Reloading Supplies - Lessons Learned?

a couple:

first, buy two boxes of bullets (i don't cast them) instead of one. my favorite bullet for the 45 long colt disappeared from the shelf two years ago. rationing that bullet is counterproductive since that is the most accurate bullet in my blackhawk. had to settle for an inferior bullet these last two years.

second,

i now work up both a "standard primer" and "magnum primer" load when i used to only work up one or the other. this way i can still shoot when i run out of one or the other types of primer.

murf

Aint nuttin' gettin' cheaper.

If you're going shopping for powder, bring your reloading manual with you, or snap a picture of the page with your bullet weight on it.
This has saved my butt a few times when my fav powder wasn't in stock, I could always compare and see if I COULD use something or not.

I've had to work up loads for 223 in IMR3031, AA5744, H335, and CFE223 within the span of a year or two. And I have a sneaking feeling I may need to look for another powder soon.

If you're going shopping for powder, bring your reloading manual with you

Click to expand...

Or use the LGSs. Most of em have a few.

I have a list of powders I can use (or want to try) on my iPhone. At various gun shows I have managed to accumulate multiple pistol powders to try out. Found out that Titegroup, BE-86, CFE Pistol, WST, and 700x are all really good powders for most calibers I shoot. There are a few powders that I have found have limited applications, like Trailboss and PB, but at least I know what they are.

Agree on keeping a good stock of primers. This last go round, that appeared to be the first thing that went MIA.

Potatohead: My bad. At my local Cabelas all the manuals are shrinkwrapped, and you're on your own, same at Gander Mtn.
I've been caught pants down without my reloading tables staring at a bunch of unknown powder before, so I keep several pictures on my phone handy.

^^^ Or, you could type up a list and email it to yourself so you have it at the ready on the phone as well. Easier on my eyes than trying to read small numbers from a photo of a page

Or, assuming you use a smartphone, just bring up the powder manufacturer's website and look up the powder. I've done that countless times to determine if I did or did not want to make a powder purchase.

Too bad you don't live around here, I saw Bulleye at SWH that day.

But ya, your right, we tend to get tunnel visioned about the powders and other components we use, when in fact there are other good, and sometimes better options available.

I have found IMR-7828 is actually a better powder for my belted magnums than RL22. I get everything I got from RL22, but without having to deal with the RL22 pressures at the same upper end performance level. I've used 7828 in several non belted applications over the years, but I didn't care for it, so I never tried it in my belted stuff.

GS

On the topic of a powder list -- if you have a smart phone, the evernote app is pretty handy and you can input a table on a computer to your evernote account and read it on the phone. It works pretty well.

Back to things I have learned -- Buy bulk powders and primers. Forecast the use for the next xx years/months and have supplies on hand. This lesson was learned in the 08-09 panic.
Lesson learned this time from watching things go out of stock online right before my eyes --Don't wait to hear from a buddy if he wants in on an order. Have a prearranged list of what they need and be ready to pounce on it as soon as it shows up.

What I learned?

Reloaders are their own worst enemy. They panic and drive the prices to through the roof while emptying the shelves of components they might never use.

I learned my lessons back during the Clinton shortage and I have not changes how i load or how much I shoot. (other than 22LR that is but that is another story)

Right now I could use an extra pound of two of HS-6 but it's not necessary. The only powder I'm short on is AA5744 but that's only because I was in the process of testing it as a replacement for SR4759 when the shortage hit. I do have 4198 for loading my 45-70 Trapdoor loads even though I would not prefer AA5744.

I agree this shortage forced reloaders to try different powders and in a lot of the cases those reloaders found out there are good powders out there they never thought of using...

il.bill said:

I was just reading a thread http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=761698 started by gamestalker in AZ and it got me thinking about the lessons learned in the recent (is it really over now?) shortage of reloading supplies and components.

I think I basically learned two things:

1) do not run out of primers - there is simply NO substitute. I may now actually have a lifetime supply of my pistol primers on hand.

2) more than one or two smokeless powders will work for any of my reloading needs. If none of my favorite / old reliable powders are available (cannot remember the last time I saw any Bullseye for sale), using something else may work out just fine.
Two examples I discovered that I like a lot, but only tried them in the first place because they were some of the few for sale on the shelf at the LGS. CFE Pistol (never gave it a thought before since I use lead and very few plated/jacketed bullets) is a very pleasant surprise, and is now my favorite in my Model 10 snubbie. Trailboss (pretty expensive per load) really does make for sweet shooting revolver 'cowboy loads' when punching holes in paper just for fun.

So ... anyone else learn anything?

Click to expand...

im curious why you think trail boss is expensive? $98 for 5 lbs and since its a light powder that's equivalent to an 8lb jug makes it the very cheapest powder I know of.

Dr.Zubrato said:

Potatohead: My bad. At my local Cabelas all the manuals are shrinkwrapped, and you're on your own, same at Gander Mtn.
I've been caught pants down without my reloading tables staring at a bunch of unknown powder before, so I keep several pictures on my phone handy.

Click to expand...

True that. You are correct. I didn't even think about those guys. At my LGS, me and the counter dude are always hunkered down over their Lee manual trying to figure out what's what.



Now that I think about it, I got caught at the beginning of my career(or I guess the early beginning, as Im still at the beginning), at a Bass Pro, not knowing what to get for 9mm. I had it down between IMR 7625 and 800x...knowing they were both for pistol, but not which would be best for 9mil. Of course I picked the wrong one (800x). Still trying to get rid of that bottle of 800x.

arizona98tj said:

Or, assuming you use a smartphone, just bring up the powder manufacturer's website and look up the powder. I've done that countless times to determine if I did or did not want to make a powder purchase.

Click to expand...

I do this, and have seen others doing it too.

Agreed on the manufacs website... I don't think my little pea brain has ever thought of that. Damn. I been flippin thru pages with that stooge at the LGS all this time and couldve been using my phone.

Yeah, you can pull up their websites, but it is a whole lot quicker having that info in a text file on the phone than it is streaming it off the internet, especially when everyone else at the gun show is doing the same. I can check my file, make a decision, and be paying for it while the other guy is still downloading.

I was just reading a thread http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=761698 started by gamestalker in AZ and it got me thinking about the lessons learned in the recent

(is it really over now?)

Click to expand...

shortage of reloading supplies and components.

Like many I learned during the 90s and the Clinton Administration years (all 8 of them). Shooters need to think about something.

The Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting occurred on December 14, 2012, in Newtown, Connecticut when 20-year-old Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 children and 6 adult staff members.

Click to expand...

While many in the shooting community feared the Obama administration, it was in my opinion, the Sandy Hook mass shootings that triggered the mass buying and subsequent shortage. Within a few short weeks everything from loaded ammunition to hand loading components to even high capacity magazines were gone from the shelves and suppliers. Pretty fragile supply chain isn't it. Just let, God forbid, another mass shooting having the impact of Sandy Hook happen and rest assured you will see Deja Vu all over again (to quote the great Yogi Berra).

Never considered myself a hoarder, matter of fact over the past almost two years I have likely given away to new shooters more than I have bought. My advice to new shooters is don't go ballistic buying stuff. However, when you see a good deal then buy a little here and a little there. Slowly build up a reasonable stock of shooting supplies. Moderation over time. Been almost two years and finally things are returning to normal don't assume this all can't happen again. Each time I have seen this happen it has been worse and taken longer to stabilize. Ammunition and loading components have a very long shelf life, use that in your favor.

Just My Take....
Ron

I have an Excel spreadsheet with all the calibers I load with a ton of load data, I keep a copy on my phone and the cloud.

Potatohead said:

Now that I think about it, I got caught at the beginning of my career(or I guess the early beginning, as Im still at the beginning), at a Bass Pro, not knowing what to get for 9mm. I had it down between IMR 7625 and 800x...knowing they were both for pistol, but not which would be best for 9mil. Of course I picked the wrong one (800x). Still trying to get rid of that bottle of 800x.

Click to expand...

LOL you and me both. I shot a few hundred 9mm with that 800x before a better powder came along. It's quite taxing having to weigh each charge individually as it meters terribly..

PS:

I also mark down in some kind of Notepad that syncs with my phone: prices for plated/fmj bullets in each caliber and the best prices ive found INCLUDING shipping cost.
Using the calc in my phone I check for price per unit in store, and compare to my online prices. To be fair though, these days you really can't beat online prices, even with the shipping cost.

I learned to repurpose. I have many reloading tools now that belong in the shed, kitchen, catbox...and to horde things that are common and not sought after now. I had a good collection of range brass but that has recently turned into trading tokens and I got more brass that I will use. Also put stuff on the PIF thread if you aren't using it...someone else will need it and good karma is never bad.

Shoot lead, it's a lot cheaper...wadcutters are usually the cheapest. Pull down bullets are great too.

For the past 25 years, I have simply bought more than I intended to use when it came to components and ammo. I now have a decent supply and can weather out most shortages.

I think the hoarding is coming to an end, it will just take a little longer for reloading supplies to recover. Ammo prices are coming way down, that is a good sign. Reloading supplies will follow soon I believe.

I don't think the end is anywhere in sight. I think all the people who haven't been standing in line or scouring the Internet for the past 2 years will hoard up any excess laying on the shelves.

ColtPythonElite said:

I don't think the end is anywhere in sight. I think all the people who haven't been standing in line or scouring the Internet for the past 2 years will hoard up any excess laying on the shelves.

Click to expand...

You might be right. Only time will tell. All it will take is more rumors of gun-control bills and we are off to the races again.