Just a curiosity, I have been noticing, since late last year, that Hornady has been the only maker to actually supply bullets. Everyone else is almost non existent. Is it a Hornady thing that has increased production or are the others just not caring about the retail market?

I've gotten Speer, Barnes, Hammer, Sierra, Lightning, Hunter's Supply, and Hornady this year. 🤷‍♂️ Seems a lot easier to find most of them than it was last year.

I haven't noticed to much of problem with projectiles. Primers on the other hand are a whole different story.

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Nosler seems to be in the back of the pack. Hornady saved the day for me a few times.

it doesn't seem like Nosler is making crap. Especially in .284 flavor

It seemed to start last fall as I started to see Hornady on the shelves. Mostly 224 but a few others. It continues even today. Lots of Hornady, very little others, especially Nosler. After a couple years, you would think the big names would be able to catch up with most of the demand.

Without question Hornady has had far more bullets on the shelves than other bullet manufacturers. I don't know what their secret is.

Just speculating here, I haven’t counted, but maybe they aren’t spread as thin in terms of the number of specific designs they produce and/or the number used by ammunition manufacturers for loaded ammunition. One thing for sure, recent events have given us the opportunity to learn more than ever about production, marketing and supply chain dynamics. Oh yeah, and gummint conspiracy.

None of these companies, including Hornady are focusing on lower demand calibers (it's business apparently). Unless you shoot the latest popular calibers (6.5 bore seems to be the rage now for example, good luck). Sierra simply is not making even 30 cal stuff in their Game Changer style, not to mention "boutique" calibers like the 200gr 375. Loaded ammo as well.
Try and find 22 Hornet. I emailed Hornady and they replied, it will be available mid November and they have "no plans" to restart the 450NE or the 405 Winchester for example. I fully understand, but I'm not buying "we are busy working ten shifts etc), they are focusing on what sells. That's reality.

Swift A-Frames have been unobtanium in .416-350gr and .338- 250, 275gr for quite awhile. But then these are boutique (except 250gr) weights in those calibers.

The top 2 shelves of the bullet isle at the local SW is all Hornady.

The 3rd shelf has bullets from 5 other brands.

Oh, and that $75 box of 6.5mm Partitions? Still there.

A few Sierras starting to show up, but yeah, Nosler seems to be about as non existent of the bigger brands.

Well, except Speer. They've been scarce for years.

Easiest way to get Speers is direct from Speer, but it'll cost you more than retail.

No Nosler in my little reloading shop, some Barnes and Hornady

myself i am happy using Hammer bullets they seem to have everything i need . Hammer may be a small bullet company but they seem to have all bullets in stock always.

And if they don't, you can call or email them, and they'll let you know when they'll be making more of what you're after. Using the 86gr Shock Hammers in my 327 Federal carbine... pricey, but great little bullets.

I've never seen the Speer or Nosler plants, but Hornady's is several times the size of Sierra's.

Fortunately I have plenty of selection for my 35's, 375 and 405 both brass and bullets. My LGS has VERY few bullets of any kind. Nosler is as scarce as hens teeth as are Sierra. I lucked out and a friend of a friend was getting out of reloading and I got a bunch of Sierra 30 cal bullets. Also picked up 3 boxes of Sierra 25 cal 100grain from the classifieds here.

There was no secret. Missouri (Sierra) got a total lock out during Covid for 30-45 days. Oregon (Nosler) got total lock out for ~ 3 mos. Nebraska (Hornady) 0 days lock out. Production never ceased.

Now is that amazing or what.

You can only blame Covid for so long.

Lots of Hornady here in western WA, not much else

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We are about an hour from the Sierra factory, we never shut down. I was unaware that they had either. Different business but there was not a mandatory shutdown in Missouri.

Wasn’t the real reason was the raw material to make said bullets? That’s why a lot of them are so behind production. Looks like Hornady rocking and rolling now. But for awhile it was pretty bleak even when it came to hornady’s.

Nosler - has a pretty good price on their .264"/140 gr. Partition Blems over at SPS.






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I'm glad I loaded up on Nosler seconds over the years at the price I bought them for because they have been nearly non-existent for the last couple of years.The price on the seconds have even gone way up too.Maybe drug abuse in Oregon has hit Nosler hard.Oregon has quite a problem with that https://www.opb.org/article/2022/02...t-addiction-rates-in-the-nation-in-2020/ I'm just throwing that out there as a possible reason.Good help is hard to find these days.Making bullets is a precision job.I worked in a large valve machine shop in the early 80's.They built the valves for the Alaskan Pipeline at this shop.It was a 24hr plant with three work shifts with over 3,000 people employed.In the department I worked in there was 12 people.Me and a 65yr old man was the only ones in our department that were not using drugs.The guys that were,were very good machinist for the first four hours,then on their 20 min lunch break they would leave,smoke dope,pop pills and screw up the rest of the night.They did an undercover sting operation for a month or so and arrested about 200 people for selling drugs at work.It was a mess.Union contract made it hard to get rid of non productive employees.I don't know,but Nosler really seems to be dragging way behind the other companies for sure.

Exactly!

It's been long enough since the 19 flu shutdowns. The other excuse was lack of materials. That's a lie. I live next to an large lead producer and they didn't shutdown during Cov19.

Presently lead copper and other base metals are down in price on the exchanges. What's hurting is these brokers and suppliers are asking 2x 3x market value for materials at the moment. Reference the price of lead.

Just about every shop I've been to from South Dakota to Nevada has had Hornady bullets in stock. The other brands, not so much. Why? Because they kept their noses to the grind stone. Regardless of what the other fuggers did. I use the fu ck out of Hornady bullets. Sierra has been alright with supplying match bullets, but not gamekings and especially not tipped gamekings. Nosler is just screwing their loyal customers over to no end. California ethics there in that central Oregon town of big Bend. They can only blame covid for so long and that time has passed. They continue to want to screw customers over, so they don't get my business. They can fu ck off and die for all I care.. You guys do what you want, but I buy what is available and still economical.

I think Nosler should stop production of every thing except the 40gr ballistic tip varminter.

I would be a happy man!

Until then, Hornady will just have to do.

I don’t understand why there haven’t been any new primer factories being built. There have been millions of new shooters in the last couple of years. I’m pretty sure the market can support another primer manufacturer.

As far as bullets go I have certainly been adding more Hornadys into the mix. I go Sierra for most bullets but they have been hard to come by. Speer has kept up reasonably well as far as I can tell.

Hornady folks know how to keep up with Raw Material purchases in advance.

Sierra and Nosler have completely let their customer base down in reloading, to which they owe their very existence. Now, they are focused on making their own ammunition line, Obviously, customer loyalty means little.

So, in my bullets, I have switched over to Hornady ELD-X and ELD-M line, which after some tuning shoot bug holes, and I feel better for making the choice. Many of the Hornady Interlock perform like partitions to begin with, especially the flat base versions.

It's the same here in Canada as well but even then the supplies of Hornady are spotty.

I even see Hornady's pretty regular at a local place that carries reloading stuff. Although most of my bullet purchases are online. Nosler has been scarce but I recently got a box of 100 25 cal. 120 gr. partitions from Midway that say "Factory overrun" on the box. Now if I could just get some Nosler 30 cal. 150 gr. Accubonds I'd be a happy camper.

I'm seeing the same thing.

Like stated above with Speer, best to just order straight from them. No trouble ordering 6.5 GS, 7mmGS and 8 mm Hot-Cors.
It may cost a little more but if you can afford to reload and shoot, a dollar or two doesn’t matter in the long run. Possession of components does though.

I hear you on that my grumpy Paiute bud! You look at my bullet stash it’s all Hornady! I do have bags of Nosler bullets but I watch sps wait for stuff to go on sale, or what I deem a decent price. I can get Speer but man I just have a hard time using Speer bullets. You just don’t hear about anyone using them. One thing they are still cheap to buy. Sierra I usually find those at the lgs in the back room with all the used reloading stuff. I bought like 5 boxes of 117 and 120 257 bullets awhile back dirt cheap. Guy at a gunshow had 10 boxes of hornady .277 bullets I was after the 150’s said that’s all I wanted. He goes I will give you a deal on all of it. I said ok, he thought about it said $50. Well $50 went into his hand. Granted 4 boxes were 150gr round nose. I gave those to a buddy.

I was in Scheel in Great Falls today. They had the usual Hornady but also a decent amount of Speer for some reason. I have noticed the Hornady goes from 224, a few 25, a few 270, no 7 and a bunch of 30s. Not sure who jinxed the 7, I see it in every store. They did have Magpro and Tac, so I came home happy. They also had CCI 41s, but $110per brick. I could use some, but I ain't stupid.

I emailed Hornady this week about maybe a glimmer of hope on some 300H&H brass.
Part of the reply was they were currently expanding their cartridge case capability and they expect production and availablity to improve in 23'.

Hornady here in ND also. They don’t shoot as well as my Sierra but they do ok. For a hunting rifle they work ok. Primers are still scarce. Some powders on the shelf also. Edk

Van's, a store in Cullman, AL, has a few boxes of 300 H&H on the shelf.

Hornady's out here, plenty of 'em. Others, no so much. Now cast bullets, sheit, those bullets are everywhere. Missouri, Bayou, Matt's, T & B etc, those are available.

They pissed off everyone with their vax mandate, and now they're being boycotted.

I'm beginning to think Nosler wants us to just buy their loaded ammo as they sure as heck ain't shipping partitions or accubonds as components.

Nope

Won't turn up my nose if I find them at a reasonable price but......

Hornady seems be making bullets not excuses and will have my business going forward.

Unprecedented demand. We've seen shortages before but this time it's demand that's keeping them flying off the shelf. As fast as anything is put on the shelf it goes away in a hurry. Have not seen primers for less than $90/ brick. Powder getting more availible every day as well as reloading tools and dies. This time it's the unprecedented demand of the product simply out stripping the supply. How I see it...mb

I think the vast majority are blissfully unaware of that goat rodeo, and many of the rest don’t care.

I hope the rest of their ammo shoots better than the 64gr Bonded .223 I bought a bunch of. Not blems either.