What's going on with Sierra?

[markT]

Sierra has the 6mm / 70 gr BlitzKing on their web page.. They are charging $.426 ea. / ouch..

 

[urbanrifleman]

I know for a fact Sierra dumped a massive load of Sierra 175 308 bullets onto the market last year at clearance prices (because I sold a ton of them before one person bought the remaining 100000 dollars worth of remaining stock). Right at the peak of the shortages. Y'all do the math.

Shortage? Hmmm. No.

Diversion.

They are doing other production, but the reason there is a SHORTAGE is government contracts. From the beginning. Hoarding is absolutely not the issue. Never was.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

People (myself included) tend to forget that a lot of these manufacturers are relatively small outfits. I had to look it up: Sierra employs ~75 employees, from president to HR to press operators. As Dusty stated, looks like just one toolmaker producing and maintaining all of the dies for all their various bullets in-house. To me, it's pretty impressive considering the millions of different bullets produced, packaged and shipped to multiple contracts throughout the world annually.

The toolmaker is a pretty good friend of mine from a different life

 

[urbanrifleman]

I am full-up stocked on Berger 108 and 105s in 6 mm. And I recently got a batch of 87 grain VLD 6 mm and no one is buying. Unless you're giving them away a cost no one is purchasing. People are well supplied.

Yet you will see the shortages continue because consumers aren't buying up the surplus. The supply chain has been narrowed down to a trickle because the bulk of the production is going elsewhere.

 

[Doug Casner]

Ibought 500 142 6.5s last time I bought Sierras that will last me a while. We used to load 175 mks in the national match at lake city. Been trying to get some 60 gr. partitions. Talked to nosler they didnt know when they would run them again. They ve got to retool. Everytime they change bullets. We ran the same thing all the time at LC. That change over will slow you down too. Doug

 

[Hntnhrd]

If you absolutely have to have them here you go

GunBroker.com - Error

I understand Sierra producing for big government contracts but the regular joes like me that can’t find the bullets they like are just going to move on to another company. My 20 br really likes the 39 grain Blitzkings . But it also really likes the 40 grain Nosler. Which I now have a 1000 sitting on my reloading bench. I am not angry it’s their business to run as they see fit, but it’s also my hobby and I spend my money on it where I see fit. There must be a trade off between producing for the government and losing all the retail customer that might buy an average of 500 bullets a year,( my guess is on this site most people are in the 2500 bullets a year range).

 

[6.5 forever]

my guess is on this site most people are in the 2500 bullets a year range)

Might be a little low.....

 

[6.5 forever]

Might need the new .277 Furry ...neck it up...neck it down, ..think of the possibilities 80,000 PSI with the SS heads and we could push it to 83,000 easily and maybe to 85,000, psi all right next to your face. What could go wrong? A case full of Titegroup behind a 105 necked & trimmed to 6 dasher....do not try that at home, just kidding..

Ray you really had me worried for a second!!!

 

[SteveOak]

If you absolutely have to have them here you go

GunBroker.com - Error

I understand Sierra producing for big government contracts but the regular joes like me that can’t find the bullets they like are just going to move on to another company. My 20 br really likes the 39 grain Blitzkings . But it also really likes the 40 grain Nosler. Which I now have a 1000 sitting on my reloading bench. I am not angry it’s their business to run as they see fit, but it’s also my hobby and I spend my money on it where I see fit. There must be a trade off between producing for the government and losing all the retail customer that might buy an average of 500 bullets a year,( my guess is on this site most people are in the 2500 bullets a year range).

I understand that you need to go to whoever can supply an acceptable bullet.

It is not quite Sierra choosing to run their business as they see fit. There are penalties for failing to comply with product when the government elevates the priority to a DO or DX rating.

What are the penalties for not complying with a rated order?

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​

Section 103 of the DPA [50 U.S.C. § 4513] provides:

“Any person who willfully performs any act prohibited, or willfully fails to perform any act required, by the provisions of this title [sections 4511 to 4518 of 50 U.S.C.] or any rule, regulation, or order thereunder, shall, upon conviction, be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.”

 

[jelenko]

I understand that you need to go to whoever can supply an acceptable bullet.

It is not quite Sierra choosing to run their business as they see fit. There are penalties for failing to comply with product when the government elevates the priority to a DO or DX rating.

What are the penalties for not complying with a rated order?​

---

​

Section 103 of the DPA [50 U.S.C. § 4513] provides:

“Any person who willfully performs any act prohibited, or willfully fails to perform any act required, by the provisions of this title [sections 4511 to 4518 of 50 U.S.C.] or any rule, regulation, or order thereunder, shall, upon conviction, be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.”

Yeah. Many years ago I was shown this as a 'friendly' warning.

At least at the time, the military also had the option of taking over management of our production to ensure the parts were produced and to their standards.

 

[urbanrifleman]

Yeah. Many years ago I was shown this as a 'friendly' warning.

At least at the time, the military also had the option of taking over management of our production to ensure the parts were produced and to their standards.

Not just the military.

 

[L.Sherm]

Why is it 10-12 years ago we were consuming 52 million rounds a month with Iraq and Afghanistan war now its 26 million rounds a month and no shortages, were is the other 26 million going and why the shortages?

 

[gdbleb]

Sad state of the world where so much bullet production is going to militaries.

Dumb question: Does Berger produce for the government?
Or are they just overwhelmed by civilian demand that is coming over from companies like Sierra?

 

[Propbndr]

It is not just Sierra. Speer, Remington, Winchester, and Norma seem to be prioritizing the lines of bullets they are making. I have been looking for 6mm 100 grain flat base hunting line bullets for a while now. No one has them. I have only found two websites that list them. Unfortunately, both have fraud / scam alerts attached to them.

 

[L.Sherm]

Sad state of the world where so much bullet production is going to militaries.

Dumb question: Does Berger produce for the government?
Or are they just overwhelmed by civilian demand that is coming over from companies like Sierra?

Explain this

 

[Big Mc]

Does anyone have a brother in law or friend working at Sierra bullets and knows why some of their bullets are not being made? It's been a year and a half or so since they made 20 cal or 6mm 110 smk, out of both. Can't get anything out of Sierra, other than they will let me know when they have them

They make what sells. Tommy Mc

 

[dcali]

The entire economy is bottlenecked with supply and labor. Ammunition demand has skyrocketed in the past ten years, and it's very expensive to expand capacity. The result is shortages. Every company has different issues to deal with and Sierra is no exception.

 

[dcali]

Why is it 10-12 years ago we were consuming 52 million rounds a month with Iraq and Afghanistan war now its 26 million rounds a month and no shortages, were is the other 26 million going and why the shortages?

This is why:

NICS background checks performed U.S. 1998-2023| Statista

The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) background checks are used by Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) to instantly determine whether a prospective buyer is eligible to buy firearms or explosives.

www.statista.com

The gun business is booming.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

Government ammo contracts are just not military and "law enforcement", USDA, IRS, and others are purchasing huge amounts of ammunition. Some of it, intentionally demilled, why? Raw supplies issues due to mining practices changing. Labor shortages due to COVID workforce impacts and work station changes. FINANCIAL institutions basing loans on ESG. All of these are in play.

 

[D Coots]

This is why:

NICS background checks performed U.S. 1998-2023| Statista

The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) background checks are used by Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) to instantly determine whether a prospective buyer is eligible to buy firearms or explosives.

www.statista.com

The gun business is booming.

Instant background checks? A friend with clean history waited over a month in Ohio trying to purchase a handgun. Finally said screw it. Gun shop did nothing.