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Joined: 17 Jan 2014 Posts: 1377 Location: Denver, Colorado

Going forward, any form of ammunition that isn't entirely mainstream is going to be largely unavailable commercially, and the glut of options we've experienced for the last 20-years or so will not likely be repeated. Plan accordingly. In the last month or so, I've somehow managed to fill-in some smallish gaps in my stockpile of reloading supplies. That will, hopefully, allow me to continue hunting with some of my favorite firearms for the remainder of my time on this planet. Just casually shooting any random firearm anymore (without being able to replace what you've just used up) is simply foolish IMHO, and I don't see that changing in the foreseeable future. With that said, however, I have lately found myself shooting way-more than I ever have before, but....that only involves 12-gauge ammunition, and as long as the local shooting facilities can supply the fodder to shoot, I'll keep going. Costs are also a consideration here (& I'm not immune to that reality either) but...for the moment it's still doable. The bad news here is, however, if you haven't already built something of a stockpile of shells (and also the means to replenish them by reloading), you're simply out of luck. It's not yet impossible to do such a thing, but the costs of materials (when you can find them) will simply price most folks out of that opportunity. I pray that my assessment of our present situation is overly dour, but I'm darn pessimistic at the moment.

Joined: 08 Feb 2009 Posts: 1308 Location: Western WA

Long term solution:

https://blog.davide-pedersoli.com/new-product-in-sight-pedersoli-double-flintlock-shotgun/

Black powder has the advantage of being able to be made at home. You will have to install an outhouse or Port a Potty in your back yard to collect saltpeter.

The more industrious individuals here could even make the entire gun themselves. The great Kentucky Rifle makers (who actually were Pennsylvanians) made their fabulous rifles with WOODEN tools!

B.

Joined: 08 Mar 2022 Posts: 91

Its been a simple strategy for the simple minds in power...we can't get the guns, we'll get the components....

Joined: 09 Feb 2015 Posts: 818

Won't be long before the only components being made will be for government only. Look at oil and who is controlling that.

Joined: 17 Jan 2014 Posts: 1377 Location: Denver, Colorado

Blackpowder options aren't out of the question, and I do have some of the necessary components already on hand. I don't however have a smokepole shotgun, just yet.

Been a year and a half since I have seen 209 primers. Unobtainable

Joined: 16 Jul 2015 Posts: 2125 Location: Hudson,Wy

It will all come back. Powder supply where I live is improving. A few primers showing up but mostly mag pistol. I did pick up a tray of CCI 209M's at a Murdock's last week. A day sooner and there would have been more, but that town has an active trap club. Wads that were sold out in Casper, Wy at the end of Feb were back in stock when I stopped there two weeks later. Things are coming...slowly. If the country ever decides to go back to work, it will speed up.

Joined: 01 Oct 2007 Posts: 962 Location: Minnesota

Not really the end of shooting and reloading. I saw Cheddite 209s last week on the shelf for $59.99. And BPI has them for sale periodically, but often.
Was just at LGS and they had at least a dozen rifle powders for sale, $32-42 per pound.
It’s more expensive for sure, but components can be found and found at less than crazy scalper prices.

like Wyo said - coming back slowly ... BP and Precision have had 209 primers for a couple weeks - BP's are gone again . Precision had them still yesterday , but you need to get beyond the 79 bucks a brick plus ship/hazmat .... you also have to be checking for powder daily . Powder Valley has had various useable stocks , but sell out quickly . Last week they had 4064, 3031 , and 4350 . Have had HS6 , Shooters Supply and Nitro in recent past . We shoot lots of 410 right now , and were lamenting 296 and H110 selling out . Last week , they both showed up and scored a 4#er ! Day later - gone ! ... don't hold your breath right now for the popular goodies like 700X , Red Dot etc - they aren't happening yet - you just have to be a little loose in what you can really use !

Joined: 09 Feb 2015 Posts: 818

I'm sure glad I prepared early. Seen it coming. The old saying pay now or pay later. If I had to purchase the components now I'm afraid I wouldn't be shooting. Hope things turn back to Normal in a couple years. I can go that long with components.

Joined: 17 Jan 2014 Posts: 1377 Location: Denver, Colorado

Seeing it coming hasn't been too-hard. The harder part has always been justifying the initial expense of it to my wife. She (and her friends, and probably her family) always thought I was a bit irrational about the subject I suppose. Even with that, I'm still sorry to have been proved right, at least to this point.

For probably the last 20-years now (maybe longer?), I have purchased things with an eye towards possible problems coming in this country. Any student of history and/or observer of human nature would likely come to the same conclusions. If I saw a firearm (or any another useful tool (ie. a chainsaw, a winch, good knives, a vise, grinders, etc.)) that was well-made and reasonably priced I'd always consider it's value going forward. Didn't always buy it but....always thought hard about it. Buying ammunition or components, however, was never hard to contemplate. It was occasionally hard to explain however.

Joined: 12 Sep 2010 Posts: 1973 Location: Maine

It's slowly getting better. The shelves are not emptied immediately, even at the local Wally World, which to its credit has been holding the line on a lot of the prices. Cabela's here has succumbed to the temptation to gouge ... some varieties of .223 were $30/box. They stayed on the shelf. They had 338 Lapua that cost $110 the box, as much as 50 BMG. Stayed on the shelf.

I went to one of the bigger gun shows up here this past weekend. Big enough that they had advertised on the radio. There was a good crowd. There was a lot of black plastic, which does little for me. There was not a lot of the blued steel and walnut in interesting guns, that I was looking for.

A lot of people walking around looking, not a lot of buying. At least not a lot of the overpriced stuff. Table full of powders at $32-$40/lb - not moving. Primers at $100 or more the brick (theft-proofed, displayed under glass) - not moving.

One dealer I know was having a hard time moving shotgun shells. He had one of the big Harbor Freight ammo boxes full of (mostly) loose shells. Older ammo, but still good. Mixture of gages and shot sizes. He couldn't move it at 20 cents a round. For those doing math on their fingers that's $5 a box.

He did have a ziploc where he'd bagged the purple shells. 20 of them, Federals in #6. 4 bucks for enough shells to last me a good part of a bird season. That and some strippers for 30-06 went home with me. I spent 10 bucks on stuff, 8 bucks to get in, and 22 on lunch.

Just remember - once this latest uproar shakes out and the political climate eases, do like I did from the end of the 2012-14 drought until the pandemic hit. Buy a little here and there, only when the prices are reasonable, and use less than you buy. Support your LGS and buy there instead of the big boxes. You can't get 9mm and 223 at Wally World any more because a few corporate suits decided to stop selling it. If you abandon the LGS or just don't buy anywhere because it's always available (like a lot of people did in 2016-19) that LGS won't be there when you need to go there. Won't be there to sell you ammo, to do your transfers, nothing.

Joined: 09 Mar 2016 Posts: 754 Location: Mn.

I also agree it is slowly getting better around here as well. And on other sites people are even posting pictures of Green Dot on the shelves but haven't seen any here or on line yet. LGS last month had F209A in stock and picked up 2K for one friend and 1K for another.

I picked up a sleeve of 5K F209A couple of months ago from Natchez so am set on them. All in costs were less than $2 a brick between them. LGS also had Federal Ultra Clays (in 12) for $79.99 a flat so got 4 flats to add to my collection. With the cost of lead hitting around $60 a bag now I'm once again not loading the 12 or 20.

Over the last year and a half have been able to pick up things once in awhile. Almost a full time job checking sites half a dozen times a day and once it is in stock don't hesitate buy whatever they let me have and hope it is still available by the time I race to checkout.

Used to buy federal 16 at Fleet Farm when they went on sale for $6 a box and grab 2-3 boxes each time and throw them in the reloading room. This winter cleaned up the reloading room and found I had 52 boxes. Sportsman Guide had Federal 16 on "sale" for $128 a flat couple of months ago. I bought 5 cases of 7.5 and 5 of 8's. They sent the 7.5 and only one case of 8's the other 4 are on backorder with expected delivery date of April 15. Somehow they have my backorder as 8 cases of #8. If they ship them I'll take them. They now say limit one case but hoping I got in under the wire, I want the Federal hulls. Although have thousands of Cheddite hulls as well.

Found an 8 pound keg of IMR Green in the garage as well this winter and don't even remember buying it or where I got it. Doesn't matter what matters is that I have it if I run out of Green Dot for the 16.

I have always purchased in bulk and try to keep at least 2 years of shells on hand in 12, 16 and 20. And I shoot a lot. Yes prices have gone up across the board. Pretty sure the days of $5-$6 box of shells is over even in the 12 and 20. And don't expect to see rebates on Winchester AA or Rem STS in the foreseeable future if ever again. But the cost of gas to get to shoots is one of the larger expenses anymore. The cost of everything has gone up, a lot. And my 403K value has gone down despite still working and adding to it, I try not to look at it anymore. At this rate I will be working until I fart dust just to afford beans, gas and bullets/shells. One way or another I will keep shooting as long as the clubs are still open and throwing birds.