Cost of Reloading - Pre-Covid Vs Post Covid

[HockeyDad]

BUT NOW I own more 8 pounders of various powder and thousands of primers and bullets that will literally take me 10 YEARS or more to shoot up. ( I believe this is true for many on this forum)

The question is, is the 10 years worth of components that you and many others have, now your safety stocks and you will replace as you go, or will you start burning them off?
If it is the former, I think the availability of reloading components on store shelves will eventually get back to normal levels, but that could still be months away.
If it is the latter, I think it will quickly get back to normal and prices may even come down to say 2018 prices.

 

[Quintus]

I have a few LGSs close by. Powder prices have been inconsistent, but up at least 20% and some has doubled. Primers have doubled at all of them. Bullets have gone up a consistent 15% and brass has been around 5%. I am actually happy about the bullet increase. It allowed me to justify (in my own mind) buying Hammers (now less expensive than Partitions and the same price as Accubonds at my LGSs) and I love em. Powder and bullets have been all I have really bought since the COVID started. I got lucky and bought 500 6.5PRC brass before it caught on. Back when 44 was elected it looked like we would never see another AR on the shelf and that eventually ended in some pretty cheap rifles. It may be a wait, but eventually I think we will see prices back to old normal plus standard inflation rate. That's what I keep telling myself anyway.

 

[Grey Goast]

Truth is I got into reloading to fine tune my ammo to my rifles. But the main objective was to make as much lower cost ammo, to build up a supply of ready ammo as the price goes up it dont matter because now im just saving up componets (stock) for when there is no manufactured bullets you can buy due to the govt, So the reloader will be the only way to have them if he conserves some of his stock and componets. Yet still allowing him to hunt and target practice a little and to feel the great out doors when he's on a hunt to share with his freinds or family the whole adventure or on the range when a perfect day sends each bullet to a perfect grouping at ranges you didnt exspect. the joy in that moment this is living and surviving. SCREW THE COST.

 

[corsair4360]

The cost of many things we purchase has gone up significantly. Reloading components have gotten much more expensive since I started reloading in the early 1970's (yes I am gray haired now and a bit older. The automobile picture to the left is one I recall new 1968 Plymouth Barracuda, and have had now for over 20 years). Lots of things have gotten much more expensive, I will not attempt to list examples, gasoline for automobiles is one.

 

[AZHTR]

The question is, is the 10 years worth of components that you and many others have, now your safety stocks and you will replace as you go, or will you start burning them off?
If it is the former, I think the availability of reloading components on store shelves will eventually get back to normal levels, but that could still be months away.
If it is the latter, I think it will quickly get back to normal and prices may even come down to say 2018 prices.

HockeyDad, I will start burning them off. I haven't bought anything for many many months and don't plan to. When this crazy stuff started happening I ended up buying from a "powder broker" and bought H1000 at a hefty $66 per pound, but at least I have some. Additionally, I have sent out to many of our AZ long range shooters, that if you need something that I might have, please feel free to send me a PM and I'll check my stash.

Not trying to hoard or gouge, just keeping my hobby alive

 

[Hard Head]

I have seen huge increases in powder and bullets,some alliant were the same some Hodgdens were 7 bucks a pound more,the bullets I see on the shelves makes me wander if the manufactures are cleaning there inventory of bullets that never sold good. I am almost 75 and have hand loaded seance I was 12 years old, I have never seen the shortages ,the cost increase or the quality that is on shelves. There are a lot of blame to be shared by all, hog buying, distributers making an extra buck or 10 and bad transportation, and false excuses. All I can say is my days are numbered and I have great memories of the past,and I feel sorry for the youth that are starting out in shooting. It will not be gun laws that will threaten the shooter but the industry itself, Hardhead "Pete"

 

[SFMongo]

I think your math is a little off. As far as I know AB bullets come in boxes of 50 so at $40 that's .80 ($40/50=.80) cents per bullet not .25 ($40/160=.25). Primers for 215M are closer to .15 ea around here. Then you have .23 cents per case not .20 assuming 5X loads. So you come out at $158.25 per 75 rounds or $2.11 per round right now price and $1.42 per round prior to 2020.

That amounts to a 67% increase in component costs. Then when you figure out your time spent having to chase down components, fuel driving to various shops, taxes or Hazmat and shipping I imagine there is more than a 100% increase in component costs. Don't forget that equipment costs have gone up as well, so for a person trying to get in the game it's pretty expensive.

Cost is a factor but if you're reloading for 300 Win Mag you are probably doing it for accuracy. You can buy decent ammo such as Norma White Tail or DRT Match for 2 bucks a round. Those will give you about an 1 to 1.5 MOA out of the box.. If you want something better we all know you have to reload. So the question is if you want a 1/4 MOA is it worth 11 cents a round? 2.11 vs 2.00. I say yes. Oh yeah and if you buy ammo then reload you should probably factor that in. and just cost your cases at zero since you already used them once.

 

[Pointman]

There's no doubt that costs have increased, in some cases astronomically. I believe things will slowly come back to some semblance of normal. Having said that, there is somewhat of a caveat. The costs will never go back to pre-pandemic levels. Same principle as fuel costs. When the gas shortages of the '70s happened, long lines cost of fuel escalated and never came down to "pre-panic" levels. In some states like the one I live in, the former Republic of California, now known as "commifornia" in many places, the idiots running the state have continued adding taxes on fuel that never go away. SO, will things get back to normal as before, doubtful but they will come back into a semblance of that normal but prices will still be higher, just how high remains to be seen. I remember my better half asking me why I kept but primers every time I went into the sporting goods stores. I told her because the time may come when they're in sort of supply assuming the state lawmakers don't succeed in outlawing everything related to firearms. I have seen primers being offered at ridiculous prices and some may take advantage of the panics. Unfortunately, it's still unlawful to shoot them in my state.

 

[ducky]

So the question is if you want a 1/4 MOA is it worth 11 cents a round? 2.11 vs 2.00. I say yes.

I have no dog in this fight, I reload and I buy ammunition. My point was the math was simply off. I also mentioned time needs to be a cost factored in, as all our time is worth something. Especially as parents and children age, and jobs demand more of us. Sometimes time is cheap, most of the time it isn't.

 

[DMP25-06]

I think your math is a little off. As far as I know AB bullets come in boxes of 50 so at $40 that's .80 ($40/50=.80) cents per bullet not .25 ($40/160=.25). Primers for 215M are closer to .15 ea around here. Then you have .23 cents per case not .20 assuming 5X loads. So you come out at $158.25 per 75 rounds or $2.11 per round right now price and $1.42 per round prior to 2020.

That amounts to a 67% increase in component costs. Then when you figure out your time spent having to chase down components, fuel driving to various shops, taxes or Hazmat and shipping I imagine there is more than a 100% increase in component costs. Don't forget that equipment costs have gone up as well, so for a person trying to get in the game it's pretty expensive.

Ducky ,

I mean no offense by posting the following:

Yes , in comparing the old cost of $1.42 per round versus the new cost of $2.11 per round , there is a 67.298578% difference .

But , to mathematically calculate the percentage of increase , you should take the current cost of yours of $2.11 per round , subtract the old cost of $1.42 per round , the difference of which equals $0.69 per round
Then divide that $0.69 by the $1.42 old cost per round , and the percentage of increase is 48.591549% .
So just slightly less than 50% for those figures posted .


Yes , I am in agreement that a price increase of nearly 50% in the past year is outrageous .
And the cost is likely to be higher , IF YOU CAN FIND THE NECESSARY COMPONENTS , that you prefer to use .

DMP25-06

 

[Chas1]

All I know is no retailers I've checked and there's a lot haven't had primers for almost a year now yet almost every time I check the price has increased....ridiculous. Think about it, the retailer doesn't have them in stock cause they can't buy them and so the retailer doesn't really know what their costs will be....but...still they jack the prices up a little week by week thinking they'll fool the rest of us. If cost is an issue blame the panic buyers and hoarders. you know the ones, shoot a 1000 rds a year maybe and bought 20,000 primers. Whatever the cost I'm going to keep shooting, thanks.

 

[GrayCreed]

My brother has been buying H1000 and reloader26 for $45 and $39 a pound respectively

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

NO NO NO Let's compare the prices since the last time we fell for the same old "sky is falling" after an election rhetoric....I believe this is the fourth time in the last 25 years we swallowed the bait....it's taken about 2 years after of the doomsday hoarders cleaning everything out for things to regain some stability....the virus this time just happened to have occurred during the latest "we're scared to death----their coming to take all your guns nonsense" usual politicians rhetoric....WHY do we fall so easily to the same old scare tactics is beyond me...

 

[GrayCreed]

I was wondering about that same thing about on line sellers being double the price. I'm thinking because of the pandemic all the wear houses were shut down. I don't know how all that works. When I see powder, primers , brass on the shelf at retail stores it doesn't seam to be any higher than normal.

I think this is because the demand is still higher online, there are unfortunately alot of locations that are not fortunate to have even one or more than one LGS in the area. Here in Colorado Springs we are blessed to have 2 Sportsman wherehouse, 2 Bass pro, Scheels and 2 Cabela's. Also lots of other little shops that support reloading. We regularly have primers at our local Bass Pro and sometimes at the Sportsman wherehouse or the Scheels. We also have a smaller shop that gets them in from time to time.