Poll: Where are you finding reloading primers and powder?

It appears that the reloading component shortages are not easing up any time soon. This makes it really hard on us shooters that reload ammunition. So my question for you is: where are you finding reloading components?

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Where are you finding reloading primers and powder?

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I’ve deployed a variety of tactics to keep my shelves stocked, primarily looking in obscure places online (for instance: buying pistol powder from a shotshell reloading website). Have a tip to share? Did you vote “Other”? Please leave a comment!

Thanks,
Gavin

54 thoughts on “Poll: Where are you finding reloading primers and powder?”

  1. You do not have a space to mark for NOT finding reloading primers and power. I have a brand new Lock-N-Load sitting in the box that I got back in January with nothing to reload.

    1. Several online retailers have powder and primers in stock right now and “normal” pricing. Again, the HAZMAT shipping charges suck, but if you need it, it’s there.

      1. That is funny. All these people say primers are available and no one publishes any company nanmes or websites. I’ve been to over twenty sites today, have filled out notification requestsw and still I cannot find any large or small pistol primers.

          1. Anyone have any positive or negative input on Tulammo, Fiocchi primers or any other of the cheaper import primers?
            I have never used them and I’m wondering about the quality and dependability of these brands of primers.
            CO

    2. For primers; try the following web sites:
      https://www.wideners.com
      http://www.grafs.com
      http://www.natchezss.com
      http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com
      http://www.powdervalleyinc.com/
      http://www.sinclairintl.com
      http://www.selwayarmory.com

      Most of these sites; have powder as well. But, check these sites as well:
      http://www.biggunoutdoors.com
      http://www.lohmanarms.com
      http://www.wcarmory.com
      https://www.precisionreloading.com
      http://store.thirdgenerationshootingsupply.com

      I’ve got enough powder and primers to last me for a good year (if not more!!). Nevertheless, if I see good deals out there; I jump on it. Keep in mind that since you have to pay a Hazmat fee and shipping; you’re better off placing a big order since that’ll get your average cost down. On average; powder is costing me about $20 a lbs. and primers cost me about $30 per 1000 count.
      Good luck!!
      Cheers,
      Nick

  2. Right now, I can walk into my favorite store, and pickup 1000 primers of any major brand I use. I am even seeing 8lb keg of powder at another store down the street. It’s nice to see things coming back 🙂

      1. I saw 1 pound of Varget at a sporting goods store last week. Along with Reloader 7 and some others. They would only sell 200 primers at a time. One place in rural areas people don’t think to look is Farm Co-op stores. One local pawn shop had a few items. I check around often among ten stores, and even fould two bricks of .22Long over the past couple months. By buying primers 100-200 a day at various locations, I have saved up 8000 of various types.

      2. About two weeks ago, two local shops had Varget and other powders from Hogdon, IMR and Winchester in stock. They both had it available for about 5 days before selling out. I am just starting to load and I was able to get large quantities of components that should last me quite a while. Best of all, they have not jacked prices up. So I was able to get several pounds of Varget and others and not have to pay higher prices. I also signed up for a lot of notifications, some from large retailers and others from smaller ones. With those panning out, I was able to add to my supply and still not break they bank. I ordered primers online only once, because the HAZMAT shipping charges add so much to the cost. But they were in bulk, and I had other items shipped, so it was not to bad.

    1. Yeah, but you don’t say what PRICE you’re paying for them.

      I was getting them for under $30 per 1000 pre-scare. Bought online, in bulk. That includes the cost of shipping and hazmat.

      I can find them too locally now occasionally, if I don’t mind paying $80 per 1000. Ummmm, excuse me? I don’t think so.

      1. @ Gavin

        Yes, I bought two pounds of Varget for a friend the first part of this month. I mostly load pistol, so I am always on the lookout for 231. in 1lb containers, I can always find it within a weeks time. The 8lb kegs are a bit harder.

        @ Ron

        For CCI large and small pistol primers, I paid 31.99 plus tax for 1000 primers. (I keep the receipts) for Remington large and small pistol, I pay $34.99 for the same amount.

        I don’t know who you are buying from, but every week I walk in the store and the guys behind the counter asks me if I want any more primers. They always have some mfg’s primers to buy. The powder is staying on the shelves longer too.

  3. I’ve been finding a little at a time in my local stores. Unfortunately one of them has resorted to price gouging but only one.

  4. local gun club as a member slow but able to get powder and primers alo some store like gary reeder’s in flagstaff and he is fair on prices with a limit to each buyer

  5. Not much local…..I have to chock myself about going into that retailer…WM…but I do and sometimes…there are shotshell primers and sometimes primers….rare…and some bullets.

    The usual places online if you can catch a instock notice and someone hasn’t beat’n you to the punch on placing an ordering. Powder Valley you have to be careful with. There may be product instock…or so it shows…but then you get an email saying it was already sold out before you’d place the order…not fair in my opinion.

    Shotshell powder isn’t so tough if you do not mind using anything that ignites in handgun cartridges which for me works….usual practice distance is 10 to 20 feet.

    It does appear that a little more product is showing up. People need to just calm down and stop hoarding…or buying and resaling what I call “The Black Market Dealers”…and there’s a bunch of them!!

  6. I’m with Greg. Why not a vote for “Can’t find them?”
    I am stocked up, especially with primers to last me through the summer. Bullets and powder, forget about it. I shoot BR and LR and I don’t understand the *real* reason there was a such a shortage so suddenly.
    I could believe it was consumer panic buying if it was mostly handgun ammo and components and maybe even hunting rounds.
    This is enough to make me almost believe (almost) there is a conspiracy, although I’ve never been a conspiracy theorist. However, when even the most obscure bullets are not available, well…

    I have made a decision not to buy anything related to guns, anything until I see either a believable explanation for this or components and ammo back on the shelves. I have written to several magazines I take with no results. I will not resub to these either.

    Incidentally, I have no local stores that stock reloading components, or if they do it is nothing I want. Bullets such as SMK and Berger target bullets I have to buy online.

    I also wonder how long stores can stay in business with nothing to sell?

    Good luck everyone.

    1. We all have thought on familiar lines….but I honestly do believe it is panic buying and or hoarding/black market which threw the supply market of reloading to unimagined demand. So many people just had to buy anyting and everything….I can tell you of people who bought bullets for calibers they did/do not even have!! Just because it was there to buy.

      Here is one known fact….rimfire ammo….as I read about a week ago. There is approximately 11 million rounds of rimfire ammo produced every manufacturing day. But people…many do and did…either watched too much of Doomsday Preppers and/or exaggerated so-called news media. So instead of people buying a brick of 22’s…they buy or bought 5 or 6 bricks….many online dealers allow backordering which log jams supplies. Howbeit I suspect insider privileges…it involves who you know.

      Hang tight…..there is a slowing of the panic buying and some retail supplies limit the amount of primers/powder/bullets one can buy to stop Black Marketeers from coming in and snagging up everything that is available. Jesus….there are even AR lowers and uppers showing up again. Look at the AR magazine plight….now? No problem and at fair prices.

      I suspect that those dealers that hike up prices for huge profits will be remembered after this panic buying is over with…I know there is a few I will write off for good!

    2. It’s easy to explain with us being on the verge of a zombie apocalypse and the liberal left wanting to take away cap pistols. Really, it’s just the marketing done by the manufacturers. HURRY and buy all this stuff before wicked Obama takes away your rights and we all go into death camps. We are supremely gullible. And I count myself into that group. I end up going by every store to look for whatever is in stock, and buying all of it I can find. I was looking at one ammunition site that took up half the page with a picture of Obama laughing. Like that is what I want to see when I’m interested in reasonably priced ammo. But they are playing their hand to the max. And making a fortune from us in doing it. …..this too will pass.

  7. I cannot believe that our corrupt government isn’t behind all this. I mean they are buying up millions of rounds of ammunition in the disguise of homeland security. Doesn’t look right to me, just saying.

  8. I had to resort to on-line auctions to buy some powder and primers ( at 2-3 times normal cost ), just to get back to reloading some. Have found some powder and some primers at local shops by chance. I have been on back order from Hornady for bullets for months. These are REBATE bullets from buying new dies in Dec and Jan.

  9. I have stumbled on some powder while traveling through Oregon. Found a pound of Universal at a place in Fresno. My local shooter supply store has primers and some powders. The hard thing for me to get is projectiles. I’ve gotten some stuff from local casters to just have something to load up but I shoot played bullets through my G19 and G20 and they are nowhere to be found. I’m about to buy bullet molds and a simple melting pot and make my own. I can have a lot of fun shooting my new to me Blackhawk in .45 Colt. My wife wanted to go shooting at a new indoor range for Mother’s Day, I have an awesome wife, she loves to shoot her Ruger Mark 1. I didn’t want to drive up to my shop to get ammo out of safe so tried to buy .22 LR at a few local gun stores. $5-6 for American Eagle 40 round boxes, limit one per customer. I bought three, one at each store. What a ripoff. We had fun anyway. Hope the panic buyers mellow out soon. I bet there will be deals to be had on handguns ilonce it all calms down and newbie buyers realize they aren’t really going to use that new Kimber and sell it on the cheap. Here’s to hoping anyway.

    1. I run 100% cast lead bullets thru all of my Glock’s. I know what the book says and the cautions about reloading for 40 S&W Glock’…but I have never nor do I ever except any problems with reloading 40 S&W for my Glock 22’s. I cast and reload a box of fifty 9mm for around $2.00…the 40 S&W runs around $3.50 for fifty and the 45 ACP cost right at $4.00 per fifty…..casting bullets is simply too easy and I use the Lee Alox lube and Tumble Lube Bullets. I get very little if any leading and cleaning the barrel/s is no fuss.

      Lead is not that hard to come by….but going the Ebay route? About $1.50 PER LB. Yes…there are the panic buyers there as well and some people just flat pay waaaaaaaay too much money for lead….and molds…and melting pots. Shop right and it will cost you around $120.00 for pot/mold/sizer/etc. Though I have a new in the box Lee 20 lb pot…I stay with my old…about 15 years old at that…10 lb pot and it doesn’t take long to cast 1,000 bullets.

      I run cast bullets in fact in all of my auto’s…the CZ’s…the Smith’s…the Berretta’s and all of my Glock’s as do many many others. Well…I keep the loads reasonable however. Not hyper loads nor pansy loads either.

      Keep close to your computer and try and get a number of people into a buying group…then you can buy larger quanties when primers/powder is available and break up the cost between yourselves.

  10. It might be of interest if we posted where you’re from to see trends. I live in Sacramento, CA.

  11. The only reloading component I need is .308 brass….back in January I ordered about 40 lbs of various gun powder, 10,000 small rifles primers and bullets……had to wait about month and half, but worth the wait. Got it from Lohman’s Arms.

    1. Lapua 308 isn’t that hard to find…..at about the normal price of $80.00 for 100. God I’ve been all over the net….and I see Lapua on a regular basis but I cannot remember at this moment from what dealer/s…sorry.

      I rid myself of a AR 10 type rifle here not long ago….it just burns too much money and ammo. But I don’t believe you’d want to run Lapua ammo thru a 308 AR 10. I reserve the Lapua brass to my high precision rifles.

  12. I see a lot or worried words. As an owner of larger rifles for far shooting the Wc powders work extremely well wc860 wc867 and the always good wc872. primers we make >bullets from Utah cases from Army surplus for the 50/s and Lapua for the 338’s lots of people moved away from the 7mag . Well with the 175 tac we have a 1300 yard bullet. no I think the 5.56 and .308 will get more critical here.
    remember guys> mans minds are our greatest assets and we have the means to improvise.

  13. Just recieved a instock message from Natchez Shooters Supply…Winchester 209 primers are in stock….$39.99 per thousand + shipping and hazmat…order limit is 5,000.

    Not the best price but they have them right now.

  14. My local reloading shop has been able some componants. I have had pretty good luck back ordering from nonlinear retailers and just wait. You need to order with several months lead time so you don’t run dry.

  15. Living in bush Alaska has made it impossible to get primers, powder, or she’ll casings. I have two friends who want to start reloading, we can’t until we can get supplies. I am limited in my supplies. I am wanting to purchase a 35 Whelen and possibly another hand gun. It does not make any sense in purchasing these until I can get powder and primers. Definitely a ridiculous situation.

    1. I called Cabelas recently, no primers. could not even say when expectation of shipment would be. Asked if I could order and pick up at store, no dice. what some crap!

  16. Gentlemen, all of what is happening is not because of hoarding, panic or any other excuses. Lets be frank anyone who has read or seen ATLAS Shrugged, simply what it is is government control of explosives and or ammunition. When the agencies say don’t sell to the public anything to do with ammunition or shooting supplies or else, all manufacturers will comply, welcome to the new world order, but remember stick your head in sand and don’t believe or just ignore and you will soon find out the truth the hard way. Have a nice day that is while you can.

  17. Found a nice little family owned Gun Shop about 7 miles from my house just outside of a neighboring small (population 3,000) town… I pick up 1000 SPP everytime I’m there… am going to start doing the same for LPP, SRP and LRP until I have a repsectable supply. He has kept the price down too (not as low as it was a year ago, but not bad at $28 per 1000).

  18. I gotta tell ya this whole thread is total BS. Everyone says I went here and there and picked up primers and powder bla bla bla. If you are not posting a location to buy why even comment, you are wasting the time of folks who are genuinely trying to find primers and powder today !!!!!

  19. I’m not buying the shortage claims. I work at an AG. Coop. and our shooting sports gal just ordered 5 cases of 22 LR from Federal. Arrived in about 2 weeks. Can’t find 22 LR anywhere in my town for sale. Everyone says that it is way backordered. Makes one think, doesn’t it?

  20. Hi, Does anyone know a site where I can sell some older copper primers(1974)?
    If interested they are Winchester No. 1W improved copper primers, waterproof,
    for pistol and rifle cartridges using No. 1W primers and black powders. Made in USA
    I have 1,200. Thanks for any information. DThram

  21. Bullets and Primers are available in the St. Andrews area of Columbia, SC, and Palmetto State Arms has reasonable amounts of loaded ammo (but not 22LR) for sale in the store. I agree with the earlier post, if you don’t post where you are finding supplies, you are wasting electrons, and everyone elses time.

  22. Cal ranch has had primers in stock along with a few powders that I can’t use.( muzzle loading ) My sister lives in Idaho, she found a couple of different IMR’s and Titegroup at Black Sheep for me. The hard part was getting it back down here to Arizona.

  23. On line whenever possible. The price and availability is always better, at least that’s been my experience. The trick is to know exactly what you need in as large a quantity as you can realistically predict, order from just one source (two at most), and get some friends together with you so you can amortize the shipping and HazMat costs. If you can do all that, you and your friends will save a bundle and you shouldn’t have to be ordering often, “gottahave” impulses not withstanding.

  24. Have had the best luck for reasonable priced stuff piggy backing my component orders with our local trap and sporting clay shooters. I personally don’t shoot much shotgun anymore but usually these guys get a large order put together twice a year. Usually good pricing though you must plan and be ready to shuck out the payment upfront for everything you order. They usually take 4-6 weeks for this to fill. For spot need items we have a pretty nice sized and diversified rifle club and sometimes will trade components to keep everybody running. Loading is just like everything else these days you must plan months ahead to stay ahead of the curve and often times carry larger stocks of popular items like H4350. Almost every precision game uses the heck out of this stuff and it’s my single hardest item to stay current on. Probably have enough for this season but none extra so just keeping my eye open for some case lots. Suggest networking with other loaders/shooters and joining your local or regional rifle/handgun/ shooting club.

  25. My best finds have been at Bass Pro. Locals occasionally have what I’m looking for however it’s few and far between. My local Gander Mountain very recently started carrying – in-store – products but they are limited to very very small offering of powders.

  26. Now that powders and primers aren’t quite as scarce as they once were I’m happier. But I’m also curious why I’m not seeing any of the old standbys like Bullseye or Unique.

    When I talk to workers at local outlets they say they aren’t seeing them either. So it’s not just people buying out the stock as soon as it shows up.

    Before the shortage Unique was the most popular powder in the U.S. (and possibly elsewhere). So you would think that they would be pumping it out and it would have made an appearance before many other powders, however I haven’t seen hide nor hair of it for years.

  27. I want to support my local stores but the difficulty of finding H4350 has driven me to online. Earlier, I posted the following under the components poll. Just found and ordered 8# jug of H4350 from Recob’s Target Shop. They have both store front and online sales. Not having done business with them before, I called their 800 number and got a real human on the first ring. He verified they had just received a shipment yesterday – got 30 of 80 jugs they had ordered. I wanted to be sure before clicking the submit order button. The order was quickly processed and I had a UPS tracking number within two hours. Their pricing was competitive.

  28. For the time being (at least) best places in Virginia are gun shows. Tons of powder, primers, brass, bullets and assorted equipment (dies, bench tools, etc).

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