Shortages of round balls and caps

[Walks with fire]

I don't think it will ever be easy to get supplies such as caps, powder and ball again. The cost of such supplies will continue to go up in price while they are available.

Lead will most likely be banned from use eventually. Powder will be hard to get and heavily regulated sending the price higher. If you use a flint I would get a few now while they can be had easily; price will never be any cheaper in my opinion. Better yet learn to knapp if you have raw material. Learn to cast ball and maybe even learn to make your own powder.

I just think that a large portion of our population does not want firearms to exist in any form and as long as there are criminals, wackos and other assorted idiots doing crime and mayhem with firearms we will have problem with regulation, availability, and price on the components of our sport.

I dearly love to hunt with a flintlock rifle in our PA special deer season. I don't shoot alot so I don't need a large cache of supply but I worry that all hunting and firearm ownership is being systematically dismantaled.

We have a saying at work. It is what it is. Gather up a small suppy of things but don't flip over into a hoard and drive price even higher.

Good luck to all.

 

[diana]

Any body in Indiana able to buy scrap lead from a scrap dealer?

 

[Billnpatti]

I used to live in Seymour, IN and I was able to buy lead from a scrap dealer in Hayden. Hayden is just east of Seymour on the road to North Vernon. I can't for the life of me remember the name of the place but they have a sign out on the road. If you don't see it, just stop at the little restaurant there in Hayden and ask.

I looked it up. Here it is:

Franklin Surplus
320 S County Road 750 W
North Vernon, IN 47265
(812) 346-4266

 

[PaulN/KS]

Caps have been hit or miss over the years so I have gotten them when I can. I also have flintlocks so I have kept a good supply of flints on hand as well.
Balls and lead with the proper molds are also in good supply and properly stowed.
I wasn't a very good Boy Scout but the "Be Prepared" part sunk in good... :wink:

 

[BrownBear]

There's a whole lot of greed and speculation at work. In local sports shops here and in Washington I overheard some guys picking up all the caps and balls on display. They were laughing because they didn't even shoot muzzleloaders! Their point was that they could make money on them selling them to folks who do shoot muzzleloaders.

There's a whole lot of that going on in the modern arm world too. I'm starting to see ads on sites selling 20, 30, even 40 boxes of "excess" pistol ammo at scalper prices. Same for bricks of 22 ammo. Just saw a local add for 3 bricks of 22 ammo for $190.

I refuse to get my panties in a bunch over shortages and fears intentionally created by scalpers in our midst. I want no part of those folks. Period.

 

[diana]

All the scrap dealers I have been to lately have told me they can't sell scape lead. Some regulation about being harmful to the environment.

 

[Bretwalda]

I am just curious :hmm: ...what state do you live in?

 

[Billnpatti]

Have you tried any of the roofing companies? They usually have scrap lead flashing.

 

[biliff]

Not seeing a shortage here (Portland) for muzzleloader supplies. Suppository stuff, yeah, the gougers are buying up any ammo that hits the store and then reselling at stupid prices, particularly rim fire.

We do have a couple of muzzleloader specialty stores in the area so maybe that's keeping the gougers at bay on the muzzleloader side of things.

 

[larry wv]

BB I was at a flea market a week or so ago and a fellow was trying to sell a 50 count box of .22 long rifle ammo for 25.00 A box. Sure would have liked to hear the brick price. :haha: Hope he didn't find a fool to buy it. Larry

 

[Billnpatti]

Good grief!!!! at $25/box, I have my retirement made. I have at least 2 ammo cans full of .22 rimfire ammo and another ammo can full of .17 HMR ammo. Am I rich or what? :thumbsup: :hatsoff:

 

[stone knife]

I bought 80 pounds of good soft lead just to make sure I don't run out of balls. I also ordered a batch of powder just in case that becomes scarce. Now I sure hope there isn't a scare on flints :grin:

 

[BrownBear]

...They were laughing because they didn't even shoot muzzleloaders! Their point was that they could make money on them selling them to folks who do shoot muzzleloaders....

The thing that leaks me off, these guys were doing it intentionally to create shortages. Their aim was to make money from the shortage they had created themselves. Lotta that going on in this "crisis."

Enough to make me a pure flintlocker out of principle. Here's hoping they have to dump their hoard someday at 10 cents on the dollar.

 

[Hawgeye]

I talked to the manager at the local Sportsmans Warehouse last week about this problem. They first tried reducing the amount of product available for purchase by a given customer. These guys would then buy their alloted amount, take it outside to their vehicle and return for a second and third trip. The store put a halt to that so now the hoarders get their friends together at the same time and are waiting for the door to open to buy what they can every Tuesday and Thursday morning when the shelves are restocked. :cursing:

 

[BrownBear]

Burn em. Refuse to buy the scalped products from individuals.

Sooner or later they'll cough the stuff back up at or below store prices, just to get rid of them.

 

[diana]

Northeastern Indiana.

 

[necchi]

so now the hoarders get their friends together at the same time and are waiting for the door to open

Well that's kinda right, but all it takes is "text" or "tweet" now-a-days.
Shelves clean out really fast here too, and it's very likely the employee's friends that get the stuff.
One minutes behind a aisle away from a Mgr with a preset message on a cell phone in the pocket is all it takes.

Sooner or later they'll cough the stuff back up at or below store prices, just to get rid of them.

Your right of course, but it'll be later,, much later before they dump it at cost.

 

[dbutch]

Had an odd experience after a late winter squirrel hunt.in a very small village-town at the local general store..wander through the outdoor area and noticed 3 boxes 10 tins each of CCI # 11 caps marked @ 1.62 a tin..opened up a tin and they were new..They were closing them out...Is this hording????? There is not that many cap shooters around here.....Lots of plastic wizz-bang shooters.

 

[necchi]

Good story.

 

[Bretwalda]

I am not certain how far you would have to drive to reach Ohio, but I recently by a significant quantity from a local scrap dealer at a very affordable price. :thumbsup: Send me a PM and we can talk...