Reloading Supplies Question

[Griff]

Since my reloading is outside in a unheated/non air conditioned workshop, I tend to load ammo twice a year, early spring & late fall... how much I load is a matter of my anticipated shooting over the winter or spring/summer/fall.  My casting schedule is usually regulated to the fall reloading session, or the more mild days during the winter. When I get caught short of cast bullets, I may buy a a box or two (500 per), of a similar design to what I cast.  I'm waiting until this fall to really begin powder coating.  So far, I've bought coated bullets and only tested doing so myself.   I don't shoot regularly enough to justify laying in too much loaded ammo, but like to have at least a year's worth if I were to shoot once monthly.  So, at a minimum, I like at least one 45 GI can full for each of the 4 main rounds I shoot, (45 Colt, C45S, 45 Auto & .44-40).  And since I also shoot 45 Colt & C45S with BP (or sub), I keep a GI can full for those also.  I like to keep a case of BP shotshells loaded along with a case of smokeless.

 

Besides having a bag of new brass for 45 Colt, C45S & .44-40 (1,000/per), I have at least one 1-½ gal of clean, ready to load brass for each of those cases, plus about 4 such containers of cleaned ready brass for 45 Auto.  (I can't remember the last time I bought 45 Auto brass), nearly every time I go to the gun club, someone has left their used brass laying on the ground... I know that's not a reliable source, but so far... 

 

As for primers, my minimums are 5,000 for SPP, SR, LPP, & LR and a 2-3 K of 209s.  Resupply times are different for each primer type, with LPs being the most used, they usually get reordered once I open the last case.  As for Frontiersman ammo, I recently refilled my inventory of Remington #10s, along with a several hundred CCI #11s for when I'm testing or shooting a monthly.  I don't cast RBs for the .36 Navies, but buy them when I find them on sale, as with the lubed wads I use.  

 

I've been reloading for over 50 years, and as my shooting has gone up & down in volume, so to have my inventory needs.  While I don't shoot nearly as much as I did 20-30 years ago;  with today's less reliable supply chain, I find my inventory has expanded so I'm not quite as susceptible to shortages.  Although over that 50 year span, I can't think of a time when there's been shortages such as we've experienced over the past 10 years.  I'd still offer the same advice I was given as a new reloader;  don't buy reloading supplies on credit... but include them as a line on your disposable income budget, same as you should do for vacations and other leisure time activities.  Also, never sell reloading/casting equipment, you don't have any idea when it'll become necessary again.  

[Captain Bill Burt]

I keep about a years supply of loaded ammo and at least another year’s (preferably two) worth of components. That allows me to be more selective about the prices I pay when I buy.

 

I load about every other week once I’ve accumulated enough brass to make tumbling it worthwhile.

[Smokin Gator SASS #29736]

I think this last ammo/component crisis starting with covid has shown it might be prudent to have a larger supply of ammo or components stocked. 3, 4, 5 years worth. It used to be that prices would go up, supplies would be scarce for a number of months then things would return to normal within 6 months to a year, tops. We've all seen what happened this time.

[El Chapo]

On 8/3/2024 at 7:52 PM, Moe T Vator said:

For all the information, thank you! 
 

Follow on question-

how do you process ALL that brass? 
 

For those who shoot tens of thousands of rounds a year how are you getting it ready?

 

A Dillon 650 (or 750) now will make 500+ rounds per hour.  Loading 20,000 rounds is like one month of evenings running the machine a couple hours a night after work spread over the year or so.  People who shoot that kind of volume spend their free time loading and probably have a substantial cushion of loaded cartridges.

 

If I lived in a place like Phoenix where there are matches every weekend and even a few during the week, I would probably be buying 20k primers and 4 x 8 pound jugs of powders at a time to support the habit.  Instead I buy 1 x 8 pounds and 5k primers or so at at time.  It's really just a matter of scaling up.  My one friend who is a world-class USPSA shooter has over 100,000 primers in his home and has done orders as large as a million primers in preparation for major political events like the 2020 election.  During COVID he was probably sitting on enough primers to pay off his half million dollar house if he'd sold them for their greatly elevated market value during the shortages.

Edited August 9 by El Chapo

[SHOOTIN FOX]

Plenty plus more equals enough.

[Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971]

On 7/30/2024 at 6:53 PM, Moe T Vator said:

OK! 
 

So with the wealth of knowledge (thank you all) I should clarify. 
 

I see folks saying stock up for ‘years,’ ok how many rounds a year are you shooting? 
 

do you have. ‘Big match ammo’ vs ‘weekend’ ammo? 
 

are you shooting the same load out of pistols and rifle?

 

do you load different rounds for Knockdown or long range targets?  
 

Thanks again! 

I shoot ammo reloaded in cases that have been reloaded many times at local matches.  For major matches  I use either virgin brass or once-fired brass for my rifle.  I also use higher quality shotgun shells for major matches.

 

Regarding long range, I load my ammo for pistol caliber rifle with more powder.  If shooting at greater than 100 yards I load with gas checked bullets, a hard cast bullet and the hottest pistol powder I have.

 

My wife has knockdown loads for her .32 revolvers.  I don’t need any.

 

Rounds per year?  I don’t keep track.  I keep multiple coffee cans full of loaded ammo on hand.  When the last can gets low I start reloading.  I try to keep enough loaded I don’t have to reload in the summer.

[Rooster Ron Wayne]

Buy all you can when the price is right .

 

[Moe T Vator]

46 minutes ago, Rooster Ron Wayne said:

Buy all you can when the price is right .

 

From whom are you purchasing thousands of components? 

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

5 minutes ago, Moe T Vator said:

From whom are you purchasing thousands of components? 

Not all but a lot of my primer purchases have been from Natchez.  All the major distributors including Midway, Brownells, Midsouth, and others will offer either free shipping or free hazmat on a regular basis if you meet a certain minimum.  Those can save you between $15 and $35.  Not a big deal but something.  Natchez, about every 3 months or so, would give you a choice of free hazmat, free shipping, or 15% off your order.  If you are buying 10K of primers and add some powder, that 15% is a LOT more saving than the shipping or hazmat.  However, I have not seen this promotion lately.  You still need to compare the prices, though.  There can be $30 per thousand difference between various suppliers.  Buying when the shipping or hazmat is free may not save you anything if the components are higher.  Right now, Natchez still has the popular Federal small pistol primers for $69.  These days that is a bargain and people should stock up.  The more you buy, the smaller the hazmat and shipping percentage as well.

[Smokin Gator SASS #29736]

20 minutes ago, Moe T Vator said:

From whom are you purchasing thousands of components? 

Most of my powder and primers were prior to 2020 from Powder Valley. Some purchased at Sportsmans Warehouse stores.  I've  only purchased powder a couple of times since then from whoever had a good deal on what I wanted. Bullets, from Bayou, Summit City, Acme, Cimarron, a couple of others.

[Abilene, SASS # 27489]

1 hour ago, Smokin Gator SASS #29736 said:

Most of my powder and primers were prior to 2020 from Powder Valley. Some purchased at Sportsmans Warehouse stores.  I've  only purchased powder a couple of times since then from whoever had a good deal on what I wanted. Bullets, from Bayou, Summit City, Acme, Cimarron, a couple of others.

Note, Cimarron bullets had to change their name so they are now Bullet Boss ( bulletboss.com ).  Great price on coated bullets, my go-to supplier.