The future of reloading

[gregintenn]

My recent fruitless search for a pound of IMR4895 has led me to think about the future of reloading. It seems that fewer and fewer stores carry reloading supplies, and the ones that do are poorly stocked.

I can order brass and bullets on the web, but hazmat fees make powder and primers a brick and mortar proposition.

I guess we reloaders are a dying breed.

[TGO David]

Buy as much of it as you can and stack it deep.  I've long said that ammunition is the way that the antis will eventually strangle the 2A.

[Alleycat72]

Get 20-30 lbs at a time. Get with some friends and make a list of what everyone wants and order it.

[TripleGGG]

4 minutes ago, TGO David said:

Buy as much of it as you can and stack it deep.  I've long said that ammunition is the way that the antis will eventually strangle the 2A.

I don't reload yet but I've been doing this. Have Dillon 550 and Rockchucker. Have a couple of friends who will be visiting late January for my training. 

[RedlegEd]

3 hours ago, gregintenn said:

My recent fruitless search for a pound of IMR4895 has led me to think about the future of reloading. It seems that fewer and fewer stores carry reloading supplies, and the ones that do are poorly stocked.

I can order brass and bullets on the web, but hazmat fees make powder and primers a brick and mortar proposition.

I guess we reloaders are a dying breed.

Hi Greg,

Depending on the application, don't limit your search to just IMR 4895. H4895 is very similar in burn rate & performance, with the benefit of being able to shoot reduced loads. IMR 4064 is also similar in performance, especially in a .30-06/.308 rounds.

Ed

[gregintenn]

31 minutes ago, TGO David said:

Buy as much of it as you can and stack it deep.  I've long said that ammunition is the way that the antis will eventually strangle the 2A.

Oh, I have a considerable stash, but still, a guy occasionally runs low of something.

[gregintenn]

18 minutes ago, RedlegEd said:

Hi Greg,

Depending on the application, don't limit your search to just IMR 4895. H4895 is very similar in burn rate & performance, with the benefit of being able to shoot reduced loads. IMR 4064 is also similar in performance, especially in a .30-06/.308 rounds.

Ed

I know, but if you have a load you like, it’s easier to go grab another can of powder rather than work up another load. It isn’t like I was in a bind or anything.

IMR 4350 is the powder for the 30-06, but not compatible with the Garand, or so I read.

The stores I tried didn’t Have the powders you listed either.

Reloader’s  Bench in Mt. Juliet did.

Edited December 23, 2019 by gregintenn

[RedlegEd]

Greg,

I agree, and it's especially frustrating when it's a common powder and you already have a good load. I just checked, and the local Sportsman's Warehouse in Southaven, MS has IMR 4895 in 1# cans for $32.00, but not 8# jugs, and Academy has IMR4064 for $29/#. I'd also recommend keeping your eyes open for "no hazmat," or "free shipping" sales from different online vendors and buy in 8# jugs. Yes, it hurts to drop ~$200 for 8#s of powder, but that's only $25.00/lb and you can use the same lot for a bunch of reloads. As an aside, it's relatively easy to reproduce jacketed service loads in the Garand using either H/IMR 4895, IMR4064, and Varget to name a few. Just so you know, I shoot a lot of cast out of my Garand with H4895, H4350, and H4831. While the H4350 and H4831 might have too slow a burn rate for jacketed bullets, they work splendidly for cast bullets, especially in the 165-220gr range with no danger of bending the op rod. Here's an example group shot with H4350. Ed

 

 

[Ray Z]

4 hours ago, gregintenn said:

My recent fruitless search for a pound of IMR4895 has led me to think about the future of reloading. It seems that fewer and fewer stores carry reloading supplies, and the ones that do are poorly stocked.

I can order brass and bullets on the web, but hazmat fees make powder and primers a brick and mortar proposition.

I guess we reloaders are a dying breed.

The next time a gun show is close to you, just for giggles, check it out. I haven't found any deals there but I have found stuff I had to have.

You can't save any money buying one pound of powder. Think of buying 8-24 pounds at a time. It won't go bad. Back when I was shooting USPSA open I bought a lot of 3N37. Still got a bunch. Loaded some the other week. Shot as consistent and smelled as sweet as the day I bought it 20 years ago.

[Ray Z]

And no, a pound of it will last as long as a show ball in the infernal region loading 308/30-06.

[Quavodus]

I've not bought any reloading supplies in a while but, I have heard its hard to find some stuff.

[DJTC45]

I learned the hard way a few years back right after sandyhook. I couldn't find anything in stock anywhere. I now have 48lb of powder and 110,000 primers and well over 100,000 pieces of brass all for my .45acp I won't get caught off guard again. I usually wait till I have enough saved up before I place an order just so I can save on the hazmat fee.

[frankmako]

save up and buy powder/primer off the net.  buy large orders.  many places will have specials and get free hazmat/shipping.  

[Jamie Jackson]

7 hours ago, frankmako said:

save up and buy powder/primer off the net.  buy large orders.  many places will have specials and get free hazmat/shipping.  

This is certainly what I've done in the past. As mentioned, if properly stored it seems to have an incredibly long shelf like. 

Our local Point Blank range will order powder and primers for you. The price is certainly more than if you bulk purchased them yourself, but it's one of the few options I'm aware of in the Knoxville area.

[gregintenn]

I can't wrap my head around the reason there is a hazmat charge for powder or primer, but not for loaded ammo, which contains.....you guessed it, powder and primers.

[Quavodus]

Yeah, thats weird. I dont understand that either.

[RED333]

 

Stuff runs down hill and we are at the bottom of the hill.

Edited December 24, 2019 by RED333
Because I can

[Grayfox54]

Last gun show I went to there was a reloading vendor. First time I've seen one at a gun show in a couple of years. I bought 5000 primers just because.

There used to be several of them at every show and that's where I would stock up on powder and primers. Now you hardly ever see them.  The powders that I tend to use a lot, I often buy the 4 lb can.  One pounders just don't seem to last very long. 

Bass Pro here does sell reloading supplies. But its all small amounts. 1 lb cans of powder and 100 count boxes of bullets and primers. Rarely do they have more than one of each. 

You gotta grab those supplies when you can get 'em and stock up. 

[Grunt67]

23 hours ago, gregintenn said:

I can't wrap my head around the reason there is a hazmat charge for powder or primer, but not for loaded ammo, which contains.....you guessed it, powder and primers.

Idiots make the rules. They do it just because they can.

Some day, if you order ammo online & a firing pin for your gun, there will be a hasmat charge, for that. Just saying..............

[gregintenn]

8 hours ago, Grayfox54 said:

Last gun show I went to there was a reloading vendor. First time I've seen one at a gun show in a couple of years. I bought 5000 primers just because.

There used to be several of them at every show and that's where I would stock up on powder and primers. Now you hardly ever see them.  The powders that I tend to use a lot, I often buy the 4 lb can.  One pounders just don't seem to last very long. 

Bass Pro here does sell reloading supplies. But its all small amounts. 1 lb cans of powder and 100 count boxes of bullets and primers. Rarely do they have more than one of each. 

You gotta grab those supplies when you can get 'em and stock up. 

David Mosley used to set up at gun shows. He'd have barrels of 223 bullets and brass, and anything reloading you could think of. Haven't seen him in several years.

[Grayfox54]

It was David Mosley. I was actually dealing with his wife, but she gave me their card. I mentioned to her how all the reloading guys quit going to shows. She said that they were getting back into it and intended to regularly start making the rounds.  Of course this was at Germantown where the powers that be have decided that  this was the last show to be held there.   However, we did talk about Jackson and both are confidant that RK will find a new venue in the Memphis area.  

[ZDBakker]

Piling on to the recommendation of the interwebs.  MidwayUSA routinely does free hazmat with a minimal order amount.

[gregintenn]

I am very well stocked. I was just bemoaning the debacle of finding one can of powder that used to be on store shelves almost everywhere.

The internet is killing mom and pop stores. I am guilty of contributing to this by ordering a lot of stuff online.

[DaveTN]

Just my opinion, but I think its just that its lost its popularity. Of course, the cost argument continues, but when I looked at it, it wasn’t much (if any) of a cost saving option. The quality and repeatability argument doesn't make much sense to me either, modern manufacturing techniques and inspection can produce ammunition far more consistent than in the past..

There are people doing everything they can to increase the manufacturing costs of ammo. They will do the same to reloaders supplies. I think it will always be available. But like many things, you won’t be able to run down to your local store and stock up; you will have to order.

[gregintenn]

54 minutes ago, DaveTN said:

Just my opinion, but I think its just that its lost its popularity. Of course, the cost argument continues, but when I looked at it, it wasn’t much (if any) of a cost saving option. The quality and repeatability argument doesn't make much sense to me either, modern manufacturing techniques and inspection can produce ammunition far more consistent than in the past..

There are people doing everything they can to increase the manufacturing costs of ammo. They will do the same to reloaders supplies. I think it will always be available. But like many things, you won’t be able to run down to your local store and stock up; you will have to order.

Reloading 9mm does not make sense, since it is so cheap and plentiful. That is unless you desire a specialized load that isn't readily available.

Where reloading comes into it's own with me is with oddball calibers and non standard loadings.

I can buy 9mm as cheaply as I can load it. If it goes bang, it's good.

I can save a LOT of money loading 41 Magnum, 257 Roberts, and 218 Bee for example.

I can also recreate the old 38/44 loads not available for purchase today. I can load walnut hull media for shooting carpenter bees. I can do all manner of experimentation not available in commercial offerings, such as a 110 grain powder puff load for a 30-30.

Reloading has it's place, and isn't for everyone.

I do believe you are correct that fewer and fewer people are doing it.