Long term impact of component costs and shortages?

[AckleymanII]

Rifle ranges are not as busy as they used to be, IDPA, three gun, etc.

Manufacturers usually ramp up to meet production, in our case, they do not seem to want to invest the money with the current political situation.

 

[bsekf]

I have 10 rifles in the safe that I am not shooting because I am down to <500 primers and fewer bullets. I did score a pound each of RL16 and H4350. Av $50/ pound. And 3 bricks of 22's for $50 a brick. I quit trap shooting, I am down to 2 bags of shot and at $60-80 a bag I won't be buying more. Our trap range is about closed down, just no shooters because they can't find or afford ammo. But I did believe things would turn around but now we have this mess in Buffalo........just what the liberals have been waiting for. I fear NYS may become a no gun zone.

Bill

 

[capreppy]

I've been able to find 124gr 9mm ammo for ~$325/1k shipped.

Bullets: $100/1k
Powder: $22/1k
Primer: $100/1k (yes, this is not ideal, but is real world)

At this point, the $325/1k shipped is looking pretty dang good to me.

Even if the cost of primers comes down to $65/k, it's not a huge difference. I have components to load 10k 9mm and then I'm out of primers.

For me this doesn't apply to the other cartridges I load as I have plenty of pre-covid priced components to get me through a year or two. 9mm is where I am hurting the most right now.

 

[Fuj]

https://www.outdoorlimited.com/acce...-large-rifle-match-primers-gm210m-1000-count/

My neighbor just bought 5K, mostly so he doesn't have to worry about it for a while. You can also find BR2s for about the same price.

I really appreciate that, however if local I could get a brick and feel
miserable. At $140 a brick, then add Haz, Pa. state tax, and shipping,
Well I need to draw the line somewhere !! I won't pay that much !!
Surely would add up to $180 a brick easily.

 

[TTE]

In a another generation there won't be any shooting sports. That's the real effect.

Unfortunately I think this is the more likely case.

The media has pounded into the kids 'guns are bad', and YOU are going to be bad for using them.

 

[SKWERLZ]

After the first couple of shortages over the years, I stocked up on components. That approach worked fine till I acquired a 6.5 Grendel AR. I had to buy some very expensive Hornady ammo. It had been about 40 years since I had fired a factory rifle round. I have since gotten some brass for the Grendel and I already had a bunch of 100 gr Nosler BTs. Already had primers and an acceptable powder. When I run out of the solid gold factory ammo, I’ll get to reloading for the Grendel.

Same
Obummer taught me a valuable lesson.
And when the riots and plandemic kicked off I knew I had to act fast for an extended drought of components.

I did build a bigger magnum earlier last year and thankfully I was able st scrounge up a decent supply of N570, brass and bullets for it.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

Lead bans, ammo taxes, magazine restrictions, "supply chain interruption", petroleum production limits, mandatory closing small business(remember Supreme Court stopped democrat governors who closed gun shops) and in person church attendance(during height of Wuhan flu), mining lease cuts and permit closures, intentionally caused inflation, ANTIFA(and "social justice) demonstrations(?) and numerous other future democrat wish list agenda items ALL HAVE BEEN PART OF THE PLAN TO DESTROY THE MIDDLE CLASS. There can be no middle class in a Marxist society or private property/gun ownership. Food and energy shortages have been the reason many countries have collapsed, the constitution(bill of rights) will be the "reason" and why the country must "move to a collective world government". The great reset was hugely moved forward during the Obama administration( and why Trump was attacked his whole presidency). And the same agenda is being pushed in the Biden administration.

 

[Mauser06]

We had a record turn out of right around 60 shooters for a PRS 22 match yesterday.

I want to get into PRS....but I don't want to waste components learning.

I shot my first match yesterday...a buddy offered me the opportunity to run his rifle.


I'm thinking if I wanna learn the game, a 22 setup may be the way to go. At least from an economical standpoint. Can learn how to build stabile shooting positions and work through stages and ammo is a fraction on the cost. And somewhat more available than components.


I was unfortunate to discover a facility right down te road from me right about when this mess was kicking off.


Frustrating. I want to learn and shoot. But don't wanna burn through what I having knowing replacing it will be difficult and costly if not impossible.


Our weekly club league is really suffering. 50+ rounds a week plus match fee adds up quick.


It's nearly impossible to recruit new shooters.


The fuel prices alone going to have a long lasting effecting on everything.

 

[K22]

Couple of thoughts are this issue.

1. The future of our sport is dependent upon attracting younger shooters. If it becomes too expensive and / or too difficult to obtain ammo / components, this may deter some from joining the sport or disengaging. Yes, I know a lot of new gun owners were added to the pool due to rising crime and during the COVID incident but how active will they remain if this supplies issue continues to decline.

2. I've seen a marked decline in shooters at the range. A know at least two who have dropped out of the sport, retired fixed income guys like me that can no longer afford to participate.

3. I wonder what the long-term affect might be on firearm sales. I mean if you can't get ammo / components does it make sense to spend a lot of money on a firearm. I'm not referring to firearms purchased solely for home defense. Most of those guys that I know, buy the firearm, a box of ammo, shoot it a few times and it goes in the nightstand.

4. Personally, I've begun rationing my range time, so I have enough components for varmint hunting, my first passion when it comes to the shooting sports. In the past two years I've sold 3 perfectly good rifles to consolidate so I can feed my favorite rifles. I just couldn't afford to feed lesser rifles in my collection or consume my limited supplies on lesser rifles.

Also, being on a fixed income makes it difficult to swallow these current prices IF you can find the supplies you need.

Will it improve? I don't know, I hope it does, but I see no signs of it improving in my area in the foreseeable future.

 

[Scott-ak]

some interesting comments here. "outdated supply and demand" model. What's you alternative? Government control manufacturing and distribution? We are headed that way unless we can stop them.

No youngsters getting into the sport? There are 15 of the little rug rats in the 3 houses closest to me and most of them come over during the summer and shoot my ammo! Which by the way is running 10c per round for 22 here.

I don't know what's going on at the local ranges. We have a action/steel target and 100yd at the house. I'm on the email list for the private one nearby but rarely ever go there. 700$/yr membership plus range fees, they can KMA. I visit the pubic/free range once in a while when it's closed to collect brass. We have public lands we use when shooting 100+. There is a long distance, commercial range, but it's only open a few months of the year.

The saying to remember is "this too shall pass". Yes many night age out, be priced out, loose interest before it passes. I'm a candidate for all three but will give up a lot of other stuff before I'm priced out. It's the frustration of the search, we can't simply order off the internet from here, and rationing of my supply that takes the fun out of it for me.

 

[jackieschmidt]

Bingo;

Not all of us are fortunate to have investment portfolios or worse yet are retired on a modest, fixed income. I couldn't wait to turn 65 and retire two years ago so that I could give the time I wanted to this hobby. Lo and behold, I find myself now hamstrung by the cost which I believe is a function of availability. It doesn't matter what the reason of the availability decline is. it's still the 800 pound gorilla in the room. My local reloading shop, which was always plush with reloading supplies and a mecca for us locals, might as well be closed given their inability to get distribution. Don't gag me with that "its only pennies more per round" tripe. When I go to buy a brick of primers or a pound of powder, it ain't pennies coming out of my wallet. When availability and cost were reasonable, my wife and I were struggling to make a life for us and our family. Discretionary income trickled in depending upon the availability of overtime. We had a mortgage, second mortgage, college tuition, transportation, groceries, etc all competing with buying 10k primers or 24lbs of this and that powder, not to mention bullets, back when they were more plentiful = cheaper. Guess who won that? As a consumer, I don't have much power in driving reloading prices down through outdated supply and demand principle, when there are deep pocketed, competitive shooters who don't hesitate to pay the piper, in order to stay in the chase. I shoot because I love the science and art of reloading not vice versa. I now find myself with too many (4) calibers of main interest and the need to feed them. Unfortunately, that competes with the need to feed me.

Hoot

Even though at 75 years old I come home dead tired every day, the rewards of continuing to work way past “retirement” does seem to allow many of us to enjoy a few things.

Owning a rewarding business is a double edged sword. The financial rewards are certainly a plus. The satisfaction of still being part of a productive world and and having people depend on you tends to keep the mind sharp.

But the body still gets old. Truth is, through the years, you never count on it. It just sneaks up on you.

what I would give to be 65 again.

 

[DiRTY DOG]

I wish Elon Musk would start up bullet manufacturing. He'd pump out product and introduce innovative profiles/designs.

 

[rayporter]

i really doubt the component shortage will get any better for at least 4 years and probably more.

i am extremely happy to have retired years ago and had some time to enjoy it. as long as i can i will keep traveling and shooting and riding.