I really believe it is simple demand. The current political climate has resulted in hundreds of thousands (or millions) of new shooters purchasing firearms and ammo in an unprecedented "now or never" environment. They basically have come to the realization that if they think they may ever want to own a firearm, then they better get one (or more) NOW. And of course, a gun without ammo is not particularly useful, so they are buying up ammo, too. Add to them the casual shooters who have been unable to find/purchase ammo in the quantity they would like to have on hand, and similar numbers of those casual shooters are taking up reloading to try to assure a decent availability of ammunition for themselves. Add to those the already handloading who missed the handwriting on the wall when Obama was first elected, who are also now trying to stock up to ensure adequate ammo in the future, and you have this perfect demand driven storm. I believe the distributors that say they have shipped more product than ever, and still are unable to keep any on the shelves. Expect supplies to improve only when prices rise sufficiently to quell demand. Until then, like the rest of us, grab whatever you can at prices you are willing to pay whenever you find it.
At least, that is how I perceive it.
