Primer Pricing at Bobcat Armament in Shelbyville, IN

[indianagenius]

I stopped in yesterday, 14-JAN-2022 to survey powder and primer pricing at this store. It was my first visit. They had zero Hodgdon powder of any sort and the proprietor said I should go to Australia to find any. Hodgdon powder is made in bulk in Australia then shipped to the US for packaging. I asked about CCI 450 Magnum small rifle primers and was told they were in stock for approximately $175/1000. I told him he was smoking ganja. The gentlemen replied that they are selling at his store for that price. Wow! What type of idiots buy these? I have enough powder and primers for about a year at home so am not desperate by any means. Has it really come to this?

 

[Robert Richardson]

Yes, it has.

 

[Bill2905]

Supply and demand. If we ever get back to having better supplies and more places to buy them, I would remember this shop and do my business elsewhere.

**EDIT**
Several members have correctly pointed out the flaws in my thinking here. I concede to their point and will take my lumps. I know nothing of this business nor its owners and meant nothing ill toward them. I guess if you post enough times on this forum, you will eventually say something stupid and regrettable.

 

[Ballstater98]

When prices came out when supply was coming back in, Bobcat was very transparent on pricing and went so far as to make a poll to see if demand was there at those prices because they value their customers and really didn't want to sell products at these prices. After the poll, there was a significant demand asking him to go ahead and get those products at those prices.

 

[shootersix]

So heres my opinion on the primer situation,
The days of 30 dollars a thousand are long gone and ain’t gonna come back!, I talked to a employee in a gun shop, he said I can get them at zanders, but they’ll be 200 a thousand, the last time I bought them in a shop they were 75 a thousand (in September, limit of 2 thousand total, but you could only buy 1000 of each type), I have a friend who’s wife works at academy, she was able to get me a thousand for 60 (cci, small pistol), Whitaker’s in Owensboro got some In not too long ago and they were 45 a thousand (no limit!) but they buy directly from the manufacturers.

Back when I worked in a gun shop we weren’t the cheapest place in town, I had guys laughing at our prices (about 30 a thousand) and say “I’ll quit reloading before I pay 30 a thousand for primers!”…I haven’t seen many presses for sale, so…either they’re finding primers for less than 30, or they’re paying more than 30 a thousand!

 

[Cameramonkey]

Supply and demand. If we ever get back to having better supplies and more places to buy them, I would remember this shop and do my business elsewhere.

Can you be any more contrarian? If you arent being contrarian, you dont understand how supply and demand works. You cant cite supply and demand in one breath, then in the next scold a shop for selling high when availability is low and demand is high. That is exactly how supply and demand works.

So you expect them to sell below cost, just because you think they shouldnt sell them at that price? Or not sell at all because you deem their price ridiculous?

I know the shop well. They treat their customers well, and if they are selling at that price, its not because they are gouging. When things settle down and I need more supplies, I know I'll be there.

 

[BE Mike]

It seems like the only company producing primers for sale to reloaders is CCI. I saw recently, one company was selling them for $599.00/ 5,000. With those kinds of prices, my reloading a box of 50 9mm cartridges (not considering the cost of brass) would be $10.24. That's expensive, but still beats the cost of factory "range" ammo at about half.

 

[nucular]

I just got several boxes of federal 100 SPP from midsouth for $71 each but no limit. Better than the 75 I paid recently at midway for 1k CCI with one box limit especially when you factor in the hazmat. Not ideal but still cheaper than factory.

 

[BiscuitsandGravy]

Can you be any more contrarian? If you arent being contrarian, you dont understand how supply and demand works. You cant cite supply and demand in one breath, then in the next scold a shop for selling high when availability is low and demand is high. That is exactly how supply and demand works.

So you expect them to sell below cost, just because you think they shouldnt sell them at that price? Or not sell at all because you deem their price ridiculous?

I know the shop well. They treat their customers well, and if they are selling at that price, its not because they are gouging. When things settle down and I need more supplies, I know I'll be there.

There was someone who was bitching that they couldn't do their 'hobby' anymore and was crying for someone to sell them primers at old prices even though they were going for well north of $100. Sure, I'll help out a friend in a bind but if you reload and don't have some saved back... That's a tough one. Not trying to be a jerk, but we've been here before.

 

[BiscuitsandGravy]

I just got several boxes of federal 100 SPP from midsouth for $71 each but no limit. Better than the 75 I paid recently at midway for 1k CCI with one box limit especially when you factor in the hazmat. Not ideal but still cheaper than factory.

Not bad considering where we are... It beats $100+ for CCI SR Mag I paid from Brownells recently. 'Primer cost averaging'...

 

[churchmouse]

I stopped in yesterday, 14-JAN-2022 to survey powder and primer pricing at this store. It was my first visit. They had zero Hodgdon powder of any sort and the proprietor said I should go to Australia to find any. Hodgdon powder is made in bulk in Australia then shipped to the US for packaging. I asked about CCI 450 Magnum small rifle primers and was told they were in stock for approximately $175/1000. I told him he was smoking ganja. The gentlemen replied that they are selling at his store for that price. Wow! What type of idiots buy these? I have enough powder and primers for about a year at home so am not desperate by any means. Has it really come to this?

I would ask where you have been for the last oh, say 6 months to a year.
The people at Bobcat are top shelf. Greta folks. Know the owner and his wife and they have always been stellar.
In a time when stores are lucky to get any stock at all they still have over head. So pricing is adjusted accordingly.

I understand the shock in all of this but honestly it has been a serious discussion in many threads on Ingo and across the interwebs.

 

[churchmouse]

Supply and demand. If we ever get back to having better supplies and more places to buy them, I would remember this shop and do my business elsewhere.

Wow. And you think this shop won't adjust to the current market.
How some of you people see small businesses is an amazement to me.

Jeez whiz peoples.

 

[Born2vette]

I stopped in yesterday, 14-JAN-2022 to survey powder and primer pricing at this store. It was my first visit. They had zero Hodgdon powder of any sort and the proprietor said I should go to Australia to find any. Hodgdon powder is made in bulk in Australia then shipped to the US for packaging. I asked about CCI 450 Magnum small rifle primers and was told they were in stock for approximately $175/1000. I told him he was smoking ganja. The gentlemen replied that they are selling at his store for that price. Wow! What type of idiots buy these? I have enough powder and primers for about a year at home so am not desperate by any means. Has it really come to this?

https://www.indianagunowners.com/threads/zerohedge-on-ammo.516254/reply?quote=9011344

 

[indyblue]

I stopped in yesterday, 14-JAN-2022 to survey powder and primer pricing at this store. It was my first visit. They had zero Hodgdon powder of any sort and the proprietor said I should go to Australia to find any. Hodgdon powder is made in bulk in Australia then shipped to the US for packaging. I asked about CCI 450 Magnum small rifle primers and was told they were in stock for approximately $175/1000. I told him he was smoking ganja. The gentlemen replied that they are selling at his store for that price. Wow! What type of idiots buy these? I have enough powder and primers for about a year at home so am not desperate by any means. Has it really come to this?

As of today on the Hodgdon site:

 

[Bill2905]

Wow. And you think this shop won't adjust to the current market.
How some of you people see small businesses is an amazement to me.

Jeez whiz peoples.

I was thinking that $175 is above market. If I'm wrong about that, I stand corrected. I haven't shopped for primers in a few months so maybe things have regressed since then.

 

[nucular]

I was thinking that $175 is above market. If I'm wrong about that, I stand corrected. I haven't shopped for primers in a few months so maybe things have regressed since then.

If you just want to buy it off the shelf or even online and you want it right now, that sounds about right. If you are patient and can wait, you can find it for around $75 online occasionally. I am still not seeing it on the shelves around here.

 

[G192127]

I stopped doing business at bobcat the instant they asked me for my name and address.
Their store- their rules, but I choose not to shop there.

 

[Bill2905]

Can you be any more contrarian? If you arent being contrarian, you dont understand how supply and demand works. You cant cite supply and demand in one breath, then in the next scold a shop for selling high when availability is low and demand is high. That is exactly how supply and demand works.

So you expect them to sell below cost, just because you think they shouldnt sell them at that price? Or not sell at all because you deem their price ridiculous?

I know the shop well. They treat their customers well, and if they are selling at that price, its not because they are gouging. When things settle down and I need more supplies, I know I'll be there.

I stand corrected. It's not fair to compare a small local shop vs. a large volume online business. They are two completely different markets. I wouldn't do it with guns so should apply the same logic to other items as well.

 

[russc2542]

I've always found the guys at Bobcat to be fair and up front. He's straightforward on what's going on and yes he can be a bit sarcastic when people ask dumb questions for the 400th time that day ("ermagerd, you don't have varget? what kind of crummy business is this?"), yes, but how many of us here can claim innocence of that? If you follow them on FB he gave early warning to price increases on presses and gave people a last chance to get stuff on the'21 prices before the new manufacturer's min prices go into effect. Bobcat's good folks.

If you think 175 is bad, don't look on gun broker!

 

[patience0830]

Supply and demand. If we ever get back to having better supplies and more places to buy them, I would remember this shop and do my business elsewhere.

Bobcat is quality people and trying to make a living like anyone in business. You think he should sell them to you for less than they're currently worth because you're special? Cut your nose off to spite your face much? If you need 'em, pay the going rate. If you don't then quitcherbitchin.