Ammo dictating guns to buy

[Knuckles]

Is anyone else odd like me in this way?
My choice of next gun to buy, hinges on what old ammo I’m stocked up on.

 

[Dan in MI]

Sort of. If I reload it already, or want to, makes more impact.

 

[Mobuck]

Absolutely.

 

[bobski]

we are no longer in control of any of it. they are selling us what they want us to have, and not have.

 

[Mobuck]

Over the past few years I've bought 4 new to me calibers: 22 Nosler, 224 Valkyrie, 6.5 Grendel, and 6.5 Creedmoor. At the time of purchasing the 22 Nosler, Midway was running frequent sales on 'DogTown" varmint type ammo for this obscure round and I bought a 200 pack each time it was on sale mainly because I thought we were going prairie dog hunting(didn't happen). If/when I actually begin using the 22N, I'll see about finding some reloading dies. Sort of same way with the 224 V and 6.5G. I bought 2 cases of ammo for each soon after assembling the rifles and haven't evenmade a dent in the supply.
Right now, I don't recommend buying a gun of any sort if you don't already have the ammo. If you do happen to have some oddball(ish) ammo, now might be a good time to find a rifle to match at a decent price.

 

[kmoore]

Yes to a degree. I have been wanting not needing a LH 257 Mark V Weatherby and have the means to buy one for about 2 years. Without ammo or mainly reloading stuff available it's not going to happen. Although I seen a really nice LH 375 HH last month. The Mark V stock caught my eye on a dusty used rifle with a Leupold scope on top a vintage 1970s/80s gun. Closer inspection, it's not a Mark V action, it is a left hand Mauser 3000i action, mag na ported barrel, great shape likely not shot much. At 500 the price was to low to pass up. Further research shows made around 1974 or before and the scope is selling used for almost that price. I am still awaiting my shipment of brass, bullets were easy to find. I have plenty of powder and primers. I have other big bore rifles so recoil should not be an issue.

 

[Kevin]

Yes, I do that all the time. Ammo is cheaper than guns, so if I don't reload for a certain caliber, I'll start buying ammo.

Plus, if you want a specific gun that isn't available. starting with the ammo only makes sense. Then when you find the gun you want, you are all set up!

 

[LimaCharlie]

The LGS received a case of Buffalo Bore .41 magnum ammo. I had never shot a .41 magnum, so I bought a 4 5/8" Ruger Blackhawk and ammo.

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

I agree to some extent when it comes to, buying a gun you can't get ammo for, but there are just guns you've wanted for a long time, and when you run across one, who knows, when you will get another chance. Strike when the iron's hot. Sooner or later you will find ammo, just prepared to pay the going price and get as much as you can. I've been on a 9mm jag lately because I'm pretty good on that caliber. When it comes to handguns I think a minimum of 500 rounds available justifies the buy.

 

[powder smoke]

Like you only different bought 1000 pieces of 556 brass loaded them then
bought an AR same thing only different!

 

[Simmonsburg]

Happens all the time, If i have excess of a certain ammo i would mostly buy a gun that on that caliber.

 

[Chief 101]

A couple of dealers I know say they reserve ammo for their gun purchasers

 

[Biggfoot44]

Only makes sense , to have at least one box of ammo available for each gun to be sold . My LGS specializes in the old & unusual , if he gets in a gun in odd caliber he doesn't usually stock , he will seek some out . ( If it's still made , something like .32 rimfire , not so much .)

****************

In times of ammo panics , availability flip flops . Popular common calibers sell out first . You will then see shelves only having things like .41 , 10mm , .357 Sig , etc .

But once the supply chain starts trickling in , the mfgs will concentrate on a handfull of popular cals , and won't start making the slower moving cals until they catch up on demand for the bog sellers .

 

[6GUNSONLY]

Thanks to some trading with a generous forum member here, I find myself in possession of a fairly large quantity of 7mm bullets. I have a 7mm Rem. Mag., but don't really want to shoot all these bullets in it (a good many are on the lighter side of the 7mm spectrum, 120-140 grain, not my choice for 7mm mag). So. I'm in the market and shopping for a 7mm/08. I already have two nice Leupold scopes with no rifle under them, so all I need is rifle, dies, and brass. And I could make brass from my multitude of .308 cases if need be...
So, yeah, I get it.

 

[Coyote56]

Local gun shops here will almost always have ammunition available to accompany a firearm sale…unless it is some hopelessly exotic caliber. So, if you find yourself drooling over a .257 Roberts or .35 Whelen (or something like that) you will possibly be able to walk out with ONE box of cartridges.
Last deer season it was nearly impossible to find .30-30 or .30-06 ammunition at any cost. .223/5.56 and .308 were 10 deep on the shelves.
.308 is a decent round for most game found in North America.
.223/5.56 is not.
So, “If the mountain will not come to Mohammed, then Mohammed must go to the mountain.”
Found a pretty good price on a new Browning BAR in .308 (shown here with my BAR in .300 Win Mag) and that solved the dilemma.

 

[Ka6otm]

Having ammo on hand for it makes no difference to me. I've got lots of primers and powder of all kinds stashed, so I buy what I want and reload for it.

 

[larry8]

I always wanted a 57 Ruger, and I had the chance to get one last year I jumped on it and surprisingly was for a very good price. The shop also had a box of ammo for it for $39 so I got that too. Only to find that the ammo was very hard to find and when some was available it was for $1.30 per. My Goddaughter is a LEO and she always said to have 1000 rounds of any caliber you have a gun for. For many months I couldn't find any available ammo till I went to a gun show where a private dealer had some for $1.00/ round. So I bought 500 rounds. I just found out that Buds Gun Shop has some for about .90 cents per round so I ordered another 500. As soon as that is delivered I can start shooting the gun at the ranges. I guess I should have bought the ammo first then the gun.

 

[375supermag]

Hi...
Ammo availability makes little difference to me. If I don't already have dies and components, I know that I will eventually find them even in these uncertain times.
I waited a couple of years to locate a set of dies for my .375SuperMag but I eventually found a set.
I bought a .30Carbine Ruger BlackHawk about a year or so ago...still haven't been able to find a set of dies at a price I consider reasonable. I did see a set at a gun show in kind of rough shape for $150 a few months ago but I am not that desperate yet. I have been able to find factory ammunition at fairly reasonable prices, so I can shoot my revolver until a set of RCBS dies that I ordered from a local gun shop show up.