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I'm working on getting set up for handgun and rifle reloading again after being out of it for 35 years. I realize the timing is pretty bad. What's the best option, if any, for finding powder and primers?

I've looked online too, but not much to be had. Then I took a ride to my local gun shop which carries some reloading supplies. He had just about everything in stock. He told me before that he only has a couple of people who reload, and I was one..!!!
So check your local gun shop.

I'd rather buy local when I can than give my money to non-Texans

Don2

It has taken me three months to build up a supply of primers, have a few bullets but none in 9 mm and have some powder on order but it has been months and none here yet. I can still, even in this shortage get factory stuff faster than reload supplies. So, I wait and wait. Reloading sounds like fun. cleaned and deprimed a bunch of brass and with time I should have the materials needed. Perhaps with the defeat of the background check in the Senate today things will get closer to normal. Or perhaps it will be years.

My personal.experience has been powder has been pretty easy to get what you need provided you can be a little flexible on brands and are OK getting eight pound kegs. Primers have been a little tougher but you can get them if your persistant. Bullets have been a nightmare.

In my neighborhood, powder is the hardest to find. I've had to "settle" twice since December on alternate "choices" (actually #4 and #5 on my shopping list). I still have a couple thousand small pistol primers, and a bunch of .38 and .357 brass primed, and about the same on large pistol primers (and .44 and .45 primed). Fortunately, my ffl buddy has a healthy supply of large pistol primers in stock from a 100k bulk order made in December. Revolver bullets are available, particularly cast boolits (which I use almost exclusively), and there's still some factory jacketed bullets to be had on the local shelves. Brass is hit or miss on the market, but I'd doubt that I will wear out my current stash of brass before the market stabilizes (or we realize that we have to take extreme measures and milk our current brass for an indefinite time period). The only rimless rounds I load are .45 acp, and I haven't tried to order any bullets since November, so don't have a clue on the rimless availability. I do know it took some doing to find .30-30 bullets back in January.

Who knows when, or if, it will ever return to (a new) normal.

I think I heard something today about Lautenburg wants to background check powder purchases so it might get even worse.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/04 ... -gun-bill/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Don2

For what it's worth, my local WalMart today started carrying some powder and bullets and some RCB reloading supplies. Not much else. Bought some 45 Hornady HP and 1 pound of Reloder 15 which can use for 30-30. A small start! Eventually will have enough to reload something. Could do the 30-30 now but only have 3 brass cases. Was so excited.

My local range has powder. It was priced a couple bucks higher, but due to all the dust on the bottle, it wasn't like they had marked it up. Honestly I had never bought powder from them until it got so bad I couldn't find a powder for my 308 anywhere else.
The only LGS close to me that sells reloading stuff gets orders in Tue/Thur on shelfs Wed/Fri. It took a few weeks but I found the few items I needed just stopping by on those days.

Where are you located/what wal mart? Have heard tales of Wally World carrying reloading supplies but haven't seen one in my area yet. Mine are empty when it comes to ammo.....

rotor wrote:For what it's worth, my local WalMart today started carrying some powder and bullets and some RCB reloading supplies. Not much else. Bought some 45 Hornady HP and 1 pound of Reloder 15 which can use for 30-30. A small start! Eventually will have enough to reload something. Could do the 30-30 now but only have 3 brass cases. Was so excited.

Wichita Falls. Went back and bought some Hornady 45 200gr bullits but all powder was gone. They said more next week. Central freeway WM.

I think primers may be getting easier. Lately they have been posted more frequently online. There is a program called gunbot.That searched and updates on ammo and primers. I noticed last week at 3:00 RR Arms posted primers. Also, if you get through the door earlier at gun shows - ft worth gunshow - today had a bunch of small pistol WSP's. After 2 hours they were gone, but they lasted 2 hours.

But powder they say can be backordered, but from what i here it can be 2 months going down that path.

found some small pistol at Cabellas the other day... I just call and see what they have.

Glad to hear things are loosing up. I was beginning to wonder if this was "The New Normal"
When things started heating up in January, I anticipated that folks would start to slow down on purchases because of "personal credit card balances", "storage availability", "input from their spouse", or "common sense".