The "New" Normal?

[ArchAngelCD]

I know when you need primers you need primers but IMO shooting 22LR ammo while waiting might hold you over. OR, you can always go fishing, I did lol...

 

[BC38]

I picked up some primers and powders at an estate sale for cheap about 3 years ago. I didn't need the LRPs (or so I thought) and sold them for $40 per 1000. I made back most of what I had paid for everything, and thought I had made a smart move. I ended up with a few 1000 LPPs and SPPs and a few pounds of power at basically no out of pocket cost.
Looking back now, I wish I hadn't sold those bricks of LRPs - because now they are pretty much unobtainium and they are going for $120 a brick - or more.
But at the time, who knew? Hindsight is always 20/20...

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I'm lucky enough to still have over 7,000 LRP and 1,000 LRM primers too. I needed so many for loading M1 30-06 ammo. (3K are CCI#34)

Granted, I didn't do much loading during Covid mostly because I was ill with other than Covid problems over the past 3 years. I'm back to loading and shooting now so I hope things get better within the next 2 years.

I just checked, the highest price tag on all the primers is $23 but mostly between $20 and $21.50. The $18 and $19 primers are all gone now.

 

[M29since14]

I know when you need primers you need primers but IMO shooting 22LR ammo while waiting might hold you over. OR, you can always go fishing, I did lol...

Or one might consider a part-time job, if he’s retired, while he sits around and watches his retirement income shrivel up and blow away.

No one knows the magic $-number for primers and powder, including the guys manufacturing the stuff, but I’m sure they know better than I do, and I’m also sure every one of them wants to make as much money as they possibly can. Different folks will have different incomes and place a different priority on shooting supplies. I can only judge the situation by my own temperament, what I can plainly see, and “old math.” (Yes, 2+2 still equals 4, in spite of what anyone may try to tell me otherwise.)

There is no doubt in my mind that we are being hosed - severely hosed. Whether greed is the sole driving factor, I cannot say to my own satisfaction, but I rather suspect there may be a variety of factors in the mix - that’s usually the case. But regardless of that, I am NOT buying powder and primers at crazy prices, nor am I buying new whiz-bang rifles chambered for cartridges that the manufacturer will drop like a hot potato in a couple of years when he “designs” something new to sell us that is made of mostly hot air, leaving me with a $1000+ paperweight that is nothing but painted metal and a plastic stock, that I can’t buy brass or ammunition for.

In short, there are other things I can do with my spare time - and what little money I can hold on to… like plan on using using it for food and energy.

 

[BE Mike]

I started reloading using Hercules, now Alliant powders. That was over 50 years ago. They are still my go-to powders. New production Alliant powder hasn't been available for years. It is a real disappointment to this loyal customer. As far as prices go, everything has skyrocketed in price over the past few years. I took my wife out for breakfast at a non-chain sit down restaurant yesterday. The total cost was over $40.00 and it was in this midwest hick town! That being said, I did buy some small pistol primers for $65/ 1,000 total price before sales tax. With inflation calculated in, that isn't too far off pre-COVID prices.

 

[gwpercle]

Tell us your price target. Give us an example of your favorite powder and tell us what you would pay for it.

After experiencing the second powder and primer shortage , it was 2010 or 2012 , I saw the handwriting on the wall ... this "shortage and then double the price " thing , was looking like it wasn't going to stop ... every 4 - 6 years , here we go Again !
I started buyin powder every time I found it at $15 - S30 ,
my newest can of my favorite powder - Bullseye is marked w2ith a price tag of $15.99 but some of the others were getting towards $30 and maybe even a couple at $35... That's when I put in a lifetime supply of powder and primers ... I stocked up , high wide and deep ... my grandchildren will have powder !
Gary

 

[smoothshooter]

Okay, this is an over simplification but if the store can only get half the inventory they used to then they need to sell it at twice the price or go out of business. Think about Powder Valley, a long time and respected dealer. For what, maybe two years they had virtually no powder or primers to sell, if some came in it sold out in a few hours. They must have some excellent management to weather that out. I think if they could get all the powder and primers they want the prices would come back down, maybe not to what they used to be, I don't think that will ever happen, too much has changed.

But if they double the price and sell one fourth of the previous volume, what have they gained? Tying up operating capital on inventory on the shelf gathering dust makes them little to no money.
I am okay with gun stores marking up ammo and components to the level that the flippers sell them for. If someone is going to make money on those it has might as well be the retailer who has overhead to cover to stay in business.

 

[Nevada Ed]

I know when you need primers you need primers but IMO shooting 22LR ammo while waiting might hold you over. OR, you can always go fishing, I did lol...

It is summer time. No snow. Dry roads. Boat time.

In a month or so the bug hatch will start for some great fly fishing on the rivers and lakes.

I'm holding off, for lower prices, while chewing on my fish.

 

[Baltimoreed11754]

If you need powder or primers you need them. I would sell off a firearm or two to fund a primer purchase before sat at home with a gunsafe full of paperweights. And I’m damn sure not playing golf. I have recently started shooting Steel Challenge with .22s and have been doing 2gun ZSA shoots since everything finally opened up with .22s. I’m saving my primers for monthly cas shoots. I believe with rationing I have 4-5 years worth. I also work part time. I’m a spry 72 but who knows for how long.

 

[NFrameFred]

Six-and-a-half cents per primer (in bulk) delivered is the best I've come across in a long time. Trying to be optimistic I have hopes we could eventually see the price down at a nickel apiece, but sometimes I think "I should live that long".


Unless the political meddlers and incompetents pee in the pool again sooner than later, eventually production will catch up to excess of demand; but given the rape we've had to endure over the last few years and my faith in politicians I'm not holding my breath. Practical people will continue to buy in excess of their needs if they can afford it, remembering what it's like to do without. The industry counts on us having a short memory - just the way it is.

 

[Paul in Nevada]

After experiencing the second powder and primer shortage , it was 2010 or 2012 , I saw the handwriting on the wall ... this "shortage and then double the price " thing , was looking like it wasn't going to stop ... every 4 - 6 years , here we go Again !
I started buyin powder every time I found it at $15 - S30 ,
my newest can of my favorite powder - Bullseye is marked w2ith a price tag of $15.99 but some of the others were getting towards $30 and maybe even a couple at $35... That's when I put in a lifetime supply of powder and primers ... I stocked up , high wide and deep ... my grandchildren will have powder !
Gary

So you told the rest of us not to buy at the current prices, then you tell us you have a lifetime supply and you don't need to buy anyway. You got any other hot tips from 2012 you would like to share with the class?

...No one knows the magic $-number for primers and powder, including the guys manufacturing the stuff, but I’m sure they know better than I do, and I’m also sure every one of them wants to make as much money as they possibly can...

My fear is that the manufacturers have written off the handloading market and are happy to see us relegated to a tiny niche market of precision shooters and collectors of obsolete firearms. In other words, people who will buy at essentially any price.

 

[Imissedagain]

I know when you need primers you need primers but IMO shooting 22LR ammo while waiting might hold you over. OR, you can always go fishing, I did lol...

Air guns and archery as well.
Backyard fun.

Fish was a gift from the family that owns Garcia's, on the river in Miami.
15lbs, gutted and scaled to 12lbs.
We did roast a pig.
Too busy teaching the young ones to swim, last week in
Key Largo, to take the boat out.
Catch 'em up.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

After experiencing the second powder and primer shortage , it was 2010 or 2012 , I saw the handwriting on the wall ... this "shortage and then double the price " thing , was looking like it wasn't going to stop ... every 4 - 6 years , here we go Again !
I started buyin powder every time I found it at $15 - S30 ,
my newest can of my favorite powder - Bullseye is marked w2ith a price tag of $15.99 but some of the others were getting towards $30 and maybe even a couple at $35... That's when I put in a lifetime supply of powder and primers ... I stocked up , high wide and deep ... my grandchildren will have powder !
Gary

I stocked up before that one hit. I learned the lessons from the shortages that came before it. BUT, I can't say I thought there was going to be another shortage. I was being cheap. When I saw prices edging up I bought when I found good prices back when you could still get good deals at gun shows.
When prices were hitting $25/k on primers I bought A LOT at a show for $20/k if you bought 5/k. I bought all CCI in all types and not just 5k of each. I'm still using those primers. All the $15 - $19/k primers are gone now.

I'm starting to get concerned though since I have less than I want.

 

[biku324]

I have 300 white/orange box Winchester primers left from the Clinton 'end times.' If I find a deal, I buy, but not otherwise.

Winchester bulk reloading pistol bullets are suddenly available again - I bought up (Graf and Sons).

 

[329]

Ha ha, my lgs had HP-38 and Winchester 231. HP-38 was $39 and the 231 was $52. Go figure, same powder different wrapper.

 

[smoothshooter]

I checked online with Sportsman’s Warehouse for primers. Mwas unable to determine if they had any in stock or not. Mthey need to get another web designer to simplify checking stock like most other larger sellers have.

 

[Skeet 028]

Ha ha, my lgs had HP-38 and Winchester 231. HP-38 was $39 and the 231 was $52. Go figure, same powder different wrapper.

I bought 231 and HP 38 at Schools back in March and was surprised at the difference in price. HP was on sale at 28. 231 was 34...so I bought HP 38 instead. They had some other pistol powder on sale under 28 bucks so I figured I should buy a couple pounds. Vitavouri something For pistols...even if I used it for trading stock.

 

[Paul in Nevada]

Ha ha, my lgs had HP-38 and Winchester 231. HP-38 was $39 and the 231 was $52. Go figure, same powder different wrapper.

See now that's ridiculous. But these guys don't know. At my store they have HP38 and W231 stored in different lockers all the way across the storage room floor from one another. I asked the guy why they don't organize them by burn rate. He says they group them by manufacturer. Ok but you have WW, AA, Ramshot, IMR, and Hodgdon in different lockers up to 60 feet away from each other and some of those powders are the same product in a different bottle. He informed me that I was mistaken, and that's why Hodgdon is in the same locker as Alliant.
Ok buddy. Good luck.

 

[BE Mike]

See now that's ridiculous. But these guys don't know. At my store they have HP38 and W231 stored in different lockers all the way across the storage room floor from one another. I asked the guy why they don't organize them by burn rate. He says they group them by manufacturer. Ok but you have WW, AA, Ramshot, IMR, and Hodgdon in different lockers up to 60 feet away from each other and some of those powders are the same product in a different bottle. He informed me that I was mistaken, and that's why Hodgdon is in the same locker as Alliant.
Ok buddy. Good luck.

Your LGS has Alliant gun powder? I haven't seen any available in years!

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

I have three choices for brick and mortar stores.

Alliant is usually in stock and I am a Bullseye and Unique powder customer. But they were out once and suggested BE86 and I liked it. Currently I only have a little Unique left so it was a choice of W231 or HP38. I used W231 before so I got a pound at $43