Maybe I'm the one who's nuts... thoughts on the great ammo & reloading run of '21

This is part of a post (not mine) on another newsgroup; very thoughtful whether you agree or not. Long but worth it IMHO. Bolding is mine; he addressing this to folks who shoot thousands of rounds a year, where this might be a 3-5 year supply, not the average deer hunter. It's not hoarding when manufacturers are putting out discount coupons, as they did for 9 mil and 5.56. Let's face it, they stocked for Hillary and got Trump, and prices on both guns and ammo plummeted and there was an oversupply of both. Remember Ruger ARs for $450?

"Scalpers will ensure this panic continues as long as possible. So long as someone can buy 1000 primers for $50 and sell them for $500, there will be no possibility of manufacturers being able to provide enough. No matter what they produce, scalpers will buy. So long as people continue to purchase at inflated prices, this will continue. It is the quintessential definition of capitalism. American shooters tend to forget the predictable ramifications of their behaviors. They don't understand the power of their purchases. In previous years, Federal/CCI sees American shooters buying foreign primers in huge quantities for the sake of saving $1 per thousand. Even if it were $20 per thousand, we are taking food directly off the plate for our American companies which will have the direct result of them being forced to cut back manufacturing due to reduced demand. Then a panic hits and everyone wants to get mad at them for not having enough to supply us all. It's fascinating to me.

This is a problem of our own creation, as is so often the case in this country. Each shooter, needs to honestly evaluate what part they are playing. Understand the power of your choices. While some of you may not be entrepreneurs or business people... if you just stop to think for a moment at all, you may discover you play a larger role than you realize. Personal accountability. Individual free will and the power to choose. The most essential core principle of what this country was founded on... yet so many people want to do as they please and then get upset at the extremely predictable consequences of those choices. If we want things to change as a whole, then we must be willing to change at the individual level. If you are unwilling to do that, then it will be difficult for me to offer any sympathy. Over a year ago, I was instructing people to buy 25,000 primers of each type they require. I bought 100,000 of all types for myself. As I shoot tens of thousands a year... I figured that should take me through the next panic, and it will. The shelves were FLUSH with primers. I told all of the shooters I mentor, and any customer that asked, to buy as much powder and as many primers and other components as they could afford. Supply was plentiful, and competitively priced. I spoke of rewarding our awesome American companies for their investment in us. Buy piles of components, shoot constantly! Some listened... others did not.

Now we stand in yet another panic portion of the cycle. Emotions once again run high... just as the clinton panic, and the obama panic. This biden panic will go just like the previous panics. Though I'm left to wonder if anyone plans to learn anything. Is anyone is looking within themselves for the solutions to their problems? Is everyone just going to point fingers and try to assign blame, just like the previous panics? If we want this to stop... just stop buying components at inflated prices. Patently refuse to pay even $1 more than "normal" prices for anything. Quit letting FOMO (fear of missing out) direct your life. If you made the mistake of not stocking up because you're new, or didn't see this coming... just embrace the mistake. Say to yourself, "well, this is unfortunate... I'm going to do better next time," and calmly shift your focus for the short term. If you still want to shoot, go buy a quality air rifle, a bunch of great accessories for it, and as many pellets/slugs as you think you'll need to see it through. These days, air rifles are made in nearly any variety and can kill just about anything living. That will scratch your itch and allow you to ply your skillset until the dust settles from all this. If that is impossible... take up archery! Anything to keep you from falling victim to scalpers and their highly destructive artificial market manipulation. Starve the scalpers, literally. That's the power of capitalism. They can only benefit if we let them. They are predators, in it for the love of money, not the love of shooting. Once we hit the other end of the cycle, you apply what you've learned... and never forget it. Teach it to others. When the manufacturers are sitting on a massive supply that they are dying to move... help them. Buy all you will need to see you through the next super-predictable panic, which as sure as I'm alive, WILL happen."
 
True story that happened yesterday:

Had a small birthday party yesterday and had one of the relatives (A 75 year old woman) tell me she "saw all of my ammo stockpiled" (I likely have a few thousand shotgun shells and 500 rifle shells and 500 pistol shells that are all loaded myself) that I was a hoarder of ammo and part of the problem.....lol

Initially I was pissed off but I calmly explained that I have reloaded all of that ammunition I have over the last 5 years by hand....and that I haven't bought factory ammo in over 2 years and the last time I bought bullets it was a 550 pack of .22lr rounds....(Which is 100% true) Furthermore, I even cast my own bullets for about 4 different calibers so I dont have to buy store bought ammo at ridiculous prices.......

So, the lady that called me a hoarder works at Walmart.....so I just let it go. Slightly pissed off but hey, its a birthday party....So I let it go.

Later on in the evening her sister mentioned about the lack of ammo and how her sister (The one who jumped me) had been getting tips from the shipping department about .22 shells that had been coming to walmart and how she had been buying up as many as she could before they made it to the floor for sale.....

I looked over at her and she was looking at the ground....clearly embarrassed.

I said "Really?????? isn't that interesting...."

People are so stupid!!
 
Why would your friend have ever needed that many primers?
Was he a target/competition shooter?

I might get through 200 primers a year, shortages now showing in the UK.

The only panic buying I have witnessed is TP and chopped tomatoes:ROFLMAO:

Cheers

Richard
Well he would never have used them up. He didn't reload a lot but his dad did and that's where they came from. I know I'll never use them all and at some point will probably pass them on to someone else.
 
I‘ve never been more happy to own some less common calibers. Every time I go to Sportsman’s they have boxes of 26 and 28 Nosler.

Yup. John Barsness has a facebook post about how he lucked into 2 boxes of 7mmR at a store when everything else was sold out. That 7mmR is like gold to obscure cartridge enthusiasts. The brass alone is a find.

I'm stocked well for now. Could use some pistol powder like 231, power pistol or unique, and always can use extra of the staples, but I'm confident my stockpile will last for a few years. Next time stores are flush, I'll buy some 8 pound jugs & a case or two of primers and be ready for the next round of nuttery.
 
I have a 243 coming at some point this winter/spring (purchased on backorder) for my daughter. I have yet to find any ammo locally. A month or so ago I balked at gunbroker prices of $45 for a box of my preferred ammo (Hornady Custom Lite), now it's closer to $60.... And I'm still balking! This is ridiculous.
 
I have a 243 coming at some point this winter/spring (purchased on backorder) for my daughter. I have yet to find any ammo locally. A month or so ago I balked at gunbroker prices of $45 for a box of my preferred ammo (Hornady Custom Lite), now it's closer to $60.... And I'm still balking! This is ridiculous.
I feel like things will settle down before then. If they don't let me know. I have a few boxes laying around for my sons old youth model .243 that never gets used anymore.
 
This is part of a post (not mine) on another newsgroup; very thoughtful whether you agree or not. Long but worth it IMHO. Bolding is mine; he addressing this to folks who shoot thousands of rounds a year, where this might be a 3-5 year supply, not the average deer hunter. It's not hoarding when manufacturers are putting out discount coupons, as they did for 9 mil and 5.56. Let's face it, they stocked for Hillary and got Trump, and prices on both guns and ammo plummeted and there was an oversupply of both. Remember Ruger ARs for $450?

"Scalpers will ensure this panic continues as long as possible. So long as someone can buy 1000 primers for $50 and sell them for $500, there will be no possibility of manufacturers being able to provide enough. No matter what they produce, scalpers will buy. So long as people continue to purchase at inflated prices, this will continue. It is the quintessential definition of capitalism. American shooters tend to forget the predictable ramifications of their behaviors. They don't understand the power of their purchases. In previous years, Federal/CCI sees American shooters buying foreign primers in huge quantities for the sake of saving $1 per thousand. Even if it were $20 per thousand, we are taking food directly off the plate for our American companies which will have the direct result of them being forced to cut back manufacturing due to reduced demand. Then a panic hits and everyone wants to get mad at them for not having enough to supply us all. It's fascinating to me.

This is a problem of our own creation, as is so often the case in this country. Each shooter, needs to honestly evaluate what part they are playing. Understand the power of your choices. While some of you may not be entrepreneurs or business people... if you just stop to think for a moment at all, you may discover you play a larger role than you realize. Personal accountability. Individual free will and the power to choose. The most essential core principle of what this country was founded on... yet so many people want to do as they please and then get upset at the extremely predictable consequences of those choices. If we want things to change as a whole, then we must be willing to change at the individual level. If you are unwilling to do that, then it will be difficult for me to offer any sympathy. Over a year ago, I was instructing people to buy 25,000 primers of each type they require. I bought 100,000 of all types for myself. As I shoot tens of thousands a year... I figured that should take me through the next panic, and it will. The shelves were FLUSH with primers. I told all of the shooters I mentor, and any customer that asked, to buy as much powder and as many primers and other components as they could afford. Supply was plentiful, and competitively priced. I spoke of rewarding our awesome American companies for their investment in us. Buy piles of components, shoot constantly! Some listened... others did not.

Now we stand in yet another panic portion of the cycle. Emotions once again run high... just as the clinton panic, and the obama panic. This biden panic will go just like the previous panics. Though I'm left to wonder if anyone plans to learn anything. Is anyone is looking within themselves for the solutions to their problems? Is everyone just going to point fingers and try to assign blame, just like the previous panics? If we want this to stop... just stop buying components at inflated prices. Patently refuse to pay even $1 more than "normal" prices for anything. Quit letting FOMO (fear of missing out) direct your life. If you made the mistake of not stocking up because you're new, or didn't see this coming... just embrace the mistake. Say to yourself, "well, this is unfortunate... I'm going to do better next time," and calmly shift your focus for the short term. If you still want to shoot, go buy a quality air rifle, a bunch of great accessories for it, and as many pellets/slugs as you think you'll need to see it through. These days, air rifles are made in nearly any variety and can kill just about anything living. That will scratch your itch and allow you to ply your skillset until the dust settles from all this. If that is impossible... take up archery! Anything to keep you from falling victim to scalpers and their highly destructive artificial market manipulation. Starve the scalpers, literally. That's the power of capitalism. They can only benefit if we let them. They are predators, in it for the love of money, not the love of shooting. Once we hit the other end of the cycle, you apply what you've learned... and never forget it. Teach it to others. When the manufacturers are sitting on a massive supply that they are dying to move... help them. Buy all you will need to see you through the next super-predictable panic, which as sure as I'm alive, WILL happen."
Longbow51, you hit the nail on the head. Your observations and solution is correct. Cost average purchase when the prices drop.
 
I think the people that waste money like that do so because they have a lot of money to wast'e! Some of it, maybe more than some, I suspect is non shooter's taking and buying component's for resale at absurd prices. What they get stuck with they can sell next time this happens. Seem's to be happening a lot lately. For myself I haven't stocked up much on component's. Have about 30,000 primer's but got them from a friend when he died. I usually only buy what I need. Down side to that is in time's like these I've short changed myself but, I have enough ammo to get through a long time just shooting for meat! But component's become available again and I'm gonna stock up more on powder and bullet's, just always seem to be short on them! So much for buying 1# cans of powder. Have an 8# can of H414 and one of Red Dot, probably never run out of either. Next need RL-22, Varget, H4350, H4831 ect. Probably some IMR4064 for the 308!
Unfortunately, a lot of people doing this aren’t wealthy, they are putting it on credit cards and will pay far more for it later, too
 
Gun stores who price gouge during a pandemic or an election year are as bad as the NRA fear mongering people for their money only to use it on themselves.
What I’m seeing comes less from the stores and more from the individual gougers who buy stuff up, create a vacuum, and the sell it on online auction or other sites for ridiculous prices... but once again, if people wouldn’t pay the silly prices then these guys wouldn’t perform the silly acts. It’s really self-induced and self-perpetuating.
 
Stopped at the local Cabela's while waiting for my wings on Super Bowl Sunday. Most of the ammunition shelves now hold ammo storage boxes/cans of one shade or another. Three centerfire calibers were all I found - .26 Nosler, .300 H&H Mag, and .50 BMG. Some shotgun shells were available and included lead and non-toxic loads. Both the Gun Library and main gun counter had lots of space on the shelves. So much for my theory of everyone being focused on the game and there would be some ammo on the shelves.
 
I usually buy after things calm down I always have enough to a stash to keep me going for years. Although I did pick up couple thousand primers the other day. I do need to keep my eyes open for some Barnes 225 ttsx for my 338 starting to run low. Once things calm down would like to try and find a 8lb container of H380 so then I’ll really be set
 
I‘ve never been more happy to own some less common calibers. Every time I go to Sportsman’s they have boxes of 26 and 28 Nosler.
Stopped at Sportsman's in Ankeny, Iowa this afternoon. All the powder cans [they are empty] were off the shelf indicating that they had no powder and maybe not getting any. Didn't see any primers. Scored a box of Barnes 6.5mm 127 grain LRX $37 + tax. Saw about 50 boxes of Federal .308 ammo. No interest at a 2 box limit.
 
It's out there you just have to be at the right place at the right time.
 

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