Reloading Components - Are they available in your area?

[RugerSP101]

I'm trying to develop some 308 Win handloads and started shopping around for components. I called a couple of local shops and spoke with the reloading counter people - they are pretty short on reloading components for 30 caliber cartridges.

I had a list of bullets, primers, and powder that I was interested in possibly buying and many/most of these items were not available and on back order. They had a 125gr .30 cal bullet, but most of the heavier weight bullets were out of stock. Federal primers were all sold out. And I couldn't locate any Hodgdon H4895 powder anywhere.

How's the situation by you? Are components readily available? Many of the online retailers seem to have shortages of certain items as well.

Primers were pretty much the only problem Ive had. I dont shoot a lot so the 2400 I have now should last me a long, long time.
I have 2 lbs of powder and about 2000 lead bullets I cast so Im good for a long while.

 

[hutchman]

We have a store in town that decided to open a sporting goods section right in the middle of the crap early this year. They now have more ammo, components, and guns than any other store in the area.

I even bought 200 rounds of 380! :shock:

 

[Yosemite Sam]

We have a store in town that decided to open a sporting goods section right in the middle of the crap early this year. They now have more ammo, components, and guns than any other store in the area.

I even bought 200 rounds of 380! :shock:

I'm getting the distinct impression that manufacturers and distributors are filling "new" orders first, while long standing backorders are being addressed much more slowly. Individuals have placed and received orders in the last few weeks, yet people who have been waiting months for orders from say, Cabelas or Midway, still don't have them.

I've seen this with Amazon, where pre-ordering a book does not mean you're first in line to get it. It means they know they've already made a sale, and they'll service other customers first, knowing you'll wait for your item, because you already have...

-- Sam

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

Though things have been dismal overall here in SoCal, I was at Bass Pro yesterday, and it looks like they recently got a goodly shipment of a lot of things:

Brass was plentiful in most common and a few less common rifle calibers from Rem and Win. Handgun brass wasn't quite as plentiful, at least in the most popular flavors, but they did have .357s and .44 Mags. They had quite a few of the less popular handgun calibers, too

There were plenty of bullets from Hornady, and a pretty fair assortment from Barnes. Anything I normally use from Hornady was there. I didn't see much from other mfrs.

A fair assortment of rifle powders was available: picked up some IMR 4895 for $28/lb. Though still a bit high for my taste, it was better than the $33 I had to give for the only jug of H-4895 I could find in three counties a couple of months ago!

It wasn't stacked high, but there was a fair amount of bulk .22 ammo from Remington at $19.99/525 (no great deal, if compared to Wally, but similar to other local chains, and they HAD it!)

Lots and lots of shotshells from Winchester, good numbers from Remington, in target and field loads from each, were on the shelf in individual boxes and cases. Waterfowl shells from all their usual vendors were in good supply. Prices were comparable to last year on most of 'em.

No primers yet...

Only problem w/ our Bass Pro, as one of the salesgirls put it, is they're kind of a "red headed stepchild" store that gets their merchandise after most all the others, and a lot of times they get what's sent as opposed to what they've ordered, so what they have on the shelves isn't a surefire indication of what's happening "out there."

Other sporting goods stores I've checked in the local area are still hurting...

Rick C

 

[hutchman]

Kind of an off topic question, but how is the recent ammo legislation going to affect reloading components in CA?

 

[Rick Courtright]

Kind of an off topic question, but how is the recent ammo legislation going to affect reloading components in CA?

Hi,

There's a lot more "supposition" than actual fact being tossed around right now. The law's supposed to involve handgun ammo. As I read the bill before it was signed, it appeared to address only "loaded" ammo. But I think there's gonna be some court action BEFORE we know for sure just WHAT that term means...

Until then, I think there will be more negative "reaction" in the market than is actually called for by the law. More of the CYA stuff we already see from those who won't ship to CA even though what they're selling is ok here.

Rick C