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Old August 18, 2020, 02:44 PM   #126
dgang
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That is pretty much my point, people don't reload or cache away ammo to save money. They do it because they enjoy shooting. You can shoot more if you lay in large supplies of components or stock pile factory ammo when on sale, but you don't save money.
The only justification ( other than enjoyment) for having firearms is self defense or hunting. Both can be done well with a maximum of one centerfire handgun, a rimfire and centerfire rifle, and a shotgun. Anything more is superfluous. A box of ammunition per month would be sufficient to maintain proficiency. People that reload do so because they enjoy it and how it relates to their shooting, and it has the added bonus of allowing more shooting for less money in most calibers. It certainly is not done to save money any more than stockpiling large amounts of factory ammo.
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Old August 18, 2020, 02:48 PM   #127
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Oh. It's a hobby for sure. And I agree on golf.

I just didn't want it to slide that reloading is THE solution for supply issues.

Additionally it's always got this joy of hobby description. blah. Not for all, including myself as I called it boring. Totally agree.
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Old August 23, 2020, 10:52 AM   #128
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I wonder too on that in-home set up. What would a lead detecting wipe find AFTER your HVAC filter...
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Old August 23, 2020, 11:09 AM   #129
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Buy 1000=2000 for reserve, savings acct.
If you have money in savings/CD it aint gaining but the ammo is.

After securing the reserve, just shoot what you can buy. If you cant buy-shoot reserve or dont shoot. Dont shoot all the savings up and then complain "where is all the ammo-I thought you could always buy xxxx mm."
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Old August 23, 2020, 02:36 PM   #130
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At current prices I have about $5,000 in reloaded ammo of various calibers. Estimate about $2,000 in reloading equipment. Still have 3,0000 .22LR's from the '08 shortage. No estimate on what amount I have shot in the past, but, it's been a lot. Have components on hand to double my reloads. ANTIFA, or whomever, come on; I'm set.
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Old August 26, 2020, 01:20 PM   #131
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The topic of this thread is the availability of ammunition. Please leave politics out of the discussion. Same goes for TEOTWAWKI.
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Old August 26, 2020, 07:23 PM   #132
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All of the local gun stores are getting 200-300 boxes of 9mm delivered every week and a similar amount of 22. No other cartridges are available at this time.

The guy running the only local indoor range gets his delivery on Fridays and is usually sold out by the end of the day on Saturday. He only sells to folks using the range in an attempt to keep the range open a few days each week. Pay for an hour of range time and you can buy 2 boxes of 9mm and 2 boxes of 22. Nothing says you have to shoot it. You can pay for the range time, the ammo and leave without shooting at all if you want.

You are still better off standardizing on 9mm in the long run. While it is selling fast, 9mm is still being made. Many others may not be produced for a year or more.
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Old August 29, 2020, 07:36 AM   #133
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While other calibers might be more available right now, I'm willing to bet no one is manufacturing them and when they are gone they're gone. All the major manufacturers are probably making 9mm/40/45 as fast as they can without thinking about anything else.

As long as the election goes favorably in November the common calibers will be plentiful once again but the rest might be hard to come by for some time.
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Old August 29, 2020, 02:36 PM   #134
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Yup, that's one thing that is not commonly understood. When the demand goes through the roof, the ammo companies switch over to making common calibers exclusively.

The longer the shortage lasts, the more rare the less common calibers will become--and once they run out, they won't be seen again until the shortage calms down enough for the ammo companies to switch from the common calibers to make some runs of the others.

So in the beginning, the less common calibers may be easier to find, but once they run out, they won't be back until the shortage is completely over.
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Old September 2, 2020, 04:26 PM   #135
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I think the spin up and onto retailer shelves is rather fast. At some point people are going to realize they have enough FMJ. 380, 38, 357? I bet it comes back fast. But it was NEVER a high volume market anyways.

Hate to admit it as I'm doing fine unloading my unused 357 boxes at $50 a box...
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Old September 2, 2020, 10:13 PM   #136
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think the spin up and onto retailer shelves is rather fast. At some point people are going to realize they have enough FMJ. 380, 38, 357?
It's not a matter of how fast it gets to the shelves from the makers.

The ammo companies can't load every possible caliber at once. They load just a few types at a time. They run the common calibers most of the time but then will periodically take the line down and retool to make smaller runs of the less in-demand calibers once in awhile.

As long as every single bit of ammo they make in the common calibers is being snapped up just as fast as they can make it, they're not going to shut the line down to make the less in-demand calibers. Once they sell out of the less common calibers, those calibers are probably going to stay sold out until the shortage ends and the makers can catch up with the common calibers. THEN they'll shut down, change the line over and make batches of the less common stuff.
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Old September 3, 2020, 12:23 AM   #137
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In some ways this reminds me of the various "intellectual" games we played back in the 70s about ammo after the "end of the world" scenario.

Advice from "survivalists" even some noted authorities always recommended having guns in the common (primarily military) calibers, because ammo was the most common.

Which isn't bad advice, but my response to that was, ok, they're the most common, but that also means they're the ones people are going to grab, FIRST.

But we're not at the end of the world, ammo is still being made, so what we're dealing with here is "lag time".
If you are at the mercy of the "just in time" supply system, when something interrupts normal business, there's not much to be done, but wait.
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Old September 11, 2020, 05:23 AM   #138
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Anymore if you don't keep at least 500 rounds on hand of each center fire caliber you shoot and 10000 of your preferred rimfire you are kinda a dope.

Relying on stores to keep the ammo you need in stock is just foolish idealistic thought.

As stated 9 is commonly used and therefore the cheapest centerfire to shoot. 38 special used to be that way when law enforcement used it more commonly.

If you are going to rely on odd ball calibers like 32 magnum, you are not going to rely on a normal supply chain.

9mm is going to be one of the most common calibers available but yes that means it's also one of the most in demand when people are hording.

Don't stock up when people are hording. You'll pay much more than normal for what you need.

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Last edited by Aguila Blanca; September 11, 2020 at 11:18 AM. Reason: Post edited to remove political statement
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Old September 11, 2020, 05:56 AM   #139
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500, that’s enough for two weeks. You need another zero there. If I’m below 5000 in any caliber I get nervous. Except for my 6.5 CM, I try to stay over 500. It’s easy now though, haven’t been to the range since April with the pandemic and plenty of time for loading so I’m well over the top. And I have enough components for another 5000+. Time to order some more bullets, I’m all out of 9mm and .41.
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Old September 11, 2020, 08:49 AM   #140
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Originally Posted by jetinteriorguy View Post
500, that’s enough for two weeks. You need another zero there. If I’m below 5000 in any caliber I get nervous. Except for my 6.5 CM, I try to stay over 500. It’s easy now though, haven’t been to the range since April with the pandemic and plenty of time for loading so I’m well over the top. And I have enough components for another 5000+. Time to order some more bullets, I’m all out of 9mm and .41.
Yeah, I'm down below 2000 9mm and have had to start rationing my shooting quite a bit until I manage to scrounge some more small pistol primers. Gotta last until at least next summer to be safe. When this think started going bad I foolishly miscounted a few primer boxes as SPP when they were large rifle. Guess I need to start loading more .308.

Also picked a bad year to get into 6.5 Grendel, hard to find the right factory ammo for accuracy when there's so little out there. Gonna have to just start loading and buying bullets to try instead (I like to find a solid factory load first, then experiment with loading from there).
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Old September 11, 2020, 12:28 PM   #141
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This going to cause some blowback. If you are loading .38 spl or +P or .357 to be used in a .357 revolvers, Small Rifle Primers work just fine. Load a few up just check to see if your hammer has enough power to strike the primer and set it off. Brisance of a SRP is about the same as a Magnum SPP.
Down to 2000 SPP to be used in other cartridges and had an excess of SRP and used them in the revolvers. Very slight increase in fps. which I assume corresponds to slightly higher pressure, and the harder cup proved no problem with the .357s.
Trying 9mm bullets in .38 loads, be interesting to see if there is a loss of accuracy. Trying to use everything in my inventory to prevent spending outrageous money in todays market.
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Old September 11, 2020, 02:07 PM   #142
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Right now I have 8000 spp’s, 12000 srp’s, 5000 lpp’s, and 5000 lrp’s. I got caught short on supplies 10 years ago, never again. I also have 70+ lbs of various powders, tons of brass, but could use more projectiles since I’ve loaded most of mine up being stuck at home this summer due to pandemic.
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Old September 11, 2020, 02:17 PM   #143
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You seem to be in good shape. Don't know if you shoot plated bullets but if you do X-treme and Everglades have most of their bullets back in stock, albeit at higher pricers.
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Old September 13, 2020, 10:46 AM   #144
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Yup. I’ve bought thousands from both of them over the years. I just made a big score on some 6.5 bullets this morning. 1800 for $185.00, 1000 140gr Sp, 500 139gr FMJ, and 300 130gr SP’s. Pretty tickled about this deal. A while back I picked up a thousand 55gr SP’s and a thousand 62gr FMJ BT in .22 cal From Everglades for my AR’s and they are consistently 3/4 MOA. I’m pretty happy with them and they were very reasonably priced. I have all the 62gr loaded and about half of the 55gr ready to go.
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Old September 13, 2020, 01:15 PM   #145
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Yup, you're in good shape
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