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Does anybody think reloading components/ammo/guns will be as available as was four years ago?

Demand creates supply eventually.

Or lack of demand.

I am beginning to suspect that a lot of the recent "demand" came from people who bought up as much as they could, as soon as the panic started--because they'd made money reselling ammo and components during the last panic. But have already seen the number of Campfire Classified "wanted to buy" ads decline in numbers.

I would guess this because many (if not most) shooters learned enough from the last panic to stock up, at least somewhat, on basic stuff from .22 rimfire ammo to primers and powders. Those that didn't, of course, are still looking today, several years later.

Have told this story before, but a year after the Obama rimfire panic I went to a garage sale that had tens of thousands or rounds of .22 LR ammo--with inflated gun-show sticker prices from the year before, such as $50-$75 per brick for ammo that normally went for less than half as much. The sale included a bunch of other stuff, so I spent at least half an hour poking around--and leaving without buying anything. In that period several other people looked at the rimfire ammo, and didn't buy any--because they could get the same ammo in local stores for far less.

I check the Classifieds every day, and a few weeks ago the number of pages ran around 20 from the last time I checked in the evening to the first time I checked in the morning, 10-12 hours later. Lately it's calmed down to around 10 pages during the same overnight interval, with far few people snapping up almost any ammo or components, no matter the price.

The gunbroker.com price for an eight-pound jug of Varget has dropped from roughly $1,000 to $650, so yeah, things are turning around.


Okie John

I’m finding ammunition at regular prices here and there by the same methods I used last time around. Not looking for components because I took advantage of sale prices and abundant supplies before this started.

I think demand is waning too, somewhat. SPS reduced the price of their blem .223 Bonded Performance ammo to $19.95 from $25.95. I’ve found the shotshells I wanted; it just took some persistence. Even .22 LR, albeit middle-grade and up stuff, shows up. Like JB, I’ve noticed changes in the Classifieds; posts are starting to go stale and prices are dropping.

When this ends, businesses that anticipated the crunch and scarfed up big piles of ammo to scalp will just go back to normal pricing. Individuals that haunted Walmart and played dress-up to beat the system will end up sitting on mountains of Thunderduds that no one wants anymore, and have to go back to dumpster-diving.

I have said over and over that you need to buy when you see a bargain. Don't wait and whine. I'll bet at the May 15th Shilen Swap Meet a lot of good prices on all gun related will be there. I remember a couple years ago some of my buddies were hot on the 338RUM, I said they were crazy. I did not need something that hurt like that, but guess what? I bought a 100 rounds of brass and bullets anyway. I am in a 338RUM build. I'm glad I took advantage of a group buy on the components. Didn't think I would ever need them, but knew I wasn't hurt price wise.

I do not. Thinking we are seeing the standard oscillation within a persistent issue. If history is our guide then we most likely have at least 2 maybe 3.85 years of this ahead of us. Those that could have most likely prepared for at least a portion of this period but if things go longer...

One interesting thing I've noted due to the lack of availability with me and others, is the creativity of putting components together to make things work. Using magnum primers in standard primer pistol loads, (working up safely of course), dusting off that pound of BL-(C)2 that's been sitting in the back of the cabinet for 15 years cuz I'm out of H335, buying powder never used before and likely would never have and working up a load, etc.

The froth has come off a bit, for sure. Either folks have wore themselves out, or many have enough components and ammo, or they have run out of spending money. Plus, manufacturing isn't being hindered as much by pandemic shutdowns.

The recent mass shootings may put new demand on semi autos though. It remains to be seen what happens in Congress and what the mid term elections bring.

Well said - I’m sorta doing the same thing & finding new ways to experiment without constantly seeking the ‘optimal’ option.

There was 9mm and 380 ammo in Academy yesterday, but that was it. The panic buying is slowing down I think.

A LGS has a very good selection of powders and bullets, and LR primers, but still no SP primers. Six months ago his shelves were bare.

Thats good news actually. Eventually he will have some s rifle primers as well. A lot of us are in the position to wait this chidt out. That is exactly what I've done. I even bought a 22lr (10-22), so I don't have to shoot less. Its just a different kind of shooting, since I have always shot centerfire rifles much more than rimfire. The last time I shot my precision 6.5 cm's and AR10 6.5 CM was in November. I still have 3 pounds of H4350 and 600 rounds loaded up for the CM, but I choose to not burn it up. I don't use my H4350 in my 30-06 or 338wm right now either, even though I really wanted to use some in my new 30-06 for load development. I used a different powder and totally different bullet than what I've previously used as well. I'll still buy components i run across, when they are great deals, but only then. I bought a new AR barrel in 6x45 because I see 6mm bullets day in and day out. If you want to still shoot, you have to be smart about it. Use what is available and save what you can't find. AR comp powder and BR4 primers are another thing that is totally unavailable, so I don't use them. I bought 15 pounds of powder from a friend on Monday at a great price. Powders I usually don't use, but have heard they work very well for my new 6x45 and 6.5cm and 308win. Those powders are TAC, Big Game, Hunter, and X terminator. I'll be able to load up a lot of 7mm08 with some of that powder as well. My component supply has actually never looked better. I still hit up gunshows too. Bought 3 pounds of powder at the last one: AA2015 and LT32. It was $30.00/pound. Reasonable enough price to not pass up. I'll be going to a gunshow this saturday. When I see prices that are way too high, I'll walk on by or even confront the seller. I was at a gunshop in Winnemucca last month and those POS's were all asking way too much for their 22lr. Not that I need it or was wanting any, but the prices were $85.00/brick and $145.00/800 (box of federals). I asked if they were selling much of that "overpriced chidt". Not just one store in that town was overpriced, it was all of them. Any of you guys living there, I feel damn sorry for you. Another shop I went into, the owner walks over real quick and asked what I was looking for. I asked if he had any reloading components. He said what are you looking for in particular. I said, .308 bullets. He said nope, I said 6.5 cal bullets, He said "nope", I said .22 bullets. He perked up and reached under the counter and pulled out a couple bricks of 22lr. I said I was looking for reloading components, not fu cking over priced 22lr. I don't have a lot of patience for stupid people...

I don't know. I don't see any significant return to normal yet but with work 'n' such, I don't have time to stand in line at the gun store waiting for it to open, so maybe stuff is returning, it's just sold by the time I can get there. I don't HAVE to have anything but I have a couple guns that will get sold if I run out components before supply returns. One is a new gun, one I didn't really plan to buy so I (somewhat obviously) I didn't know I needed to stock up on components for it while those were still available .. if I had, I'd have been taking stuff away from someone who knew they needed it. I also have 2-3 projects I was stocking up for so I have the components .. but no gun yet. Again, somewhere down the road if stuff does not come back, those components will be for sale, but it's not time yet.

Tom,

we aren't living in a good place for things to 'return to normal' nothing around here is "normal" ever really... ya know what I am talking about..

Was over at Sportsman's Saturday morning... I was a few blocks away, so I thought I'd go in real quick and check out if they had anything I needed...

there was a line, the length of the store, looped around and then back to the front door on the other side of the store...

they were waiting in line to buy ammo....they are keeping it behind the customer service counter, because people have been trying to steal it... what else is new..

I've got my sources scoped out. and didn't get caught with my pants down like almost everyone else I know...

I'm also shooting a 17 Fireball and a 20 Practical... I can still find 17 and 20 caliber bullets fairly easily...

a bunch of guys were buying $10 worth of 22 LR ammo for $40 and $50. I don't need any of that, for that price... not criticizing those guys, its their money, not mine..

Got plenty of 22 LR also... just not wasting it, and just not selling it to make money...

I just wonder how much the Biden Admin is going to have to do, to find people who are going to cooperate with their gun grabs...

When they tried this in Canada, I was actually working in Canada... the country had maybe a 20% or less cooperation going on... that stat was per the RCMP...

I doubt if it will be much different here...

There is a LGS that I drive by every day when I'm at work and stop in probably too often, the other day they got in a shipment of Midwest powder, I think it was WC732 in 8# jugs.....................it was swarmed over and gone before I left the store. I asked a guy that bought a jug of it what he used it in, his reply "I dunno, they had powder so I bought it"!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They had just got in a shipment of Norma brass almost every cartridge you could think of at regular prices, I picked up 100 220Swift cases and got talking to the owner "whats up you never had Norma 220Swift cases even when times were good" he said they are buying anything they can get their hands on, but right now none of it is primers.
btw: stopped in my local Sportsman's Warehouse yesterday, they have absolutely nothing of any kind. don't expect that to change much with Bass Pro taking over

LMAO.

I've been able to get ammo here and there, along with some powder. The box stored like Cabela's and Sportsmans are getting regular shipments now of popular pistol ammo and stuff like 5.56/.223. I would like to find some RL 22 and RL19, but that's a no go. I talked to a gentleman today that sais his distributor cannot get Alliant powders at the moment. The LGS told me the same thing. I did pickup a brick of primers today for $32 for Winchester (WLR). It was his last brick, and I am happy with that. I hope things do get better, but now I am seeing bullets running way low. You can find some .338 caliber bullets, along with .277 and .244 (6mm) here and there as well. Now trying to find .264 and .308 caliber rifle bullets locally is almost impossible.

Whats shocking is the unavailibility of reloading tools and their prices. Those old Lee loading tool kits for a specific caliber are $170 ea. Thats insane.

Also i was looking into possibly aquiring a Forester co ax press but thats not in the cards i guess. I wonder why loading equipment itself is scare? Maybe they just dont make much of it anymore? So i found an old Hornady Pacific press for $25 awhile back and it will have tondue