Availability of your caliber ammo...

[reinert]

I had a Browning M71 quite a few years ago. A beautiful firearm for sure, but had I not have been a re-loader, even back then, I never would have bought the thing. Cool gun, but as a caliber, completely and uniquely obsolete. Though you can get factory ammo for it (65 bucks for a box of 20 online), and reloading components for it currently, it's still completely and uniquely obsolete (IMO and AFAIC). If I remember right, the only companies that offered bullets back when I was reloading for mine was Hornady and Barnes.

Couldn't help but look up brass for it on gunbroker; one seller had a 100 round container of new Hornady brass for the .348 Win., who had a STARTING bid of $265.00! Shootin' for the moon on that one, certain sure... And BTW, I'm still amazed that we can buy ammo and ALL reloading components on the internet, and that's at least where I live. I hope that will continue to be the case for a long while in the future.

 

[ammo.crafter]

The odd balls

Have always been attracted to the odd ball calibers.

Been hunting with a S&W 57 41 mag for 30 years and fun shoot with 41 special for that long as well; way before 41 spcl brass had been produced.

RELOAD RELOAD RELOAD

 

[pete2]

I load my own ammo and would not have a problem with an odd ball caliber. I've owned 257 Roberts, 300 Savage, 6.5 Swede, all fun. For a real hunting rifle, I have .243 and .270, handguns 9mm, .38, .357, .45 ACP and .45 Colt. I also own a couple ARs in 223/5.56. I would happily buy any caliber for a fun gun. For serious stuff, I'd want the option to pick up a box of ammo at the grocery store or feed store. They may not have the latest caliber ammo.

 

[Charlie98]

Couldn't help but look up brass for it on gunbroker; one seller had a 100 round container of new Hornady brass for the .348 Win., who had a STARTING bid of $265.00! Shootin' for the moon on that one, certain sure... And BTW, I'm still amazed that we can buy ammo and ALL reloading components on the internet, and that's at least where I live. I hope that will continue to be the case for a long while in the future.

Some years ago, when there was a drought on new .348 brass, I saw some go for almost $4/cs on GB!!! I almost sold off my stash at prices like that! It was almost cheaper to buy loaded ammo...

We are in high cotton right now... brass is available, and both cast and jacketed bullets. I've got 400 .348 cases, and 80 rounds of factory ammos. I get my cast bullets from Montana.

 

[jugornot]

I avoid uncommon calibers. My rifles are 3 of the most common rounds: 22LR, 223/5.56 and 308W/7.62x51. I reload the centerfire cartridges. The 22LR I stockpile a few thousand rounds. I personally don't like the 7.62x39. The 308 stands in good stead for 30-06.

 

[amprecon]

It is a big deal for me, that being said I jumped on the 6.8spc bandwagon around 2008. But I have yet to buy one round at a gun store. All my 6.8spc ammo has been bought on-line. Even though that ammo is expensive, I'm so hooked on it I won't let it go unless 6.8spc production ceases altogether. Even then I'd probably get into reloading just to stay with the caliber.

When I went shopping for a hunting rifle I wanted something in a caliber I could use in Alaska should the opportunity ever arise and I didn't want any magnums. I had settled on .358win, then on .35 Whelen, but after doing much research decided that the ol' .30-06 was probably the best choice since ammo is available nearly everywhere and it is a great all-around hunting round.

 

[Hawg]

Even tho I cast and reload, most of my stuff now is readily available at Walmart and in some cases is cheaper than I can reload it. I do have a couple of 44-40's that are pretty much reloading only. Factory ammo can be found but it's expensive.

 

[luger fan]

Tough. I shoot the rimmed rimfire 9mm Flobert shotshell. Try finding THOSE at Walmart.

 

[joe45c]

I reload all my centerfire calibers. i do have 3 odd ball calibers that i pretty much have load for; .25-20, .32-20 , and .307. I can find these 3 at my LGS but at a very high cost.

 

[Rachen]

You are aware of the new CA ammo laws...???

What are the new CA ammo laws? I assume they are not good for us at all, right? I thought New York was bad enough with the SAFE Act, having to have your identification logged for purchasing ammo, correct ammo for gun registered to you, etc... What have they come up with in CA this time?


That aside, I NEVER recommend anyone getting oddball calibers. Unless you have enough reloading tools at your disposal to run an independent ammunition manufacturing plant. And I have hunting bows to back up my guns too, in the event that they may need to be used too.

 

[kozak6]

9x18.

I was doing some Mak shopping a couple years back. I was still unhappy about never being able to find 7.62x25, so I was keeping an eye out for 9x18 to see if I'd find myself in the same predicament. Yep.

I think I've seen it three times in a gun shop.

Once at at an almost fair price, once at Sportsman's Warehouse for a fair price (none last time I went), and once at $35 for the lone box on the shelf.

It's very very easy to order online nowadays, but still...

More lately, I'm thinking I would prefer not to be dependent on foreign ammo or milsurp if practical. Seeing 7N6 get banned was an eye opener. Obscure stuff is an easy target. Russian stuff in particular is at risk. Ammo hasn't been affected much, but we sure can't Veprs or Saigas anymore. And if milsurp dries up, it REALLY dries up.

 

[TruthTellers]

If it's something I want to shoot, I'll reload it. So the answer is it doesn't bother me at all because I avoid buying ammo at the store and paying a sales tax to a state that wastes the money.

If we leave reloading out, the one cartridge I'll say is concerning with ammo droughts today, it's .327. Thankfully you can shoot .32 S&W Long in it, so it's not a paperweight, but if you want something powerful to shoot from your .327, you'll have to wait at times.

It's worse with rimless cartridges and bottleneck cases; you're stuck with what the gun is chambered for.

I think it's worth keeping in mind that we never know what legislation is going to come in the future that bans sales of gun related stuff online. California already made it so all ammo sales require a background check, there's nothing saying that can't happen in other states or Congress won't add ammo sales to the 4473 requirements.

In that event, having a local store that won't charge you for ammo transfers will make the process easier, so going to Walmart, where they don't sell .327, 7.7 Jap, .22 Jet, makes you think a moment before you buy an oddball cartridge.

 

[jgrns]

What are the new CA ammo laws? I assume they are not good for us at all, right? I thought New York was bad enough with the SAFE Act, having to have your identification logged for purchasing ammo, correct ammo for gun registered to you, etc... What have they come up with in CA this time?

Currently, buyers can only buy from a licensed vendor (store, etc).
Starting July 2019 store owners (venders) will run background checks on buyers to insure the can buy, own, possess ammunition.
No person to person exchange of ammo unless thru a vendor.
No mail order ammo unless shipped and processed thru a vendor.
and so on...

 

[Rachen]

Currently, buyers can only buy from a licensed vendor (store, etc).
Starting July 2019 store owners (venders) will run background checks on buyers to insure the can buy, own, possess ammunition.
No person to person exchange of ammo unless thru a vendor.
No mail order ammo unless shipped and processed thru a vendor.
and so on...

This is basically like our SAFE Act. Which has absolutely no use in actually preventing gun crime, like all knee-jerk gun control laws. That is their logic of course. If your arm hurts, get the bonesaw

All the more reasons to start learning how to reload and invest in reloading supplies.

 

[bamaranger]

not very

As a reloader, I do not worry about factory ammo much. The exception to that is my 5mm Rimfire Magnum......once again out of production.

 

[jackstrawIII]

Yeah, it’s not really a consideration for me at all. With that said, I have learned to check and make sure that brass is available somewhere online. I’ve owned a few guns in “off the reservation” type calibers and the struggle to find or make brass got old quick. So, I still own and enjoy rounds like 257 Rob, 358 Win, and 338-06 that you can’t buy in stores, but can find or make brass easily enough.

For handguns, I stick to regular calibers and buy in bulk online. Easy.

 

[M88]

...if you have an uncommon round, and your own supply already, its not an issue, is it??

Referring to a scenario where normal commerce breaks down and guns and ammo are scarce. This made me think that IF I were ever in a situation like that, and I DID have an uncommon round, if I DID run into a group, or even family I linked up with, at least I would be way less likely to have to "share", and my rounds would only be needed by ME! Just a thought.

To answer 44AMP's post, the availability of the round was never a consideration as to whether I'd buy that gun or not. My goal was to have a collection of as many calibers as I could afford. That obviously includes many calibers that are hard to find in most retail, even many gun stores. But, almost anything can be found online now. Sure you'll pay a premium for odd stuff, but I just don't shoot that as much as a result. Now that I'm starting to reload, the oddball stuff assuming I can get dies for it, just becomes an issue of getting brass for it once I've used what I have to many times.

 

[USNRet93]

What are the new CA ammo laws? I assume they are not good for us at all, right? I thought New York was bad enough with the SAFE Act, having to have your identification logged for purchasing ammo, correct ammo for gun registered to you, etc... What have they come up with in CA this time?

Currently, buyers can only buy from a licensed vendor (store, etc).
Starting July 2019 store owners (venders) will run background checks on buyers to insure the can buy, own, possess ammunition.
No person to person exchange of ammo unless thru a vendor.
No mail order ammo unless shipped and processed thru a vendor.
and so on...

So you buy from an online vendor of ammunition and they do a background check first?

 

[joed]

I've never worried about ammo or components for anything I own. My first rifle, a .25-06 taught me well. I stock up on components for everything I shoot just in case it becomes scarce. I'm still shooting bullets I paid $7.50 per hundred for on the .25-06.

I've done the same for every rifle I shoot. The only cartridge I could be hurting for is a .35 Rem that I inherited a few years ago.

Rarely do I use factory ammo in anything.