Rossi Rifleman

As I noted in many posts, I shoot a lot and have no plans to let up. My inventory control has been a bit hit or miss at times but I'm trying to get that under control as with the volume of shooting I do I don't want to run out. I buy all of my components at the mid term of any election period, once every four years so I spent a significant amount, and as I move to retirement I want to make sure I'm not wasting money as I do not have any plans for letting up.

The latest version of TMT's Precision Load Records Pro has a super inventory control system that generates buying recommendations based on your load records with the minimum and maximum inventory levels you have established. Each time you load a round of ammunition, the inventory system updates the appropriate component logs.

Given the number of cartridges that I'm loading for, I also want to minimize the types of powder I'm shooting. I'm planning on shooting Lil' Gun in all my revolver cartridges firearms (which includes the '92 and '94 rifles), H322 in my large levergun cartridges, and Universal in my semi-auto handguns.

Why I say I'm a hoarder is that after updating my inventory I see that I have 80 pounds of powder on hand! Granted it is across a large number of powders and I will start working up alternate loads to use up the various powders I have available. Here is a list of what I have:
Benchmark
BL-C(2)
Clays
H110
H322
H335
H4198
H4227
H4895
HP-38
H-LVR
HS-6
International
Lil Gun
Titegroup
Unique
Universal
Varget
Win 748

This will not be much of a task as each will find a purpose. Clays and International will be tough as I bought them for slug work in my Mossberg 500. A Corps of Engineers lake near started having slug gun hunts for whitetails and I thought I would apply for the drawings as I figured there was quite a few B&C bucks on the property and that those hunters applying would be few as no one hunts with a slug gun in South Texas. There was B&C bucks on the property but the hunts were dropped. I further speculated after seeing the results of the hunt that CE big dogs are now hunting the property. I will look to see what the buckshot loads look like as I have a Lee shot mold but I might try to trade them to a shotgunner for something else.

How much powder do I shoot each year? 14.5#! That is about right as I've been purchasing about 60# every four years. The inventory system works the same for bullets, cases, primers, and gas checks. It will be a real help on keeping up with this task, something that I have always handle at rather the last minute.

Most new computers come with a Microsoft Office suite version in tow that includes some form of the ACCESS data management software......ACCESS 2003....... ACCESS 2007......ACCESS 2010......ACCESS 2013......they're all good.
While ACCESS is not as powerful as the enterprise data management software like Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle it is very capable data management software for home & small business projects like inventory control, personal finances, managing collections of items including firearms.
It's very easy with a knowledge of the very basic Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) programming language to write custom made searchable databases for your shooting projects that will store your firearms information, components inventory, and load information and much more.
Why buy a 3rd party firearms/reloading program that roughly approximates the solution your require when the software is already there to create one custom made for your specific needs?

pricedo wrote:Why buy a 3rd party firearms/reloading program that roughly approximates the solution your require when the software is already there to create one custom made for your specific needs?

I'm well versed in the type of work you mention but why bother when a completed package is delivered at a very low price? I would rather spend the time reloading and shooting.

I have the TMT "Load Records" and the Cartridge Box label print modules but don't think what I have will keep track of my inventory, and probably won't ever get to shoot enough to need it. I do have to say that the TMT software I have is working out nicely as I am keeping better track of loads, and the targets group sizes etc. As for MS Access, I don't have that software any longer but I have something similar called "Open Office" but it is still hard for me to wrap my head around these relationship databases 15 years later. Like trying to get toy poodles to jump through burning rings of fire, sometimes you get lucky, but most times you get a gigantic headache at about 3am just about the time you start eyeing your 38 and wondering how far the bullet would penetrate the walls after going through your monitor.

Just an FYI RD.... You just jumped up 150 spots on the watch list after posting this topic.... I wish I had the ability to open up a shop that made primers. What a cash cow that would be right now.

No need for anything fancy.
An EXCEL spreadsheet or two would probably serve most shooters as an inventory tracker.
An EXCEL spreadsheet can hold a lot of info & has built in sorting capabilities and useful functions.
You can add as many spreadsheets to an EXCEL workbook as you need to inventory different items.
You can make a quick label with a text editor like NOTEPAD or WORD in about 30 seconds.
If you don't have Microsoft Office on your PC there is a Java based office suite called Open Office that is freeware that will do the same job.

pricedo wrote:No need for anything fancy.
An EXCEL spreadsheet or two would probably serve most shooters as an inventory tracker.
An EXCEL spreadsheet can hold a lot of info & has built in sorting capabilities and useful functions.
You can add as many spreadsheets to an EXCEL workbook as you need to inventory different items.
You can make a quick label with a text editor like NOTEPAD or WORD in about 30 seconds.
If you don't have Microsoft Office on your PC there is a Java based office suite called Open Office that is freeware that will do the same job.

Got all that and it isn't worth the effort compared to a complete package like the TMT products.

I surfed over to the website and that TMT suite is impressive looking software for sure.

Tuco Ramirez wrote: I wish I had the ability to open up a shop that made primers. What a cash cow that would be right now.

Yes it would! I wonder what they are selling for on the black market.. I was talking with the salesman at the local sporting goods store about primers and he had an insight that made some sense to me. He was saying that the demand for primers suddenly jumped 5 fold and the supply can't catch up with that sort of demand. They can increase factory production some, but there are safety concerns and limitations and it wouldn't be in the interests of the manufacturers to go adding to their factories, and all the infrastructure needed just to meet a demand that is politically and emotionally motivated and will likely end as suddenly as it began. Eventually it will end and as a wise sage once said, buy powder and primers MIDTERM! I never worried about it before but I am a believer, next time the prices normalize I am buying for the next 4 years...

Obama & Feinstein unwittingly gave the firearms industry a real shot in the arm with their ban scare.
If the gun & ammo makers weren't doing well before they certainly are now.
When Billary started their own scare back in the 90s sales went through the roof and stayed up for many months.
Maybe the Democrats are getting a kickback from the firearms/ammo/accessories manufacturing companies?
Greed makes for strange bedfellows.