With No Ammo and No Reloading Supplies Available, Just How Smug Are You?

[Liberty1776]

They looked at my garage and asked, "Why all the powder, bullets, primers and brass? Why not just buy the ammo you want to shoot?"

Then literally millions of people bought their first gun. And a couple boxes of ammo. 7,000,000 guns means 14,000,000 boxes of ammo. Hello ammo shortage. No ammo? "Perhaps I'll get into reloading." And there goes all the reloading supplies.

Being a reloader, I've got 10,000+ primers, bullets in all needed calibers, brass collected over the years when it carpeted the ranges and was just left there as scrap, powders by the pound, lead ingots, alloys, lead furnaces and bullet molds I've been collecting since 1979.

So now, with every supplier in America telling us, "OUT OF STOCK" just how smug are you that you are able to load and shoot at will?

I used to worry that 9mm cost me 12 cents to reload. Now it's a dollar per round to buy. Primers should be 3 cents each. If you can find them, they are 8 cents each.

You can't even find case gauges or resizing dies for sale. Even Lee shotgun slug molds are unavailable.

Seems everyone instinctively knows that when the government comes for your guns, you better be able to load your own.

How's your ability to reload going?

[bimus]

In times like these we have stopped shooting guns that need more powder and shoot the more cast friendly guns that use 10 to 14 grains of Unique like our 30-30's and pistols .

[ryanmattes]

I'm good for a while. 18k-ish primers actually translates to 2k-4k of each of the primers I use regularly, plus shotgun primers (but bird shells are still available, so no pressure to load), magnum, scattered BR and match primers, etc. That'll keep me for a year or two, I'll just adjust what I'm shooting to what I have. Run low on pistol, I'll start shooting rifle more, and so on. Same for powder, I've got plenty to load whatever I want. More than I have primers, anyway.

I'm not smug about it. I'm still buying primers when I see them at pre-drought prices. Powder too, when I find it. But I'm not worried. I think prices will go back closer to "normal" in 2 years or so.

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[Winger Ed.]

I'm still casting, reloading, & shooting.
I've got a decent amount of primers.
I meant to order more several months ago, and didn't get around to it, but I'm OK.

Since the 80's, if I saw brass cheap, or came home from the range with more brass than I went with, I'd go ahead and load it.
When I got a new gun in a different cal., I'd buy a thousand brass and load it up.

The only effect I've had from the shortage is now days,
I have switched over to shooting more handguns and "the load' for .30 cal. to conserve powder.

[rbuck351]

I have plenty of supplies to shoot as much as I want for the rest of my days. For fun and small game, I shoot almost totally cast boolits in pistols and rifles. At the price I bought supplies and the fact that I don't shoot the huge thumpers for fun, I can load for 5 to 8 cents per round using from 3 to 10 grs of powder for handguns and 10 to 20 grs for rifle. And I have never paid more than 3 cents per primer.
For fun rifles I shoot 22H, 22KH, 25/20, 256win, 32/20, 223, 30/30 and similar small rounds. For big game hunting I shoot J word bullets but it usually only takes a couple or three rounds a year and at that rate I will never run out.

[VariableRecall]

I'm off to a good start considering I started in August. My old man doesn't' know that I've actually started my reloading endeavors, so that's going to be something I'm not looking forward to explaining. Considering that I've more than "paid for" the value of my reloading equipment and my firearm at current pandemic prices for ammunition (Thank you very much for the supplies!). I just hope that mom and dad are going to be understanding about the matter.

Either way, I just hope that I'm going to be able to try out more casting. I've just Alox'd some boolits for the first time, and that process was remarkably quick and easy. just daub in a little bit of goo, shake, and let dry.

I do have some Large Pistol primers I nabbed off GB in December for 10c a primer (looking back, at least that's reasonable these days) so that may make for a reasonable use/trade item for other reloading components I may need.

Either way I'm just going to keep my head down and hunt for deals wherever I can find them.

[Traffer]

I have a little over a box (50 rounds) of 9mm and a hundred small pistol primers. So I can laugh at the shortage. This will last me the rest of my life.

[stubshaft]

I was at the range this morning which is usually a thriving environment with people waiting for a bench. By 11:00 it was a virtual ghost town with only 9 people there. No loaded ammo, no primers = no shooters.

[Daekar]

I've got several thousand primers and enough other components that I technically have enough to do what I need for a long time. However, it's not enough to do what I want. I am feeling secure but not terribly smug.

Going to use this time to collect lead, make ingots, do some low volume accuracy testing.

[MrWolf]

I don't think "smug" is the right word for times like these. Better prepared but not smug. Could be some difficult times ahead of us

[Lloyd Smale]

I have a little over a box (50 rounds) of 9mm and a hundred small pistol primers. So I can laugh at the shortage. This will last me the rest of my life.

that would be like taking a breath and hoping I had enough oxygen for the next 30 years.

[TjB101]

I actually thinned the herd and helped a few reloaders out but still have enough stock to keep me happy for a few years. I need to get to the range for my yearly range scrap scrounging session but that have to wait till spring. My lead supplies are dwindling a tad (200 lbs left).

Not smug, but happy I dropped $100 at every gun show the last 7 years and bought primers.

[GhostHawk]

Between the Covid and the shortage I have shot very little this last year.

I have enough of everything I need, but don't want to waste it. If you can't replace primers every one you pop is one less you might need some day. I'm sitting on good stashes of lead, powder, primers. But if I shoot 100 rounds every week it won't last forever.

So for me I just stopped going to the range. I turned back to my airguns to keep my hand/eye coordination and my shooting eye sharp.

I have a little Beeman single pump pneumatic that does maybe 400 fps in .177. I have thousands of those pellets. So a few rounds here and there is no sweat. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

33$ currently on Amazon. I end up spending twice that on adapter to dovetail and Red Dot sight. Still able to put one together for about 100$. And another 100$ spent on pellets would leave you in good shape for a long time.

My target is a 12"x12"x18" box filled with rubberized kids play mats cut to fit then wrapped the box in duct tape.

Hang a standard slow fire pistol target on it and I use a 2" shoot n see bullseye so I can see where I hit.

On a good day at 15 feet I can easily cover 5 shots with a dime. One ragged hole.

Don't have to go anywhere, dress for outside. Just put the dog outside on his leash and pop a few.

I have an even better catch box for Air Rifles and a 20' range in basement. Its been getting a bit more use.

Just something to consider.

"TRUGLO Dual-Color Multi-Reticle Open Dot Sight" 66$ at amazon.
This is the adapter I use.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

8$ and change. Locks on solid to the Beeman dovetail. Does not move or lose zero even when the pistol is laying on the floor getting kicked around.

As to Red Dot's spend as much or as little as you like. Pistol comes with good sights but I vastly prefer the Red Dot for quick pickup of the target. I like a 2.5 MOA dot. At closer ranges that is small enough. And the lower you run the Red Dot at, the smaller the dot appears.

Last, that beeman pistol has an absolutely AWESOME trigger.
The only annoyance I had was the automatic safety. Pop out one pin, remove actuating lever, replace, = no more automatic safety.
Still has a very good manual safety. And best of course is if you are not shooting it, don't cock and load it.

Hope this helps someone.

[Triggerfinger]

[QUOTE=Liberty1776;5131827]
So now, with every supplier in America telling us, "OUT OF STOCK" just how smug are you that you are able to load and shoot at will? [ QUOTE]

I'm a little smug, but.....which one is Will?

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I fear I am more smug than I should be.

The OP doesn't specifically address being Generous to those who are not stocked up or who want to be stocked up or who just want to buy tooling and equipment...But I guess indirectly, the word smug does.

[HATCH]

I feel pretty good but I am worried.
I have a decent stockpile and could shoot for the next ten years or more at my current rate of fire.
The problem I have is that nagging feeling that I didn't have before.
The feeling that each shot isn't just 7 cents a trigger pull (9mm and 38sp)
That each trigger pull potentially means that's one shot closer to being out of ammo.
A feeling that I never had before.
Yes, I could load a bunch of ammo before I run out of supplies, but in the past I knew that I could just order replacements from Powder Valley and life would be good again.
I haven't purchased primers or powder in over a decade.
Last time I bought primers it was $23 per thousand for Remington Primers.
Those days are long gone.

I feel for those just now getting into shooting and reloading in general. Its the time to stock up on guns for sure, but the timing is wrong on everything else.

[oley55]

Not so much and don't think I ever have been. I suppose it all depends on your financial situation or family at any given time. I find I am always balancing family needs against my shooting/reloading wants.

There is plenty of smug to be found on the various forums. Some far worse than others (and certainly way worse than generally found here). Case in point, if you venture into the annealing brass subject on another forum, the 'Smuggies" go into overdrive and tell us we are all Morons because we aren't using an AMP induction annealer, and/or so on.

When supplies were plentiful, I knew I should stock up on everything, but Granny's wants always seemed more important (she does wash my cloths and cook my meals after all). I've got enough I guess, but then maybe not over the long run. Will this particular shortage end like all previous shortages, or will this one become the new norm (if some law makers get there way)?

I'm doing OK, but I'm a long, long ways from feeling smug or all knowing.

[SSGOldfart]

[QUOTE=Triggerfinger;5131991]

So now, with every supplier in America telling us, "OUT OF STOCK" just how smug are you that you are able to load and shoot at will? [ QUOTE]

I'm a little smug, but.....which one is Will?

I'm very smug
Yea we need a picture of Will it helps to know one's target(don't want to waste a shot with this shortage going on )

[LenH]

I am by all means not smug about much of anything. I stocked up on primers when Powder valley had primers for a hundred bucks for 5K LP primers. I think I
got 20K at the time and still have about 12K left. I found a guy cleaning up his inventory and got several unopened jugs of powder that I use. I try and stick funds
back for such purchases.

I have got caught with my britches down a time or two during times when there were runs on components.

[dverna]

I cashed out most of my stock of primers. No way I am going to plink a few thousand rounds a year with stuff that has that much value.

Took the "profit" and invested in a high end PCP rifle, suppressor, and tank. I can shoot for less than a nickel a shot for the rest of my life without smelting scrap, casting, lubing/sizing, picking up brass, cleaning brass, or reloading....and NO hearing protection. Most of our plinking is at 50 yards or less so why throw 125-180 gr bullets at 1000-1600 fps?

Once my pellet evaluation is completed, I will buy 20k pellets and be set for a while. Then wait for sales on pellets and add another 20-30k. Will likely add a pellet pistol as well.

I suppose I am a bit smug about being prepared, but I get tired of hearing from those who made poor choices and now are in trouble. Like the OP, I had "friends" laugh at me for stocking up.

Some new members on this site are the most vocal. But the ones who tick me off the most are those using guilt to shame their "shooting brothers". If you use the word hoarder, scalper or speculator, you might be a Democrat....or at least a RINO.

The most ignorant word used by the grasshoppers is "hoarder". It is all relative. Is someone with 30k primers a hoarder? I suppose if someone shoots 1500-2000 rounds a year, it may look that way. What if they shoot 20k rounds a year?