NO LEAD, NO POWDER AVAILABLE
 

I just stopped at my local dealer and it seems the ammo shortage has now spilled over into shotgun reloading components. According to this dealer no bagged lead shot will be available in the next 3 months minimum. The distributor told him their backorders are in the millions of pounds. No common target powders, 700x, Red Dot, Green Dot, etc are available, no information regarding when they will be available again. Wads and some primer brands remain available, Win 209's primers were still available but the dealer said he feels it is a case of who knows for how long.

I find it hard to believe hoarding has reached this level given the millions of factory and reloaded shotgun target ammunition is expended each year.

When I got home I checked several on-line distributors, Ballistic Products, Precision Reloading and Gamaliel for powder availability, again all common target powders are out of stock.

Pete,
It is almost impossible to get anything right now for pistol or shot shell reloading. Fortunately I had stocked up with my shot shell supplies before it got too crazy. I have over 2k shells loaded and enough materials for another 4k. I hope by the time Deb and I burn up these rounds things will be more readily available once again. I have pistol primers on backorder till June but I'm not holding my breath on that delivery.

I have quite a bit on hand as well but it's very easy for me to go through 4K shotgun shells on targets and another 1500+ plus on crows in a year.

It is unsettling that we don't know how long the shortage will last. I would give up the clay pigeon shooting if I have to so as to extend my ammo supply for hunting. The situation is not good, it seems it will surely impact participation in organized and recreational shooting this year across the country.

Finding primers anywhere local for me has been near impossible. And most outlets online are out too. The ones that have any charge a hazmat fee for handling.

This is an odd one... Ballistic products has 209 primers and they charge a $25 fee for primers and power if shipped by ground or air. But... They will ship primed hulls by ground with no fee. Can't figure that out.

I just returned from the Kittery Trading Post, a large dealer/retailer in the shooting sports in New England. There I found a few bags of shot priced at $49.99. They have no idea when more will come in. Powders for reloading were very scarce, very little was available for shotgun target shells, no Red Dot, Clay Dot, 700X etc. A few 1lb bottles of Green Dot and SR7625 were available, limit 2lbs per customer. A few Fed 209A primers were there in loose 100 packs. Same with CCI 209 Magnum primers. There was big pile of Win 209 primers in 1000 packs for 45.99.

I also spoke to one of the long time managers in the shooting sports department. He informed me the information he has been given by those in the industry is the lack of availability and shortage of ammunition and reloading supplies will persist for the next 22 to 26 months.

RST's online ordering system was down today and when I called I got the answering machine. I will try again, but hope they have not been affected as well

Supplies here in Michigan are non existent. Luckily, our gun club has a decent supply but even they had to put a limit on purchase amounts. If you dont have it now it will be tough to shoot the summer into fall.

Recovered shot?
 

At those prices for shot, how long can it be before they start recovering shot from skeet and trap fields? I've used it in the past when available and wish it was again.

We had some reclaim here a few months ago but it sold quick!

I talked to a friend who could get shot at $42/bag. I'm on a E-Mail notification from two mail order places for Sr7625 and H4895 in 8lb cans. I bought two 1ld cans of 7625 just to have it for 16ga shells.

Pete one of the local sporting goods stores had some of the powders you mentioned. PM me your cell phone and when I get up that way if they have them I can pick you up some and bring it to Hausmanns.

I don't believe I have ever been accused of being a conspiracy theorist. However as the old saying goes, just because you are paranoid doesn't mean they are not actually out to get you.

I think the enormous quantities of small arms ammunition along with the governments priority status has in large part helped fuel this shortage.

http://www.infowars.com/dhs-to-buy-3...nt-ammunition/

http://offgridsurvival.com/ammoshort...fthingstocome/

I don't understand the purpose behind the conspiracy and that makes me more nervous.

Just to see what was going on I put the prices for what is currently available in my area for available reloading components and regardless of shot size it comes to $6.40 a box for 1 1/8 once loads, plus tax. The same store, KTP, has Federal brand target loads priced at $64.99 plus tax per flat (10 boxes).

Currently there are auctions on Gunbroker.com where dealers are selling 16 pounds of IMR-700x for $475 plus $48.00 shipping. That is near $33 a pound. This is nuts.

The dealer I visited today said it would probably be a year before things return to "normal."

"It's like it was four years ago - only five times worse," he said.

For me, things won't be "normal" again until 2016. I hope.

BTW, I bought 8 lbs of Extra Lite from him for $99.

I have just set up and started reloading again after several years of using many flats of $49 Federal 12- and 20-gauges and working down my stock of reloads. I've found plenty of the powders I use -- Clays, International, American Select, Lil' Gun, and Universal. WSF seems a bit hard to find. Likewise I've found the wads I use. My club has lead at $101 for three bags. They are rationing it out at three bags per week per member. There seems to be plenty of Federal, Fiochi and CCI primers around. I prefer Remington primers, as they seem to agree with many of my old doubles, and they are up to $49.90 a brick when you can find them!! Winchester 209s seem non-existant.

We have Chedites and Win209's primers at our club, but the piles of cases (5000) are shrinking every week. My father and I both bought enough to get us through till the end of the year. We shoot skeet every weekend, and when its warm here in Michigan even more.

I just purchased 5000 WW 209 primers (can't find Remington )and have 16lbs of 7625------ but I can't get lead shot.
I am calling Beikirch's my local dealer they are expecting lead soon. I was told they have $700,000. of ammo backordered and expect the market to return to normal the summer of 2014!!! Crazy!!

Conspiracy? No conspiracy here, it's obvious unless you are naieve, blind, or possibility part of it. What happens in 22 to 26 months? Mid term elections come to mind. It's no secret that the current administration is working toward attaining a super majority. If they are successful, well the ammo shortage will just make the next step easier. If Boehner manages to hold onto the House, the left still wins, just not as big. As the former White House Chief of Staff let slip four years ago, "Never let a good crisis go to waste".

I'm usually stocked up but this thread motivated me to become a hoarder! :bigbye:

Went to the Fin today to get some PB and Unique for some soft shooting, especially for my new light weight 16 SW. I expected shortages, but most folks aren't real interested in what I am. Ther was no Unique and I got the last two ahort pints (14oz) of PB. There were a couple of others shopping and I mention that the shelves were pretty bare; they responded "there's nothing left in Columbus". Would have liked go have gotten another K of 209s, but none to be had.

Just bought 16 pounds of Unique and 8 pounds of Red Dot. The solution to this problem is to start shooting your .410s. We just bought Federal Top Guns for $56.50 a flat, up from $50.00. Unfortunately, there were 20s but no 12s. WW209s were being rationed.

Whether this a random result of current events and politics or something planned and deliberate, if it does not resolve itself soon it has the potential to hurt the entire gamut of firearm sports, the bottom lines of gun clubs and dealers and ultimately the sale of firearms. If you were looking at a sale flyer advertising a great buy on a new 9mm pistol, are you going to buy it an any price if retailer has no ammo for it?

I understood the run on ammo for so called assault rifles such as .223, but to find this shortage to be nationwide on shotgun target load components and 22LR is puzzling. Hoarding to some extent, and a shift by the manufacturers to fill all the gov't orders is probably to blame. I have not been doing this for as long as some of you but I been doing it for 40 years, I have never seen anything close to this situation.

The cause of all this is the result of Nov. 7, 2012.
After the previous Presidential election there was a similar run -- but nothing like this. With luck, things might get better by Fall. I certainly hope so. But I fear for all the shooting sports for the next few years to come.

Well I live in Michigan and our club orders from Ohio. I just ordered a ton of shot - $39/bag and any powder, wads, and Win or Cheddite primers- [ 35,000 primers ] . We ordered 700X, Clay Dot, Red Dot, Promo, Clays, just about any powder one would want. Far as I'm concerned there is NO shortage of anything. Someone is getting feed a line of sh**. The prices of primers and wads went up a little, but not much. Paul

Paul, that's very good news to hear. Let us know when you get delivery.

If and when it comes is the big question. Was the shot just for the club or did the members order supplies? Please PM me with the info as our local club needs shot as well. I haven't found powder in 8lb cans anywhere and just try to buy a box of 9mm or 45ACP or .22LR impossible :cuss::banghead:

I get my components from a very well known Ohio supplier that trucks a lot of this stuff to Michigan. And unless the owner of that firm is lying to me, no one is being handed a line of anything. Except for the truth.

My local gun store has about 60 25# bags of reclaimed shot for sale @ $30.00 a bag, I believe they are a mixture of #8 and #7.5 size shot. I dont know how the shipping could be handled on this but I would be willing to help anyone needing any.

Ken

Probably the most economical way to ship lead shot is via USPS large flat rate box. There is a 70lb limit, cost is $18.55 anywhere in the US.

We have a very large club in southeastern Michigan, (DSC) and we receive product from what I asume to be the same ohio supplier. We are getting lead, but 8lb, and 4lb containers of powder is not possible. They take the orders but are all backordered. 1lb containers are available in some varieties. They ordered gun club flats and no stock available.

Stopped at a local gun shop that isnt known for reloading supplies and found 1 lb Red dot, 3lbs Universal, and 2 lbs Green Dot and bought them all. The owner said he had just sold a 4 pounder for $80 not more than 5 min before I walked in. He also had some 7625, e3, and titewad--went home and looked up some loads and may go back tomorrow and buy what I can. Lead shot is still available at the local Cabelas but is $49/ bag.

Went.back to the little gun store today and bought Titewad for $18/lb. They also had shot for $42/bag--local Cabelas is $50.Their wads were cheaper also. Wanted #8 shot or 71/2, but they had 7's and 8 1/2 so got one of each.

Hoarding
 

The feeding frenzy of the crazies has gone over the edge this time. The deluge of robocalls from the NRA is probably not helping the situation. Every time one of the hoarders gets a call he/she probably runs right out and adds to the stockpile in the basement or in the bunker. I get a minimum of two NRA calls a day from robo-dialers all over the country. The fact that I talked to Joe in Left Armpit, TX about the legislation being proposed in the Senate has no affect on the robo-dialers in UT, MD, CA, or SC or anywhere else.

From the comments being posted here there is probably no solution until the hoarders get their fill - or run out of credit card reserves. Or the NRA runs out of money to pay for the phone calls.

The ultimate negative of all this is the people interested in sports shooting, trap, skeet, sportclays and the like will have to park their equipment until reason returns to the scene.

My last 8 pound containers of Unique and Red Dot were $98.10 each. Primers are going to be the problem for most of us.

Well we all have our crystal balls but gents, it's much worse than I've ever seen it. I usually plan for the worst while hoping for the best so I took a ride to a large reloading distributor today and got some additional supples for myself and a few friends. That's 35 bags of West Coast magnum shot, 53 pounds of powder, 17,000 primers and 10,000 wads. The owner was joking with me, he asked if I had explosives placards for the Hummer. He only had 2 cards of Remington primers and I was able to talk him out of one (5000). Winchester primers allocated 1000 per customer no matter how much stuff you bought. I got the last 8# bottles of PB and 7625 that were in stock, all the smaller ones were sold out. A friend wanted Clays powder and it was out of stock, he switched to Clay Dot. I wanted some Herco... out of stock and no word on when more would be available. The West Coast magnum was $38.50 per bag plus 6% for the state coffers. You wanna see me on the cell with 4 friends calling and texting while I was in the warehouse checking out the powders and primer inventories. :rolleyes:

http://i1044.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1a70fa3e.jpg

Do I detect an 8lb can of 20/28? I have 5lbs of it and want to work up a low pressure 2 1/2 in 20ga load but can find no data. Can we be friends? that big can of 7625 is elusive as I have bought 6 1lb cans.

I went to order Hornady V-Max for the 223,22/250,243 & 25WSSM and only got the 25WSSM and I bought the last 7 boxes they had. Hind site being what it is I splurged last summer and bought 10,000 Win 209 and CCI large and small rifle primers. I'm glad I did now.

I'll trade a 209 primer for 15 grs. of 700X.

Rich, good eyes. The 20/28 is for a friend "Oskar" who's a member. I haven't used it myself so I can't help with a recipe. E.R., yes there's a 8 pounder of 700X in there.

Rich, I'm guessing you have checked Alliant's site for the 20/28 loads? If so then you've seen they only list 2 3/4" hulls, which is what I load for my two 20s. Ever done any roll crimping? What are the hulls, primers, wads, shot weight you want to try?

Be glad to help if I can.

Mike

Thanks Mike. I'll use the RST Hull which I believe is a chedditte hull a TC 20 wad from Ballistic Products and win 209 primers and 7/8ths of shot. I have been using 17gr of Longshot but have been told the virtues of 20/28 and as its a dual purpose powder for both guages I thought I'd give it a try.