It is not just Varget. Also you are in Montreal, I am in B.C. Given our geographical differences what you might consider "BS" one here might consider very fact of the matter. Plus my original posting was kind of about how tough it is for a guy getting into it. It is easy for you to say "call around" but I have not been at it all too long and don't even know all the places to call. So if I am repeating some line I am sorry. I am new to this shortage thing and am trying the best I know how. The internet.
So is this really what reloading is all about?
- Thread starter spenom
- Start date
It is not just Varget. Also you are in Montreal, I am in B.C. Given our geographical differences what you might consider "BS" one here might consider very fact of the matter. Plus my original posting was kind of about how tough it is for a guy getting into it. It is easy for you to say "call around" but I have not been at it all too long and don't even know all the places to call. So if I am repeating some line I am sorry. I am new to this shortage thing and am trying the best I know how. The internet.
OP, there is a very good reason to stock up on certain components. The drought we are in now, is nothing new. It seems to happen just before every US election and if the Democrats win, it will continue until they are out of office or lose control in the Senate or House of Representatives.
Now, the main reason for stocking up is very plain and simple. When you buy your components in bulk and make sure they are all from the same production lot, you end up with what should be very consistent quality ammo. I have been in the position on more than one occasion where there was a component lot# change and a whole new load had to be worked up. Usually happened when time was a big issue.
If your money is tight, this may or may not be an open option for you.
If I have a batch of bullets/powder/primers that just don't want to come together, I sell it, usually at a loss. I got the accuracy bug a long time ago and it bit deep, infecting me with the irrational desire to create groups that look like one bullet diameter. Never going to happen but it's a fun addiction, even if it is hard on the pocket book.
I had a fellow that came to me last fall and asked me to LOAN him a half a pound of powder, 50 primers and 50 .308 x 165 gr soft point bullets. He commented that he would pick up a pound of powder/couple of boxes of primers and a box of bullets. When he got them, he wanted to return whatever components he hadn't loaded and top it up with stuff he was going to purchase. I told him to forget that noise right off the get go. I would sell him a pound of powder/primers/bullets in full boxes and they would be his for ever and ever and I didn't want to see them again. He declined, he couldn't afford it. I bought his rifle two weeks ago.
From the sounds of your post, you don't seem to have a cash crunch but may be a tad tight with your money. In a case like this, being tight or careful as some put it, it plays against what you're wanting to do.
Buy as much as you think it will take to shoot out your bore on a target style rifle. It will be much cheaper in the long run and you won't have to spend time and money searching for components. If you have to drive a hundred kliks to pick up a pound of powder, box of primers and box of bullets, that is very expensive shooting.
As far as hoarding goes. Some people shoot a lot. I've seen two M305 Norcs in the past month with about 12cm of throat erosion and about 50% of the rifling left. Both these guys shot over 15,000 rounds of Norc ammo in each of those rifles last year. They have lots of money and both have wives that like to shoot. They bought the 30,000 rounds between them and got it for extremely reasonable prices.
Lots of reason to stay "stocked up", you snooze, you lose.
Look up Higginson's Ammo Mart. You will have to pay shipping but likely that will be about the same or less than driving around looking for components. They will give you a good discount for bulk orders as well.
Now, the main reason for stocking up is very plain and simple. When you buy your components in bulk and make sure they are all from the same production lot, you end up with what should be very consistent quality ammo. I have been in the position on more than one occasion where there was a component lot# change and a whole new load had to be worked up. Usually happened when time was a big issue.
If your money is tight, this may or may not be an open option for you.
If I have a batch of bullets/powder/primers that just don't want to come together, I sell it, usually at a loss. I got the accuracy bug a long time ago and it bit deep, infecting me with the irrational desire to create groups that look like one bullet diameter. Never going to happen but it's a fun addiction, even if it is hard on the pocket book.
I had a fellow that came to me last fall and asked me to LOAN him a half a pound of powder, 50 primers and 50 .308 x 165 gr soft point bullets. He commented that he would pick up a pound of powder/couple of boxes of primers and a box of bullets. When he got them, he wanted to return whatever components he hadn't loaded and top it up with stuff he was going to purchase. I told him to forget that noise right off the get go. I would sell him a pound of powder/primers/bullets in full boxes and they would be his for ever and ever and I didn't want to see them again. He declined, he couldn't afford it. I bought his rifle two weeks ago.
From the sounds of your post, you don't seem to have a cash crunch but may be a tad tight with your money. In a case like this, being tight or careful as some put it, it plays against what you're wanting to do.
Buy as much as you think it will take to shoot out your bore on a target style rifle. It will be much cheaper in the long run and you won't have to spend time and money searching for components. If you have to drive a hundred kliks to pick up a pound of powder, box of primers and box of bullets, that is very expensive shooting.
As far as hoarding goes. Some people shoot a lot. I've seen two M305 Norcs in the past month with about 12cm of throat erosion and about 50% of the rifling left. Both these guys shot over 15,000 rounds of Norc ammo in each of those rifles last year. They have lots of money and both have wives that like to shoot. They bought the 30,000 rounds between them and got it for extremely reasonable prices.
Lots of reason to stay "stocked up", you snooze, you lose.
Look up Higginson's Ammo Mart. You will have to pay shipping but likely that will be about the same or less than driving around looking for components. They will give you a good discount for bulk orders as well.
Buy some milsurps, pistol caliber carbines....whatever.....stock up lots of whatever is cheep to go bang in them, and that holds you over for the fun factor while your looking for reloading supplies for the others. Diversify...buy rounds by the thousand when you get a good price, primers 1000 at a time,
bullets 1000 at a time, 5 or 6 pounds of powder at a time when you find it. After a while...you never know if there is a shortage or not because you always have a bit of a stockpile and replenish long before you actually need it.
bullets 1000 at a time, 5 or 6 pounds of powder at a time when you find it. After a while...you never know if there is a shortage or not because you always have a bit of a stockpile and replenish long before you actually need it.
I sent you a PM which should explain everything.
Don't forget in BC you have Henry, budgetshootersupply.ca
Just because something is not in stock it doesn't mean you can't order it in advance.
I always put powder and bullets on order.
Sometimes it takes weeks other times it takes 6 months but as long as you get it who cares.
Nowhere I called had any. Care to share who has it in stock?
I know it can be ordered if you want to wait for however long it takes.
I don't care about a hazmat charge, you just need to order enough to make it worthwhile. Get a couple buddies together to share the cost and increase the order size
Small buying pools permit larger single orders to beat down the Hazmat fee.
On Higginson's, to quote from their web site:
"HIGGINSON POWDERS INC. IS CANADA'S LARGEST DISTRIBUTOR OF RELOADING POWDERS.
WE IMPORT BULK, CANNISTER GRADE HODGDON POWDERS WHICH ARE REPACKAGED INTO OUR RELOADER SIZE UNITS, CREATING AN EXCLUSIVE COST ADVANTAGE OVER OUR COMPETITION. WITH LICENSED STORAGE MAGAZINES FOR OVER 50,000 LBS. OF POWDER, WE HAVE THE LARGEST INVENTORY OF RELOADING POWDERS IN CANADA."
Once of the "secrets" of affording reloading is to be flexible about what powders you use. If Varget isn't available for a reasonable price, there are a bunch of similar burn rate propellants that will do quite well too. That's part of the reason I have several reloading manuals. If you're buying a reasonable quantities then developing a new load isn't a big deal. In .223 Rem, that would be powders like RL15, H4895, N135, H335, W748, AA2230, etc. The Lee reloading book lists a lot of powers for a bunch of different cartridges, for example.
On Higginson's, to quote from their web site:
"HIGGINSON POWDERS INC. IS CANADA'S LARGEST DISTRIBUTOR OF RELOADING POWDERS.
WE IMPORT BULK, CANNISTER GRADE HODGDON POWDERS WHICH ARE REPACKAGED INTO OUR RELOADER SIZE UNITS, CREATING AN EXCLUSIVE COST ADVANTAGE OVER OUR COMPETITION. WITH LICENSED STORAGE MAGAZINES FOR OVER 50,000 LBS. OF POWDER, WE HAVE THE LARGEST INVENTORY OF RELOADING POWDERS IN CANADA."
Once of the "secrets" of affording reloading is to be flexible about what powders you use. If Varget isn't available for a reasonable price, there are a bunch of similar burn rate propellants that will do quite well too. That's part of the reason I have several reloading manuals. If you're buying a reasonable quantities then developing a new load isn't a big deal. In .223 Rem, that would be powders like RL15, H4895, N135, H335, W748, AA2230, etc. The Lee reloading book lists a lot of powers for a bunch of different cartridges, for example.
Funny someone mentioned getting 20,000 primer is hoarding. To get the discount at Custom loading service back in 2012 had to order 20k primers, thank goodness did that, don't know the current price but expects they won't be 30 bucks per 1000 for Fed and CCI. Same thing of min. 10k bullets for discount.
LGS only has sales once a year around XMAS so have to stock up. Call it hoarding if you wish but the bulk buyers save a lot.
Do miss the days when Henry doesn't have so much backorder, just go in to get whatever one needs.
LGS only has sales once a year around XMAS so have to stock up. Call it hoarding if you wish but the bulk buyers save a lot.
Do miss the days when Henry doesn't have so much backorder, just go in to get whatever one needs.
In the end its a hobby. You have to love what you are doing. I do it because its relaxing.
If you think its a Hassel or a chore you may be best served giving up and devoting that energy to a hobby you love.
Scrounging for parts deals is part of it. I just buy stuff when I come across it whether I need it or not.
If you think its a Hassel or a chore you may be best served giving up and devoting that energy to a hobby you love.
Scrounging for parts deals is part of it. I just buy stuff when I come across it whether I need it or not.
hometownhero
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Toon Town, Sk
I was paying $35+tax for 1k cci primers a year ago. Its $40 now for that same 1k now where I buy my stuff
Well said ! Reloading's dirty little secret is,, you have to hoard or be prepared to go without from time to time. Recurring shortages of various components have been a reality for many years and are surely no surprise. The bulk buying that goes with hoarding makes good financial sense too, particularly at a time when interest earned on banked money is squat %.
Evidently its a real hoot to run dry on stuff and when that happens go moralizing on the internet and blame the Yanks for our lack of foresight. Call me insensitive, but I just don't think they care
.htt p://higginsonpowders.com
right now 7lbs of WC-735 (H-335, BLC-2 comparable) is $126. For the $400 you paid for the 8lbs Varget, you would have gotten 21lbs of this.
you are showing your age. Hasn't been Ammo Mart since Tom died and left it to the boys.
