Reloading Hiatus

[kmw1954]

Due to the current state of affairs with components I have been thinking of taking a hiatus from reloading for my 223 Savage. I entered in late to the game and components were already in short supply.

Back in Sept I was able to find a lb of Ramshot TAC and a lb of Hodgdon BL-C2 to get started and two boxes of 100 Hornady Varmint 55gr SP. No primers to be found but I was able to swap a friend 500 LPP and 500 SPP for a brick of CCI#41 primers. Seams the Savage does not like these primers. Later I was able to find some 62gr Hornady at Midsouth Shooters.

So now after Working up loads with the TAC for both the 55gr and 62gr bullets I am now out of the 55 gr. bullets and just about out of the TAC powder and it too is nowhere to be had.

Then the thought of starting over working up with the Hodgdon powder is disturbing unless I now try that BL-C2 with some 68gr and 75gr bullets I inherited.

So I may put this on hold and go back to shooting and reloading pistols. How much longer can this last?

 

[cfullgraf]

1 year at best, probably not until after the mid-terms.

It is my estimation and I’m sticking to it.

 

[jmorris]

Really depends. Back when Clinton signed the AWB, magazines were stupid for 10 years. I’d say most new guys have no idea how fast things can go wrong or how long they can last. If they did they would pick their issues a bit differently, I imagine.

That said, don’t let them discourage you, that’s really their goal, make you give up. There are lot of ways and aspects one can learn about our hobby even when the shelves are not over flowing with primers, powder and projectiles.

 

[Charlie98]

Powder, of all those things, is easier to find than some other things. I was in both Cabelas and one of my LGS's this past week, I was quite surprised to see not only all sorts of powder, but 8# jugs of it as well, including H335 and HP-38. There was even H4350, the darling of the 6.5CM shooters...

Much of it depends on what you expect out of your reloads... plinking loads, or are you going for accuracy? Generic bullets, or specific bullets (like SMK's, etc) If you are patient, you will eventually find something.

Some of us are down to horse trading... I have a listing here, to trade SRPM's for LRP's in the Dallas area, for example. Where there's a will, there's a way.

 

[kmw1954]

At the public outdoor range I've been working at they buy all their ammo directly from Fiocchi and a couple months back their regional manager was talking with out General manager and told him that Fiocchi then had a 24 month backlog for orders just for assembled ammunition and 9mm and 223 was even longer out.

So knowing that where is that going to place components on the supply chain list.

 

[lightman]

So I may put this on hold and go back to shooting and reloading pistols. How much longer can this last?

We can only guess what the future holds but with a Democrat being elected to office I expect this shortage to last longer than some of the past ones. All I can suggest is to constantly watch the big outdoor stores, gun shops and gun shows for components. If you have a favorite online place like Midway you may sign up for notifications. Good Luck!

 

[kmw1954]

Thinking about this situation and my own usage/consumption I feel if I could find k2 small rifle and 4 lbs of powder I could be set for about 12/15 months maybe longer. Cold winter weather around the corner and with now working at the range which I absolutely love doing I'm only shooting a couple times a month. Once again I haven't fired a pistol in almost 2 months!