Wow Brass prices

Help Support Ruger Forum:

Enigma

Hunter
Joined
Apr 17, 2002
Messages
2,529
Location
Houston metro area, TX
Reloading is not currently a cost savings, unless you already had components stockpiled. Unfortunately for me, I went overseas in December of 2016, and just returned a year ago. I gave away all of my powder and primers to friends, and I am still trying to replace some of it. I gave away thousands of dollars worth of components at today's prices, but the place that I was storing my reloading gear was flooded during a hurricane during my absence. I would have lost 90% of it anyway. At least my friends got some use out of it.
 

Johnnu2

Hunter
Joined
Jun 26, 2003
Messages
2,935
Location
NYS
My wife used to always say: "what are you going to do with all that stuff".......

This is the first time in my entire life that I was proven "right".... :) Of course, I never tell her that :cool:

J.
 

Ron IL

Bearcat
Joined
Dec 29, 2016
Messages
91
Location
Southern Illinois
Wow I like the free cases I pick up at the range. Yesterday I was at Bass Pro and saw some new cases and looked at them. I couldn't believe they were about 30 cents each. That is awful when you can reload a round for 11 cents using used brass. I can pick up a lot of them at the range I go to. Last spring I sold 200 lb to the recycle place for $2 a pound. I am stocking up again in case they get hard to find. I tumble them and then put them in 5 gal storage containers.
 

GypsmJim

Single-Sixer
Joined
Mar 19, 2011
Messages
385
My wife used to always say: "what are you going to do with all that stuff".......

This is the first time in my entire life that I was proven "right".... :) Of course, I never tell her that :cool:

J.
Actually, I DID just tell her that.

The idea was always "why do you need more than one?", or "They all look alike".

Recently I bought a new issue of "Gun Trader Guide" and I showed her that my $85 Colt bought in 1971 is now worth $12,000 she told me what a good deal I made.
 
Joined
Dec 5, 2011
Messages
528
Location
FL
I finally decided to scratch the itch of buying a medium bore rifle I wanted for decades. Up until now, I'd only been loading for handgun and, like most, keep a reserve of items to outlast buying frenzies like we've seen. So now I'm tooling up to load for this medium bore rifle and was amazed at how (extremely) high prices are for everything (ammo, brass, bullets,… and now can't find LRM primers). So I found the best price on factory ammo and bought five boxes of the same lot and I'll get my brass after I shoot some of that. (I couldn't even find the brass!). One reason I got the medium bore was because I thought I would be immune from impossible-to-find common stuff everyone else is using. But I did score on three boxes of dusty old bullets today locally and I think they still had old pre-pandemic price tags on them, so that was nice.
 
Joined
Oct 16, 2013
Messages
131
Location
Central Texas
"Back in the day..." the allure of reloading was to save some money, but also to improve your rifle accuracy. But as I accumulated things like a .22 Savage Hi Power, a .257 Roberts, a 303 Savage, a 30 Remington, a .30-40 Krag, I realized reloading is the only way to go if you want to keep these fine "old" guns alive.
 
Joined
Dec 5, 2011
Messages
528
Location
FL
You got that right, Big John! I think the number of cartridges that are no longer supported (with current brass production) is growing by the day. And it seems for some newer ones that popularity lasts about as long as their first production run!
 
Joined
Oct 16, 2013
Messages
131
Location
Central Texas
You got that right, Big John! I think the number of cartridges that are no longer supported (with current brass production) is growing by the day. And it seems for some newer ones that popularity lasts about as long as their first production run!
I wish I had 1,000 rounds of Remington Etronix brass to sell.
 
Joined
Dec 25, 2007
Messages
10,098
Location
missouri
The price and scarcity of factory loaded ammo PLUS the plethora of 'commercial reloaders' popping up has sent the brass market way up. Once fired brass is bringing as much as factory loaded ammo did 3 years ago.
 
Joined
Dec 5, 2011
Messages
528
Location
FL
Not to venture off topic too much, but I thought about the Etronix years (decades?) ago when it came out. I wanted to try it, but figured it would not last. Did you guys get into it?
 
Joined
Jan 10, 2005
Messages
3,101
Location
Alexandria, LA USA
I wanted a lever gun a few years ago, first choice was a 44mag, then a a 30-30, couldn't find one in the price range and was offered a 35rem. 336 Marlin. I thought, that's a good caliber I should be able to find plenty of ammo selection for -- wrong.
 
Joined
Dec 5, 2011
Messages
528
Location
FL
I recently gave strong consideration to getting a 350 Remington Magnum thinking the same thing. It's a dead cartridge and Rem Arms no longer supports those old rifles Remington built. (Verified a few weeks ago by phone to Rem Arms.). But I thought about it and, after not finding any brass or bullets, decided to abandon that idea. It's a shame!… so I bought a 375 Ruger instead! Few folks buying up 375 bullets, at least.
 
Top