Moneys tight buy lead or primers?

[bbogue1]

Given the season, I'm sure many handgun reloaders face the dilemma of restocking. You are down to 1500 primers and 20 pounds of lead. If you could buy $80 of primers or $80 of lead or some other needed reloading commodity, what would you do?

[Snow ninja]

Buy $40 in primers and $40 worth of lead.

[Adk Mike]

Buy primers. Scrounge lead. That’s what i’ve Always done. Becomes a game.

[jeepyj]

Well if that is the only options. Then in your case it looks like lead. Let's look at the facts. An average pound of lead will do 46ish 150 grain boolits so you have enough lead to do 920 boolits so from my prospective you have ample primers compared to your lead supply.
Now if we're me I'd be finding a way to wheel and deal on the lead and buy more primers. We had a LGS last week selling CCI for 20 bucks a brick.
Good luck!

[runfiverun]

lead.
they will still have primers at the store next month.

[rancher1913]

why choose, use your credit card like any other red blooded american. :bigsmyl2:

[John Boy]

You are down to 1500 primers and 20 pounds of lead. If you could buy $80 of primers or $80 of lead or some other needed reloading commodity, what would you do?
Sell the primers and lead and take up shooting darts!

[Hick]

I'd opt for the lead-- I'm not down to 1500 primers (Heck-- I've never been down to 1500 primers-- if I get below 20,000 I start to worry about my stock-- and at the moment I'm not remotely worried).

[trails4u]

I'd buy primers.... You can 'find' lead just about anywhere. Primers, not so much....

[jmorris]

I recycle bullets and brass, primers and powder I buy, for the most part.

I agree with others though, I am “out” of a primer when I open the last case of 5000.

[sukivel]

Buy primers. Scrounge lead. That’s what i’ve Always done. Becomes a game.

This!!!!


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[scattershot]

Yep, gotta agree with Mike. No substitute for primers.

[nagantguy]

Buy the primers, go berm mining or take a load of scrap to the recycling yard ; our two local ones do better in trade than cash; if you bring in 20 dollars in scrap they will trade 25 or so in lead of your choosing most days . Ask me how I know.

[OS OK]

Simple...I just put my old ratty clothes on, mismatched shoes, rub some dirt on my face then grab my cardboard sign and head out to the street corner...


"Will work for LEAD or PRIMERS"



Seriously though...Every month I set aside a few $ and buy whichever commodity that I'm low on...after about the first six months or so you are starting to actually stock up. Only problem then is that you have to start keeping track of your inventory and create a place to put it.

[GhostHawk]

I'd be a 40 and 40 guy although I have to admit I saw no bad advice thus far.

Knuckle down buckle down do it do it do it.

Git r done.

Don't short the family.
Try going without those 5$ coffee's.

[retrobass]

Do you Smoke? You can buy a lot of lead for the price of a month’s cigarettes.

[Ickisrulz]

Because I remember primer and powder shortages, I'd get the primers. Lead is always available.

[pressonregardless]

I'd buy primers, you can always find lead if you look hard enough.

[sparky45]

Buy primers. Scrounge lead. That’s what i’ve Always done. Becomes a game.
This ↑↑↑

[bbogue1]

This is soo interesting I made a poll of it, GREAT answers, much fun.

[RogerDat]

Primers! If nothing else I already stocked up on lead. And if push comes to shove.... I would go bug nagantguy to swap me a couple hundred of my primers for some of his lead. Odd that this poll should come up now. I'm down about $60 worth of primers but that is because I bought 175# of lead, which required my raiding the stash piggy bank. It was there, I was there, it smelled good and tasted better so it went home with me.

I'm 110% in agreement with the post on buying a bit more than you use every month, or setting aside funds for an order or purchase in bulk. If you spend a few months and even years buying, swapping or scrounging more than you use eventually you build up a stash. Need 2 then buy 3 until you reach a level that makes you feel comfortable with your stock on hand. Trick is to try and avoid the temptation to buy another mold in a caliber you can already cast for, or additional equipment or tools to enhance your reloading bench in ways that are worthwhile but not really necessary. Or like some might do buy 175# of lead [smilie=1: because you find printers lead you buy printers lead right?

[lightman]

I'm with the "buy primers and scrounge the lead" group of guys. This is the first year in my casting career that I have ever paid for lead.

[mdi]

You can make reloads without lead, but not without primers. Lead is still to be found cheaply (except in CA) and berms can be mined for lead. If lead is getting scarce, cast smaller bullets...

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I can't imagine being so low stocked of Lead, Primers, or any other component in pistol ammo production.
But I guess I'm with Adk Mike.

Buy primers. Scrounge lead. That’s what i’ve Always done. Becomes a game.

With that said, I've well stocked of everything right now. BUT, as of last week, I had a bunch of Cabela's points $ on my cabela's visa card. With the Bass pro shop buyout/merger (whatever it was), the Cabela's card was sold to (or whatever) to Capital One bank. Whenever switchovers like that happen in the bank world, Perks tend to change, maybe not right away, but eventually. I got stung once, and lost a bunch of credit card "rewards" back in 2008...remember those days?

Anyway last week, I was struggling what to purchase from Cabela's with those points $, and I can't spend them anywhere else ...I don't need anything from them, and don't even want anything from them.

So a better question for my situation is, what do you buy, when you don't need anything, but have funds you could likely loose if you don't spend the funds? (LOL, kind of like a Government agency, LOL)

...

My answer was 41 Mag Brass (starline)...Cabela's doesn't charge too much more than Starline's website...I also had one of their postcard coupons that mount to about 20% off if you spend more than $100. I placed the order last weekend.

...

[RogerDat]

^ You buy what you might need or that you can easily swap if you don't end up needing it. I guess new starline brass fits that category.

[Gewehr-Guy]

Primers first, powder second, lead last. Lead can always be found, at a price, but when primers are gone, you just don't find them at the tire shop or junk yard. Also the post office won't ship you some primers like that 60 pounds of lead.

[osteodoc08]

Nothing. Save the money. Scrounge the lead. When money improves buy powder AND primers

[RCE1]

Primers. If it gets so bad we're trying to DIY primers, it's time to take up archery again. Problem with lead is it getting regulated out of availability. Already very hard to scrounge wheel weights here in NorCal.

[maxreloader]

lead.
they will still have primers at the store next month.

Primers! Primers! Primers! Lead is easy "found" and always will be if you know where to look... primers on the other hand are manufactured and subject to all kinds of possibilities down the road.

[JimB..]

Primers for all the reasons mentioned plus a heck of a lot easier to store!

[Shawlerbrook]

Primers ! You can find lead in many more places than you can find primers.

[vzerone]

My vote is primers too.

[Ickisrulz]

Nothing. Save the money. Scrounge the lead. When money improves buy powder AND primers

That's true large internet orders save money.

[OS OK]

First time I ever saw the forum agree 100% on a poll...27 votes/27 buy primers....must be a new mood a'comin!

[runfiverun]

there is one dissenter. :lol:

try scrounging lead here.
we got 2 tire shops.
the owner of one is a caster, the second place gives them to the owners son that also happens to be the manager.
the print shop wants cash for his lino-type [if he has any left]
the mechanic shop owner is a caster, and the guy that owns the body shop is also a caster,
[I traded him some Tin and some old stick on WW's for a new windshield]
and if you touch my berms I shoot at you.

[john.k]

When I was a kid,one of the teachers would give passing grades if you brought him lead,more lead,higher grade.He had a big collection of old guns. All flintlocks,so he didnt need primers either.

[ulav8r]

It is a lot easier to recycle lead than primers.

[maxreloader]

there is one dissenter. :lol:

try scrounging lead here.

I live near the atlantic ocean, I am spoiled. Keels are abundant.

[dikman]

We had a LGS last week selling CCI for 20 bucks a brick.
Good luck!

If we can get them under Au$60 we think we're doing well! Since I took up Single Action shooting I've become aware of the need to keep a goodly supply of primers (and powder) - so I'm slowly stocking up. One thing about them (and powder) is that if I ever have to get rid of them they should be easy to sell. Also, supply can be even iffier than over your way!

[HATCH]

I think of it this way.

There has NEVER been a time that a Vendor Sponsor on CB didn't have lead for sale.
There has been PLENTY of times that you couldn't get primers.
So its a no brainer if I have to choose, its gonna be primers.

[blikseme300]

Primers always come first for me. Much of my lead and lead alloy was gifted to me but never primers. I do remember the shortages of primers so keep well stocked. I regularly buy a brick or 2 and add this to my stash, just in case.

[slim1836]

Buy primers, Walmart's parking lot is full of lead, especially during the holidays.

Slim

[rking22]

Buy primers, 1 time use. Lead is many time use, just takes some effort to scrounge.

[RogerDat]

For those who mention scrounging I totally agree, the thrill of the chase and all that. However..... When the wheel weight is still on a wheel and the wheel is still on the car it's a no-no. So while Walmart parking lot maybe full of lead it isn't like that berm out by the gravel pit. You can't go through it with a bucket and "mine" the parking lot. If you do then at least wear a hoodie, keep your face from being all over the surveillance video. Rookies! What ya gonna do?

:bigsmyl2:

[reddog81]

I said buy lead. There are many shops I could go buy primers at and have them in hand within half an hour. If was out of lead and wanted to cast today I don't have any idea where I'd buy lead. I hate mailing lead and finding it locally isn't easy.

If I had a good deal on lead today it might be gone tomorrow. Primers will still be in stock tomorrow.

[trapper9260]

I would buy powder. Primers for how it was the past 8 years I learn to reload them if need to and as for lead I just go through my bullet stop for lead and also still have lead on hand.But no powder you can not do any of it.

[slim1836]

For those who mention scrounging I totally agree, the thrill of the chase and all that. However..... When the wheel weight is still on a wheel and the wheel is still on the car it's a no-no. So while Walmart parking lot maybe full of lead it isn't like that berm out by the gravel pit. You can't go through it with a bucket and "mine" the parking lot. If you do then at least wear a hoodie, keep your face from being all over the surveillance video. Rookies! What ya gonna do?

:bigsmyl2:


I meant to use the purple font, please excuse my oversight but it was meant in jest.

Slim

[murf205]

I drove 40 miles to get the 200 primer limit at Bass Pro Shop in 2009 when the mere mention of Obama made hording primers a national pastime. By primers and do it regularly.

[garym1a2]

Powder and primers. lead is easy to find or buy.

[Tazza]

About 2 years back, there was an Australia wide shortage of federal small pistol primers, as i own semi-autos, this did not affect me, but my shooting buddies with wheel guns, it hit them really hard, they needed to choose what comps they did and conserve ammo. When primers are available, they buy them up just to make sure they will be ok for a year or two if the shortage ever strikes again.

As already mentioned, lead can be scrounged, primers are a bit harder, but i don't think they will ever get to the point we need to reload our own primers :)

[pjames32]

You can ALWAYS find lead. Not so with primers.

[DCM]

Primers

If things are truly tight food, clothes and shelter come first.

[Eddie17]

Buy primers, lead is easy to find!

[JBinMN]

Primers, if having to choose between lead & primers only.

I use bullet traps. The lead I have & use is reused.

Like Brass gets reused.

Primers & powder go away, so they become a priority.

[dverna]

Yep, I chose primers as well.

With some effort, you can always find lead. And usually with no effort at all if you are not looking for a bargain.

Like many here, I have stockpiled a lot of stuff. It takes either a lot of disposable income or sacrificing to accomplish that. If funds are short, you can invest time in trying to find lead. It will be a better return than trying to reuse primers.

[RogerDat]

I meant to use the purple font, please excuse my oversight but it was meant in jest.

Slim Mine also was in jest, hence the big cheese eating grin emoticon. But seriously if one was going to mine the tires in Walmart parking lot I a hoodie would be an excellent idea. :-)

[Smoke4320]

I'd buy primers, you can always find lead if you look hard enough.
every mall parking lot is full of it :) :)

[bedbugbilly]

I love it when people ask others how they should spend their money. If things are that short - I'd suggest you put the $$ in a savings account and save it for a rainy day when you need to pay your bills. Reloading is a "hobby" - "life" and "bills" are a "reality" and should always come first . . . . . . just sayin'

I've been there and if a little extra $ came along, it was much more important for me to spend it on something special for my wife as that's how a marriage works . . . you put the other before yourself. If you're single . .. you still have bills and things that always come up at the most inconvenient time. . . .

lead can be scrounged . . . buy a few primers if you feel the need but then learn to save . . . you can't enjoy it later in life if you don't save it today.

[Recluse]

If you can't detonate the powder, all the lead in the world does you no good. Projectiles are abundant.

:coffee:

[bangerjim]

Good bottle of single malt! Tomorrow is another day for loading.

[NoAngel]

I'd have to ask myself how in the heck I allowed myself to get in such a predicament in the first place.

[Ranger 7]

Buy Primers and recover lead from the range.

[robg]

you can always scrounge lead etc but you cant make primers {well I cant}

[Kirbydoc]

I tried re-building spent primers and it is a major pain in the hands, wrists, neck and irritation-generating emotions! It did NOT improve my personality!
It can be done but brother you better have the patience of Job![smilie=b:]

[copdills]

primers , I already have alot of lead to load LOL

[wolf3006]

Primers Lead is easy to get!