I was thinking the other day about how a year or two ago, most people were having a hell of a time finding components and paying rather hefty prices. So, what the market like where you are? Things have returned to normal around here, primers can be found with relative ease in any quantity you want. Great selections of powders and bullets, even in .223 and .308. I have noticed that prices have remained a little higher than they used to be but hell, everything is more expensive now.

Everything is back here even including Federal Gold primers. Some brass is in and out of stock and is generally more expensive and the same in bullets. Apparently Nosler is going to raise their price 2 or 3 times a year so I am looking at some others like Hornady as range rounds. They sure work good in 223 and 38 and 44Mag.

Yes, inventories of ammunition and ammunition components are near "normal", in part due to the slow down in the two Asian wars (and the now-replinished military ammunition stocks) and the slow down in the cyclic panic buying due to political perceptions.

Ironically, my dealer friend tells me that there is a new wave of nut-job buying (survivalists, 2012 Mayan Calendar-types, etc.) along with some renewed hoarding by serious shooters who don't want to get caught short "again" taking advantage of the currently-available stock. Current higher prices don't so much reflect buyer demand as they do higher metal, transportation, and chemical prices.

Though not much of a hoarder, I have more ammunition and components that I'll realistically ever use. Regardless, when the widows start selling off their late husbands' supplies at the garage and estate sales for flea market prices, I'll probably grab tons of it, just like I've done during a couple of other cycles (post-1968 GCA, post-Clinton presidency, etc.)

Altho supply and inventory have returned to "normal", it appears local stores are carrying fewer lines, and are in no hurry to replenish that which runs out. For example, it is hard to find 55 grain 22 calibre bullets for varminting and I don't expect local dealer shelves to be replenished until May (after taxes).

What is hard to find is good quality 22RF target ammo. The stores here always carried CCI Green Tag and 711B, but never in large quantities. One would be hard pressed to find more than a few cartons of it around here.

ROFLMAO @ Mayan calendar survivalist nut cases.

But seriously-- I have had some small problem trying to locate .357 mag brass--at least in a brand name at a decent price-- Maybe it takes a hot load and a heavy bullet to put down a rabid Mayan? But I did not see a shortage of my .44 mag brass? I did get some Winchester brass at a price I liked from Graff's a few weeks ago, and was happy. All other components seem to be available at least online.

supply is better, prices are crazy, even on the internet.

308 bullets that used to be 16-18 bucks per 100 are now nearly 30

primers that had been 10, then 15, then 100, are now back to 30 per brick

cases? good lord, have they skyrocketed in 3 years.. about 2 to 2.5 times the price 3 year ago

a good example, 405 rems used to be 12.5 cents per.. now are closer to 30 cents.

still far cheaper than "good" factory ammo, but prices are still +50% minimum of 3 years ago

Like with everything else, the vendors have discovered just how much folks are willing to pay so the supply is fine but the price has never recovered.

I just had to buy 55gr boattails as my stock of winchester had finally run out...

I nearly had heart failure...heres the problem I litterally have not bought any 223 reloading components since 1998 or so...

The bags I bought from the ammo dump here in Farmington NH were labled $4.00 per 100... (god I miss the dump!)

LOL the young guy at KTP didn't believe me.

4 bucks a hundred I miss those days...hell that wasn't even buying in bulk!

Pretty much same as you have seen. Just in time for the pre-election panic buying.

quote:

Originally posted by Shoedumup:
I just had to buy 55gr boattails as my stock of winchester had finally run out...

I nearly had heart failure...heres the problem I litterally have not bought any 223 reloading components since 1998 or so...

The bags I bought from the ammo dump here in Farmington NH were labled $4.00 per 100... (god I miss the dump!)

LOL the young guy at KTP didn't believe me.

4 bucks a hundred I miss those days...hell that wasn't even buying in bulk!

Try Mid South Shooters Varmint Nightmare Express. About $46 for 500. Not $4 a hundred but good bullets for less cash.

I found a lot of stuff like that going through my ammo cans. I forgot that I had 2900 9X18 Makarov bullets and 600 virgin cases, along with all the once fired I have.

Pretty much back to normal but I only had trouble finding primers back then.

If Obama is reelected will people start hoarding again?

JIm

It will start before the election even gets here....Back when I was in the gun business I saw it several times prior to elections.

I think its a poor idea as I don't think it matters who gets elected, guns are such a political hot potato neither party wants to touch it. I know that prior too and after the last election I sold a lot of guns to first time buyers. I made it a point to remind them that they now had a vested interest in the 2nd amendment.

Between that an something in the order of 10 million nics checks last year, I think fear based panic buying only accomplishes driving prices up and supplies down with regards to ammo and components.

It is too bad that people just don't understand supply-and-demand in even our still slightly free market. The market is still amazingly reactive to market pressures.
Vendors are still selling almost everything they can make and I am surprised prices have come down at all.
Unless China has a major depression, metal prices are not going to be going down.
Thus, stock-up now if you need something--particularly cases, bullets, and primers.
Unless guns lose their popularity, ammunition and components will stay in demand--just think of the number of .223 rounds being fired per year compared to 10 years ago.

Actually, most reloading components are cheaper today in terms of constant dollars than they were when I started reloading in the mid-1960s. The exception is probably powder, which seems to be a bit higher; but surprisingly, bullets and brass are actually cheaper. Find an old catalog with some prices and calculate the true costs for yourself at http://www.westegg.com/inflation/

Another shooting item which is a very great deal less expensive is a Leupold scope. Don't believe me? Run the $89.95 price of a 3-9 Vari-X II in 1965 vs. today's cost of the identical (but slightly improved) VX-I and see which one cost more.

I found it amusing that anything that was wrong when GWB was in was not something he controlled. Seems as he wasn't the one that controlled anything. Then Obama gets in and he was going to take peoples guns and components and there was a big scare about primers. He must be a powerful dude. Created a primer shortage and I seriously doubt he even knows what a primer is.

We know Obummer and his little boy, Biddy, don't know what a cattle guard is.