I’m tired of chasing my tail!

[tlfw]

I am having a hard time finding primers. The primers I have are nearly all gone. If I use them all up, then what? I finding it harder and harder to get powders I have used in the past, especially in the quantities that make it beneficial to pay hazmat charges.

Meaning, without primers, I’m done. Without the powders I know, I’ll have to do more shooting to work up loads and do analysis on load development. Not a small process, or a few shots…for me anyway. I feel like I am constantly chasing my tail and getting nowhere in the process…other then some trigger time and a high frustration level about the state of affairs.

I’m thinking of chasing a little white ball around for awhile and deal with those frustrations until things settle down and I can get back to shooting. At least I can hit something to take out some frustration. I’m going to the local gun store at lunch and see if a shipment of primers have arrived. But this is the pits…

 

[308crosshairs]

Re: I’m tired of chasing my tail!



Your not alone, I'm finding them (powder/primers) hard to find as well.

 

[bohem]

Re: I’m tired of chasing my tail!

Why not switch primer brands to something less difficult to find and to a powder you can easily buy in bulk?

I've decided to shoot CCI primers and surplus powder for financial reasons, when I did that I bought 20k primers and about 100# of powder. My rifles will be worn out before I make it through all of those supplies. Maybe by then I'll be ready to sell my motorcycles and start golfing.

 

[Bacarrat]

Re: I’m tired of chasing my tail!

http://www.wideners.com/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=8481&dir=278|284|737

95K primers in stock

 

[tlfw]

Re: I’m tired of chasing my tail!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Bacarrat</div><div class="ubbcode-body">http://www.wideners.com/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=8481&dir=278|284|737

95K primers in stock </div></div>

Dude! Are you serious? I just went to Wideners...95% primers sold out! If not for shotgun and pistol...they would have only Wolf large rifle magnum. That is it. Not CCI, not Fed., not Rem., not Win. In the last hour, did I miss the opportunity? I am slow.

I'll shoot any large rifle, and small rifle primers...I'm not picky...I'll keep looking.

 

[Bacarrat]

Re: I’m tired of chasing my tail!

The Wolf magnum primers are just like the normal primers but with a harder cup. And yes, they are very good primers. Plenty of winning match shooters have switched over to the Wolfs. Some say they are more consistant then the Federal 210Ms.

 

[tlfw]

Re: I’m tired of chasing my tail!

I'll shoot wolf primers...but I need them for large rifle (243AI), and small rifle (223AI rifles). I didn't think I could use Large Magnum Rifle primers in those cartridges.

 

[Bacarrat]

Re: I’m tired of chasing my tail!

Large rifle is large rifle, magnum or not. There are only 2 size primers. It is even possible to use large pistol primers in a large magnum rifle round. You have have to work up the load for it. Same goes for small primers.

 

[tlfw]

Re: I’m tired of chasing my tail!

Good to know. Thanks. Pistol primers of all kinds is what I can find local...nothing else. It isn't because it doesn't come it. It is because it doesn't even make it on the shelf as it is sold before the truck arrives...

 

[Bacarrat]

Re: I’m tired of chasing my tail!

Yeah so, did you place the order for 10K primers? lol

Hoard all you can right now, everything is getting hard to find. I was planning on making a large powder order for about 3 or 4 different types of powders but I can only find 1 type right now. But at least I have pretty much a lifetime supply of primers on hand... and I want more!

 

[kombayotch]

Re: I’m tired of chasing my tail!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: tlfw</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I'll shoot wolf primers...but I need them for large rifle (243AI), and small rifle (223AI rifles). I didn't think I could use Large Magnum Rifle primers in those cartridges. </div></div>

Quite often magnum primers improve performance in non-magnum calibers:
http://www.the-long-family.com/primer_study.htm

I've been getting some good results with them in 308 Win.

 

[buffybuster]

Re: I’m tired of chasing my tail!

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Bacarrat</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> There are only 2 size primers. It is even possible to use large pistol primers in a large magnum rifle round. You have have to work up the load for it. Same goes for small primers. </div></div>

That's not 100% accurate. There are only two diameters of Boxer primers, Large and Small, that is true. But there is a difference in the Height of the Large Rifle and Large Pistol primers. The Large Rifle primer is taller than the Large Pistol version. As a result, a Large Pistol primer seated in a Large Rifle pocket will go deeper which could result in misfires and/or greater flattening of the primer upon firing. Also the cup material is not as thick on the Large Pistol and will not hold as much pressure as the Large Rifle. Of greater concern is seating a Large Rifle primer in a Large Pistol pocket. This could cause the primer to sit proud, above the casehead. If such cartridges were loaded in a heavy recoiling revolver, the proud primers might come back with enough force and hit the recoil shield of the revolver to ignite....... That would be BAD.

Small Rifle and Small Pistol primers are identical in dimension. Often IPSC shooters will use Small Rifle primers in pistol cartridges when pushing pressures. But rifles primers generally have thicker cups and thus require a heavier mainspring for complete reliablity.

 

[tlfw]

Re: I’m tired of chasing my tail!

Not yet. I have a few CCI 250s. I honestly never thought of using them in the non-mag. case. Golf may have to be put on the back burner...

 

[former naval person]

Re: I’m tired of chasing my tail!

Go Wolf. Fine results. Get a lot. Putin may cut that source off too.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Re: I’m tired of chasing my tail!

As long as folks insist on hedge buying, stockpiling, and panic based strategies, any low-hanging fruit is in jeopardy. The situation is the consequence of combining an uncertain future with insecure buyers.

I can't tell you when such things will be more available, but all indications appear to indicate that production has continued unabated. The situation is currently totally at the mercy of your fellow shooters, and probably reflects more panic than wisdom.

I've redeveloped (slightly) my basic loads to work with non-match primers, and have found a slight improvement in accuracy, probably more due to the redevelopment than anything else. These are unusual times, and such times dictate unusual solutions.

I don't believe in stockpiling, but I have always done my component purchasing on an annual basis during the offseason, roughly right about now. I have what I expect I'll need for the season, same as last year, and don't contemplate further purchasing under the current market conditions.

It wasn't as easy this year, I'll grant, and it involved enlisting the aid of some some very decent members here at The 'Hide to help me find the articles in question. You know who you are and I'm seriously grateful for your help.

All I can suggest is for the rest of us to calm down and give the other guy a little consideration before we glom onto everything in sight.

If somebody had intended to divide us and conquer us, they couldn't have hoped for better results than we're seeing right now.

Greg

 

[gunman_7]

Re: I’m tired of chasing my tail!

People may be hording right now, but when the pendulum swings, there will be lots of primers out there that won't move, hopefully driving the price down...

 

[CowboyBart]

Re: I’m tired of chasing my tail!

Primers are the weak link in the reloading system. When primers go away - reloading goes away.
I bulked up about 6 years ago. My supplies aren't that low yet, but I feel your pain. I am amazed at the prices now. 6 years ago powder was $12/lb, primers were $13/1000 and bullets were $12-$15/100. Guess those days are GONE. Seems just about everything has doubled - except my paycheck.

 

[blackblue]

Re: I’m tired of chasing my tail!

And once the supply levels back out the prices will stay up.

 

[ATLRoach]

Re: I’m tired of chasing my tail!

A shop near my house has BR2s for 54.00 a box. Prices are retarded!

 

[bohem]

Re: I’m tired of chasing my tail!

"Any Shot you Want" by the A-Square company has the chemical composition and a little bit of a description as to how the primers and priming compound is made.

Cup stamping dies and chemicals aren't that hard to make or aquire. Considering the amount of chemical in a primer it's very possible that a 1-lb supply of compound will last for 100k primers.

Sure it takes work, but if there's no way to get primers there is an option.

Another option that I've made work, and this was just a curiosity more than anything, was to use 22cal blanks from Home Depot (the nail driving ones) and modified Berdan primed cases to prime full bore 7.62x54R rounds.

PITA to make 100 cases setup for this, but it's better than no shooting at all right?