> Sierra Bullet Production Update, May 2014
>
> The market has continued to move back towards “normal” levels, although the new “normal” is probably higher than the normal of 2011. For Sierra at least, the days of fax and email orders coming in at 700%-800% normal levels are over and the war on the backlog is what we focus on every day. As of this writing, we have reduced the backlog for 13 weeks straight. With new machinery still being brought online and new employees being trained to run it, we expect this to continue and accelerate as the year continues.
> The next component after equipment and manpower is time. Understandably this is the one that causes us and our customers the most grief and irritation. Our customers have a need and want product today. There is little worse than your customers wanting what you make and not being able to provide it fast enough.
> Our top sellers are getting closer to being caught up. This allows us to devote presses to running next tier products like 6mm, 6.5mm, 7mm, etc. which have been neglected while we concentrated on the highest backordered items. This will continue as we trickle down though the most backordered items down to the least backordered items.
> Unfortunately that means the slower sellers like 30-30 bullets, handgun bullets, 8mm, 303, etc. are still going to be many months out. How far will depend on current demand, but getting all our products back in stock in 2014 is not something we expect to happen. Changing a press from one bullet to another (a “changeover”) is the costliest part of production. The more we change over the less we produce. As we move to smaller and smaller runs, the changeovers will become more frequent and erode our efficiency. We will combat that as best we can by running as many like calibers as we can to reduce the scale of the changeover (changeovers within the same caliber are easier than changing calibers), but the amount of bullets we produce will be hampered nonetheless.
> This will be offset to some degree with the new equipment being brought in as it is ready, but even this will not be enough to clear the backlog entirely in 2014. We do expect our most popular bullets to have better availability and maybe even see some inventory building by our distributors on these items.
> One thing is for certain, we will not slow down until the backlog is cleared and our shelves and our distributor’s shelves are again stocked to the levels we all enjoyed in early 2012. We are sorry for all the shortages and thank you all for your patience.

sounds like "the bullet smiths" are doing every thing they can..good on them for being honest and telling it how it is.

Yep,
Good communications.
I dare say the rest of the manufactures are in a similar position.

Hornady has done a similar stratagy and may have been the industrial leader. Unfortunately, Hornady stopped production on all the bullets I used. I had to switch to bullets that were available.

Thanks for keeping us updated! I actually have enough bullets for a while, simply because I never have time to shoot ...

I stocked up on powder before the election so I was set there but not bullets.

I got that email a few weeks back. I need some 30-30 bullets.

Remington components are non existent in Australia right now. I spoke with the distributor and he claims that Remington told him they are using all components to make factory rounds for their domestic market. Sierra, Hornady and Nosler components are trickling through, but not in all calibres. CCI and some European brand primers are easy to get, but Federal primers are not so readily available. There is a reasonable smattering of factory loaded rounds available.

Powders are a different kettle of fish as a good range of powders are manufactured out here by ADI/Thales, although they have a commitment to Hogdon and IMR to provide powders for the US market.

Note I haven't mentioned Winchester. We have a Winchester facility in Australia, but I am unsure exactly what they produce. I've been waiting about 4 weeks for some 6mm Winchester projectiles, but that may not be a supply problem because they apparently have them in the warehouse.

I believe Winchester Australia only make 22 rimfire & 12g shotgun ammo. They recently started making 12g steel (waterfowl) crackers.

Powders are starting to show up more frequently now and remaining in stock later. A local store got in a dozen H335, I picked up 2 and left the rest... there are still a couple cans left in stock. Still looking for Varget though, along with half the country.

.22LR is showing up more frequently. Gander Mt's website had alot of .22lr 525 pack rem golden bullets recently for $22 with under $5 shipping.


-DallanC

The one caliber I can't seem to get what I like to use is for my 45/70. Brass and Hornady 325 grain ftx are just about impossible to find in Canada (especially the brass). When I find, I'm gonna load up. (Pardon the pun)