Ballancing primers, powders and bullets
Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 8:18 pm
Just some quick notes on keeping your reloading stash in ballance
1lb of powder = 7000 grs
8lb jug of powder = 56,000grs
223 powder charges are close to 25 grs on average, so an 8 pound jug of powder will load 2,240 rounds or 2500 rds for primer purposes and bullet purchase.
A brick of 5000 primers will need two 8lb jugs of powder to load out and 5000 bullets of course.
308 or 30-06 medium burn rate powders will average right at 50 grs per round give or take a few grains, this means an 8 lb jug of powder will load 1120 rounds of ammo.
A brick of 5000 primers will need four 8lb jugs of powder to load out plus 5000 bullets
So I keep an eye on my bullets , powders and primers and try to keep them in some semblance of ballance, I do not need 30,000 primers if I only have enough powder for 5000 rounds and only 2000 bullets, I spend the money to try and get more powder and bullets to even things out.
For rifles powder and bullets have always been harder to stock than primers for me.
Handguns are a different story since you can cast for a revolver and charges of powder are so small.
Example, 38 special, 3grs of bullseye, 8lbs of powder will give you 18,666 loads. So it is easy to have more powder for them than you have primers to load.
Hope the examples help you to keep things in ballance during these days of shortages.
1lb of powder = 7000 grs
8lb jug of powder = 56,000grs
223 powder charges are close to 25 grs on average, so an 8 pound jug of powder will load 2,240 rounds or 2500 rds for primer purposes and bullet purchase.
A brick of 5000 primers will need two 8lb jugs of powder to load out and 5000 bullets of course.
308 or 30-06 medium burn rate powders will average right at 50 grs per round give or take a few grains, this means an 8 lb jug of powder will load 1120 rounds of ammo.
A brick of 5000 primers will need four 8lb jugs of powder to load out plus 5000 bullets
So I keep an eye on my bullets , powders and primers and try to keep them in some semblance of ballance, I do not need 30,000 primers if I only have enough powder for 5000 rounds and only 2000 bullets, I spend the money to try and get more powder and bullets to even things out.
For rifles powder and bullets have always been harder to stock than primers for me.
Handguns are a different story since you can cast for a revolver and charges of powder are so small.
Example, 38 special, 3grs of bullseye, 8lbs of powder will give you 18,666 loads. So it is easy to have more powder for them than you have primers to load.
Hope the examples help you to keep things in ballance during these days of shortages.
Great post. 
