Primer prices - having a laugh?

[bline]

This is an interesting and depressing subject. I am a dedicated skeet / trap shooter that now participates in these activities rarely and all because of the cost of ammo and the lack of reloading components; specifically primers.
I was looking at the cost of ammo and glanced at hunting loads (waterfowl) and I wonder is the ammo gougers understand, or care, that they are wrecking the shooting / hunting industry? Now I suppose that there is a supply chain problem that is, in part, responsible for the lack of ammo / components but all of the gouging can not be blamed on supply and demand.
Also, even with the increase in new shooters I wonder how long it will be until shooters and hunters feel compelled to give it up and find a different pastime? Tennis anyone?
I spend more time at my back yard archery range these days shooting longbows and Turkish horse bows than I ever did before and while it is fun - it is not the same.

 

[284winner]

This is an interesting and depressing subject. I am a dedicated skeet / trap shooter that now participates in these activities rarely and all because of the cost of ammo and the lack of reloading components; specifically primers.
I was looking at the cost of ammo and glanced at hunting loads (waterfowl) and I wonder is the ammo gougers understand, or care, that they are wrecking the shooting / hunting industry? Now I suppose that there is a supply chain problem that is, in part, responsible for the lack of ammo / components but all of the gouging can not be blamed on supply and demand.
Also, even with the increase in new shooters I wonder how long it will be until shooters and hunters feel compelled to give it up and find a different pastime? Tennis anyone?
I spend more time at my back yard archery range these days shooting longbows and Turkish horse bows than I ever did before and while it is fun - it is not the same.

Never be tennis guaranteed. I'd get back into archery as I once was. No, it's not the same but satisfying in its own way. I got into traditional archery when shooting my compound wasn't as challenging anymore. Haven't fully dove into it completely but it will be my new hobby if this component issue continues

 

[L.Sherm]

probably true....they were buying on a fixed price contract on old pre pandemic criteria.
lester is PAYING current wholesale....not even close.

This has been going on for 2 years now, you actually think these big box vendors are operating on 3 year old contracts.
Walk into and business and ask them for a bid on something then ask them how long the bid is good for " soon as you walk out the door"

 

[FNSafari]

You would think that primer makers would take some pity on us competition shooters where reloading is essential, and reloaders generally, by starting to fairly distribute primers to retailers who won't jam them up our butts at obviously "testing the ceiling" prices like I have been seeing lately. They have not done the shooting sports any favors in the last two, going on three, years. Does the industry really think that shooters can keep interested in the sports at $1 per round for 223? Yes I know, this stands a snowball's chance in hell.

 

[CJ6]

The companies that make primers also make ammo. They're making WAY more on a primer that is part of a loaded round than by selling them as a component for reloading which is also a small market to them. The loaded ammo shelves are as bare as component shelves. Right now the MONEY is in loaded ammo.

 

[RustyInBend]

It will be a long time before I would ever even consider paying that!

Impressive .... I too have worked very hard to insulate myself from the primer craziness. I should be good for the next several years.

 

[Big Mc]

At 140.00 per k no thanks. People need to stop buying and prices will come down. Simple economics.

Paul

Paul you said it all. Tommy Mc

 

[marchboom]

The companies that make primers also make ammo. They're making WAY more on a primer that is part of a loaded round than by selling them as a component for reloading which is also a small market to them. The loaded ammo shelves are as bare as component shelves. Right now the MONEY is in loaded ammo.

That may be true NOW but times will change and when they do how many handloaders will be left? Some handloaders are giving up the hobby due to the cost of components (IF they can get them). They sell their equipment and find something else to occupy their time. I doubt they will come back to handloading if the prices come down to an acceptable price.

IMO, many of the ammo manufacturers are digging their own grave. They are not thinking long term. And the companies that make handloading equipment should be VERY concerned.

 

[RegionRat]

Boris - "See, plan is working... first we consolidate primer companies... "
Natasha - "Then we get Moose and Squirrel..."

 

[CJ6]

Well.. Lets do a Poll
Who's getting out of shooting because of lack of components and who's not.
Put a thumbs down for quiting completely, Thumbs up for staying in the game
Thumbs down


Thumbs up.

 

[RegionRat]

Well.. Lets do a Poll
Who's getting out of shooting because of lack of components and who's not.
Put a thumbs down for quiting completely, Thumbs up for staying in the game
Thumbs down


Thumbs up.

I'm not getting out but....

This has caused me to skip many matches, especially the multi day ones.
I skipped a few hunting trips and if being honest I struggled to help my friends with their hunting issues.

Not the same as quitting, but I went from being 100% in matches at more than one club, so near zero due to their Covid issues combined with ammo conservation. YMMV

 

[CJ6]

I'm not getting out but....

This has caused me to skip many matches, especially the multi day ones.
I skipped a few hunting trips and if being honest I struggled to help my friends with their hunting issues.

Not the same as quitting, but I went from being 100% in matches at more than one club, so near zero due to their Covid issues combined with ammo conservation. YMMV

This is part of what I'm saying. The current health issues in the country are as much to blame for the shortages as the politics right now. Manufacturers, Trucking, Warehouses, Distributers etc. are ALL having issues with being fully staffed (not to mention increased demand), which makes getting product out all that much worse. Yes.. we may miss shooting as much as we'd like right now but we will get through this, Patience.

 

[209jones]

Not sure if there was a premium on CCI BR primers before pandemic, I always bought Feds, but, last year I noticed the BR CCI primers were substantially more money, no idea why the difference. Just looking at a site at the moment where they are 15.99/c and 118.99/m, and regular primers are 89.99/m. That's Cdn dollars, so in the US you can discount that 25% roughly.
Another site has CCI34 @ 8.99/c, 4.50 @ 10.99.c, Fed 150 & GM200M @ 10.99/c, Fed 155 @ 8.99/c, Fed200 @ 9.99/c..
Cabelas is @ 13.99/c for CCI BR's
Another has CCI400 @ 9.49/c, CCI 250 & 350 @ 10.49/c.
So, I'm thinking US price ought to be around the 65-75.00/m mark ballpark. I know Vista had said they wouldn't honour previous order pricing in spring 2021, for orders shipping after April 2021, and right now, stores likely have nothing but orders shipped after that anyway. And since fall of 2020, there have been 3 15% increases on primers. So, if primers were 40.00/c, that's 6.00, plus another 6.00+ and another 7.50+ making it at least 60.00 US for some form of an average price.

 

[Murray Brook]

What would be really great is if there was a way to find out how much the Bruno's of the country are paying for primers. Need a good hacker!!!!!

 

[argrendel]

Like what’s been said, it doesn’t make sense for small time gun shops to be drastically cheaper than other Shops. Obviously box stores chains get better pricing, but I have scored at two small gun shops small pistol primers for around $60. The last one was two weeks ago. I do believe they bring a few boxes out at a time to share the wealth.
If the northeast got hit with an ice storm, and millions were without power, what would happen to the shark that that went south and bought a tractor trailer load of generators? Would he be given an “attaboy” for helping his fellow man out while making a huge profit?
That would be a big “Hell no”!
With the last 22 shortage I stopped shooting 22s until things returned to normal, then stocked way up! There were predictions that prices would never return to normal, but they did.
I feel we (the shooting community) are a big family, and we shouldn’t be taking advantage of each other. And I’d better stop there!

 

[46and2]

These guys on Discord draining the market for resale are part of the problem that is causing a lot of grief and anger.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

View attachment 1308562
These guys on Discord draining the market for resale are part of the problem that is causing a lot of grief and anger.

They will be like those 22lr idiots that have a garage full of ammo they cant get rid of

 

[CJ6]

Impressive .... I too have worked very hard to insulate myself from the primer craziness. I should be good for the next several years.

View attachment 1308395

I almost feel guilty....But I have a clear conscience.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

 

[JB10]

sportsmans is much bigger than brunos, brunos is not big, just specialized.

Specialized in reloading components and large amounts