How has the ammo/component shortage affected your reloading strategies?

[AltaBorn]

With the current component apocalypse that’s going on, have you changed or done anything different to narrow down your loads more efficiently or quicker?
I’m starting to feel like

“Hi, my name is AltaBorn. Im a re-loader.. or I was..”

Have a new rifle and virgin brass that I’m itching to get to work on but every time I plan to start, the lil voice in my head goes 😐 it’s not worth it right now. I wish there was some light at the end of this tunnel!

[32-40win]

Starting to get a bit scary on pricing on components, and unobtanium of some brands that were built by reloaders, strikes me as a bit sad in that they are all in the ammo biz now. Lots of talk from them, but seemingly not a lot of action.
There are a couple of things I'd like to try, don't really need though, not yet anyway. Have to check every day to find stuff.
The growth of the civilian shooting & reloading industry is pretty amazing, even in Canada there are more shooters than golf or hockey players. Lots of supply issues they can't seem to solve, many beyond their control, but, it isn't just them with those issues.
Pricing has me a bit puzzled when I see powder in the US @ 32-52.00/lb and people wanting 80-100 here, primers around 60.00 in the US and 90.00+ here, if you see any. Price of ammo seems to track with it too.
Thinking there is probably two years of this in front of us yet.

[pikergolf]

It is getting tougher, lots of places won't ship powder anymore. Rimfire .22 is almost impossible to find and the price^^^^^.

[brass410]

Have a pretty good supply, as I bought up a closing LGS inventory pre covid. That said its pretty shocking seeing current prices spiraling upwards and due to current supply a lot of guys are dumping their equip and getting out. Dont think we'll see the " good old days of 150.00 case primers or 30.00 lb powder" anymore it's almost cheaper to shoot factory ammo now. And for what its worth
I have spread the bounty purchase amongst my fellow club members so we all have been able shoot regular like, we're all seniors so most shooting is verbal BS interupted by gun fire occasionaly LOL

[elkhunter11]

With so much less variety in components available, I don't do as much load testing. And I am not as fussy as I used to be, when I come up with a good hunting load, I don't spend as many rounds fine tuning as I used to.

[bat119]

Black powder and caps are impossible to find, I no longer dry fire caps to dry out the cylinder switched to rubbing alcohol instead. The shops that show out of stock caps have a price of $16 per 100 yikes!

[Ackleyman]

It is estimated that Canadian target shooters and hunters shoot one million rounds daily seven days a week.[GunBlog July 2022] Number seems high to me..?
That is a lot of powder and other components used up.

[Smokinyotes]

The only thing I’ve been short on the last year or two was 110 25 cal accubonds and 215 m primers. Finally found some so I hoarded a bunch.

[no-regard]

Originally Posted by 32-40win

Starting to get a bit scary on pricing on components, and unobtanium of some brands that were built by reloaders, strikes me as a bit sad in that they are all in the ammo biz now. Lots of talk from them, but seemingly not a lot of action.
There are a couple of things I'd like to try, don't really need though, not yet anyway. Have to check every day to find stuff.
The growth of the civilian shooting & reloading industry is pretty amazing, even in Canada there are more shooters than golf or hockey players. Lots of supply issues they can't seem to solve, many beyond their control, but, it isn't just them with those issues.
Pricing has me a bit puzzled when I see powder in the US @ 32-52.00/lb and people wanting 80-100 here, primers around 60.00 in the US and 90.00+ here, if you see any. Price of ammo seems to track with it too.
Thinking there is probably two years of this in front of us yet.

I saw an add in the buy and sell here lastnight, guy asking $275 for a brick of Federal Match primers?! I don't know if that's the going price, I sure hope not. Add says he 'panic bought too many', that there is part of why there is a shortage - panic buyers, personally, I hope no one buys them from him but I'm sure someone will eventually.

[Dick284]

The ebb and flow of component availability has been around as long as I’ve been in the game, and from what my mentors told me, long before I came along.
It always results in price jumps, and we never get back to the old pricing, never ever.

Once you survive, or suffer through one of these droughts, you certainly are awakened and your purchasing habits change.

I’m still burning powder I purchased in bulk, that ran me $26.50/lb, I’ve got an adequate amount of primers to sustain my current habits as well as supplying family members for some time. Projectiles have been purchased only by a single box, when initial testing is being done. Once a candidate is found, it’s batch lots that get purchased. I’m also gravitating to more cast bullet shooting, since the volume of powder consumed is reduced, and cast bullets are still made quasi locally.

All that being said, hi volume large capacity shooters who are newer to the game, who chose to use social media platforms as mentors, are certainly constrained and worried.

I’ve never seen such a drought like this current one, and I’m even holding back a fair bit in my shooting, and defiantly not doing any new builds or radical load developments till something turns around.

[Grizzly Adams1]

Make every shot count.

Grizz

[colt45]

I have bought most of my reloading supplies quite a while ago , so I’m okay for now , don’t reload as much as I used to , so I’m good for all my hunting guns ,

[Sashi]

When testing a new round, I fire (10) 2 shot groups, loaded 1/2gr apart, and work up loads around the tightest of these groups.

[Bushrat]

It's been great. Inspired me into using up all those partial boxes of bullets, primers and half full jugs of powder that have accumulated over the years without using up my current stuff.

[huntinstuff]

I am at "condition critical" lol

I used to buy just what I needed. I dont hoard.

Now if I leave home, I put my 165g Nosler Accubonds in the safe and leave my cash laying on the coffee table....

Between my friend in Tyler Texas and his neighbor, they hoarded 11 million rounds of 10mm, 9mm, 223 and .22cal around election time......kinda makes you wonder......

[teledogs]

I don't shoot the hunting rifles as much as I'd like too as those components are harder to find and dear in cost.

I shoot the 223 as much as I can as I have lots for it.

Shoot the 22LR the most as I am well stocked on ammo but it is almost impossible to find more.

I watch the buy and sell regularly to see what I can get from the non-gougers.

[1Heavyhitr]

Originally Posted by huntinstuff

I am at "condition critical" lol

Now if I leave home, I put my 165g Nosler Accubonds in the safe and leave my cash laying on the coffee table....

Lol, ain't that the truth! I picked up a couple things at P&D last week and I had a knot in my stomach strolling through the aisles. If it wasn't for Hornady, the entire bullet section would've been empty.

[Cappy]

I used to shoot 6 or more matches a season, but at 200 rounds a weekend it has gotten pricey.

I am not looking for the highest BC sexiest bullets anymore, just the ones I can find and then develop a load and I am done. (Will probably never really chase that again as the plain jane HPBT seem to be working just fine)

Shoot predominately .223 and the other guns just get zeroed and come out to shoot a match or go hunting with.

[catnthehat]

I shooting more 6mmBr and.223 now, saving my 308's for out past 600 Meters these days, i have lots of ammo for hunting all ready to go fir a few years yet.
Cat

[freeride]

I started to cast for my 45/70, got enough components to shoot 5,000 rounds, then we will see what I do next.

I found my hunting rifle does good with 200 eldx which is nice as it seems most guys skip this bullet.

[Sashi]

Originally Posted by mr.orange

I've been accumulating enough components to get me through the next 10 years for my main 3 hunting rifles (30-30, 30-06, and 270). Can't find any hunting bullets for my 303 Brit. Don't have 'range' days anymore, that's for sure, unless it's 22 plinking and those won't last long either...

Have 1 pack of Federal Large Rifle Match primers for sale though on the equipment exchange ($25). Not gouging here, just looking to recoup some costs from my last brick which I paid through the nose for.

I just dumped a bunch at wards auction, they should go cheap

[Faststeel]

Originally Posted by Ackleyman

It is estimated that Canadian target shooters and hunters shoot one million rounds daily seven days a week.[GunBlog July 2022] Number seems high to me..?
That is a lot of powder and other components used up.

If this number includes clay target shooters, not that hard to believe

[teledogs]

For my 223 I ordered some Campro FMJ bullets for plinking/gophers and I will save my Nosler BT varmint rounds for coyotes. The Noslers are hard to find and getting expensive. Found the Campro at Gotenda for $62/500 which I thought was pretty decent and available.

[nimrod]

not me i have so much here i can reload lots of shells

[tranq78]

Originally Posted by mr.orange

Just got off the phone with Sierra...they haven't discontinued production of .311 calibre bullets for the 303 British, but all their machinery is dedicated to other calibres to feed the "hoarding in the US" - their words. Indicated that they might begin production again in 2023 for the Brit.



So to the OP on how has it affected my reloading strategies? I have powder, primers, and cases...just no bullets.

You can also switch to SKS or Moisin projectiles for your 303. SKS is .310 123gr and Moisin projectiles are .311 up to 180gr. We use 7.62x39 projectiles for plinking with 303 milsurps, cheap fun.

If you are really in a pinch, take apart some 7.62x54 or 7.62x39 Russian ammo and use the projectiles.


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[Davey Boy]

Originally Posted by teledogs

For my 223 I ordered some Campro FMJ bullets for plinking/gophers and I will save my Nosler BT varmint rounds for coyotes. The Noslers are hard to find and getting expensive. Found the Campro at Gotenda for $62/500 which I thought was pretty decent and available.

Do you remember how much shipping was for those Campro's?

[teledogs]

Originally Posted by Davey Boy

Do you remember how much shipping was for those Campro's?

I do. Tenda has flat rate shipping. I chose Canada Post for $25 & UPS was only $30 but I avoid UPS plus I wanted to keep it as cheap as I could. I got a quote from another site and they were $60 with CP. That was for 4 boxes of 500.

[waldedw]

Has not affected me one little bit, for many years I have been in the prepared camp, if I get down below 3 lbs of powder and 300 bullets for each of my loads I start to twitch.

On the other hand the cost and availability of 12 ga target loads has hurt me a bit, what we were paying $82.00 per flat tax in last year are now $115 or $120 per flat plus tax. I did see this coming and stocked up somewhat but when you shoot 40 flats a year it's going to catch up to me eventually, I am just about out of the cheap ammo from 2020 and 2021 and going to have to bite the bullet sooner or later.

[fordtruckin]

Have had a tough time finding my preferred 165gr accubond for my 308 so haven’t been shooting it as much. I’ve got some 165ttsx but am hesitant to developer a load and then not find them again. Only bullets I can regularly find are hornady. Should have started using them and I’d be ok!

[honda610]

I have cut back on my trap shooting as ammo is getting ridiculously priced. My son has a very healthy supply of 20 gauge ammo for himself. As others have said I was prepared from previous droughts of ammo. That being said replacement of shot components will be a kick to the bearings.
I have been swapping loads from Nosler projectiles to Hornady as they are more responsible in price and in stock. The nosler tax is getting ridiculously out of hand