Reloading supplies and brass shortage

[Bad Ass Wallace]

As things g, supplies usually happen in USA and then flow on to the rest of the world. Getting bad in Australia with no pistol powder, primers limited to 500 per shooter when available, the usual brass 45/70, 32/20, 25/20, 218Bee just non-existant in the local gunshops.

Gunstore has a beautiful 94 Winchester 32/40 with 'close coupled' set triggers for a inflated price of $AU2500 but locating suitable brass (38/55 etc.) dies etc are fruitless.

When brass is available the prices make your eyes water. $153/50 Remington 303 brass? $AU90/50 45/70 brass. $AU190/1000 for primers? Etc. Even projectile supplies are limited, no Sierra, Hornady, Speers just cast boolits for 95% of my shooting.

[dverna]

We are seeing lower prices and increased availability so hopefully your situation improves.

For general fun shooting, the "weird" stuff is not a good place to be. And yes, 32/20, 25/20, .218 Bee are not popular enough to be stocked in many places. When things improve, stocking up on brass is a necessity.

Even with the "common" stuff, I could not justify burning up $125+/k primers or $50+/lb powder for much plinking and paper punching. I made the decision to invest in good quality PCP's to get trigger time.

We Americans have been whining a lot over the last two years but I suspect the folks down under have it worse. It is a time to reevaluate how we approach the hobby we love.

If I was younger, I would purchase swaging dies and a press to produce .224 and .308 bullets. That would cover 100% of my "needs" (not my "wants"). It would assure I could shoot/hunt regardless of what happens in the future. But I am old and have stocked enough stuff to last my lifetime...but at a price. I cannot shoot as much CF as I used to because of component costs. Thus the move to air guns.

There are people "remanufacturing" primers. That would be worth doing for non-critical shooting. I am not a fan of black powder, but it can be produced at home if things get really bad. Black powder is not suitable for any of my CF rifles so it holds no attraction for me, but it would work in the .45/70.

I used to scoff at "conspiracy theories" but it seems many of our "leaders" want to make it increasingly difficult and expensive to own and use guns. Something to consider as we plan for the future.

[Shawlerbrook]

Living here behind the Second Amendment iron curtain in NYS, I have made it my mission to have ( or at least try) to have a lifetime supply of components. Yes, ammo is becoming more available ( but here we cannot buy online) but most reloading supplies are hard to find and expensive when you do. For now we can buy components online ( although some suppliers won’t ship to NYS) but with complete one party( the wrong party) control of our government that could change any day.

[Misery-Whip]

Im in the USA on the West coast. We are limited to 200 primers when available, but its been 3weeks since I found them available. And 2 weeks before that.

A few powders have been available , ive seen 4-1lb cans but all of the newer winchester powders I dont have data for. And no data on the can.

Over the last month stores are filling their shelves again with loaded ammo. No limits, but the calibers listed by the OP I havent seen. And prices are high. Federal premium 308 is $56 a box. 45acp for $44 a box of fmj. And 357s for $37 a box. Brick of 325 22lr federal auto match for $32 a box. Cheapest 223 was $.040 per rnd. Brass case fmj. 9mm was $24 per 50 rnds.

Availability is comming but at inflated prices im not buying. Except im low on 3031, so im gonna mull that over.

[JSnover]

Gunstore has a beautiful 94 Winchester 32/40 with 'close coupled' set triggers for a inflated price of $AU2500

I'm not saying that's cheap (my first reaction was Good Lord!!) but one of those sold at auction in 2018 for $USD2875. So that's, what, over $AU4200?