Hoping someone in the know can provide some illumination.

Firstly anyone paying attention will know that prices for all commodities have been increasing over that last few years driving up prices so one should expect bullet prices to prices to rise as well.

However the retailers I have spoken to are seeing Nosler prices increase significantly faster than Hornady. To the point that one retailer had all their Nosler bullets on sale and were not going to order more.

Why the difference? Did Hornady stock pile material at lower prices? Did Hornady contract for future material prices at beneficial pricing? Is Hornady reducing their profit per unit to capture more market share?

At this moment Hornady is the most abundant product on the shelves of those who sell reloading components in Western Canada.

I’ve been a big user of Nosler products for many years and have always been happy with the product, but if the price differential remains when I shoot off what I have I’ll need to look elsewhere.

Thanks in advance for your input and hoping y’all have a wonderful Easter.

Hornady makes up the vast majority of availability in the USA as well.

Only a guess but I suspect the cost of doing business in Oregon (Nosler) is pretty high compared to Nebraska (Hornady).

No illumination from here. Sometime back I kicked off a rant over Partition pricing. As an example, back in January the local SW had gotten in 3 boxes of 6.5mm 140 grain Partitions. $76 each. Those 3 boxes are still there on the shelf.

I lean towards bonded bullets; A-Frames for Africa, and now Oryx and the newer BondStrike for NA. When the remaining dwindling stock of Partitions and NABs are gone I won't restock unless I come across some from folks looking to unload.

I'm also building a pile of various mono bullets to range test and then go find something to test on. Though definitely that's still Plan C.

Like you, the local SW shelves are loaded with Hornady. Sure wish they'd offer up Interbonds in more calibers tho.

I like nosler bullets in 20, 22, 24, 25, and 28 calibers. Prior to about three years ago, I used them almost exclusively.
But due to availability, price and performance, I’ve pretty much switched to Hornady for all the mentioned calibers. I do have some noslers on the shelf from the past, when they’re gone, I’m using Hornady only.

Volume and demand.

Nosler is proud of their products. I used Partitions for the most part until they got so high. I have a good many tipped Bear Claws I use for 270’s and 7 mags. I’ve switched to Barnes TTSX for most everything else.

I've been using Hornady bullets for years. They are great people. Not trying to gouge the hell out of us like Nosler. I actually just bought some Hornady 6.5 140gr ELD match bullets for $36/box the other day. Just using those as an example. Hornady is keeping us stocked up and shooting, while other companies could care less about the little man (which is the majority of us here). I have said in open forums that I am not buying anymore Nosler bullets. They are not for us. They are for themselves and the almighty dollar.

BS. At least not when we are talking Nosler. There are other underlying reasons going on over there.

There is that, but one must also consider that Oregon was under strict Covid mandates for 2 years, Hornady only got shut down for 90 days. Food for thought.

My two-cent opinion is that Nosler makes the best bullets [that used to be] commonly available and I was willing to pay a little more for them because of something I read a long time ago. A writer pointed out the fact that the cost of a bullet is really almost nothing in the grand scheme of things, and especially if you travel to hunt in far away and exotic places (which I do not, but no matter). I've always been very happy with Ballistic Tips, Accubonds, and Partitions. Since availability has become a huge problem in more recent times I have been more willing to use "good enough" bullets from wherever I can find them. I've found that PRVI's 100-grain 6mm soft-point shoots well in my 6mm Remington, for instance. This bullet may not be the equal of a 95- or 100-grain Partition, but will it really matter? I most seriously doubt it.

Whatever Nosler's problem is, I think it's going to seriously erode their market share. I'd hate to see them go under because it's better for all of us if there are more competitors in the market. We'll all find out how it shakes out eventually. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

Having worked in a machine shop years ago,I saw widespread drug abuse among many of the workers in that shop.Lot of good machinist became lousy towards the end of their work shift after using drugs while working.I don't know if that's the case with Nosler but,the state's laws have become quite lenient towards drug use.I know the oilfield had a lot of problem finding workers who could pass a drug test too.Something is going wrong at Nosler,who knows. https://www.criminaldefenselawyer.c...s-legalized-vs-decriminalized-drugs.html

When companies forget how they got to be what they are, & who allowed them to be there, it's time for the customer to move on. I used to try Noslers 1st for most rifles I was loading for. There is still some stock left in my closet, but it's getting thin. SPS prices were full retail for the few blems they have last time I visited. I like to experiment, but once I go through the time & expense of developing a new load with a different bullet I wont be buying any more Noslers. Barnes are cheaper than Partitions or Accubombs... & somewhat available.

Same with Sierra. The 225/358 Gamekings have no equal except for maybe... Noslers. Bummer. There were no 225s when I started loading the 35s. Betcha that Hammer has something worth trying?

Same goes for Alliant. RL26 will be hard to replace, but the few 8#ers I've seen for sale recently are about $100 more than even Hodgdon's extruded powders. That well-fed Jason Vanderwhatever dude can blow smoke & stock options up somebody else's ass. Even Vihtavuori is cheaper now & has been working well for me. Ramshot is worthwhile too.

Fuggem. They need us more than we need them.

I understand you wanting to stick with a brand you trust. I think, given the circumstances, you should explore other options with Hornady, Speer or Barnes. Even if there was a definitive answer to your Nosler question, it still won't address the problem of high prices and availability.

Been 5 years or so since I shot a jacketed bullet, and that was just a very few. My stockpile is substantial and likely will remain so, 'cause I'd much rather shoot cast. A few pennies for a 500 grain bullet don't hurt. Unless you're a buffalo.

Sierra too!

Never a Hornady fan, just wasn't.
The Covid thing makes me less so.
Unless Speer steps up, there are few choices for folks who
don't need Special Bullets to shoot deer.

I briefly met John Nosler back in his Ashland Or. days, but there has been a lot procreation going on since then, 4 generations....there are a lot of Noslers by blood and by marriage....and I think a lot of them on the payroll. When my daughter worked for them in Bend, they had the best employee benefits in Oregon. Just my opinion, but I don't think raw materials is their pricing problem.

I actually am surprised that it took half a page to get to this. It was my understanding that it was pretty common knowledge.

I don't believe it is a supply issue. This far after beginning of pandemic everybody is buying raw materials at the same price. My belief is along the lines of some previous posters. Over may years and several generations of Noslers, they have built a reputation for excellent products. Now they are attempting to monetize that reputation. The current generation running the show want to cash every check they can, from crazy high bullet prices to selling essentially Howa rifles as custom Nosler rifles.

I have a pile of Noslers on hand, but will not be replacing them at these prices. Funny, but any more Barnes are looking like the less expensive option.

I've taken the Hornady plant tour a couple of times, and I was always impressed with how they tried to keep their costs down.

Where Sierra (I've taken their plant tours, too) buys lead wire from "somewhere else", Hornady bought the lead and made their own lead wire. I think the same thing was going on with their gilding metal for the jackets.
I have no idea where or how Nosler gets their component material, so I can't comment on that, but Hornady does most of their stuff "in house" vs. Sierra, at least.

I like and use whatever bullets shoot well in my rifles/pistols, but Hornady seems to nail down the cost issues pretty well.

In Canada, these are the prices of some popular 165 gr .308 bullets at a Canadian retailer. Price per bullet in brackets. Prices are without taxes or shipping. To convert to USD, take off 30%.

Nosler Partitions are far and away the most expensive at $2.08 ea. Even their cup and core BTs are $1.04 ea.
---

Barnes - $72.99/50 ($1.46 ea)

Hornady Interlock - $62.49/100 ($0.63 ea)
Hornady SST - $70.99/100 ($0.71 ea)
Hornady CX $75.99/50 ($1.52 ea)

Nosler Partition - $103.99/50 ($2.08 ea)
Nosler BT $51.99/50 ($1.04 ea)

Sierra Gamechangers - $87.99/100 ($0.88 ea)

Speer HC - $42.99/100 ($0.43 ea)
Speer GS $30.99/50 ($0.62 ea)

I was a staunch Nosler fan for years but the past couple of years on almost unobtanium Nosler bullets, not to mention the sky high price if you could find them I have been selling what Nosler bullets I had and replacing with Hornady bullets. They seem to be able to get most of their line out into the real world.

Don't know what's going on with Nosler, but do know that when visiting several bullet factories over the decades that quite often somebody was watching the then-present price of lead and copper closely, in order to buy at the best price. Once it was the then-CEO of Sierra....

Well, no one’s ever accused me of being “in the know” about pretty much anything, but I suspect that Nosler simply considers its bullets to be premium (all of them), and prices them accordingly. If they sell all they make at their asking price, then the market agrees. I have a LOT of them acquired mostly from SPS as blems when the price was right, and doubt I’ll even need more. I’ve also been very happy with the Speer and Barnes bullets I’ve tried when they were available, and the few Hornadys I’ve bought as well. What few I’ll need in the future will be purchased based on good value for the price.

Didn’t read all the posts so may have missed something, but I have to say I’m somewhat amazed by the prices on Sierra bullets as well, even non-match ones. Maybe there’s some truth to the notion that Hornady is sitting on a giant hoard of pre-inflation metal…….

Don't mind paying up for Nosler partitions and accubonds for my hunting rifles, They have always worked and shoot good in my guns. I haven't shot everything out there but have shot quite a bit and for killing stuff I am sold on Nosler.

Ive always had great luck out of the red boxes and with the exception of the 95 bt's in the 243 of which i have a life supply of.... I use Hornady in everything. Been pretty thankful for Ramshot too.... they make a great product at a great price as well.

Hammer Bullets

Not cheap, but available and with cutting edge technology.

DF

Made the switch lately to Barnes TTSX away from partitions. Seem to work great so far and much more affordable.

Only 2 bullets to buy:

I box of Nosler ballistic tips 180 grain 30 caliber for big game and hundreds of boxes of small caliber bullets for the other 51 weeks of the year…

'tShrap well said. I've got all the partitions I'll ever need and I don't need a high end bullet to kill P-dogs. And I've got thousands.

Shrap, don’t think you gonna get caught short.

DF

Speer when I can find them for shooting dirt. Hunting bullets cost a little more and it depends what you are hunting! Premium is out of my price range now but luckily I stock piled those expensive bullets long ago.

I would love to stick with Nosler bullets because they have been the bulk of my use over the past 30 years. I could last a bit longer with my current Nosler supply, but I'm giving Hornady a try and planning on making the switch.

Finding Nosler bullets is near impossible. I don't even mind paying a bit more, but there is so little Nosler available in what I'm looking for, that its time to move on.

I have been a fan of Nosler bullets for decades in fact the only bullet to come out of the barrel of my various 243's was the 100 gr Partition. That being said I haven't seen any on the shelves in a very long time. The ones I have purchased recently have been from the classifieds here and run about $1 each. What I find odd is that SPS has blems on sale but the LGS never seems to have any bullets from Nosler. I lucked into a hoard of Sierra bullets in 30 and 25 caliber so I'm good there and have Hornady and Barnes in good supply as well.

Halfway between Dan and Shrap. Everythin strightwall gets my cast. Got a lifetime of cast and jacketed. Been itching to do some casting though.

Casting is fun when it's raining.

It ain't fun when you shoot it. Ask the deer that caught this one...

Like Shrapnel (and others) I learned a long time ago to stock up on my "main bullets" for the cartridges I use most--along with enough moulds and lead for those using cast bullets.

Same deal with primers, brass, powders, etc.--but especially PRIMERS, which as I have mentioned before on the Campfire (and elsewhere) first became almost impossible too obtain in the late 1990s during the buying panic after the Clinton "assault rifle ban" was enacted.

Now, some handloaders aren't old enough to have learned from that shortage--but many are, since the average age of Campfire members is in the 60s. But there have also been several shortages since, including stuff from rimfire ammo to (once again) primers.

It's April, 2023 and I'm finally GTG with what I prefer and use most.

Biggest change for me during this last COVID/panic was accepting Nosler just wasn't Plan A for me any longer and then working out a Plan B for NA hunting. I also did get surprised with my store of mag primers. Thought I had more and didn't.

Outside of some soon calamity, I figure I can continue buying regularly and building stock for weathering the next panic.

I guess I am a bit different that some here as I have a load developed for everything I shoot and have the stuff needed to supply it. That said, I do not shoot varmints like Kirk does but I do not tinker with new loads via new powders and bullets. In fact, the last few critters I have shot were with either the PPU 165 gr 30-06 load or the Federal 150 gr Blue box. Amazingly they worked.

I like the 30 cal Partitions I own. It’s likely a lifetime supply considering the number of hunting shots per year. I will buy a box or two of 25 cal Partitions when they return to availability.
But for the rest of the target/range use in the rifles I’m grateful for the Speer, Hornady, and others I have found in good supply.
If our state goes off the deep end and declares copper for hunting I have a nice stash of Barnes TTSX. (Even just found some 25’s)
I don’t think Nosler is trying to hold back, but if they were mandated by their state gov to restrict business that must be a heck of a hole to climb out of as a business. Their stuff is well made and in short supply. And guys are buying at the price the market will hold. No issue with the free market. I Just can’t see punching paper at that $ point.

years ago i stock up my reloading supply also living within 30 miles of a great ammo factory my uncle was a engineer , very good friend i hunted and fished with a lot was a very important engineer/manager at that ammo factory ,many friends worked there too . so i got plenty free-bees , enough bullets ,brass cases , primers ,powder probably for 3 life times for hunting , most of my bench rest ammo i reload for i stock up heavy on . if your a ammo handloader you need to get your inventory built up when you can mine is from 45 years of buying extra plus family and friends have helped me a lot too. i still buy some bullets yet i am very impressed with Hammer Bullets . good luck ,Pete53

In the past,I have had three friends who have past on and their wives have asked me to sell their reloading supplies and keep some of what I could use.

Aside form buying some 38 cal cast bullets and sales from SPS thru the years, I have not bought much in the way of supplies. Less than 3 pounds of handgun and AR powders..

Now I find myself close in age and health to those who I sold supplies for. Not too long in the future, someone is going to get a heck of a deal like I did.

Me, too, if you can’t tell by now.

DF

One good thing about stockpiled stuff is that after a certain amount of time has passed, it becomes essentially “free”, especially if I’ve forgotten I had it. Just realized I have at least 750 40gr Varmageddons that will work well for loading 5.7x28. Might be more, it’s hard to count with all those little bags in a plastic tub sliding around.

I’m short on .358 Partitions but found a new box in my stash. I won’t pay $100 for a box of Partitions until Hell freezes over. If the People’s Republic of Oregon is stalling their production output, shame on them for staying there and tolerating that environment. Sad…

A person today needs to have a few years of supply on hand so they don't get caught with their pants down.

Nosler just got greedy. Sometimes the obvious answer is just what it is.

I've got enough bullets, powder, and primers to last the rest of my life. If Nosler wants to run themselves out of business trying to milk the golden goose it's not my problem.

Well I have a lifetime supply of primers and 25cal Hornady bullet's. Ever get store's stocked up again I'm putting in a lifetime supply of bullets and powder. Everything else I have lot's of. I think if we got rid of the scalpers somehow it would help! Oh BTW, I've got a lifetime supply of 22 cal bullets right now. Problem is no 22 cal rifle and they are very old Herter bullets! Have tried a lot of Herter bullet's but not the most accurate I've ever seen. Hornady fan for 50 yrs and pretty big on Speer Hot Cores too, only the hot cores!

You don’t really own bullets. Someday you have to send them off into the world, and you won’t get many Partitions back……

Pretty sure all my .308 Partitions are 150s, either the Gold version I got from Graf’s sale flyer for $8 a box years ago, or the overruns SPS sold for $20, so I could shoot them at paper without too much remorse, but those are really good deer killers and my progeny can use them when I don’t need them anymore.

It isn't any of my business why a company charges what they do for the finished product. I either think it is worth the money and buy it, or not.
Not much different than asking a self employed plumber or electrician to explain their hourly wage.

The last time I bought partitions was about 13 years ago. Bought 2,000 seconds, 30 caliber, 180 grain. Cost was $10.99 per 50.

Been reading this thread all along. I have reloaded ctr fire since I was 14 and now 68 so I have all the components that I might actually need. Sometimes when you buy a rifle that is chambered for some cartridge you never had you have to scramble a bit to round up the components like 25-20,9.3×62, or the 307 win.but they are out there somewhere. If you didn't have to look hard for them chances are you would not learn as much. I like and use Nosler partitions but will gladly use whatever I have and still get the job done. Hate to see Nosler price themselves out of my business but I guess they did years ago and now so has sps. A person has to wonder why only nosler has this monumental amount of 2nds is their work force that bad or is their tooling crapped out? I have never waited until I am out of something to go buy it, I buy when I see a good deal and have a pretty good handle on what I have and need. Wasn't that long a go more than a few people on the fire considered you a hoarder if you had what they waited to long to buy..maybe the damned boy scouts screwed me up when I was 13 and learned "Be Prepared"...mb

I really liked Nosler bullets and, probably, used them more than anything from the early seventies until they went to 50/box at nearly the same per box price as 100/box had been. That’s when I went to nearly all Sierras for most rifles with a few Hornady and Speers in applications for which Sierra didn’t make anything I felt suitable.

I have seen other companies and businesses go down the road Nosler seems to be going down when there was an excess of progeny who seemed to feel entitled to fat income from easy jobs that they were qualified for only by an accident of birth. Whether that’s the case with Nosler, I don’t know.

Just my opinion, but Nosler has been overpriced for years. No reason to shoot them, when others make as good, and more accurate products.

There was a time when talk like that would have seen you pilloried here.

My belief is that you don't always need a bullet like a Partition or a Barnes to get the job done. Lord knows, the BP and cast bullet shooters would tell you that. But there are also times when you want something with a little "oomph", to use the technical term. Partitions fill that role quite well.

I guess its a combination of things. What you hunt and where and...how deep your pockets are.

Might be that simple Redgewell but I simply don't like someone trying to poke me in the azz...mb

Nosler has lost their collective minds. Shopping at 2 retailers yesterday, Sportsmans whorehouse and Bruno Shooters.
6.5 mm Nosler AB were $1.04 each!
300 brass was $99 for 25; $4 a piece.

I bought Sierra and Bergers for less than 60 cents a piece.
What a joke.

Yeah, I wish we knew what is going on in the heads of the board members at Nosler. Given that the prices of other bullets haven't gone up that much, it makes you wonder if they are squeezing shooters for what they can get.

I just don’t understand the need for premium bullets on deer sized game. I think loading the correct weight bullet at a reasonable speed is all you need.

Sure, if you have a magnum cartridge shooting a conventional cup and core at high velocity and shoot a critter up close you will have explosive results. That situation then leads me to the conclusion that most people hunting deer with magnum cartridges are over-gunned. My recent foray into more modest cartridges like the 6.5 Grendel really changed perception on what makes a good deer rifle.

I’m not knocking one’s decision for using a magnum round and/or premium bullets. I just think that when you fall into those categories then you have to accept the higher costs associated with shooting those more powerful rounds. Even still, if I used my 300 Win Mag for deer, I’d probably load a 200 grain cup and core around 2900 fps rather than a much more expensive, lighter weight premium bullet to chase speed. There isn’t a deer alive that will stop a 200 grain SGK at 2900 fps.

Took me a while, but I finally made meat with my Grendel last Fall, using the semi-premium 120gr Gold Dot. Made a marginal shot offhand and left-handed, but the bonded bullet dropped her in her tracks and sailed off into the ether after maybe a foot of penetration, including presumably the spine (someone else cut her up). Can’t imagine a better outcome. After years of blowing big, burping holes through deer with various cup & core bullets from .308s, .270s etc. I have to agree that often we’re over-gunned for average whitetails in the woods. Have to say, however, that Partitions have performed admirably in every instance where I used them, without excessive jellification of the eating meat, BUT they all have fortuitously been placed very neatly low in the chest, through the heart thus far. Different placement might change my mind.

My sons have each taken a deer with my 100gr .243 Partition loads with excellent results as well, but I wasn’t present to determine the shot placement. I suppose the case might be made for using the spendy slugs in smaller calibers, especially if you enjoy two holes in your deer. At some point, I hope to verify all the enthusiasm for the 95gr BTs, as I have a good many on hand, purchased cheaply as blems, and now essentially free since so much time has passed.

Is the Partition a good bullet? Yes.
Is it still 1948? No (lots of good bullets)
The only Noslers I've bought recently come from SPS, they're seconds and even they are often priced ridiculously.

You want a small caliber bullet that will perforate both side of a deer? Check this one out.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1010619848?pid=126472

$0.18/each. Shot out of a standard 223 Rem. Leaves a nice 40 caliberish sized hole coming out. Haven’t caught one yet and have killed deer out to 200 yards with it. Admittedly, these were all shot through the rib cage and I haven’t put one through any shoulders or taken any raking shots. I did drop a 200+ pound hog at a lasered 270 yards though. Bullet went through the skull, in and out, killing the boar instantly.

That’s an old standby for many, IIRC. I have enough Gold Dots to last me, and a bunch of ABLRs in reserve.

You guys are late to the party. I quit buying NP - bullets or factory - about 15 years ago as being too much money for too little gain. Mostly went back to C&C at that time, with zero regrets or problems.


That said, I'm in the process of loading up a box of .338 WM 210 NP, and 40-50 of 200 FB, which came with the used rifle over 30 years ago... I flat refuse to die with those things taking up space!

They should be fine on caribou, coyotes, skunks, and grasshoppers. Ok- not skunks, we don't have them here.

I've never killed anything with a nosler bullet but I think they probably make good bullet's, probably good as any bullet. Was going to set up mu 6.5x06 to use 140gr Nosler partitions but didn't have any loaded up when I needed them so simply used mynold stand by Hornady 140gr SP's. Just kept on using them. Thing I believe about bullet's is they all work as designed but we all have preference's for what we like! Even those early Nosler BT's I'd bet no animal could take one in the head and live even with all the bad press they got. What has always got me about Nosler bullet's is the cost! Seem's they were about twice what cup and core cost me and I doubt they ever killed anything any deader! I've always been a bit tight with my money. That's why I don't try mono's or bonded bullet's. Bonded of choice for me would be Speer Hot Cores. May not qualify as bonded but work the same at half the cost!

Speer Hot Cores are not bonded. Recovering one dispels that nonsense.

I’ve never used a hot-cor, but I did buy a couple boxes for my 280 AI. These are the 160 grain variety. What have your experiences been like with the hot-cors, Pathfinder?

They aren’t bonded. I’ve seen them slip the core completely.

Not really, I just think Nosler has had the Cartels invest in them since Covid..

I've sent them emails, when I get ads from the Shooters Pro Shop. Tell them when they quit having Drug Dealer Pricing on their products, I'll start using them once again. What little you find on the Shelves at our local Sportsman's Warehouse, over $100 a box for a box of 100 count RDF target bullets in 22 and 24 caliber... Others need to send them the same about their prices.. At least it will give them an incentive to get back into the real world once again.

My brother shot a midsize whitetail buck this year with a Hot Cor 7mm 160 from his 280. MV right at 2800. He shot the buck quartering towards him at 60 yards. He did hit a shoulder and the buck dropped there. The bullet did lose its core and he found both pieces. Hard to conclude much from a single instance, but I wouldn’t care to break elk shoulders with one.