Managing Reloading Inventory

How do you guys do it?

I was about to place an order for something and it suddenly struck me “I need .270 Winchester brass for that Sako I got after Thanksgiving!” So I went out to the chaos in my workshop to see what I could find. There are almost 50 cases of what appear to be (from scribbled labels) new Winchester brass. There also are “Lot #1” and “Lot #2” of Remington brass, presumably from once-fired factory ammo. Maybe I can find my hand loading notes for .270 Winchester … it’s the first rifle cartridge I ever hand loaded but I haven’t touched it in nearly 15 years.

An hour or more later I emerged. I have enough .270 brass for basic load development. My inventory spreadsheet says that there are a few .277 caliber bullets but I can’t find them. Apparently I couldn’t find .45-70 brass right after Obama was elected but did find some a couple years later… and bought a metric **** ton of it. Why? I don’t know. .45-70 is fun to shoot 15 or 20 rounds and that’s it.

Then there’s the pistol brass and projectiles. There’s quite a variety and quantity of .38 Special brass and at least 6 different projectiles. Again - I don’t know what I was thinking but I will not run out of 158 grain LSWC. Not Ever. 9mm and .45 ACP brass is just as varied but there are fewer projectile choices. I found .357 SIG specific bullets - a cartridge I no longer intend to shoot let alone reload. At least I won’t run out of 9x23 Winchester cases, and that’s a mighty good thing since they aren’t made anymore.

I won’t even get into the other rifle cartridges…

My question is how do you manage inventory of reloading components?

Powder, primers, projectiles, and cases get pretty confusing, especially when Win 231 can be used for so many pistol cartridges and a .308 bullet might work in 7.62 NATO, .30-06 and/or .30-30. My inventory spreadsheet doesn’t include brass at all. I think I was only loading for pistols when I started it and figured the cases would last pretty much forever. At one point I started trying to balance primers, projectiles and powder for specific cartridges. As in .44 Special needs X amount of Y powder so I need Z bullets and primers.

Please forgive me for this rambling post. I’ve been through multiple shortages of reloading components. My reaction when they become available again isn’t necessarily rational, but I hope it’s understandable. Now I am trying to list firearms by cartridge and figure out which ones I actually will shoot. 9mm Luger and .38 Special are easy and not demanding. However, I have 3 different types of rifles chambered in .308/7.62 so might need to develop (or reproduce) 3 different loads. Trying to develop a load tailored to each rifle in every cartridge would be ridiculous…

P.S. I do need to order some .277 bullets!

Most components are on shelves behind the presses. Big stuff.....Powder/wads/cast bullets/shot etc. Are on shelves under the presses. Most in eye view. Brass is on one shelf in plastic bins labeled by caliber. 9mm/38 spl/40/45/223 brass is in multiple 5 gal. buckets.
All my deer rifles(multiples) have a load just for them......In the past using my cronograph/targets/load data. i developed the "sweet spot load" for each rifle.....Once an done.....Don't have to do it again.
BTW. I cast bullets for every centerfire gun I own. So there's no Bullet shortage if I can't get my favored jacketed bullets . So far I have been able to "ride out" these "shortages" by keeping ample supplies on hand. ALL THE TIME.

With the exception of primer and powder stores (and some finished ammunition) I try to keep everything related to reloading in one location. I can USUALLY put my mitts on anything I need in under a minute, whether it be components (brass, dies, bullets, etc.) or load data.

There have been occasions when I thought I was out of something, getting ready to order more (usually because it happened to be on $ale) only to find I had some stashed away (hidden?) on the back of a shelf... I call that a pleasant surprise!

Hopefully I will be around long enough to use up the extras, anyway...?

Cheers!

For a 270 rifle;

you will need a .277 dia. bullet in the 130- 140gr range for most shooting needs.
Powder can range from the faster 4895 to the slower 4831, depending on your needs.

Make sure your ammo will fit "into" a factory ammo box & your magazine
before you load a lot of ammo.

My M70 bolt action likes a 130 sierra BT #1820 from 2700fps up to 2950fps.

Befor all the computer spread sheets, we now have;
all my data was kept in the Wilson Jones, columnar Pad, that tax men used.
A binder booklet with 50 sheets of 11x 8.5" lined forms with 4-8 columns.

Have fun.

TheTinMan said:

How do you guys do it?


My question is how do you manage inventory of reloading components?

Powder, primers, projectiles, and cases get pretty confusing, especially when Win 231 can be used for so many pistol cartridges and a .308 bullet might work in 7.62 NATO, .30-06

Click to expand...

Once I got mildly proficient in Excel I simply found out I loved it. It does everything for me. One of the secrets is to link ALL your inventory sheets together in one workbook. In other words, when you use 50 boolits of one kind, all your spreadsheets know that in advance.

One page for powders. It shows pounds (grains) left, and with an average loading (linked from all the other sheets), I know exactly how many rounds I am capable of loading. When the number goes below 500 I know I need to reorder.

Another sheet for primers, same concept.

The brass sheet shows rounds in inventory already loaded, plus a second inventory of spares.

My "Cost" sheet shows prices of current inventory items, so I know how much each round costs. As new inflated prices come up, the sheet is updated. The second tab shows ALL inventory so I know the value of stuff in my locker in case of an insurance problem.

My boolit sheet shows how many of each flavor I have. When the inventory of any one goes below 500 it lights up red, so now I know what I need to cast next Winter.

My Load sheets shows optimum formulas for each caliber, plus backup loads in case any particular powder is unobtainium.

My last gig required that I design a complete factory and set up all the operating spreadsheets, so this was good practice. I know, I know, way overkill and totally anal, but in addition to shooting, reloading and casting lead, one of my other hobbies is writing computer code.

The only caveat is that when you use any of the components, or buy new ones, you need to immediately update the spreadsheet to keep everything correct. If you forget a few times, having to start all over again making a physical inventory is a real hassle.

I load for fewer than twenty-five cartridges these days. I keep an ample supply of everything on hand; nothing is written down nor are there any spreadsheets (as if I knew how to create them).

I've been handloading since 1965 and have learned to keep things simple. I do this by purchasing powder in 8 lb. containers, seldom one pounders - they empty too quickly and cost more per pound. Brass- buy a bunch when you find it. I buy primers in cartons of 5,000. Jacketed rifle bullets that I may shoot a lot of, I'll try to keep anywhere from five to ten or more boxes on hand.

I use only my own cast bullets in all handgun chamberings, so I keep an ample supply of various casting alloys on hand.

Remember, none of this stuff will go bad. You'll use it eventually, so why not stay well-stocked and not worry about inventory records?

The only thing that Ive ever written down/listed to keep up with is primers. I write a purchase date on each brick and add them to a list hanging on my safe. The majority are CCI. Have 2 bricks of Winchester 209s. When i use all the sleeves from a brick I cross it off the list. Powder and bullets are scattered between my pantry and reloading room.

TheTinMan said:

I won’t even get into the other rifle cartridges…

My question is how do you manage inventory of reloading components?

Click to expand...

Manage?

When there is a Deal, I just buy it. It does not matter if I have enough of that item for now. It will get shot eventually. If I decide I have too much, I have many local buddies that are happy to take the excess off my hands on most of the deals I come across.

This all started when I began shooting competitively (late 70s), my mentor advised me to keep two years of supplies on hand. That way I would never be affected by a shortage.

I do not compete any more. Have not for years (decades actually) but I still keep lots of stuff on hand from the habits of the olden days

8 years ago when I moved to Central Florida, I actually counted what I had.

That rack and the floor had just over 96,000 jacketed and plated handgun projectiles. That does not include the hard cast that are on hand or the several hundred pounds of #2 alloy ingots that were in the shed waiting for me to cast

It did not include any of my rifle stuff either

I moved over 80,000 assorted primers and over 150 pounds of powder.

That also does not include the loaded ammunition or all the jugs of brass around the hobby room that are tumbled plus the stuff sorted by caliber waiting in 5 gal buckets to be cleaned.
At my present shooting rate I am set for a decade . . . probably more

I keep most of my inventory on my SmartPhone as I always have it with me. I use a notepad app. Otherwise, I take a quik picture of my primer stock so that I also have an up to date quantity.
I too will buy most anything on sale as stated in a previous post.

I use the KISS principle......Keep it simple, stupid........No spread sheets. NO data on phone or computer......Has worked well for 60 years.....Only log data I keep(Blue Horse note book) is how many cartridges per caiber or guage I load. for kicks & giggles that give me a number that I can total at anytime or at the end of the year.....I may have one caliber that fits 7-8 guns.

I have a lot fewer calibers to keep up with which makes it easy. I also only shoot handguns. There's two I shoot a lot of and four I shoot less of. Pretty simple. I'm good at using my leftovers up.

I do like to balance my primers and powder though at roughly 1# per 1,000 primers. Rifles you'd need more obviously.

I don't have that much stuff but trending toward having a separate ammo can for each caliber's components.

I keep everything, brass mostly, in separate lots with post-it notes in the yogurt containers till I get tired of all the separate lots then I just toss them all together and shoot out of one big lot per caliber.
Except if I'm loading carry ammo.

The World's Simplest Inventory

It is on the shelf. If I have IT, it is on the shelf. The shelf maybe under the reloading bench, beside the reloading bench, in the left rear corner of the garage (7' X 7' of chaos), or in the back bedroom along the outside wall.

Cast bullets are stacked in plastic parts bins that are 30+ years old and hold 45 - 50 pounds of cast bullets neatly stacked in rows and layers. Powder and primers are shelved in the back bedroom in a controlled environment.

Brass is carefully organized by caliber in labelled 5 gallon buckets tumbled and clean. Fired brass is accumulated in coffee cans by caliber until the quantity is sufficient to be tumbled.

How much, I don't know. I have never run out of primers or powder, and jacketed bullets are purchased on sale. Rainy, miserable weather is perfect for casting bullets. The six 5-gallon buckets of ingots and alloy are sitting by the big garage door. I think I went too far when I cast 40 pounds of 45-70 400 grain bullets using 3 different molds. 700 bullets might have been too many for a single shot rifle and 250 pieces of brass.

My wife is very clear about much how much stuff there is, "Too much! Don't bring more home with you from the range or the store!" Spoken by the women who bought 16 pairs of winter wooly socks last Saturday because they were On Sale.

EDIT:
12/29/23 Best Christmas present from my son, he unloaded 125# (5 bags) of #9 magnum shot by the melting pot for cast bullets. I hear tell that a 50/50 mix of shot and bullet lead ingots makes excellent lead wadcutters and semi-wadcutters. Now I really do have enough lead.

Over the years, I've accumulated a real mish-mash of components. Early on, I realized I couldn't handle the inventory without some sort of a system. I was running out of stuff, or buying more of what I didn't really need. Now having loaded for 40+ different cartridges, I'm glad I set up a scheme.

Every time I load something, that batch is logged on home-brew paper form and kept in a binder. There's a section for loading data, and another for shooting results. Each lot of brass has a number and letter. The number is cartridge, say .308 Winchester and the letter is the individual lot of brass. So my third lot of .308 is 19C. Each lot has a summary sheet showing the loads it has experienced. All this is on paper forms.

Electronically, I keep a spreadsheet showing the brass lots, whether loaded or empty; and powder, primers, and bullets I have available. The spreadsheet is credited or debited whenever I buy or consume components. So I have a ready list of what I have loaded up, and what components I have or may be going short of.

All the unloaded brass is kept in baggies identified by lot number. The baggies are in large plastic tubs identified by cartridge.

Bullets are in numbered 50 cal ammo cans. I got so tired of digging through piles of bullet boxes that I put this in place a few years ago. Now I can look up the ammo can number on the spreadsheet and go right to the can containing the bullets I'm looking for. I quickly figured out that 30 cal cans are too small and 20 mm or 40 mm cans became unmovable. 50 cal cans are just right, and stack nicely.

The only effort required now is a little discipline in keeping the spreadsheet updated when I buy components or load some ammo. I don't see a need to do a full inventory ever again since the system is self-correcting. If I forget to log something, I'll figure it out if I run out unexpectedly, or I see leftovers when the spreadsheet thinks I'm out. I don't make very many errors with this system, so I just don't sweat it.

So yeah, call me OCD. But I ask: Am I OCD enough???

Engineer1911 said:

How much, I don't know. I have never run out of primers or powder, and jacketed bullets are purchased on sale. Rainy, miserable weather is perfect for casting bullets. The six 5-gallon buckets of ingots and alloy are sitting by the big garage door. I think I went too far when I cast 40 pounds of 45-70 400 grain bullets using 3 different molds. 700 bullets might have been too many for a single shot rifle and 250 pieces of brass.

Click to expand...

Is all that 45-70 loaded? That is the one cartridge that I do not have lots of brass for.

Back at the 2012 SHOT Show's Media Day at the Range, Colt brought a brass 1877 BullDog Gatling Gun for us to shoot.


I loved the experience

However the Hand Loader in me was going through withdrawal as I was looking at that HUGE amount of once fired brass on the ground (that I knew Colt was not keeping) and all that went through my mind is where can I find a 5 gallon bucket and how do I that as a carry on for the flight Home

Engineer1911 said:

My wife is very clear about how stuff there is, "Too much! Don't bring more home with you from the range or the store!" Spoken by the women who bought 16 pairs of winter wooly socks last Saturday because they were On Sale.

Click to expand...

I think I dated her sister for 5 years or so


So when am I heading to Georgia to help you shoot all that 45-70.

2 single shots will go through it Much Faster

QUERY: Exactly HOW CAN one be absolutely SURE that they are "OCD ENOUGH"...?

Comment: I bought two 4-pair sets of wool blend boot socks earlier (Black Friday) because they were On $ale (for $15, and because they are the best dern boot socks I have found under $10 per pair!)...

Cheers!

P.S. Is it possible Engineer1911's wife was one of a set of triplets? "Don't be bringing anymore of that ******* home from the range, if you know what's good for you!"

My question is how do you manage inventory of reloading components?

My question is how do you manage inventory of reloading components?

As a young man it did not matter. I knew I will use it eventually.

Now as a Senior Citizen I do not buy green bananas and I do not need 50,000 primers like when I shot PPC Matches.

X-Treme Bullets come in boxes of 500 so two boxes will need a carton of 1000 primers. I mostly just load light loads for basic plinking.

rockquarry said:

I load for fewer than twenty-five cartridges these days. I keep an ample supply of everything on hand; nothing is written down nor are there any spreadsheets (as if I knew how to create them).

Click to expand...

My Dad was a typographer. (I.E. Printer). He learned his craft in the 1930's, taking time off in the 1940's to go on sabbatical in the South Pacific. Back in his day he took individual letters and placed them on a stand and that's how books were written for a printing press.

In the 1970's his shop changed hands and the new owners discarded all those little letters and moved in a computer. So now at age 50 he became a computer guy. He actually liked it because now his hands were not covered in black ink any more.

After he retired and at age 70 I bought him a computer. I was so happy for him because it light up his old age and gave him a new hobby.

Mr. Gates made life so easy for us oldsters. Anybody can learn.

Thanks to everyone for their comments!

GypsmJim said:

Once I got mildly proficient in Excel I simply found out I loved it. It does everything for me. One of the secrets is to link ALL your inventory sheets together in one workbook. In other words, when you use 50 boolits of one kind, all your spreadsheets know that in advance.

One page for powders. It shows pounds (grains) left, and with an average loading (linked from all the other sheets), I know exactly how many rounds I am capable of loading. When the number goes below 500 I know I need to reorder.

Another sheet for primers, same concept.

The brass sheet shows rounds in inventory already loaded, plus a second inventory of spares.

My "Cost" sheet shows prices of current inventory items, so I know how much each round costs. As new inflated prices come up, the sheet is updated. The second tab shows ALL inventory so I know the value of stuff in my locker in case of an insurance problem.

My boolit sheet shows how many of each flavor I have. When the inventory of any one goes below 500 it lights up red, so now I know what I need to cast next Winter.

My Load sheets shows optimum formulas for each caliber, plus backup loads in case any particular powder is unobtainium.

My last gig required that I design a complete factory and set up all the operating spreadsheets, so this was good practice. I know, I know, way overkill and totally anal, but in addition to shooting, reloading and casting lead, one of my other hobbies is writing computer code.

The only caveat is that when you use any of the components, or buy new ones, you need to immediately update the spreadsheet to keep everything correct. If you forget a few times, having to start all over again making a physical inventory is a real hassle.

Click to expand...

That is an impressive model you built!

I had a basic “grains per charge” concept worked out, but my powders usually get applied to multiple calibers. Now I realize that PRIMERS are the most restrictive constraint. I have brass. You can substitute powders and projectiles, but not primers.