Is Australia heading for an AMMO/Reloading shortage?

[JimTom]

I’ve been trying to get some 158gn too mate. No chance.

https://www.rebelgunworks.com.au/collec ... 38-cal-357

They have online inventory so you can see what's in stock, still quite a few options for powder coated, not so many for copper jackets

Thanks mate, was after the JSP. Mind you the HP will suffice.

[wanneroo]

Well I finally saw primers on the shelf in a gun store, a variety of Federal and CCI primers, but $10 US$ for 100. A bit pricey. But at least primers are being produced again for the reloading market.

[Larry]

LR primers are selling for about $102/1000 AUD so about $76 USD. A lot of the other primers are out of stock in any small qty. It is luckydip if the small shops have any.

[Blr243]

Shame on me for bringing this topic back to life. .....I just called into SHOOTERS DELIGHT gun shop on the way home from work in Brissy. There are oodles of primers in stock Winchester Fiocchi and CCI .....call to b sure before you do the drive , I don’t want anyone giving me a hard time

[Oldbloke]

Last week, asked at the LGS. AR2208 $135 for 1kg

[rc42]

Shooters Delight have an excellent online inventory system so you can see what they have in stock and order it before you set off, you do have to pay when ordering but your purchases will be put aside for you to collect.

They have lots of large pistol primers and a few small pistol magnum primers, good supplies of rifle and shotshell primers though.

https://shootersdelight.com.au/product- ... in-stock=1

[Noisydad]

I have a mate in the US who warned me this was coming 18 months ago and I got prepared with powder and primers early. Seeing as I have a nearly inexhaustible supply of lead to cast my own bullets, (I haven’t bought a bullet in 10 years) I’ll be easily right for at least 3 years.
BTW, contact me if you need mold handles.

[rc42]

This topic was actually started 18 months ago too, the warnings to stock up have been loud and clear and most people on these forums do seem to have stocked up to the limits of their budgets. Unfortunately, there are some here and many people in clubs that heard the warnings but ignored them, their reloading supplies are dwindling and whilst there is still factory ammo available for them the choices are reducing and prices increasing.

There is currently no end in sight for the primer and especially pistol powder shortage, if we do get imports in a year or so they will likely all be allocated to back orders, it could be another 2 to 5 years before shelves are stocked again.

This is also part of a massive global supply chain issue, more and more items are going to be disappearing from stores over the next year or more but we can't stock up on everything. We certainly haven't seen the worst yet.

[wanneroo]

Well one good thing is an investment group just bought an old US Army ammo manufacturing plant outside Texarkana, Texas and is hiring 400 people. Their main product they are producing first is PRIMERS, so good news there.

Also Vista Outdoors has the Remington plant back up to speed producing all sorts of stuff, so that is good.

Primers are back on the shelves here in the USA in some gun stores but the prices are high.

I went around to a variety of gun stores recently from local shops to big box stores and Christmas must have cleaned out a lot of guns, lots of open space on the gun shelf. One thing I notice is there is tons of expensive 223/5.56 on the shelf as well as 9mm. 9mm is now falling in price, I saw it at $17 a box at one store. When Trump was in office it was $8-$10 a box. A lot of the more niche cartridges are simply not available at all. There is some powder available but not a big variety. Bullets are available but not in big varieties. However online there is more selection and even some sales on bullets.

I agree with rc42, we are a long way away from any sort of normalcy. A lot of the bureaucratic pinheads in government just thought you could disrupt and shut down business for 2 years, inject tons of fiat money stimulus, displace and disrupt the work force and that when they wanted they'd just flip a switch and everything would be back to normal tomorrow with no inflation or supply chain issues. Dumb.

Fortunately I have adequate supplies of factory or already reloaded ammo plus I bought many thousands of cheap primers and bullets back a few years ago. Glad I did. I can get through the Biden administration without too many problems.

[JimTom]

Finding AR2205 still as rare as the proverbial rocking horse poo.

[Blr243]

Little bit of 2205 sitting in my cupboard , in October when I travel north Jim tom u are welcome to it. Can’t remember what caliber I used it for

[rc42]

Finding AR2205 still as rare as the proverbial rocking horse poo.

ADI have suggested that they might make a batch of 2205 later this year so stores might be re-stocked late this year or early next year. Equivalent imported powders from Alliant are apparently due sometime next year.

Also, be mindful that it is unlawful for licensed shooters to sell or even give away propellant powders in QLD.

What are you reloading with 2205?

[wrenchman]

ammo and primers are starting to show up on the shelfs running on the hi side but that is to be expected inflation is pushing some of the prices and the fact that it is just showing up on the shelfs i picked up some 9mm last week

[JimTom]

Finding AR2205 still as rare as the proverbial rocking horse poo.

ADI have suggested that they might make a batch of 2205 later this year so stores might be re-stocked late this year or early next year. Equivalent imported powders from Alliant are apparently due sometime next year.

Also, be mindful that it is unlawful for licensed shooters to sell or even give away propellant powders in QLD.

What are you reloading with 2205?

Mate I use it for the 300AAC and 357 Mag.

[JimTom]

Little bit of 2205 sitting in my cupboard , in October when I travel north Jim tom u are welcome to it. Can’t remember what caliber I used it for

Thank you mate, very generous offer.

[rc42]

Mate I use it for the 300AAC and 357 Mag.

I've loaded some very usable loads of 357 Mag using ADI AR2207 which is a little slower than 2205 but is the fastest powder currently available in Australia. For a given 2205 load it takes about 20% more 2207 by weight to get similar results but obviously it's better suited to longer barrels.

I use a 16gn 2207 load with magnum primer and a 180gn powder coated lead projectile in my 357 silhouette loads, they work very well through a 10" TC barrel but leave a noticeable amount of unburned powder with a shorter 6" barrel in a 686 revolver.

2207 is actually a listed powder for 300 Blackout for heavier projectiles and would likely still be very usable for the lighter ones if you can fit enough into the case.


It's a tough fact right now that if our stocks of our usual powder run out we will have to develop new loads using less than ideal slower powders.

[JimTom]

Mate I use it for the 300AAC and 357 Mag.

I've loaded some very usable loads of 357 Mag using ADI AR2207 which is a little slower than 2205 but is the fastest powder currently available in Australia. For a given 2205 load it takes about 20% more 2207 by weight to get similar results but obviously it's better suited to longer barrels.

I use a 16gn 2207 load with magnum primer and a 180gn powder coated lead projectile in my 357 silhouette loads, they work very well through a 10" TC barrel but leave a noticeable amount of unburned powder with a shorter 6" barrel in a 686 revolver.

2207 is actually a listed powder for 300 Blackout for heavier projectiles and would likely still be very usable for the lighter ones if you can fit enough into the case.


It's a tough fact right now that if our stocks of our usual powder run out we will have to develop new loads using less than ideal slower powders.

Ahhhh, thanks mate, I have been discussing the use of 2207 in the 357 Mag and have come to the conclusion that it could be achieved with heavier projectiles. Good to hear that someone else has actually tried it and succeeded.
Mine are for a lever gun also so will hopefully alleviate the unburned powder issues.

[JimTom]

2207 is actually a listed powder for 300 Blackout for heavier projectiles and would likely still be very usable for the lighter ones if you can fit enough into the case.


It's a tough fact right now that if our stocks of our usual powder run out we will have to develop new loads using less than ideal slower powders.

I did notice that 2207 has appeared in the loading tables for 300AAC. Handy to have an alternative.

[Blr243]

It’s frustrating to here Alliant will be turning up sometime in 2023

[JimTom]

It’s frustrating to here Alliant will be turning up sometime in 2023

Very frustrating to say the least mate. I did hear today that a few shipping containers were on their way however you’d never know what to bloody believe.

[wanneroo]

In Australia can you get a hold of Winchester 296, H110, IMR 4227, Lil Gun?

All work well in 300 Blackout for lighter bullets.

CFE BLK can be made to work but it certainly prefers lighter bullets.

Vihtavouri N110 apparently works well too. At some point in the spring I am visiting a big wholesaler in my state who stocks Vihtavouri and I am going to try to get some.

I think there are also some Norma powders and some from a company I believe is called Lovex in Czech Republic that will also work.

[Blr243]

We used to be able to get 296 and Lil gun , not sure about the others. Now we struggle get even our own locally produced adi powders

[JimTom]

In Australia can you get a hold of Winchester 296, H110, IMR 4227, Lil Gun?

All work well in 300 Blackout for lighter bullets.

CFE BLK can be made to work but it certainly prefers lighter bullets.

Vihtavouri N110 apparently works well too. At some point in the spring I am visiting a big wholesaler in my state who stocks Vihtavouri and I am going to try to get some.

I think there are also some Norma powders and some from a company I believe is called Lovex in Czech Republic that will also work.

Win powders no longer being imported here mate unfortunately. Pity as 296 works an absolute treat.

[JimTom]

I have one tin of 296 and a little bit of 748 left, then no more Winchester powders unfortunately.

[wanneroo]

H110 and W296 are exactly the same says Hodgdon, so hopefully you can get some H110 soon.

[rc42]

In Australia the only powder import is from Alliant (next shipment apparently due in 2023) and the only domestic source is ADI who are now only making rifle powders (for the consumer markets anyway).

The future is looking bleak for pistol/shotgun reloading and as more shooters run out of powder (and primers) the pressure will increase on the factory ammo stocks and they too will likely soar up in price and then disappear from shelves.

[bigrich]

In Australia the only powder import is from Alliant (next shipment apparently due in 2023) and the only domestic source is ADI who are now only making rifle powders (for the consumer markets anyway).

The future is looking bleak for pistol/shotgun reloading and as more shooters run out of powder (and primers) the pressure will increase on the factory ammo stocks and they too will likely soar up in price and then disappear from shelves.

and i'm betting someone is making lots of $ out of the current situation . also , i wonder how much ammo manufacturing in the world is being switched to military supply cause of the ukraine situation

[Bugman]

Yes. A bleak situation for us pistol people. I have cut back on my shoots and currently just concentrating on completing my regulation club shoots to satisfy the powers that be.

[Oldbloke]

In Australia the only powder import is from Alliant (next shipment apparently due in 2023) and the only domestic source is ADI who are now only making rifle powders (for the consumer markets anyway).

The future is looking bleak for pistol/shotgun reloading and as more shooters run out of powder (and primers) the pressure will increase on the factory ammo stocks and they too will likely soar up in price and then disappear from shelves.

and i'm betting someone is making lots of $ out of the current situation . also , i wonder how much ammo manufacturing in the world is being switched to military supply cause of the ukraine situation

I reckon truck loads for the last 2 years.

[wanneroo]

The US has been flying in millions of rounds a day into Ukraine for the past month.

One thing that will happen, especially if Russia gets disconnected from SWIFT, is that Russian ammo exports to the world commercial markets will stop. In the US for instance, that is a significant part of the US ammo supply on shelves for target shooters and plinkers.

Also if this thing evolves more, then I would expect more of a squeeze.