Supplies are coming back

H

hounddawg

New member
I had to go to the VA this morning to get my Covid shot and since I was in a part of town I do not normally go to I checked a larger locally owned gun store for powder and primers. At least 10 different powder on the shelf and a decent supply of primers of various types. Limit ws one pound of powder and 100 primers per customer. I passed on the powder and primers but picked up 200 80 gn Hornady bullets to try in my 6 ARC. Prices were a bit high @ $44 per pound of powder and $7 per sleeve, but this store has always been a bit high


My preferred LGS has been getting small shipments in every couple of weeks now and while the shelves are not even close to where they were in 2019 they are much better than I have seen in a while. PV, Midway and MidSouth are starting to get things back in also it seems.

Just my opinion but I think things are looking up
 
hounddawg said:
PV, Midway and MidSouth are starting to get things back in also it seems.

Just my opinion but I think things are looking up
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Well, they won't be looking up if you blab all my best sources for components. ;)

I received two pounds of Vihtavuori N330 from PV yesterday. And two pounds of Accurate #5 today.

The supply line is opening back up for powder, but what's up with Alliant? The above sources get in the different brands, all but Alliant. And I'm a Unique fan from way back.

Is Alliant owned by some ammo company that's using their powder for loaded ammo?
 
hounddawg, you are indeed an optimist.
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more like a realist

this afternoon Midway, MidSouth, Natchez and Powder Valley all dropped some powder. I picked up a 8 pounder of Alliant 2520 for the 6ARC. I had a couple of pounds of other powders on the shelf that will work with the 105-107's but by the time I worked up a load I would need to start over. I plan on shooting that rifle a lot

Locally old Al (not his real name) had more primers and powder on his shelf than I had seen since 2019

things are looking up
 
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That would be nice though I am pretty well set to weather things for 2 years on all but bullets.

In the past I could get mail order bullets and don't buy local due to how much I shoot and the prices. Bullets have been iffy and one at all in back ordered 6.5 mm for 4 months.

I was stocked up pretty good on the 30 cal bullets so had not worried about those yet.

I have quite a few of a variety of 270 bullets to shoot up and have a target barrel to do so. Those are all from a good buy some years back to support a family 270 and one brother getting out of 270, another who shot it for some time and gave me his stuff.

So with it all the bullets and cases free a barrel for the Target action was not that much in the scheme of things.
 
6.5 bullets are indeed scarce, partially due to Hornady pushing their Creedmoor as the best thing in shooting since the breech loader. In the LGS today the salesman was educating me all about the 6.5 CM with rapture in his eyes
 
Just went to Midway's site, of 28 listings 14 were listed as available. Of those 14, 12 were black powder substitutes. Only true smokeless powders listed were: 5744 and W296. All the rest were "Out of Stock, No Backorder". IMHO, this is far from "Supplies are coming back". Just saying.

Don
 
I am still surprised, its not like its a new caliber , CM or not. Certainly the 260 Remington and variants prior has been around for a long time as well as the 6.5 -06 in its various versions and the magnums off that caliber.

I can get some from a brother but get into some of this and that. Still is easier on powder than the 06 or the 270!

I picked it as a low recoil see what I can do with a full out target setup (left port receiver, bull barrel in a good stock and scope - large enough to handle ok vs the tiny 223.
 
not saying things are normal, but for sure better than they have been in a while. Instead of being sold out in 3- 5 minutes now they are lasting an hour or more and that Norma 202 was up for 2 days. Accurate Shooter has a running thread on internet powder availabilities.

https://forum.accurateshooter.com/t...in-stock-running-topic.4034059/#post-38049108

and don't forget to check the LGS at least two in my area, maybe more had powder and primers on the shelf this week. Not like 2019 but better
 
Please don't think I'm busting your chops, it's just that I don't want to see guys get their hopes up when the reality of the situation is, we are in for a long ammo and reloading supply pandemic.

Don
 
Just me but when I can go to two local stores and buy a couple of pounds of powder and primers whereas three months ago it was impossible to find anything, I call it getting better. I might not be able to score 8 lbs of Varget and a 5000 BR4's but I could have gotten 100 LP, SP, LR or SR CCI's and a pound of H4350 or Staball today if I had wanted and went again tomorrow and bought the same. I think the worst is behind us now
 
The supply line is opening back up for powder, but what's up with Alliant? The above sources get in the different brands, all but Alliant. And I'm a Unique fan from way back.
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I believe Alliant is committing most - if not all - of their production to ammo makers (plus government munitions)
 
Lol I love marketing. Someone reports something in stock and so many then go to their web page only to find it is sold out. But it drew people in. Same with ammo. Great sales strategy. Even if they discount the small amont of inventory they have, they write it off in their advertising budget. It works.
As far as I can tell, not a thing as improved and maybe even worse. The Ammo situation now is not a short term fix.
 
Just several weeks ago could see the standard .308 Sierra 168 hpbt in stock numerous places online. Now only see Midway with 2 box limit. Glad am stocked up after noticing depleted personal inventory. Some Powders are occasionally seen if you are constantly checking, but don't last long. There does seem to be berry's pistol bullets somewhat commonly available, which might indicate something.
 
Prior to "the panic" it was a 50/50 chance Bass Pro Shops would have the powder I wanted on any given trip. I have 3 different pistol powders due to what was on the shelf vs. what I wanted, so as long as something (other than black powder) is on the shelf, we're heading in the right direction.

I think when the foreign ammo manufacturers are able to finally get their post-panic bulk orders shipped, that'll ease the loaded ammo shortage and then we'll start seeing components. I'm guessing by the end of summer we'll have better supplies, even if the prices will be higher, they shouldn't be at the multiples we're seeing now.
 
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