I understand the domestic production of .22 LR is about 12 million rounds a day, more or less. If there are, say, 36 million people who own and shoot .22's, that amounts to one round being manufactured for each shooter every 3 days.
Before the panic, most shooters probably felt OK if they had a brick or two on hand, and assumed they could stop by the LGS and pick up a few boxes any time they needed it. But now, just about EVERYBODY who owns a .22 would be a "hoarder" if given a chance to buy ammo at a price they felt was reasonable.
I don't think that any informed rimfire shooter would ever feel OK again with just a brick or two of ammo on hand, after experiencing the shortage of the past 2 years. Therefore, ammo gets snapped up faster than it can be manufactured and the shortage feeds on and perpetuates itself.
If you were not accumulating .22 ammo over the years to build a decent supply, you are probably trying to hoard it now, if you define "hoarding" as buying more than you anticipate using in the immediate future.
Last edited by wildhobbybobby; 07/15/14.
