Thread: Ammo and Reloading components shortage.

Was in at Hamills in TGA today and was talking to Stacey about the shortage of ammo etc. It appears it's going to get worse as Federal are stopping exporting all loaded ammo and components to overseas countries and only supplying their own country.
Federal own CCI so 22 ammo will run out pretty quick as will CCI primers and Federal primers and brass.
No end to the situation in the foreseeable future so if you need gear get in quick.

I forgot to add that he heard of a Gun shop in the States had 2 x 1000 boxes of primers for sale for $ 600 US each ( that's about $1000 NZ, a dollar a primer) so we can also expect big price increases too.

If my memory is correct - I recall - must be 12 months ago ??
I mentioned this upcoming problem and got lampooned

Yeah, not looking great is it. Already been told my 300WSM load from Hornady isn't on the next shipment over here due to lack of production (guessing they focused on other more common stuff first). Should have gone for a bog standard round I guess...

I've heard from a couple of people in the local industry that a shit load of ammo is coming to us from Europe. No elaboration on brands or whatever.

That's why I cleaned out my projectiles and offered those I no longer needed to forum members last week at less than they cost

So if you have a hoard that you will never have time in this life to use, move them on to someone else who might be short of that particular type

I'm still looking for Barnes .277 95 grain TTSX and doubt I will be finding any spare on the forum or available from retailers soon

Originally Posted by Beavis

I've heard from a couple of people in the local industry that a shit load of ammo is coming to us from Europe. No elaboration on brands or whatever.

That will be good, any ammo is better than none, we might have to go back to old school and move back to shooting at closer ranges for a while rather than relying on high BC bullets.

Originally Posted by Mooseman

That will be good, any ammo is better than none, we might have to go back to old school and move back to shooting at closer ranges for a while rather than relying on high BC bullets.

Put a bit more in the elevation, hold a bit more in the wind. We've become spoilt with regards to modern bullets.

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

Flintlocks might become popular. You can make everything required for them yourself. And they are good fun.

Yes good fun
But you wouldn't want to be too hungry

Now a percussion muzzleloader is a bit more practical but you still need percussion caps

I looked into making my own caps just for fun and found that the explosive part is tricky to make and difficult to get the ingredients

The scrap lead is no problem for projectiles
A few guys are making the powder

Greetings All,
After a quick stock take in the handloading area I believe I am well placed to ride out the current shortages. Enough for the foreseeable future and in some cases a lifetime supply. Lifetime supply may mean something quite different to someone in their thirties than it does to me, in my seventies and with dodgy mobility. There seem to be different stories about where we are in the current shortage cycle so I imagine time will tell. Likely not quite as bad as some of the doom mongers would have us believe.
Regards and seen it all before many times Grandpamac.

Originally Posted by akaroa1

Yes good fun
But you wouldn't want to be too hungry

Now a percussion muzzleloader is a bit more practical but you still need percussion caps

I looked into making my own caps just for fun and found that the explosive part is tricky to make and difficult to get the ingredients

The scrap lead is no problem for projectiles
A few guys are making the powder

What is be the going rate to buy a percussion muzzle loader? I've looked at the kit type options on track of the wolf a couple of times.

Got a quote for cci lr primers. Cci200 unavailable. Br2 are. Price over $27/ 100.

From what I've gathered following a couple of yank forums, prices on components are starting to come down. They've had massive issues with scalpers and unreputable sellers jacking up prices but the rest have generally tried to keep it calm and civil. Availability is starting to increase now as the glut of new gun owners slowly get their fill. Things aren't going to get back to "normal", possibly ever, as the market has been long overdue a correction and the costs of raw materials has gone up.

As for Federal, I'd wait and listen for a more formal announcement from elsewhere. The US market is their biggest, but combined overseas is still huge. If they stop supplying it, competitors take over and it'll take Federal a long time to work their way back in.

Originally Posted by Sarvo

If my memory is correct - I recall - must be 12 months ago ??
I mentioned this upcoming problem and got lampooned

At time the ADI powder shipment arrived my powder supplier said primers were obviously going to be the big issue.
I think I posted a forum comment at the time and added another 1000 BM 4s to my stock.
Like GPM I have a lifetime supply now of powder and primers. Projectiles so so. Got lots but not all of them would be my first choice under normal circumstances.

Yeah my lifetime will be a lot shorter than others here though. :-(
Send me your names and I will put you in my will. :-)

Stuff from Europe shouldn't have the same shortages that exist in USA, no election etc.
However any stuff from Lapua for example is still a long way off being shipped. Free supply at source in Europe is not the issue shipping is.

I recently thought I would grab some more RWS primers but NZ Ammo have hiked their latest price so much that I flagged it away.

Originally Posted by zimmer

At time the ADI powder shipment arrived my powder supplier said primers were obviously going to be the big issue.
I think I posted a forum comment at the time and added another 1000 BM 4s to my stock.
Like GPM I have a lifetime supply now of powder and primers. Projectiles so so. Got lots but not all of them would be my first choice under normal circumstances.

Yeah my lifetime will be a lot shorter than others here though. :-(
Send me your names and I will put you in my will. :-)

Stuff from Europe shouldn't have the same shortages that exist in USA, no election etc.
However any stuff from Lapua for example is still a long way off being shipped. Free supply at source in Europe is not the issue shipping is.

I recently thought I would grab some more RWS primers but NZ Ammo have hiked their latest price so much that I flagged it away.

But surely 80% of Euro stuff ie Lapua/Vihtavouri/Fiocchi goes straight to the USA too?