Shootin reloads

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ZVP

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With the .22 rimfire shortage I just gave up and bought a couple "used" .38's and shoot reloads. Not much difference anymore and you can ppratice with the real thing!
Yes youu will have to slow down your shooting speeds but you get the full advantage of real ammpo.
.38 cases last so long that costs are relativelly cheap.
Best of all you pratice with the gun you'll fight with!
Boy I sure miss the little 22's but with the overpricing and bare shelves ya get awfull frustrated.
My Model 10 really dosen't kick and my little chief requires pratice to be able to hit with it.
Sad how this is all shaking down but what's a fella to do?
ZVP
 
well reloading your own isnt as cheap or easy as most would assume. powder shortage, primer shortage, and their is a lack of brass cases as well.
and bullets as well.

if you spend enough time looking at the big websites, youll notice that whenever you see ammunition become available, the components are unavailable.
and when components are available, you cant get the loaded ammunition.

ie, if you can find those winchester brand 125 grain jsp or jhp in 9mm or 357,,, dont expect to see any 9mm or 357 or 38 special loaded with that bullet.

powder is just as bad.
 
I have a old Lee 3 hole turret press.

Die setup with powder chargers for .380, 9mm, .38 Spl., .38 S&W, .357 magnum, .40 S&W, .44 spl. .44 Magnum, and .45 ACP as well as M1 Carbine.

I've had that press for 30 years at least and it has paid for itself many times over.

I buy slugs by the 1000 to 3000 lot and powder by the 8lb cannister. Unique is my favorite one but I also use Bullseye and American Select as well as 2400 for the M1 Carbine.

I always keep my eyes out to for primers. 1000 lot is the minimum I buy in and usually I'll pickup 5000 at a time.

Do I hoard?

No. But I've shot in IPSC, IDPA, NRA bullseye, leg matches and others.

And yes I have .22 practice pistols as well as rifles.

The trick is to PRACTICE, not plink. Practice hard and well. With handguns I do lots of draws, transitions, pivots, weak hand draws, etc... with EMPTY guns. Then I dryfire. Then when I go to the range have an agenda as to what I want to train for that day.

You can still shoot .22, but do it wisely and not waste ammo.

Deaf
 
I'm in the same boat. It is cheaper to reload for my revolvers than buy overpriced .22lr.

The problem I am encountering is finding any shotgun/pistol powder in my area.
 
The same here. I have plenty of brass and I cast my own bullets. I can get all the primers I want, but at exorbitant prices. But powder; I probably have 20 gun stores in a 40 mile radius and not a one of them has any powder. And powder on line is available but again the cost is ridiculous, especially with the Has Mat fees.
 
All the .38 special rounds for my carry gun (Charter Undercover Southpaw) are reloads. Plus I load for my .455 Webley Mk VI, my Enfield No 4 Mk 1, my K Kale Turk Mauser, and my H&R Top Break.
 
I saw the shortages coming right after the 2008 elections. With my sons financial help we stocked up on components. I have sufficent powder to load what I need in 9,40,45 & 38/357. My stock of primers has been slowly replenished as I use them. I did switch partially to cast lead for the 9. The fact that I cut back on shooting helps also. I haven't bought any 22s at the inflated prices and have no plans to do so. I have never calculated my cost per shot but it is pretty low on 9s & 38s.A little advance planning has been a good thing in my case.
 
ZVP,

I hope you are not shooting gunshow reloads and only commercial and reloads you make yourself.

While some shortages of powder and brass exist bullets and primers are readily available. I was able to get powder during all of 2013 at pre-banic prices. Primers are at their pre-banic prices and easily available. Brass is probably the biggest issue for the new reloader. Starline brass is running production bacthes of brass so I check back from time to time to see what they have in stock. Even so I was able to buy some brass last year at their regular price. There has not been any shortage of cast lead bullets.
 
I only shot reloads and just did the math for .357 and .40 S&W . $0.16 per round. $0.10 for the bullet, $0.02 for powder and $0.04 for primer.
 
I currently reload for .380, 9mm, .38/.357, .40, .44, and .45acp. in handguns, and 7 rifle calibers. My biggest problem right now is finding rifle bullets.

I cast my own lead handgun bullets for everything but the .380 & 9mm. I have more problems finding lead (wheel weights, etc.) than I do powder and primers! Everyone is going to steel or zinc wheel weights around here.

As long as I can find lead, I can reload my .38/.357 loads for about $.05 cents per round. And the .40, .44, and .45 loads are only slightly more expensive.

I shoot .22 very seldom now since the price of .22lr ammo is about 2 - 5 times what it costs to reload. If handgun powder becomes scarce, (as is being predicted) I will have enough powder to reload at my present rate for more than a year, so after that I just have to hope that I can find more, or the supply becomes available again.
 
Cast your own bullets and use cap n ball too.
Click to expand...

Yup, and I make my own caps. I really need to order the chemicals and start making my own powder, then the shortages will be a faded memory.

However, I've been picking up .22 occasionally during the drought by watching the wikiarms site. Even picked up 500 rounds of Remington Golden bullets (my SR22 loves those) for 25 bucks with free shipping once. There's always a limit and free shipping is rare, but I have picked up enough to keep me shooting. I love my rimfires, rifle and pistol and revolver.
 
22RF is great for learning a platform but I still like to shoot what I use so loading is the way to go. 99% of what I shoot is cast & 99% of that I cast myself. Fired brass is cheap & easy to find these days. Plenty of primers around as well. Powder can be a problem so that's why you buy when plentiful for the lean times.
 
You just have to have money in your wallet and your eyes open for anything that you need. I was at the local Bimart getting my fishing lisence and they had 4064 on the shelf so I bought a can. I already have a can of 3031 and H414. It is getting better as the Bimart was limiting to two trays per visit for primers now you can buy five. I have thousands that I have bought two trays at a time since I am at Bimart once or twice a week anyway.
 
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