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Brit ammo going the way of the Dodo
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Goosic View Drop Down
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    Posted: September 23 2021 at 11:00pm
Vinnym had made a comment in his post about 303 ammo being almost impossible to find. I decided to check it out for confirmation. I went to 10 websites including Midway,Midsouthshootersupply,Graf&Sons,and The Armory.  Nothing with everything on backorder or no longer available. The no longer available has me a tad worried. Yes, I reload and currently I have enough 303 ammo components to keep me above water for a few years but, what then? My thought process is that instead of taking away our guns, they are attempting to take away the ammunition. "The right to keep and bare arms" it does not say anything about ammunition and there is the loophole...
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I have not bought any commercial .303 in a long time, but, if they stop making .311 bullets and .303 cases I’ll be in trouble.  Not to mention that I still don’t see primers out there either. 
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I haven't had any issues (other than powder took quite a while to come in, H4895). Lots of primers in the store. Brass I ordered PPU and bullets are either Hornady or Sierra. I think 5.56, 9mm and 7.62x39 components will soon become "scarce" up here in Canada due to our PM's war on drug trade inspired gun violence by recent new Canadian citizens in our larger cities. But hey, punish everybody!
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You got that right, Honkytonk! Luckily, I have plenty of the calibers you mentioned in stock.
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Now I'm wooried as well.
I shoot commercial loads. Went to cabin this week & shot my 1916 BSA Parker/Hale sport.
Had enough .303 @ cabin & shot well. Came home to look @ what I had in locker & OH OH! Less than 1 full box.

After hearing all this I better hustle my bussel to get some..& quick!!
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Sniffing around for .303 hunting ammo..your right..seems to be a short list!

Anyone ever hear of HERTERS ammo? (I haven't)

Bass Pro seems to have it..but I'm skeptical of the price. Is it any good?
Loose wimmen tightened here
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Points: 4495 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Honkytonk Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 25 2021 at 5:27am
I had supper with my brother-in-law from Calgary last night. He's a competitive IPSC shooter, so he shoots alot. Him and his wife spend Winters in Arizona, where he also shoots. He says he has no problems getting reloading components up here, but does when he's down south. I asked him why he thought that is. He said "because this is Canada, not the US." That really surprised me as I always thought our friends down south led the world in freedoms in regards to firearms. What a changing world...
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The demand for commercial ammo in the US still outruns the supply.  Lots of reasons that has been the case for a while now.  

Reloading components are almost exclusively going to the manufacture of commercial loaded ammo which is why we see a shortage of primers, bullets, powder and cases.  Component manufacturers have been hesitant to spool up production because in the past, the demand has always fallen and high demand is cyclic.  This shortage has lasted longer than those I’ve seen in the past, and the manufacturing output is now beginning to catch up for the high demand calibers.  Once that settles down, I suspect you will begin to see availability again of less common calibers like .303. 

With the strict licensing regulations in Canada, I wouldn’t think demand can change so quickly as it does in the US. Anyone here can buy ammo at any time.  Firearms too. 
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To be honest I can remember the last time I shot factory ammo in any of my 303s. Sierra 180 grain soft points on moderate charge of Varget or 4895 works for me.  
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Herters was a good ammunition supplier for many years, & may still be.
Ok, that was what I feared, now its just a brand name, its actually re-branded S&B. S&B has a kind of spotty reputation, particularly for re-loaders.

"Manufactured by Sellier & Bellot in the Czech Republic and sold by Sidney, Neb.-based Cabela’s, Herter’s Select Grade Brass Case ammunition is an economical alternative to the traditional, cost-conscious “bread-and-butter” offerings. Available in most mainstream rifle and handgun chamberings, as the name suggest, the line features brass cases. Brass’ relative softness makes it “friendlier” than steel cases on critical firearm parts, such as extractors and ejectors, as well as offering reloadability."
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Originally posted by hoadie hoadie wrote:

Sniffing around for .303 hunting ammo..your right..seems to be a short list!

Anyone ever hear of HERTERS ammo? (I haven't)

Bass Pro seems to have it..but I'm skeptical of the price. Is it any good?
I have used Herters for decades. The 150grn in my opinion is better ballistically than the 180grn...
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Well, its all for naught any way.
Drove all the way over to Bass Pro to get the Herters they advertised...they have NOTHING!! Not a single box - of any brand - of .303.
Didn't have any 20 Ga either!

Now after reading bout Herters being S&B in different clothes, I don't want it any way(after that episode number years back with S&B)

So I went Cdn Tire.They had 2 boxes .303 on shelf. $74.99 for Remington(+tax) & $69.75 for Winchester(+tax). There is "taking advantage" then there is rape!!
So, the 2 boxes are still sitting in Cdn Tire.

I'm in Hamilton this week, I'll go to Al Simmons shop..bet I make out there ok
Loose wimmen tightened here
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Yikes, that’s expensive.  

I passed up a chance to buy 500 rounds of PPU for $500 a few weeks back.  I prefer my own handloads with 174 SMK.  I’m trying to cut back on shooting the No. 4, down to one match a month, 35 rounds.  No more practice.  Same for the M1 .30-06.  
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Lots and lots of new shooters, plus the old ones who didn't stack it deep when they had the chance, are buying up every last round of 5.56, .308, 9x19, etc the ammunition companies can produce. Until that market is saturated, most companies are not going to retool a machine for a relatively niche caliber like .303.

The upside to this run lasting so long is that it may convince ammunition companies that the market has permanently expanded, and that they should expand their production facilities to match. In previous shortages, they did not do this because they were concerned, rightfully, that when the demand dropped to normal levels they'd have been saddled with excess machines and employees.

I think we'll see .303 back on the shelves in a year or so in decent quantities. There are far more unique rounds than that available in times of "normal" demand; .30 Remington and .42 Berdan are two that I buy a box or two of every few years they are available. 
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I was thinking it may be possible to make a press to bump a .308 ogive up to .311 if they stop making them. However I don't see that happening just yet!
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Originally posted by hoadie hoadie wrote:

Well, its all for naught any way.
Drove all the way over to Bass Pro to get the Herters they advertised...they have NOTHING!! Not a single box - of any brand - of .303.
Didn't have any 20 Ga either!

Now after reading bout Herters being S&B in different clothes, I don't want it any way(after that episode number years back with S&B)

So I went Cdn Tire.They had 2 boxes .303 on shelf. $74.99 for Remington(+tax) & $69.75 for Winchester(+tax). There is "taking advantage" then there is rape!!
So, the 2 boxes are still sitting in Cdn Tire.

I'm in Hamilton this week, I'll go to Al Simmons shop..bet I make out there ok

Hoadie,

I feel your pain.

Not much good priced 303/here eather.

Thinking about buying a die set and rolling mine own.
Always looking for military manuals, Dodge M37 items,books on Berlin Germany, old atlases ( before 1946) , military maps of Scotland. English and Canadian gun parts.
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