Cheyenne,
All the fact that SOME people pay scalper prices proves is that SOME people feel locked-in somehow, whether by only knowing one way to shop for rimfire ammo, or by never keeping much around before the shortage hit. It doesn't prove anything about the "real" market price, anymore than somebody who buys a scope for $100 more than they could have bought it for elsewhere proves that's the real price of that scope. It all depends on how much somebody feels they need the ammo or the scope.
I have paid $50 or more for a brick of .22 Long Rifle in the past couple of years, but only for target ammo, not plinking ammo, or hollow-points. And there are other people I know who can say the same thing. Does that "prove" that's the real market price? No, not anymore than people who pay $60 for a brick of Thunderbolts.
