I buy almost all my reloading supplies from a club member where I shoot who has an FFL and keeps club members supplied with primers, powders, wads and shot as well as loaded ammunition. He recently got a small shipment of lead shot and called me to let me know. In our brief conversation he said to me I never thought I would see a day when plastic wads would be hard to get but here we are. We have been living in strange times for the availability of ammunition and reloading components on and off for at least the last five years when there was the first big powder and ammo shortage that I remember. Covid has most certainly impacted the production and supply of many items including ammo and reloading. Politics and hoarding (fear purchases) are also factors. Once the shelves go bare it takes a LONG time for it to catch back up. I would not be surprised if we don't see some semblance of normalcy in supply until next summer or possibly later. One thing you can be sure of, it will all be selling at a higher price the next time you see the shelves are stocked.

I think it’s more like last 12 years .

I was never overly big on 16 gauge loads with the SP-16 wad but Tuesday I took the 650 I just got in that pile of stuff SR4756 and some of those SP-16’s as well as the old AA style 16 gauge hulls and tried the load he used . They look pretty decent and didn’t feel bad shooting into the snail .

Craig;
Would you care to share you load with 4756? Do you have the specs on it as far as pressure? I've got a good quanity of 4756, which I used to use in a 7/8th oz. load in a 20 ga.

I used a #31 bushing (that’s what he had in the machine and claimed he used) with an ounce of shot the SP-16 a WIN 209 all scrunched in the old AA style 16 hulls . The #31 is “supposed to be 24.5 by the table” however we all know that may or may not be the case . The fellow that gave me the load claims 5300 PSI and 1150 FPS . I might go along with the velocity but the other I question . To be honest I’m just glad to have something I can use all those SP-16 wads in . May have to come up with a secondary powder to use as I think I’ve got 7 or 8 pounds total of 4756 . And I doubt that’s enough to get me thru 33 or so bags of wads .

Spotted today in the sporting goods section of a local hardware. NobelSport 209 shotgun primers. Only $95.99 per 1000. Get 'em while you can! :whistle:

They have gone the way of everything else that is hard to get these days.

And it wont get better...

I have a strange feeling "these days" may last for a rather long time :crying:

Probably. Just like TP, people will hoard.

A good read on the "Great Primer Shortage of 2020".

https://www.powdervalleyinc.com/why-...pply-shortage/