I learned 15 years ago about hoarders and primers. I got cought short on Fed 215 primers in the middle of a shortage. I now stay 8000 in stock ahead of all sizes I shoot and replace the 3000 per year I shoot annually in order to maintain that spread. I can now go three years without buying anything that may be short. I do have enough bullets to properly supply my great grandson and his sons or daughters (mostly Nosler Cosmetic blems at bargain basement prices). Good shooting.

I load more cartridges than I can shoot in a year because I enjoy reloading. Simple as that.

I shoot as much as I can, but sitting at my bench working on new loads is like - stress relief. So I wind up with more than I need.

The time to stock up is any time you find components at a bargain. I have been doing this for 30 years. I buy almost any quality bullet and brass if the price is nearly a give away.
As a result I have dozens boxes of jacketed bullets that I bought for $1 to $3.
PS---- brass and bullets for the most part do not have a shelf life. Primers store well too.
Be careful buying too much powder. It will last a long time when carefully stored but it will not last for ever.

So let me get this straight. every one is 'stocking up' waiting for the bad times. What an item cost today doesn't matter down the road. You already bought it.

When things get really bad for you, it'll be a fire sale to get the stuff needed at the time. You will trade a double rifle for gasoline...........

Paranoia feeds on itself.

quote:

Originally posted by 2ugly2shoot:
So let me get this straight. every one is 'stocking up' waiting for the bad times. What an item cost today doesn't matter down the road. You already bought it.

When things get really bad for you, it'll be a fire sale to get the stuff needed at the time. You will trade a double rifle for gasoline.

Probably not. Don't really want to go anywhere when the S hits the fan. Better the ground and neighbors I know than the ones I don't, when things are really tough. Also have a 600 gal gas supply of my own to go through before needing more. Used frugally, that will run a generator for the mini-fridge and lights for a relatively looooong time.

Sure, someone may kill me and take it. If they're that kind, what do you think they'll do with the double rifle you suggest I'll trade to them? The really baddies will use the rifle to kill the previous owner and KEEP their gasoline.

Let's get real here. When things are really tough, survival is as much a matter of luck as planning and supposed fighting ability. If you've ever been in real combat, you learn that lesson right away.

As I said before, I stock up primarily for my convenience and secondarily as a small hedge against inflation. It isn't about paranoia. As another poster said...if I see a really good deal on something and have spare money to buy with, I do. If someone else doesn't see (or recognize) good deals, or never has any spare money, that's their problem, not mine.

I agree. Like I said, I'm not really talking about that kind of scenario.

More what I had in mind was the fact that I am planning to do alot of shooting the next couple years. Not so much the load development kind of thing I have focused on in the past, but more of a high volume/high quality type of practice regimen aimed at significantly improving my field shooting abilities. That will require a pretty fair amount of trigger time and components.

We do have elections coming up soon, and remebering how things went last time, and how they went back in '95, I don't want to be scrambling for components "if" we have a repeat of one of those situations. There are differing opinions as to how likely that could be, but the fact is there is definitely historical precedence for it. That is all I am saying. I think it is a very good time to make sure all my components are at very comfortable levels.

When I find a deal on something I use, I go long.

It's really an eye opener to gain the insight expressed in this thread.
The theme that seems to be developing is under buying for need at bargain prices on one end and hoarding on the other with intelligent investment somewhere in between.
I'm not really sure what the conventional wisdom is here or if there indeed is any.
In the 90S and early 2000s many I knew lost their butts in the stock market; smart people. Now had they invested in bullets that would not have been the case today.
Not many years ago there was a flood of truly useable surplus powder at less then half what you pay for powder today. It was well known that their availability was quickly coming to an end. The same was true with some of the Accurate powders like 4350 and 2520. Personally I thought this would be a wise investment, and a hedge against ""limited availability"",so I took advantage of it in a big way.
It's hard to put the evil denotation that the word hoarding suggests on on this type of purchasing.
From reading all that is written in this thread you might gather there is some demarcation point between wise procurement and HOARDING and as always each has their own opinion. My Opinion ??? I don't even have a clue. roger

I stopped by a very large gun shop in Northern Ohio today and talking to one of the people there and he quoted me a price increase of almost 20% next month for remington bullets.

Here is a quote from Widener's.com

Large price increases for all ammunition and components are coming in April and May 2011. Record high costs of primary metals such as lead and copper are cited as part of the reason.

Maybe it is time to add a few more rounds

quote:

Originally posted by Singleshot03:
I stopped by a very large gun shop in Northern Ohio today and talking to one of the people there and he quoted me a price increase of almost 20% next month for remington bullets.

Here is a quote from Widener's.com

Large price increases for all ammunition and components are coming in April and May 2011. Record high costs of primary metals such as lead and copper are cited as part of the reason.

Maybe it is time to add a few more rounds

I suppose my opinion is rather ungenerous, but I believe the most important major reason for price increases of components is a bit different. Having spent much of my work life (before retirement) at very senior levels of corporate management, I suspect and suggest that the principle reason for large increases in prices is simpler than that. I.E., Corporate gouging of the consumer for all they will put up with.

Don't know if you guys noticed yesterday's business news, but CEO compensation rose, on average, 20% this past year, NOT including bonuses. Where do you think those dollars are coming from? From you, my friends.

I still think we should get much deeper back into DIY...making our own stuff for shooting, hunting, and entertainment...and let them sink in their own cesspools.

Every few years or so I seriously contemplate buying a set of swaging dies to make .22 centerfire bullets out of rimfire brass. I have nearly done it a time or two but just haven't pulled the trigger. I just feel that for someone like me, who is a confirmed DIYer, that it would be a satisfying thing to do.

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
I see nothing wrong with stocking for a one year's supply....whatever that is!

If that's a thousand primers then so be it....if that's 200 bullets of a kind and 300 of another and 500 of another then so be it....

I think Stonecreek nailed it.....those that overstock will eventually have their stockpiles on sale somewhere.....possibly after their passing.

Triple package them and store well.

I helped out a few folks here with powder and primers this time.....and might be able to help next time......and next time just might be damn soon!

Good points.
Last time around, I had 18 months of supplies stockpiled because of a baby on the way. Was thinking I need to start loading up on powder again, as we are trying for our second.

Does anyone really believe that hoarding had any serious affect on the price increases we've experienced in the last 3 years? roger

I'd say that now may be too late to stock up on bullets before rising metal prices take their toll. However, I just bought a bulk pack of 2100 .30cal bullets and the price didn't seem too bad ($377 w/ shipping) from Palmetto State Armory.

Nice buy ,Kevin! Can you still catch crappie in the river below the dam in Strongsville? Is there still a Strongsville? roger

Yes, there is still a Strongsville; it's not far North of me. I don't know about any fishing that goes on there, though.

And I spoke too soon about getting a deal. I paid $.17 a bullet yesterday for the Winchesters. While rooting around in my reloading room, I found a 1000 identical Hornaday bullets I bought last October for only $.12 apiece.

Oh well, at least I have 4000 bullets to feed my .30cal. rifles. I should be good for a few years.