Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Metal prices = Less loading/Shooting?

The economies of China and India are using more raw materials than ever and continue to grow. This has more of a bearing than the Irag War on ammo prices.

I agree� I think metal prices have jumped and I don�t see them coming back down.
In a while the old prices will just be a fond memory �like 25 cent gas.
That said, it has not changed my reloading or shooting habits. It�s a hobby and we have to do something� If prices continue to sky rocket them something will have to give� but not today.
If you think Hand loading is bad� check out the prices of �Loaded Ammunition�

Hasn't effected my rifle shooting. But i have cut back a little on the Handguns,,,esp those calibers where I tend to shoot more rounds, 9,, and 45acp.

The rifles and the hunting handguns.. I just don't shoot high volumes at a sitting. Maybe 40-60 rds in a session. usually mixed between a few guns.

In rifles where my hunting load is a TSX, I am going to, or already have made a similar shooting cup and core load for practice.

In rifles where the load is a partition, I say thank you for the seconds Nosler.

The ones that really cost are the premiums.. nearing a buck a bullet in some calibers.

I like shooting and its no worse than most of my other hobbies cost wise.

The industry competition for "market share" has made ammo pricing very competative and not as profitable for years. IMO the raw material prices has generated some much needed profit taking. Fall 2008 pricing lends one to think they took their additional profits as a "Bonus".

Doc

I use lead. Of course I stockpiled a lot before the prices went up.
Lead is going back down (Feb./March lead); unless there is "refinery" issues, just like petroleum, it will go to more stable levels.

My cruise of the web info sources said that lead prices aren't coming down anythine real soon.

The days of $.08 SKS ammo are probably gone forever.

I took a bullet inventory last month, and am kind of embarrassed at what I have.

January lead is down from Dec., an all time high, Jan. was about where Nov. lead was. Feb. went down considerably from Jan.. Right now March could go either way, but is trending with Feb..

I work for a battery company and look at lead indexes from three manufacturers (prices based on the London Metals Exchange and Metals Week). We backhaul directly to the smelters and from the battery end we purchase and recycle a lot of lead.

Lead smelters in the U.S. are similar to petroleum refining; there are fewer of them and they have a workload pretty bogged down with demand. If one closes for maintenance, we will feel it.
FWIW our manufacturer has been warehousing stockpiles of batteries and lead that can't be refined quick enough, costing them $. Also, lead in the U.S. is NEVER cheap in the winter.

Sorry, but I'm no good for the copper/zinc end!

A quick perusal of consumer copper - like electrical wire or plumbing pipe suggests that copper is definitely not immune to what is happening with metals. IOW, it's not just cartridge metal being affected. Ouch! (OTOH, that scrap tubing, pipe, and wire lying around is looking better all the time.)

Don't see it laying around here people steal it. In fact, there was a rash of those 50 foot aluminum light poles around here last fall! I don't think they nabbed who did it.

I dunno if you're right, but I admire your attitude. Just because they feed us crap, doesn't mean we have to believe it.
Smitty of the North

I was just over at the local Sportsmans' Whorehouse again yesterday...

I noticed that Oregon Laser Cast bullets in 44 caliber went from $49.00 last week to $74.00 for a box of 500 this week!

IMR powders also went up a $1.00 a pound and the 8 lb containers went up $10.00....

Winchester primers also went up to $3.29 a hundred...

Hornady has not been my favorite bullet company, but right at the moment, they are the one that seems to be holding their line on price increase on bullets.. and they keep coming out with stuff that shooters want...

well Hornady is fastly becoming my favorite bullet company.. and Sierra who use to be my favorite are declining to the bottom of the list as they are the ones that are the first to raise their prices dramatically each time they do so...

I also use to be a big fan of Oregon Laser Cast, as they offered a good product at a very affordable price.. well a 50% price increase in a week! I call BS on that one...they just lost me as a customer, that is for sure!

wish we shooters could just boycott these companies and get them to bring prices back into line.. I seriously think they are price fixing and price gouging, and blaming it on the "market"...

they figure if big oil can get away with it, why not them???

ENRON executives must have gotten into the bullet industry or the metals industries...

I just moved to start buying bulk so I didn't notice the price jump too much.

Spot