Had a little reminder,

[RBHarter]

Of why I reload and why I started casting over last weekend.

We were able to got out of isolationville and into Reno Nv for a day w/only 1 manditory stop. Rare for us because there's normaly appointments ,open,close times to beat then hustling home to spare the parishibles.

Reno has something like 9 gun stores, Cabelas, Scheels, 3 Big 5s and Sportsmans Warhouse. There's Summit Racing,REI outdoors, the list could go on and on.

I like to hit Scheels (actually in Sparks) as the last stop headed out of town ,the grands can oggole the 10k gallon archway aquariums and ride the indoor fairis wheel and I cruise upstairs to paruse the guns,gear,dog stuff (just picked out a new pup 9 weeks last Saturday) decoys,etc.
At long last there are actually 8# jugs of powder in stock none that I use but some and nearly a dozen choices. The 8# IMR 4350 I bought 7 yr ago at $172 US is now shelf tagged at $219 US Meanwhile for 3 yr you couldn't find a small pistol primer ,for the last yr that's all you could buy . This trip there were actually both small rifle and pistol primers on the shelf . The rifle primers were even available in 5 choices.Now the bad news ,standards were $30/1000 while BR and No41 were $50/100 from CCI and the Remingtons were $40/100 in std or mag. Bulk pack 38/357 bullets were $60-80/500 while the 45s were the same for 400. 400 count 9mm 124gr Federal FMJ were 148 and 762-39 was down to just $18/20 for boxer brass Federal or Win and $6 for steel cased Wolf. As for loading gear ..... the Lee spaces are stripped w/RCBS pulling up 2nd Dillon and Redding are well stocked but aren't keeping up w/dies. I don't think you can beg or pre-order a Lee load-all but w/MEC at $200 bucks for a 600 and almost 300 for a sizemaster it might just be worth the hover pounce rim fire manuver to get 1. Shot shells have climbed as well 12ga trap/dove & quail are over $9/25 w/the steel waterfowl shells pushing up to the middle teens. While lead shot is up to $42/25# bag.

In case you're not sure where this went it is just that I'm getting to shoot for $6-7/100 in the pistols and $12-18/100 for the rifles (its a long jump from 222 to 280AI powder wise) , shot shells still come in around $8/25 in lead or steel so I guess its time to order out the steel wads and shot again. Although I still have 2 cases from years past when I bought all the PMC at the same price I could load the same parts for and the Fasteel for only a buck a box more.

The last little bit in this is the 7.378% sales tax which is fine w/me it covers the state /city/county taxes but that other 5.45% federal is BS if for no other reason that its not on rackets,clubs,bats,paddles,balls, helmets, marbles or slingshots. The $74 in our cart cost $89 to get out the door......

[beekeeper]

I started casting when I started back into reloading about 8 years ago
A gentleman I knew (now dead) told me to get into casting instead of jacketed as soon Uncle Sugar was gonna start trying to take it all away from us.
I started buying powder primers molds and lead at that time.
Depending on how long I live I should have a lifetime supply of everything.
I still look and wish but have toned it down to almost zero buying anymore.
Am still interested in the surplus powders but haven't been able to get them to work for me "yet".
About the time I do I will be out of powder and there will not be any for sale anymore, but that is the way it goes sometimes.

For me now it is trying to make it all come together with bug holes at 465 yards.


beekeeper

[larryw]

I am literally "shell shocked" anymore whenever I walk into
a anyplace that deals in firearms, ammo & reloading.
It absolutely amazes me that the people of this country
let this crap happen? But we did!! so enough of that.
Oh well, this is now our "New reality" & as the great old
guy I know say's "It ain't gonna get any better" & with all the fan fair
surrounding the last US lead smelter closing, even though
most of us know it's a crock, & the great majority of
lead used in this country over the last Many, Many
years has come from other country's, & this closing
is more of a propaganda tool for our elected criminals
in DC. Even knowing all this, it still chap's my hind parts!!!!
I don't have the stash Beekeeper has, but I can go for
good long time, just have to cut back on shooting
some more?? & that really burns me, I've already cut
back to near never???????

[RBHarter]

As a member of a couple of other forums, what used to be a fair stash is at best a start these days. At the tender age of 48 coming from a long line of 80+ doing everything wrong I don't have anywhere near enough to last ''the rest of my days''.

The 222 set me off insearch of the SRP's but in all of the kaos of the last 6-7 yr I've run ''low'' on LRPs . Oh how I long for full shelves and common brass left at every range....... The primers are really my hang up right now. Not to anti-brag but I've not shot since the Nv cast boolits shoot May 18th and Febuary 22nd before that hunting season was a wash . I probably haven't fired 300 rounds in 2 yrs.

[Fyodor]

Well, be lucky that you can stockpile all the stuff! I'm allowed to own six pounds of smokeless powder plus two pounds of black powder by legislation. I can't stock up. Last time I drove over 100km (70 miles) one way just to buy two pounds of trail boss. It's at about 40 dollars per can, 80 a pound at the moment. Of you can get it at all. My local dealer still waits for his delivery that was due in December! Similar with primers: one carton federal small pistol are merely 70 dollars right now, if you can get them. Two weeks ago I bought large pistol primers to test my new 45acp, ant all I could get was 200 (!) Ginex large pistol magnum primers. They're crap, but the only primers I could get at all. At least they were only 7 dollars total.

It's a terrible time for shooters ant reloaders. Please get rid of Obama soon, and do a better vote next time... You guys are stockpiling so much, that we in Europe have to wait half a year on a can of powder.

[RBHarter]

Fyodor,
While your situation isn't funny I had a chuckle escape . Probably 25% of our powder maybe more is from Bofors (sp) in Sweden . Our economy primers are Wolf from Russia (or whatever it is now). I do whole heartedly agree w/you ,the gentelmen elected need to have other employment.

While the prices are still too high ,supplies are sneaking back and prices are coming down a little.

The days of railcars full of suplus powder I'm sure are forever gone along w 12lb kegs of shotgun powders. If my current employer gets a 50 cal or 20mm pull down job I'll be in line for the ''waste powder''. Meanwhile I'll continue to buy ammo cans of waste balast lead at 30-40 cents/lb,and scalping all the wheel weights I can.

[Fyodor]

Yeah, it is kind of ironic that even European products go to the USA first. But that's just market size... In Germany we have 90 million people and 4 million legal gun owners. In the USA you have three times as many people, but ten times as many gun owners who can buy what they want without prior approval by the government for every single buy.

[62chevy]

Yeah, it is kind of ironic that even European products go to the USA first. But that's just market size... In Germany we have 90 million people and 4 million legal gun owners. In the USA you have three times as many people, but ten times as many gun owners who can buy what they want without prior approval by the government for every single buy.

I've read there are 100 million gun owners in America. Not sure of that number but sounds right. I know people that own guns but they just don't seam to be the type. And of course those folks 50 rounds will last 15 or 20 years.

[RBHarter]

I've been suprised by some of the people that I know that do have guns and more than that are regular shooters. There are even a couple CCW holders that floored me. 0wnership out here in isolationville is at least 75% and probably in the 5-7 per capita range.

I'm sure there are folks that far ,far exceed that number here. Being able to put away supplies is a god send for me. Having been able to blend charcol and things and keep it stored as well doesn't hurt anything either.