Lee Loader

With component availability and ammo prices being what they are at this time, how much are you shooting compared to before the chaos? I have never been a "prolific" shooter so the amount I shoot now hasn't changed all that much. Couple mags a week would be over average for me and that's between 9mm and 45acp. Just enough to remind me which way the bullet is supposed to go. A cursory examination of my loaded rounds for those two calibers tells me at that at my pace I have enough for at least 2 years worth of 45acp and 3 years of 9mm. Most of that is "practice" type ammo but would also include all "anti personnel" rounds I have loaded. Bullets and primers for maybe another 1,000 of each. Close. Makes me a bit uncertain about shooting much of it as the future may not be so bright for replenishing said items. Of course I am 74 so may not be THAT much of a worry.. What are the thoughts on such things (your ammo supply not my age).....

Well, heck, I'm the wrong side of 76 and have enough stuff (loaded and components) that I'm able to enjoy shooting at least once a week. A little bit of everything right now load development for the 6.5 Grendel and wringing out the Ruger PR in 22LR.

Make smoke,

Like O3W, I shoot at least once a week, year 'round ... sometimes 2-3 times a week. Since it's only 7.3 miles from my driveway down countrified roads to my park bench at the old man amusement park, it's purty convenient. I don't shoot near as much as I did in my previous life (pre 2016), but I shoot just as often. I take spells of just shooting lever guns (still have to shoot from the bench) in .357mag, .44mag and 30-30Win, then occasionally shoot handguns in .38spl, .357mag, 9mm and .45auto. BUT .... self rationed to 20-40 rounds total per trip. I did break the rules today and took one of my best friends to exercise his carry guns (handguns only) and I think we each shot around 100 rounds. I haven't shot that many in a single trip in over 5 years.

As for components, I'm still good with powder since I added to the stash last year before the drought started. Got plenty of brass to play with and enough cast boolits to maybe ration out for a couple of years. The biggest booger in the works is primers .... I'm guessing a little less than 2k small pistol, a little more than 2k large pistol, and about 2k large rifle. Probably around 1.5k of various loaded stuff.

So, as long as I can still find my way to the amusement park (I'm still a young 67, and only part dain bramaged now), I figger I'll stick to the weekly routine and ration myself to 20-40 rounds per trip. Wouldn't even try to guess when/if this current drought will turn around, and when/if it does, the new prices will still cause me to continue to ration.

Us old people shouldn't have to choose between food and reloading components! (I think I quoted that right)


jd

I layed in a bunch resources in 16'-17' and haven't shot anywhere near as much as I did in the past . I have a sufficient stock of loaded ammo for my needs for the immediate future and 3-4 hunting seasons .
I probably have parts for 6-7 more after that .

I don't remember what firearm I shot last or when it was. Has nothing to do with the shortages just no time or place to go.

With the break for COVID and my move, I've stopped cold. Not a round fired since mid-October last. This is just a rock in the stream, but I am uncertain about my shooting future. I have no plans to stop hunting, but I know that my shooting will not return to the level it once was. I'm good with that, and I hope I never see another feral hog. So far, so good on the latter.

I will be 67 this year, unsure what that has to do with it, but I will cut back. One of my fears in the hospital was leaving what I have for my wife to deal with. Picture this, my reloading and casting rooms, once packed, completely occupied a double car, two-door garage. An isle down the middle and all the way around stacked 5 to 6' high. Honestly, I got a bit ill looking at it all.

The place I have 10 minutes away is not going to work for my needs. I looked at it, cannot step in cow crap, and I'm not sure how you can get the cattle out of the way as the range is all they got. There are two other places about 45 minutes away, but at that distance, I can go back over to my range if I want. Still pondering it.

I'm not short on any components. I've sold some and will be selling more, but this has all been to my friends and without profit. I am selling primers and unopened jugs of powder through an FLL. In a couple of weeks, I will address the reloading tools; I'm just too busy with dealing with contractors on remolding projects right now.

I think I'm going down to two Load-Masters, small and large cases (primer size), my Classic Turret, and the APP. If my shooting really drops, I will be down to the latter two. Everything else will go on eBay. If the prices start to fall on this type of equipment or the components, I will wait until the next election, as the cycle of the buying frenzy will never get less.

I did get rid of 1750# of lead. Not as easy as you might think. I kept what I and others needed (I made them come and get it as they liked me storing it for them), but that was what was left. I finally found a metal recycler that took care of it for me, and they paid me 25¢/lb. That was good with me. It was a lot of work to move it, and it cost me 2½¢/lb at the most.

A good friend of mine died. What he left behind seems to be a genuine burden on his family. This endeavor is part of us, but they don't know the first thing about how to move things out for those not involved with it. The son told me that there are approximately 100K rounds of loaded ammunition gathered in lots, but beyond that, unmarked.

I used to go to the range and blow through a couple hundred rounds pretty often and didn't think much of it. Now that components are harder to find and much more expensive when available I've altered my schedule. I usually go to the range twice a week now but limit how much ammo I use. If I'm shooting my pistols it's one mag of .45 and two of 9mm for a total of 40 rounds. If I'm at the rifle range normally just one 30 round mag, occasionally two.

At my present rate of consumption I'm good for 2-3 years if I don't buy any more components at all, but of course I buy what I can if I find it and the price isn't totally ridiculous.