.357 mag and .38 SPL ammo are through the roof here in Maine.

Wal-Mart barely has it in stock anymore and Cabela's....don't get me started.

What are you guys doing about the cost of ammo and your revolvers and training?

Switching to another gun? Reloading? Not shooting as much?

I have not shot my 686 in months because I do not want to use up what .38 SPL and .357 MAG I have left.

Any thoughts?

.357 mag and .38 SPL ammo are through the roof here in Maine.

Wal-Mart barely has it in stock anymore and Cabela's....don't get me started.

What are you guys doing about the cost of ammo and your revolvers and training?

Switching to another gun? Reloading? Not shooting as much?

I have not shot my 686 in months because I do not want to use up what .38 SPL and .357 MAG I have left.

Any thoughts?

I reload most calibers and bought a bunch of 9mm before it went too crazy. I am not shooting much right now because of the weather.

I went to a 3 day shooting school back in Sept and there was only 1 guy shooting a .45. The staff said with increased ammo costs, they were seeing a lot more 9's. By the way, after the class, I picked up most of the .45 brass.

Started last year getting ready for more ".22 time." Acquired some conversion units (SIG P226 and P220, Advantage for standard size Glock), already had Ciener units for Commander and Browning HP, and Marvel unit for full size 1911. Ditto .22 Kit Guns and K22s for revolver practice. Ditto Colt AR15 .22 conversion unit.

We're starting to get into the ammo drought period that some predicted. Take a look at the ammo shelves in the big box stores.

And, of course, reloaders are wearing well-deserved smug smiles.

Yes, sir.

no shortage here..........plenty of .38 special & .357 magnum rounds

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There's nowt so queer as folk

My practice has been down lately due to bouts of bronchitis and cold weather.
I haven't changed due to ammo costs or shortages yet, but do plan to start reloading 9mm again this year. Nine mm was so cheap for so long that I gave up reloading it.

I was lucky enough to be paranoid enough to think that this would happen so I was able to stock up early. If I recall correctly I bought WWB 9mm for $4.99 a box about 2 years ago. I pretty cleaned out the stores supply. 5k rounds if I remember correctly. I have about 3k left. I still practice but only about half as much.

I reload. We all should learn. Teaching a kid to reload will insure the future of the shooting sports as much as teaching a kid to shoot. This year I intend to start casting bullets.

Somewhat off topic, does anyone have an opinion on Wison reloads for practice?

Like Flop said...everyone should learn to reload...

Three years ago the wholesale cost of a box of .38 Super Winchester White Box ammo was $10.00...today it is $23.00.

Three years ago it cost me $3.00 to reload a box of .38 Super with 100 grain Berry's plated bullets...today it costs $4.50....

...your savings may vary...

To the original question...no I can still shoot what I shot to the same amount I always have...

Bob Makowski

Good question. In my case, I do not shoot my 686 nor my 1894C rifle due to the cost of .38 ammo. In fact, I'm finding that I shoot less overall, and when I do, I'm going with my .22. I'm trying to prepare myself for the upcoming anti-gun "BS" from the new administration in DC. Shooting just doesn't seem to be as much fun, plus I'm afraid my IDPA match shooting may be out of sight in the future.

I shoot better and try not to miss as much

Seriously though, I shoot 22 most often, followed by 45 or 38. Still enough to feel proficient, but not as much as I should.

I have enough ammo stockpiled for...awhile. I shoot very little factory ammo even under normal circumstances, it's almost all my reloads.

I am shooting less centerfire rifle and more rimfire. The skills seem to transfer well.

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Big bang, much smash'em.

Ammo costs encouraged me to reload...
No idea while I waited so long...


Jim

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Big bullets leave big holes

I completely got out of NRA Across The Course Highpower and significantly cut back on my NRA Mid Range and Long Range Prone and got more involved in NRA Smallbore Prone for the same reasons. Smallbore saves time in addition to money, since I don't have to spend hours cleaning bores and reloading match CF cartridges.

I notice that there's no particular shortage of most common forms of ammo around here. Decent low-end 38 Special which used to cost about $10 per box is now $15. That's a pretty sizeable mark-up in a short amount of time.....less than a year. But I also was surprised when looking through my storage area and found some factory ammo that I'd bought in the mid-80s. Some 38 stuff bought back then was $11 and I found some 9x19 Blazer stuff with a $9 price-tag on it! The basic inflation rate since the mid-80s is about 2-2.5X, so if you look at it that way, ammo right now is pretty darned cheap.

i too just had to reload....i purchased a box of 500 mag.for $32.00 (20 rounds) went back a couple weeks later and it was over $50.00...thats outrageous and simply sealed the deal for me...i HAD to reload!i just love it and its easy!i now reload 38/357,41 mag.,44 mag.,.223,45acp,500mag.and 45colt....i have discovered a new hobby that saves me money and its something i share with my son....a friend of mine loves my 44mag.reloads...just yesterday i traded him a box of 44 special factory and 100 rounds of my 44mag.reloads...he gave me 1000 rounds of eagle 9mm factory!a good deal i would say plus he is returning my brass LOL...like others i encourage you to reload...i thought it would be a complicated mess...and it wasn't...just use care and pay attention to detail...hope this helps...i certainly cannot afford to shoot all factory these days

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

I have done 2 things:
1)started reloading a lot more,
2)and also take .22 revolver along with the center fire whenever I go to the range, and I tend to shoot more of the .22 than the centerfire than I used to.

If I didn't reload, I couldn't shoot.

Yes, I'm practicing less because of ammo prices. My annual membership also lapsed at around the same time that ammo cost was rising (and membership re-up runs close to $400/yr.), and so my "free" range trip with cheap ammo became a distant memory. Suddenly with range fee and ammo, each 100-round practice session became a $50 venture. At $50/pop, I couldn't keep up my every-other-week routine. I've backed down (from .45) to 9mm, but that doesn't make a great deal of impact overall. I suppose I could do more .22, but it's just not quite the same.

Yes, I shoot more .22 as I have no problem finding the ammo.

I shoot less .38 special and 9 mm.

I usually shoot .38 spl and .40 S&W. I still do, even though the price has gone up. But, I bought a new Smith&Wesson 22a pistol. So now I shoot all three but it cost less per outing.

For various reasons, mostly because it's quiet and non-lead-contaminating, and can be shot indoors, without ear protection, I recently bought a Crosman 2300T CO2 .177 pellet pistol. It's not much cheaper than generic bulkpack .22 rimfire per round, but a little. It's accurate, has adjustable sights and trigger, and offers economical practice... An alternative worth considering...

Up till last year I consumed two hundred rounds weekly in defense revolver training in two sessions. Now I train once a week and shoot 50 rounds (.38 spl).
My .22 caliber consumption has remained constant though cost is up and availablity is down in southern Nevada.

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R Gitz

I reload. The biggest thing I've changed is that I shoot into a bullet trap instead of a regular target stand. Recapture the lead, melt it down and pour new bullets.

Today's range session 100rds of .357 and 150rds of 38. First range session since duck season.

I too reload for my center fire revolvers.
For my 1911 I buy ammo.
Went to Dick's Sporting Goods yesterday and they had gone up $5.00 a box on 45acp.
I figure it will cut my 45 practice in half.
A couple of boxes a month instead of four or five boxes.

No. I reload. I have been reloading for more years than I care to remember. It saves money, and I have always believed that a serious shooter was also a reloader. I reload .223, .25-20, .45-70, 9mm, .44-40, .44 Special, and .45 Auto. I'm planning to start .380 Auto and 8mm Mauser.

I also alternate with .22 LR shooting. For me, there is a lot of fun shooting a Winchester 9422 or a Browning Challenger. A friend and I have an informal weekly competition where we use one gun (his S&W 41) and one one box of ammunition (25 shots eack). The best score wins a dollar.

I've always been a fan of rimfire pistols. It's a matter of working on the basics: grip, front sight, breathing, squeezing off a shot. The high cost of centerfire ammo just encourages me to shoot more .22s.

no

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Hook686

I fear that under Obama, re-loading will go the way of the Do-Do bird as a result of punitive taxes.

For me, I've cut DRAMATICALLY down on shooting with .357/.38.

Most of my volume practice is with my 9mms and my .22.

.

I'm shooting my 9mm's more and my .45's less.

for the last 2 years, i shoot more and more 22lr (around 1500 /year). I don't get the time to reload 44 and 9 mm. But with my new 460 I AM GOING TO RELOAD IT! My bank account will thanks me!
R.

Yes. I've definitly been spending more time with my Buckmark. But thats not a bad thing.

We'll see about that.

I shoot ICORE comp. with my revos and for IDPA my 1911. I am getting a lot of trigger time with my 617 and have just purchased a 22 cal conversion kit for my 1911 from tactical solutions.Now I'm waiting for the price of 22's to go out of sight
Jim

I've haven't changed my shooting hobbies at all, shoot just as much as I ever did.
Been reloading for 40 years, and most of my guns have never had factory loads shot in them.

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John

Not in the least. I have reloaded for 32 years. The only factory ammo I have is personal defense ammo.

I have three model 10's. A 4 inch, 3 inch, and a 2 inch. I use a 22/32 for alot of practice. Then I end my practice sesson with one of the Model 10's with 12 rounds. Do this a couple of times a month and uses about a single box of my regular round, MagTec 38 Spl+P. Cost me about $10 a month buying the MagTec in case lots.

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Life happens while your making other plans

No, because I don't practice with factory ammunition. I now have the equipment to reload for every caliber of handgun I own. Last year, I bought Storm Lake conventionally rifled barrels for my Glock 19 and Glock 22 so that I could safely use my lead bullet handloads in them.

Other than the actual self-defense ammunition that I carry day to day, I'm now 100% handloads.

My Ruger MKII and HS Sential have been getting a work out with some 22 LR's

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I've been loading for over 40 years and have plenty of components and loaded ammo. I plan to shoot more .22, load more and be judicious in the use of factory loads.

I reload.