Given Ammo Prices And Availability, How Happy Are You That You Load and Cast? [Archive]

cwtebay

04-04-2021, 06:09 PM

My office manager borrowed 1500 small pistol primers from me in December for her son. I told her that I needed them back by April - she said they cost nearly a week's pay!!!! And yes, i am happy that I have a couple of skills (not saying mine are next level!!!) - but the primer thing is going to catch up with a lot of us eventually!

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Cargo

04-04-2021, 06:09 PM

Very happy that I started reloading. Not only are we now teaching our children how to safely handle and use firearms. I'm also helping my buddy with ammo so he can teach his children. The last time we went to the range we had nine shooters on the line.

Last month I traded six boxes of 9mm ammo for a new Ruger Wrangler and a $200 downpayment on a Single Six. Everyone was happy.

Landy88

04-04-2021, 06:47 PM

...(not saying mine are next level!!!)...

As a relatively new caster but long time loader, I should second your commendable modesty; but my friends, trying to find ammo to teach their kids to shoot with, think we're next level and enviable. Providing them a few boxes here and there is a pleasure, too. New shooters!

Bad Ass Wallace

04-04-2021, 06:54 PM

I have almost a ton of lead, over 100 molds, plenty of primers and powder. I get numerous requests for "can you make me some?"

Without 100+ cast boolit molds, powder coating and reloading I would be the same as others!

Winger Ed.

04-04-2021, 07:39 PM

I cashed in some factory .223 and surplus berdan primed 7.62NATO not too long ago.
I carried it in to the LGS in one box and cashed it in for right at $1,200.
A neighbor did the same making 2 trips to the car with ammo he didn't have guns for anymore. He got $3200 for his.

It was a in-n-out deal. We asked, "What will you pay for this"?
And took his first offer.... which was way more than I expected to get.

I went back a couple days later, and over half of it was gone.

racepres

04-04-2021, 08:11 PM

Hmmm
Just for Grins... How much 223/ 5.56 Winchester Military type "Stuff" would I need to get off of to get me an old 38 Special????
Just Curious... as the old Cop trade in .38's have Exploded in value with Ammo...and...Every thing else!!!

HATCH

04-04-2021, 09:09 PM

Stay on topic

Blanket

04-04-2021, 09:19 PM

funny learned how to cast size and shoot boolits over 50 years ago, load paper case shotshells with reloaded primers with cci caps

tomme boy

04-04-2021, 09:32 PM

One of my cousins stopped by for a visit. He was in town for a wedding. He lives about 90 miles north of St. Paul MN. Said he stopped at over 15 places looking for 9mm on way here. He found 2 boxes of 25 up ammo. Spent over $100 for them.

I told him to wait a few minutes. I went to the loading room. I brought out a box and handed it to him. A little over 500 rounds of 9mm. He about fell over and then pulls out his wallet. Told him NO! Told him to take his boy out and have some fun on me.

rancher1913

04-04-2021, 10:04 PM

we had a thread awhile back about the swage set up to make 5.56 boolits and several were poo pooing the few of us that spent what to even me was insane money on dies to make your own jacketed rounds, we were told you would never get your moneys worth out of the dies, well look at me smile now [smilie=s:

Targa

04-04-2021, 10:39 PM

I am thrilled that I load and cast my own. It all started with my passion for .44mag years ago, I decided if I wanted to continue shooting with out a guilty conscience I would have to start loading my own which also turned into casting my own. Through the years, with the addition of .454 Casull, .475 Linebaugh, 45-70 my reloading and casting equipment has paid for itself more than a couple times over.
I think what I am most thankful with reloading this day and age is where people are taking numbers for a chance at overpriced factory ammo, I just go into the loading room and make what I want. I can’t remember the last box of ammo that I bought.

405grain

04-04-2021, 11:55 PM

I've been casting and reloading for over 40 years. This isn't the first shortage I've been through, so I always try to stock up when times are good. This latest shortage of components hasn't slowed my reloading at all. But, curiously, the restrictions on public places because of the pandemic and being considered "essential" (that means work harder!) has left me with fewer opportunities to go shooting lately. Oddly, I now have more ammo during the ammo shortage.

44Blam

04-05-2021, 01:02 AM

On Saturday I went to the range with a buddy of mine. We shot some trap and then some pistol. We have a lot of fun. When shooting trap, we would have an unloaded shotgun with shells on our belt and you run up, grab it and start loading shells - as soon as you touch the gun, the other guy can start sending clays. Well, you get a couple shells in quick and nail the first couple birds and then keep loading. After six rounds, you put the gun down and switch. Super fun.

Then we typically go shoot pistol. It's a draw and shoot 2. Whoever has the most hits or in a tie the fastest gets the point.

While we were shooting pistol, a guy walked up and watched. When we were done, he said he was wanting to join the range. We talked about the range a bit and then he mentioned he had bought some reloading stuff. I asked what he bought and he had bought a dillon super fancy progressive press, etc. He was like "where do you get your primers"... "where do you get your bullets..." I just thought oh man - you are gonna have to sit on that fancy press for a little while... But we talked about reloading and casting, he took copious notes and hopefully he will keep them.

While we were talking I was picking up brass and putting it into my sorter. At one point he showed us a super fancy CZ75 in 9mm and said he hadn't even shot it yet. So, after sorting, I gave him all the 9mm brass I picked up from the range.

I was thinking to myself, I'm probably good (with my normal shooting habits) for about a year or so. This poor guy just bought all kinds of cool stuff that he cannot use.

rcslotcar

04-05-2021, 05:56 AM

Yup, nice to be able cut the high cost of factory. Using .22lr brass it costs me about .01 to .02 cents for each bullet.

Brassmonkey

04-05-2021, 06:25 AM

I don't shoot a lot and I scour for deals and reload so, happy happy happy.

FISH4BUGS

04-05-2021, 07:21 AM

I was in the local general store the other day with my shooting buddy. The clerk asked what we were going to do this afternoon and we said "go shooting". He said..."man, you guys must be rich to afford that."
I laughed and said, not really. I just cast and reload my own.
He could simply not understand how I can shoot center fire handgun cheaper than a .22. :)

MrWolf

04-05-2021, 07:49 AM

I joined here basically during the first real panic that impacted me. I had only shot trap before that and had plenty of supplies. I made sure I was not going through that again. I have also found it easier to concentrate on a lot of things needing done around here before the warm weather hits. This way I can really enjoy my shooting.
Ron

Edward

04-05-2021, 08:00 AM

I cast and reload which allows me to shoot but still leaves me depressed as every time I pull the trigger there"s that feeling of empty shelfs coming. And I thought I was good (but) Ed

lightman

04-05-2021, 08:09 AM

I've always been happy with my decision to start reloading and casting. I started back in the late 60's, working under Grandpas supervision.

I even continued to load 9mm and 223 when the prices for factory ammo got down so cheap.

charlie b

04-05-2021, 09:14 AM

Of course I am happy I cast and reload! Only been doing it for 50 years :)

And, yes, I started cause I wanted to shoot more and could not afford that much factory ammo. Same reason I reload and cast today. Can't afford Gold Medal Match ammo on a regular basis :)

When times like this come around it makes me happy to crank out some ammo instead of standing in line to buy one or two boxes.

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LenH

04-05-2021, 09:22 AM

I started reloading and casting in my teens (soon to be 65) and it was so I could keep shooting then and now with all the shortages, I am as happy as a pig in slop.
When someone asks where did I get my bullets, and when I tell the I cast my own most look at me like I have a third eye.

onelight

04-05-2021, 09:24 AM

I was happy to load at normal prices there is no way I could have enjoyed all the shooting I have done in my life if shooting factory loads .
For the most part I choose the simplest way to make holes in paper but I enjoy the loading as much as the shooting most of the time :)

FredBuddy

04-05-2021, 11:25 AM

If events continue on the present trajectory
I may be the only source for ammunition
for miles around.

I prepared for it and I'm happy.

markmars

04-05-2021, 11:58 AM

Yes I've been reloading all my life started casting handgun bullets around 1999. It was costing my less then the price of .22 back then to cast and shoot 9 mm. I think I read on here a long time ago that most competitive handgun shooters cast.

trapper9260

04-05-2021, 11:59 AM

I got into reloading and casting so I do not have to depend on the stores and factory for the ammo and also able to load what I want and fine tune it to what it will be used for . As for primers I got that cover on to reload my own and for how it is , it is not the first time some thing like this happened and it is just worst one . will see how things will come to.

Kraschenbirn

04-05-2021, 12:15 PM

I've been reloading since the early 1960s and casting...off and on...since the mid-'70s so it's difficult for me to separate the two from my principle outdoor pastime: i.e. recreational shooting. I cast so that I can reload, and I reload so that I can shoot; the three activities all mesh together. I must admit, though, the current ammuntion/component famine caught me a little off-guard and, at my current rate of consumption, I'm going to begin running out of things somewhere between two and three years from now.

Bill

Burnt Fingers

04-05-2021, 12:21 PM

Happier than a hog in warm mud.

I can still load and shoot 9mm and 45 ACP for around $6/100 or less. I also was prepared for the shortage.

farmbif

04-05-2021, 12:37 PM

I don't know about happy, but satisfied as a hog in a warm muddy turnip patch.
its a hobby or maybe an addiction, keeps me from getting bored and each new load worked up is like a new adventure, load a few, shoot a few make some adjustments, load a few more, shoot a few more. what to cast, load and shoot next. well I'm starting out the week pondering wether it should be some 22 hornets or 25-20's,. waiting to see if the post office can deliver the stuff ordered last week for a new foray in 308 win
although turkey season opened here last weekend so the load 3" 12 gauge is kept handy if I might get lucky and spot a tom nearby.

Jim22

04-05-2021, 01:09 PM

I am happy. I got back into boolit casting last fall after about a 30 year hiatus. I got back in just in time to score some moulds, gas checks, primers, and powder. Took a long time to do. Had to hit the LGS's regularly to find what they had in stock. Managed to score a Lyman 45 Lube sizer they had bought from an estate. At 74 years old I reckon I have enough. Picked up another 70 lbs of smelted wheel weights from my local scrap yard - in one lb ingots. So far I have about 300 lbs of wheel weights, anothe 100 of soft lead and a few lbs of tin and linotype. I think I'm pretty well OK.

Winger Ed.

04-05-2021, 01:21 PM

To still be able to afford to feed my .45-70 and others---
I'm happier than a dog with a new stick.

JSnover

04-06-2021, 11:50 AM

Cast10

04-06-2021, 12:42 PM

Been reloading over 45 years and just began my trail into casting. Started acquiring stuff last year when things started getting bad. Couldn’t find everything till this new year. A hog shooter/semi auto carbine and present political/market environment made mine up to start casting. Glad I found this site and folks. Has brought back a little fun in load development.

Goofy

04-06-2021, 12:57 PM

Started casting 10-12 years ago and since then have shot about 50 jacketed rounds. Other than rimfire I haven’t fired factory loaded ammo for about 40 years. For that matter I haven’t fired any factory rimfire ammo in about 2-1/2 years as I load that also in CF format. Most of the rifles and scatterguns have been sold as they no longer are useful. Did hang onto a flintlock and have all the BP and flint needed.

onelight

04-06-2021, 01:31 PM

I'm as satisfied now as I was more than 25 years ago when I started. I feel bad for the 20-somethings who didn't realize the whole ammunition and component markets were going to be so messed up - they simply weren't old enough to know what was coming.
When I was 20 I had a baby and a wife living off a motorcycle mechanics pay so it would not have mattered if I new it was imminent or not . I would not have been able to stock up enough to make a difference .

Swamp Fox

04-06-2021, 03:42 PM

I’m glad I’ve got what I do and can continue to shoot some, but I have a hard time using what I can’t replace. So I’ve cut back a lot until I can resupply or there’s a real emergency.

Daekar

04-06-2021, 04:30 PM

I probably wouldn't be able to shoot at all if I didn't reload, and casting is a big part of that. Very glad, overall. Now, if I could just find more primers...

gwpercle

04-06-2021, 06:29 PM

I started casting boolits and reloading in 1967 , can honestly say I've never had one regret .
Happy as a clam at high tide with my choice of hobbies .
I may not of saved any money but have never lacked ammo .
I have always enjoyed casting , amassing and trying different moulds and chasing the elusive perfect 38 Special Target Load . It's been fun .
Gary

Loudy13

04-07-2021, 05:20 PM

Super Happy that I cast and reload. The J-words are still available for some stuff but I can cast everything I need which will do just fine. I have also had about a dozen people ask if I will sell to them, I tell them as soon as I can find primers maybe. I have a bunch reloaded for what the wife and I need for the next couple of summers but I am not taking the chance as to when Primers are gonna be available again.

This shortage is putting me in a bit of a bind though I have 9000+ bullets I cast and coated for this 3 gun season and I don't want to load anything just in case i need those primers for something else I run out of.....guess its not the worst problem to have.

David2011

04-09-2021, 02:49 AM

I made my first handloads in 1977 and my first cast boolits in 1981. Very happy I’m still doing it.

rbuck351

04-10-2021, 12:04 AM

Yeah, I'm very happy I started loading and casting about 1970. I got caught in a primer shortage around 1978 IIRC. I then started buying components a bit at a time as often as I could afford. Now over 50 years of stocking components has put me in a position where I can load and shoot as much as I want for the rest of my days. Occasionally I get a gun that shoots a round that is new to me and I need to get brass and a mold or two but even that is rare anymore.

hornady308

04-14-2021, 07:50 PM

I started reloading in the early 80's as a teenager because factory loaded 44 Mag ammo was too expensive. I started casting 20 years ago because I thought it would be fun (and I was right). When I went to a large public range this week it was virtually vacant. The range officer said that, with no ammo available, people aren't shooting. There were only two of us on the rifle range and both of us are reloaders.

dverna

04-15-2021, 12:40 AM

It feels good to know I am covered wrt being able to shoot not just to hunt and defend my home/family, but have some fun time too.

I have set a lower limit for components and when that is reached I will stop shooting for fun. I should be good for 4-5 years as things stand now.

I have helped a few people out so far.

GregLaROCHE

04-15-2021, 01:22 AM

Unfortunately, our cast boolits are only part of the total equation. Maybe if someone gets really lucky, they can trade boolits for primers etc.

Flintlocks may be gaining popularity. You can even make your own BP.

inspector_17

04-18-2021, 11:25 AM

Started reloading about 40 years ago. No books, and the internet was still just an idea. I had just a faint idea of what to do. Did manage to keep all my fingers and toes. Ended up making very good and accurate ammo. Then life got in the way and had to sell/trade off everything. Got into casting/reloading about 10-12 years ago. Learned how little I really did know. Now I love the time I get to sit down and put bullets together. And the wife even leaves me alone. LOL After my first "Shortage" I promised myself never again.

AndyC

04-18-2021, 12:04 PM

I'm comfortable enough to occasionally gift a few people some ammo - if it wasn't for a busted main-sewer pipe I discovered under my recently-purchased house and had to have fixed before the then-upcoming election, though, I'd have a heck of a lot more primers and powder as I saw some (not all) of this coming. The usual pre-election jitters I was prepared for - but not the massive numbers of new gun-owners wanting ammo.

Still, I'm very glad for what I have and although I'm doing less shooting, I'm still maintaining skills.

Cosmic_Charlie

04-19-2021, 01:42 AM

I always disliked buying most factory centerfire ammo. But I did buy .223 and 9mm in bulk. Also bought shotgun ammo. Loading it was so much cheaper, particularly magnum handgun rounds. And this was before I started casting. And the ability to create the type of load you want for a particular purpose and firearm is priceless.

GregLaROCHE

04-19-2021, 08:44 AM

Now I only buy factory ammunition to get the brass. With the prices today, I think I have enough brass.

robg

04-19-2021, 09:12 AM

i started rolling my own in early 80s ,casting in 98 .as long as powder and primers are available im ok .i get more pleasure from loading that shooting used to be the other way round.i would miss 22rf though.

Gator 45/70

04-19-2021, 12:12 PM

Ha, I laugh at the chronic un-prepared.
Some come or call, Hey my buddy,boss,friend needs xyz
I'm like you need this list of these components so I can teach you how to roll you're own.
To date I've had a grand total of 0 whom have taken up my offer.
Some are just inherently lazy whom have been accustomed to pushing the easy button, Let them stand in line !

gwpercle

04-19-2021, 12:27 PM

I feel so sorry for those guys who want to get started in casting boolits and reloading ammo today ... can't buy a darned thing ...and the prices are insane . 1967 was a totally different time ... walk into local gun and reloading shop and buy anything and everything you wanted . Herter's mail order catalog had even more stuff and nothing was ever "sold out" !
Gary

Gator 45/70

04-19-2021, 12:36 PM

gbrown

04-20-2021, 02:23 PM

I started reloading in 63 or 64, with my best friend. Mostly shotgun, but some pistol and rifle. Went to the Army for a while, came back and went to work at the local SO. Didn't need to load, they gave me all I needed. Kept my reloading stuff, though. Left the SO, got back into reloading. Cast with another buddy. Didn't have any molds, but then in 2009, ran across a fellow selling his gunshop with a ton of molds he didn't know what to do with. I got them. Sold what I didn't need, Kept a few for myself. Wish there were people who wanted to learn, but everyone is amazed when they see me producing boolits.

cwtebay

04-21-2021, 12:25 AM

Isn't it funny? I shot gads of surplus 22 hornet andy far more 30-06 from green box. Never dreamed of reloading them!! I did keep all of my brass, however.
But...can you imagine learning to shoot, learning to take care of your rifle in today's market? I have reloaded since before junior high with a Lee Loader and a pliers bullet mold. Can you imagine trying to get started today? My kids all know how to roll their own, and my daughter just told me today that she is the only one she knows (in college) that has any ammunition at all!

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FLINTNFIRE

04-21-2021, 12:36 AM

Wished I was as prepared as I wished I was , but then again I would always want more , shame is I have to buy brass as when you get a odd ball rifle in a specific case there are no other options except buy the expensive brass .

But it is all fun and will get the enjoyment out of it as well as letting people I meet shoot something they have not seen , so as to give someone the experience .

I saw the election coming and knew it would cause issues , was seeing blips about the pandemic before it became front page , was kind of shocked on peoples reactions and the run on supplies , fear ,profiteering and all the rest of man kinds sickness , all boils down to uncontrollable fear .

Bmi48219

04-21-2021, 02:44 AM

Have to say I’m tickled pink. I cut back shooting last fall, prior to that I was burning through 2,000 to 2,500 rounds a month. Now less than half that. At this rate I can last a couple years, with primers being the biggest concern. Same as others said, lots of charity type requests. Tell em all I’ll help you assemble your components. So far no takers.
I load for a brother and SIL. Took 1,000 rounds to brother late last year, got another batch ready to go. Met kids in SC last weekend & gave SIL 500 rounds 40 S&W. Feels great to be able to help someone that doesn’t have a lot to spend.
Life is good.