will say that I am watching my centerfire handgun ammo usage a bit closer and shooting rimfire a lot more than in 2019. SPP aren’t easy to locate locally and I don’t want to run short if I go on a SPP-fueled cartridge bender.

Stay safe.

I need Small Rifle Primers is the worst way. I have enough to keep me going for general varmint use for a little while longer but I am not shooting carbine matches with my 300 BO because of that shortage. I am nearly to the point of trying Small Pistol Primers for 300 BO subsonic loads. Like you I am shooting a lot more 22lr, I have been really enjoying NRL22.

 

[reloaded_in_pa]

No changes for my shooting.

 

[swg1]

No changes here other than adding chamberings with new and interesting firearms as I come across them.

 

[Duster340]

Didn't panic or by into all the BS. Didn't change a thing. These "scares" are predictable as clock work. Next.

 

[Riomouse911]

I need Small Rifle Primers is the worst way. I have enough to keep me going for general varmint use for a little while longer but I am not shooting carbine matches with my 300 BO because of that shortage. I am nearly to the point of trying Small Pistol Primers for 300 BO subsonic loads. Like you I am shooting a lot more 22lr, I have been really enjoying NRL22.

I only have a couple hundred of the SRP’s left on hand that I use for .454 Casull loads. I don’t shoot that gun all that often so those primers I have will do me for a while.

Now I shoot a lot of SPP rounds; .38 Spl., .357 Mag and .32 H&R so I’m being much more careful with my remaining stock of primers until the madness subsides.

Good luck with your search for SRP!

Stay safe.

 

[CoalTrain49]

-I also have 33 sets of molds, including for slugs and buck shot, and sets of dies to go with them.
It's a pity that I don't have a place to make drop shot like I did when I was a kid.

I was in VA once and came upon this.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackson_Ferry_Shot_Tower

I had no idea it was a drop process until I visited this historical site.

 

[snowman357]

Well I shoot and reload: 9mm, 380, 38 super, 45acp, 40s&w, 357mag, 44mag, 38spl, 223 30-06 308 280 260 303 brit. I will eventually load 7.62x39 depending on where prices settle. I will probably add new firearms 45colt and 22 hornet. A lot of the newer calibers are just not so different then others.

 

[mcb]

Follow up, for those of you that say "no change" would you consider your current assortment of firearms consolidate to a few cartridges or wild varied? I personally have only added one caliber (very obsolete pistol cartridge) since early last year but I also considered that I had a fairly wide variety of rifle, pistol and shotgun cartridges to turn to before this current market set upon us.

 

[CoalTrain49]

Follow up, for those of you that say "no change" would you consider your current assortment of firearms consolidate to a few cartridges or wild varied? I personally have only added one caliber (very obsolete pistol cartridge) since early last year but I also considered that I had a fairly wide variety of rifle, pistol and shotgun cartridges to turn to before this current market set upon us.

I added 32 long (obsolete) last year but I knew I could weather the storm if I couldn't reload it for awhile. I have a safe full of pistol, revolvers and rifles that use common cartridges like 38 spl, 9 mm, 4 acp and .223. I also have a very deep supply of components to reload those.

This shortage could go on another year or two and I doubt I would notice.