How to deal with ammo shortages

The recent and persistent ammo shortage has been a problem. Here’s how to keep shooting, even when supplies are down.This article is from Gun Digest 2022, 76th Edition, available at GunDigestStore.com.The battles between the Texas Rangers and 19th century Comanches illustrate our current conundrum over ammo shortages. We might learn something from their battles. The Comanche ruled West Texas for 150 centuries and prevented “civilization” by using its guns, steel, and wheels. They beat up U.S., Mexican, and Texas military units that were sent to punish them. (And we are not talking about flintlock rifleloaders. We are talking about a combination of caplock muzzleloaders with brass cartridge buffalo rifles. It is a combination blitzkrieg-like fire and high volume fire. The Comanche were horsemen who swept across Asia to establish the largest contiguous empire that the world has ever seen. Although the Comanche’s empire is small, they were still highly skilled horse warriors. A Comanche warrior who was fully trained could ride full speed while firing multiple arrows per second at troops who had the need to dismount to fire or reload their rifles. While a soldier was reloading or riding behind his horse, his adversary was riding down upon him. Only after Texas Rangers found Samuel Colt’s revolvers, and combined them with Comanche style horseback counter attacks, did the tide turn. It turned out that a competent horseman using a pair six-shooters defeated a similarly skilled horseman using a bow. It shows our dependence, not the independence of the Comanche. Like the Rangers, we are dependent on a complex supply chain that spans the globe. The Comanche could, on the contrary, withdraw deep into the backcountry to rebuild their arsenal of spears and other arrows and then be back in action. Endless. Modern Ammo Shortage. Trying to find ammunition for modern rifles in recent months has made it feel like a Texas Ranger west from the Pecos with an empty ammo bag. Where can I get more? How can I get more? How can I get more? But is that possible? What can shooters do to stay active if they don’t want to revert to bows or arrows? A combination of low ammunition supplies and rising base material costs, panic buying, increased demand and hoarding, as well as our increasingly chaotic times, could lead to ammunition shortages becoming chronic. Here are ten options. This is not the best option, but it is a viable last-ditch effort. If I was down to my last 20 rounds 270 Winchester, I wouldn’t be using them on targets before the deer season. Order the next shipment if Mother Hubbard’s shelves become empty. This can be done at all local retail stores and online. You never know who will be there. Send a mass email to your friends. Many retired hunters may have surplus ammo that they are willing to let go. Widows especially need to get rid of the guns and ammunition of their loved ones. Estate and garage sales are great options. You never know what you might discover. Buy in bulk. Buy in bulk, obviously. This is how to load. You will still need to purchase brass, primers and powder, but once you have these supplies you can create all sorts of ammo. Find out more! Many people have noticed that after all the 223 Rem. and 6.5 Creedmoor cartridges are gone, there is still a few 308 Win. Some boxes of 250 Savage or 280 Remington, 338 Federal, and a few others linger. This cuts both ways. Ammo manufacturers build 223 and 6.5 Creedmoor first when they are trying to meet demand. If they aren’t too busy making 9mms, you can sell all your guns and keep one all around, do-everything gun. You’ll be able to learn the gun inside and out, not waste ammunition, and stock up on many cases. You’ll be a deadly accurate shooter, with only one gun that you know how to use. But, owning only one gun is less fun and more restrictive. Although I don’t like hunting squirrels with a 7mm-808, I have built loads that can. You’re out of options if you suddenly find that there is no ammo for this particular rifle. I would rather have a 22 rimfire or 17 rimfire, 22 centrefire, or three of the following calibers: 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30, and continue on. You’re bound to find a cartridge for one of these! Shop early and often. Planning ahead is key to surviving our frequent ammo shortages. Unfortunately, this “ahead” is already behind me as I write this. This is not an option if you haven’t filled your armory within the last 12 months. Rural folks have been proud to get 20 deer with a 20-round ammo box. This has been a badge of honour for decades. The more extravagant will need 40 ammo because they like to zero the deer the day before opening. If you have to shoot less often, it might be sufficient for the more conservative hunters. However, most shooters love using their guns too much that they would rather let them sit in safety for 360 days a year. They may also be short on time and money. Dry firing is the best way to keep your shooting skills sharp during price increases and shortages. Seriously. Seriously. Pre-visualization combined with “going through all the motions” works well in all sports. It is especially useful in shooting, as the shooter can move through each step of the operation except recoil. Consider what you do during a “dry run”. The unloaded rifle is carried over your shoulder. Imagine a buck appearing in the far corner. How can you quickly and smoothly get the rifle on target, align it with the front post/reticle on its shoulder, and then drop the firing pin? Then you hear that “click” sound. Where was the sight? Are you still on the target? Are you still on the target? It can be very eye-opening to see your sight picture when the hammer hits. How did that reticle end-up high and left? Champion competitors dry fire frequently and often. Dry firing like this improves trigger technique and muscle memory. They can do it every day for free. There is no need to travel to the range. No burning up ammo stocks. There is a significant improvement in handling, target acquisition and trigger control. Follow through is also improved. I have yet to meet a shooter who doesn’t improve in handling, target acquisition, trigger control, follow through, and firing. However dry firing can help you improve your skills but at some point you need to see hits on targets. This requires you to buy in bulk when you can afford it. There is bulk to buy. This is a costly option for most people, but if you try to find a few boxes of your favorite loads at a time when the stores are empty and scalpers have increased prices by 100%, it can be very expensive. Although it may seem too late, you can start saving for tomorrow. This could be similar to starting a piggybank for your new scope or rifle. Except that it’s just a few cases of ammo. You can stop drinking sodas, coffee, and other beverages, and you will soon have enough cash to buy hundreds of cartridges. Be aware of how quickly things can change. A few years ago, you could find a lot of bullets in larger retail stores. Every shooter, even the most seasoned, knows that he/she must identify which bullet is required for a particular rifle and which brand of ammo will shoot it accurately. After you are satisfied with your sample, you can make a bulk purchase. You can also be like the shooters I know. They find a stack in a chamber they don’t have, but the ammo, so they search for a rifle to shoot it. The super cautious might insist that they bulk buy ammo from the same lot, lest the manufacturer change his recipe. It is difficult to get the test box completed in time to be able to pick up the same lot at the store or online. It is not possible to request specific lots by number from online retailers. However, if you are picky, it may be worth a try. Grab all the ammunition you need for the next year or for the rest of your life. This can increase hoarding. But you can also look at it this way: If hoarders today had stocked up three, 10, or 20 years ago, they wouldn’t be cleaning out their shelves now. Stocking up for the cautious hunter who hunts one deer per year might require two boxes or three. A case for serious shooters who hunt extensively and practice more often might be sufficient. Be honest about your shooting. Don’t worry about running out of ammunition. You never know when they might be worth more than they are now. It is durable, stable, long-lasting, and easily stored. It should be kept at room temperature or in a cool, dry place. Placing it in plastic bags reduces brass oxidation. Spread it in two to three locations as a buffer against theft, fire, flood, and fire. A lock and key is a great idea. But the best way to keep a large stock of munitions fresh, is to shoot from the rear of the pile. You can stack up your bulk supply and then, when you run out of a box, purchase replacements as soon the stock becomes available. Restock your stock and shoot your next round from the old stack. This program maintains a consistent supply of “hard times” ammo while maintaining longevity.Hedge Your Bets HandloadingHandloaders have long gloated in times of ammo shortages. No problem. I can do more. DIY has become more difficult. Loaded ammo is scarcer than powder, bullets, or primers. Everyone is sold out of everything.Quantities of reloading components that once seemed like more than enough start to look relatively thin when retailers put replacements on years-long back-order.This throws the reloader into the same hopper as the factory ammo shooter. You need to stock up and buy ahead. Components are as durable and reliable as fully loaded ammunition. Bullets and brass are not susceptible to corrosion. They may tarnish but that’s cosmetic and can be polished off. Primers can be as durable as powder if stored in the same way. Let’s now get into powder maintenance. Powder can last for decades if kept dry and cool. But it doesn’t remain viable indefinitely.According to Hodgdon, a major powder manufacturer, remnant acids used in the making of smokeless powder break down the main ingredient, nitrocellulose. If this is not addressed, it can lead to self-ignition. Ka-boom can be stored. Stabilizing chemicals are used to prevent this. These chemicals react with the acids to slow down their decomposition. The stabilizers eventually become inedible and the acids begin to decompose. Avoid basements, outbuildings, hot barns, and dank attics. New powder canisters that have not been opened should last for decades without any degradation. You won’t need to open canisters that have been opened. However, keep the lids closed and avoid opening them in high humidity. The moisture doesn’t actually degrade the powder, but it can make it weaker by increasing its moisture content. It can be dried to recover its potential. If you shake a can, any rusty fumes or vapours will rise from it. Advanced degradation. The powder may also be stained red or rusty. It will still ignite but it will not retain its original potency or consistency in terms of burning rate. It is more likely that you will detect an acidic smell from the degrading powder. Some people say it smells like vinegar while others describe it as ammonia or muriatic acids. Fresh powder has a chemical, metallic odor too, of course, so if you have fresh to compare against old, you’ll have a benchmark.Deteriorated powder is probably no more dangerous than fresh, but its inconsistency could give rise to pressure spikes. Or lower. You should see weaker handloads if there is a sub-par powder decline. Do you notice a drop in the muzzle velocity of your latest handloads compared to previous levels made with the same powder? If so, suspect powder deterioration. Maybe. For decades, it has been a common practice to sprinkle old gun powder onto lawns and gardens, and then water it in as fertilizer. Nitro-cellulose contains nitrates. The cellulose is usually made from wood. All organic! Some people are concerned about the presence of paraffin waxes and deterrent chemicals such as dinitrotoluene (carcinogenic), as well as traces of ethyl Acetate (carcinogenic). It might be easier to sprinkle the grass and water it in. Estate and garage sales often include ammunition, cases, and loaded ammunition. You can grab it. Burning is an alternative to fertilizing. You can safely burn smokeless powder. It is not an explosive that explodes but deflagrates. It burns. Because the solid becomes a gas through heat conversion, the barrels can be kept tightly closed to prevent the solid from expanding. This high pressure gas escapes from the muzzle and creates the loud explosion. It’s a glorified balloon pop. However, out in the open, a line made of smokeless powder burns hotter and more frequently. Spread it in a thin line away from flammable materials (a driveway works great) and light one end. Multiple rifles with multiple chamberings. It is easy to store a large supply of just one or two cartridges, but it is better to keep at least some of them fed by storing many. You can still find some 308 Winchester, 223 Remington and 6.5 Creedmoor cartridges if you run out of ammo. The more wagons you have, you have a greater chance of finding fuel to keep at least one of them running. Who wants to limit his hunting and shooting to a 30-06? You’ll need several rifles and cartridges if you shoot gongs at extreme ranges, whitetails in heavy forests, feral hogs in large quantities, Cape buffalo occasionally, or sheep across a large mountain basin. Don’t let fear of ammo shortages limit your collection. You can get the rifles that you want or need for the shooting style you prefer, and then you can keep up with your ammo requirements as described above. The options are limited. you’re more likely to find something you can shoot if you have more options.Say, is that a box of 257 Roberts I see on that shelf?Editor’s Note: This article is from Gun Digest 2022, 76th Edition, available at GunDigestStore.com.Raise Your Ammo IQ:NEXT STEP: Download Your Free Storm Tactical Printable Target Pack 62 Printable MOA Targets with DOT Drills – Rifle Range in YARDS This impressive target pack from our friends at Storm Tactical contains 62 printable targets for rifle and handgun range use. Target grids and bullseye sizes can be found in MOA. Perfect for long-range shooting! Get free targets