Ammunition Shortages.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I should really get into reloading.....is it easy to get started? Is it expensive?

I would say yes, its expensive. What you save in components will be eaten up by the cost of equipment. You can however store the equivalent of several thousand rounds in an ammo box. If stored properly, powder, primers, and bullets can be kept indefinitely.

[bigredbirdfan]

I have a hard time telling if there are any hunters or shooters on here, but just passing along some info. Ammo is getting really hard to find. Wally World has run out of all Centerfire and Rimfire ammo locally. They had a little shipment this weekend and I snagged it all. All is 2 boxes of Blazer Brass 45 acp and 2 boxes of Federal 22 bulk boxes. One trip to the range for the 45 and a year of plinking for me and the kid.

Our shop is out of anything 22 LR except for premium stuff like CCI and Ely and it is not available from our suppliers in bulk or brick.

Prices are on the rise, the Blazers were marked $12.97 on the shelves and rang up $14.97. Still a better deal than the $21.50 the wholesaler was going to charge us last week for an identical product.

I wonder what/who is causing this?

JD: Do you or anyone else shy away from shooting lead in a Ruger .22 I read on teh internet that it stays in the barrel rifling somehow. Is this true?

[jdmidwest]

I personally like plated or jacketed bullets of all types over pure lead. In 22LR, I have no problems with the lead bullets, but they are usually the cheaper ones that gunk up the action with a foul powder. I have and still do shoot lead thru revolvers, and it does tend to build up in the rifling and is hard to scrub out. In semi-auto pistols and rifles I always use a jacketed bullet.

As far as accuracy, a good lead bullet will shoot as well as a jacketed bullet in the lower velocities of 22's and handguns.

In 22LR, I buy one type of hollow point, sight it in, and try to stick to it for consistent accuracy.

[catman]

Here's a Interview with Russ Ford of Ammunition Coding Systems and he gets boxed several times..

http://www.nraila.org/Issues/FactSheets/Read.aspx?id=227

[Wayne SW/MO]

Do you or anyone else shy away from shooting lead in a Ruger .22 I read on teh internet that it stays in the barrel rifling somehow. Is this true?

Any barrel can pick up bullet metal, it depends on how smooth the barrel is. Normally rimfires aren't too susceptible to this, but the lead is easily removed with Hoppe's no 9 and a brass brush. Aside from destroying accuracy, rust forming under the lead is a concern.

[trout fanatic]

Shortages are still persisting. Our local walmart is getting more ammunition in-but it is still selling like wildfire-so it disappears the same day it comes in. Lots of folks hoarding.

[jdmidwest]

We are getting supplies from the wholesaler now. Wally is still out here.

[nitro_fish]

For the last month i been searching for 9 mm ammo, all the wally worlds have been empty, Dicks and Bass Pro also empty. Last weekend i went on a search again of all the stores. Dicks and Wally were empty but Bass pro had a whole end cap of 9 mm. I bought 12 boxes and didnt put a dent in what they had. It almost felt like christmas as i walked out.

[jjtroutbum]

9mm is still the white buffalo in ammo and in firearms, very hard to find for consumers and to keep up with demand by suppliers.

I shoot a lot of .45 its getting easier to find but no cheaper to buy.