Ammo price increase?

Joined
Aug 26, 2013
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2,366
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New Orleans, La.
Yes, in addition to the ever increasing prices and "Can't find Sh*t" on the shelves, it seems the quality is taking a nosedive. With the 'who knows who' places making the ammo, how can quality control be their first concern? They sell every piece they can roll out the door. It seems there is always a post about overpressure factory ammo, or some company posting an ammo recall. I am able to somewhat control the quality of what I shoot due to reloading. HOWEVER, with components being extremely hard to find, and their prices skyrocketing you have to concern yourself with their quality also.
Not sure where it will end. The future looks bleak with prices skyrocketing, buyers hoarding and reselling at inflated prices, and quality control out the window what's a person to do??
 
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Joined
Mar 15, 2017
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PA
I finally found Federal premium Nosler partitions in .270 win for the first time in 3-4 years so I bought 7 boxes. They were about $10 more than what I remember paying last time.
 
Joined
Oct 6, 2014
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Western Montana
covid showed the manufacturers what we're willing to pay.
they're not giving that up.
labor and material increases didn't make primers go from 3 cents to 10 cents a piece.
or a box of 30-06 corelokts go from $15 to $25 in three years
 

Matt5266

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Sep 19, 2021
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SW Idaho
Ya I heard this all as well. It's getting to the point cost wise that reloading isnt really worth it anymore except for accuracy. Specifically powder and primers are out of control? I've seen a pound of powder go for as much as $70 in my neck of the woods.
 
Joined
Dec 13, 2023
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I'm a reloader.....or shall I say, "WAS" a reloader!
Finding the correct components....AND being able to afford them!!!!
Us old reloaders out of the 60's and 70's, weren't reloaders so much for better ammo, but because reloaded ammo was so much cheaper!
These days, it's cheaper* for me to buy a box of factory ammo than spend hundreds on components.

This rise in ammo prices, sadly only really hurts "po' folks" like me. I have to "budget" every month.

* - I can save enough money for a box rather than "find" the components and purchase them.
 

SloppyJ

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Feb 24, 2023
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I've never been happier about my decision to start reloading late last year. Yeah it's a pain at times but I now I don't have to settle for shitty factory loads that are getting more expensive while the quality is tanking at the same time.
 
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Dec 13, 2023
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I've never been happier about my decision to start reloading late last year. Yeah it's a pain at times but I now I don't have to settle for shitty factory loads that are getting more expensive while the quality is tanking at the same time.
Good for you! It's a rewarding hobby!

When I started reloading, I could go to the gun store and purchase a hundred primers, a box of 101 Sierra .277, 130 gr BTSP and a pound of IMR 4895 for less than $10! About an hour's wages! 🤠

Today, you can't buy a 100 round flat of primers for that!
 

SloppyJ

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Joined
Feb 24, 2023
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Good for you! It's a rewarding hobby!

When I started reloading, I could go to the gun store and purchase a hundred primers, a box of 101 Sierra .277, 130 gr BTSP and a pound of IMR 4895 for less than $10! About an hour's wages! 🤠

Today, you can't buy a 100 round flat of primers for that!
It's certainly not as cheap as it used to be but I still feel like it evens out in the long run. What pushed me over was trying to find something for my 30-06. I went through probably 6 different boxes of ammo and it really didn't care for any of it. Well at that point I'm roughly $275 into "load development" and have nothing to show for it.

Where it makes up for it is the freedom that you have to tweak a load to get it to shoot how you want it to or knowing when to scrap it and start again with different components. Nothing worse than a safe full of ammo that you have no use for IMO.
 
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Dec 13, 2023
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"... Nothing worse than a safe full of ammo that you have no use for IMO. ..."

It'll beat chunkin' rocks! LOL!!
 
Joined
Dec 13, 2023
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440
Ive got a ton of ammo im not using in my current guns. And it irritates me but i know, if shit got bad, id be glad i have it. Cause yeah, 1.5+ moa ammo beats chucking rocks
1.5" accuracy will kill deer at a hundred yards.
....and yeah, I agree on the "irritating"!

Clover leaf groups are awesome, but I don't look for benchrest accuracy. I'm good with half inch to one inch.
I'm not gonna shoot over about 200 yards max anyway!
 

49ereric

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Joined
Jun 21, 2022
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902
Panic ammo buyers screwed everyone and corporations seized the moment.
have to wait until the grandkids sells gramps ammo for deals.
 

Rich M

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Jun 14, 2017
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Orlando
Ya I heard this all as well. It's getting to the point cost wise that reloading isnt really worth it anymore except for accuracy. Specifically powder and primers are out of control? I've seen a pound of powder go for as much as $70 in my neck of the woods.
It has been a balancing point for a while. What reloading does is give you premium ammo for cheap ammo prices.

Primer $0.10 + Powder ($0.25 +) + bullet ($0.30-$3.00) + brass (?) = $0.65 on up.
Rifle ammo at $1-$1.50/shell isn't really a bad deal if you can find it.
 

Rich M

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Jun 14, 2017
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It's certainly not as cheap as it used to be but I still feel like it evens out in the long run. What pushed me over was trying to find something for my 30-06. I went through probably 6 different boxes of ammo and it really didn't care for any of it. Well at that point I'm roughly $275 into "load development" and have nothing to show for it.

Where it makes up for it is the freedom that you have to tweak a load to get it to shoot how you want it to or knowing when to scrap it and start again with different components. Nothing worse than a safe full of ammo that you have no use for IMO.
Blue box federal is about as consistent and tight shooting factory ammo as I ever found.

When you shoot the '06 fold a beach or bathroom towel up and put it on your shoulder. I have reloads that will shoot an inch at 250 but love to flinch with it. Core Locts will shoot inside a soda can bottom at 100-200 if I haven't had a Mtn Dew.
 
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