Just a meandering mind this morning

[skeet]

Been a thinkin of lots of things..So here goes what I can remember. I am a reloader of more than 50 calibers of metallic rounds plus 5 shotshell. Y'all know supplies are really at a low supply if you follow that part of shooting. Now I do know there are 50% more people that have gotten into the reloading market..maybe not in a big way...but. Would that make reloading items to be in such short supply? Not a real conspiracy theorist but powder is nigh on impossible to find..at least the powders most of us truly need. The other day I traded a friend a pound of IMR 7828 SSC for a pound of RL 22. I haven't gotten a pound of 22 in more than a year and a half. It is a good powder fotr some of my calibers..So is Retumbo..but nada on it also. A friend in the industry that works for Hodgdon told me they are shipping powders at unprecedented rates. My reply to him was..well it ain't showing up on dealers shelves or even at the wholesalers. So where do y'all think this stuff is going. Same with ammo etc. Many bullets are impossible to find for reloading too. So...even though I am not into conspiracys..the reloading shooting industry is about a 60 billion dollar influx of cash into the economy. And since 60 Billion isd not a large number to our government..and since it is our money anyway..could the gummit be buying up a large share of all these supplies?? Crazy thought?? Without ammo..our firearms will be worthless...especially if we have any major insurrection in this country.

Now for another thing. I have been told that the BATF has made a rule that there must be a multiple purchase notification made if you buy more than one gun per day..not a state rule guys..Federal. Is this true?? If anyone knows..please post some type of link or whatever to the Fed rule.

Next.. I am selling a kinda rare shotgun and am thinking of using up to 20 grand or so on an African plains game hunt. Maybe shoot as many as 10 critters. Does anyone here have any suggestions on where to go what to hunt and maybe even what outfitter to get in touch with??. This does come with an after trip cost though..Imelda..my wife wants to spend the same on shoes or clothes or cruises or whatever.. And I guess I am going to be required to (gag) shop with her or something..hold the bags(wow..what a play on words). That is just a small portion of what flitted through the 4 or 5 brain cell synapses this morning. And being I have oldtimers...I probably can't remember the rest now.

Now I'm gonna get ready to go yard sale-ing. Maybe I can find a cheap smoker. I gotta try some of that sausage Rancid posted about. I think I rtemembered something about that.. Maybe find a gun??

[Adam Helmer]

skeet,

I am older than you, but surely no wiser and don't know all the answers. I do not know where all the reloading components are going. Surely there is no overseas market because reloading and guns are restricted over there more than here. I am not a "Conspiratorist", but if the Gummint is buying up the components with dollar bills they "print out of thin air", they may be dumping the stuff at sea or burning what will burn. I dunno.

As for an African trip, my first choice would be South Africa because that seems to be a stable government and has rule of law. In Kenya, Nigeria and other African states, there is much "rumbling" by various militant groups and an American is not well-liked as far as I can determine.

Maybe you better go shopping instead. Just sayin'.

Adam

[Jack]

I suppose I am a contrarian. . .
" .well it ain't showing up on dealers shelves or even at the wholesalers. . . "
Actually, it IS showing up at dealers - but not for long!. Among the on line powder retailers that feature low prices, powders appear for a matter of hours before the supply is bought up.
At another on line retailer that charges a good bit more than others, a lot of powders are in stock. . .Hmmmmmm.
There are more people reloading, no doubt, and that's a good thing for our sport.
I think 2 things are going on - (1) hoarding. People stock up on powders fearing they won't be able to get any if the current administration bans firearms, etc. The same thing happened during the Clinton administration.
The 2nd thing that's going on, I believe, is: some less than scrupulous folks buy up all the stuff they can at the low price dealers and resell it.
Why else would a higher price powder dealer have so much more powder than anyone else in stock?
BTW, Skeet, as I write this, Reloder 22 is in stock at one wholesaler- just not at a cheap price.
Powder is scarce, for sure, but it IS out there. Check with the local gunshops and on line suppliers. It's not there all the time, but it is there.

[Dan Morris]

I didn't buy my stuff to hoard, guy went out of business and I bought what 2 kids and myself were using. Well, kids lost interest and the ole man only goes to range about once a month. Properly stored, I'm good for a long while. Get sticker shock when I go to a show.
Dan

[skeet]

Jack..I know of what you say..and as I even stated there are more people reloading..but.. I have 4 good wholesalers who actually let me have what they get as often as They do get it..but.They truly are not getting it like they did 2 or 3 years ago. One is a full line wholesale company of the reloading items. There are less wholesale places..less dealers more reloaders and seriously less stock available. And people will not buy from people who price gouge usually. except for maybe Cabela's and that is why those places do have a small stock of many powders. But with less wholesale dealers..there should be more items sent to them..it just is not happening. This is my business and has been since the mid 1960s. There is something fundamentally wrong..and no way to figure it out?? I'd love to be a contrarian. Maybe I am just not trusting of the government we have ..Yep..must be it!!