I don't think there is another way, than convincing bullet, primer, powder and ammunition manufacturers to spill their collective guts. I don't care. But, for the sake of curiosity, I have no interest in screwing with George's calculator; as you know, figures lie and liars figure. But, I suspect there are a higher percentage of shooters in Wyoming than California. Where I live in suburbia, I doubt 1% shoot anything, more hit golf and tennis balls. It's hard to believe our sport is growing, but it must be?
Still, it's hard to believe that "they" can't keep up with demand? The rumors of homeland security or other agencies buying up everything in sight seem reasonable, along with secret prisons in Montana, etc. This shortage has been going on for far too long. I'm reasonably sure hoarding is responsible for a lot of it. This is a true story: In my reloading room, I had a shelf fall down, screws pulled out of the wall. Fortunately, it was mostly bullets, but they are heavy. I replaced the shelf with oak, one inch thick, well reinforced, but there you are. Apparently I have more stuff than ever before, and some of those boxes weren't taped shut! BB