Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires The Last "Rimfire Ammo Shortage" - A Question

drover: Well then... I would like to know just WHAT causes/would cause "the next shortage in the future"!
I had one off-line response that blamed the ammo shortages (not just rimfire!) on the fact that all the "lead mines" in the United States of America had recently been closed? Lead shortage - I have NOT heard of that affecting "things".
Again, I don't know, but I have my suspicions, and my suspicions (for what they are worth!) are the shortages were artificially initiated by the rimfire ammo making companies to "stimulate" prices and or demand.
It is commendable (in my opinion) for you to look for cheap and on sale ammunitions. Sadly, in my experience, those cheap and on sale munitions are hard to find nowadays - even though supply is VERY abundant.
Again, abundant, except for, the 17 WSM rimfire ammo - I am curious about this shortage which has befallen most every one of my rimfire Varmint Hunting friends.
I keep looking for a "humanely" priced Ruger 77/17 WSM Varminter.
Maybe I will suspend my now several year long search for one of those until that ammo is "re-supplied"? My friends with these Rifles relay to me the difficulty they have in finding any of this ammo (17 WSM) and when it is found it is prohibitively expensive.
Long live rimfire ammunition.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Good Evening Varmint Guy,

Several years ago I started buying .17 WSM ammo ....several years before I had a rifle.

If it was at certain price I would buy it, because I knew I would have a rifle. Bought several thousand rounds.

Finally found a Ruger rifle. Don't know what that ammo sells for now.

Have a good day VG.

Sounds like you had a plan. Sure beats buying a rifle then scrounging ammo.

As to the why the shortage occurred it really doesn't matter except to serve as a warning that it will certainly occur again.

All you need to do is stop in a Mudochs and they often have rimfire ammo on sale - all you have to do is get your a$$ away from the computer and go buy some.
If you travel as much as you say that you do looking for ammo you could stay at home order ammo at full retail, pay shipping and still be money ahead.

here is an example from your local Murdochs
https://www.murdochs.com/products/s...uper-extra-hollow-point-ammo-250-rounds/

from my local one -
https://www.murdochs.com/products/s...-mag-22-wmr-40-grain-tmj-ammo-50-rounds/

https://www.murdochs.com/products/s...-mag-22-wmr-40-grain-tmj-ammo-50-rounds/

https://www.murdochs.com/products/s...game-17-hmr-20-grain-fmj-ammo-50-rounds/

As far as the 17 WSM it was born dying - hardly anyone made or makes firearms for it, it is overpriced and from reports I have read accuracy is lacking and it doesn't do much more than the 17 HMR but it cost significantly more if it can even be found. I do not know anyone who has one and never seen a rifle chambered in it so that says a lot right there. Why would anyone stock ammo for a slow money and not very popular chambering when they can stock more popular items.

drover

I have been reading about world wide gunpowder shortage.

Ammo prices to rise. Vista and other manufacturers say so.

This does not address the subject of the last "shortages" but it will have an effect on the next one.


Hey folks-
Have you got enough ammo for the coming year, even mundane rimfire stuff like this CCI Standard Velocity 22lr or this CCI Mini-Mag 36gr Cu- HP? Did I tell you that the Hunting Shack (HSM) operations manager told me last week that Hodgdon raised their bulk powder prices by 30% in mid-Jan?

Here's what Sam Galbert (owner of SGAmmo.com) put out in his marketing email today:

"News from Shotshow 2024: I just got home from 4 days in Las Vegas at the shotshow, where I met with the people from the factories we work with, factory sales people, factory directors and owners, importers, etc. The big point of discussion seemed to be shortness in supply for nitrocellulose, which is the raw material used to make gunpowder and other propellants and explosives. Based on these conversations, the issue seems to be based on 2 factors, decreased availability in the supply chain and increased demand for the manufacturing of military ordnance. Getting into the details and a little more, a huge percentage of the nitrocellulose used to make gunpowder historically came from China and Russia, however according to my conversations with industry partners, the Chinese manufacturers who historically were the biggest suppliers at over 30% of the market share are no longer willing to ship raw nitrocellulose to the USA or NATO member countries in attempt to reduce the USA & NATO's ability to supply Ukrainian forces with artillery shells, and of course Russia who historically was the 2nd biggest supplier is out of the supply chain as well. This decrease in supply in raw material has gunpowder manufacturers in the USA raising prices dramatically and cutting off many of the smaller ammo manufacturers. The 2nd part of this issue is the demand for military ordnance, like 155mm artillery shells that use huge quantities gunpowder propellants, and the gunpowder manufacturers switching production to this type of gunpowder with what supply of nitrocellulose they do get. The first reason is that they always put the US government's needs before those of the commercial market, and the second reason is that it is simply much more profitable to manufacturer military ordnance than it is small caliber ammunition, so they get a much more profitable price manufacturing powder for artillery shells. In conclusion, while most of the factories seem to have gunpowder stockpiled today, this issue is expected to catch up to them no later than the summer of 2024 and possibly within a few months, and when it does it will mean the factories will be capable of producing much less small caliber ammunition to sell to the US commercial market. If demand for ammo is low to moderate, you may not see a big change, but if demand were to go way up as it does periodically, the factories will not be able to ramp up capacity to fill that demand. In my opinion, a lot could go wrong in the commercial ammo supply chain in 2024 and it would be wise to stock up sooner than later as 2024 price increases have just started to set in on just a handful of select items so far, and availability is still good which has held prices down temporarily".

Keep yer powder safe and dry!

drover - Thanks for passing on that msg from SGAmmo. I stocked up on Black Friday ammo, ca $1.5K, got just under 20K rounds. Prob good for 'lifetime supply' since I'm 74. :rolleyes: At least I quit smoking 14 years ago, so I can afford the ammo . . . and walk to the target stands.

Drover: Thanks for that insight.
Maybe its not a lead shortage but a "nitro-cellulose" shortage?

Fasteddie01: I am sure happy you are perking up.
And indeed every time I go to my local gas station to pay for gas I am stunned at the advertised "sale prices" for a single pack of cigarettes!
Having been born of and raised by a pair of smoking parents I witnessed first hand their life's impressive improvements, later on, when they both quit smoking.
Proud of you - keep up the good work and stay strong.

Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I see a fair amount of ammo about, but very little carrying name recognition.

Now that Californians can buy ammo, the manufacturers are shipping to CA like crazy. They will sell as much as possible before law is changed again.

Guys like Cert and others will have good selection, but shortages will be created for every one else. So say the ammo companies , which are working at capacity.

Cisco..I have long been happy to be part of the problem and not the solution in regards to ammo supply:)

If you decide to rid yourself of any more of that 22 auto holler at me!

Right on , Cert.

Best,
Chuck

Agreed 👍🏻

Assrags may find out there's a shortage of buyers this time.

When CCI Mini-Mags got back on the shelf locally, they were 9.99 per 100, but prices kept going up. They had "sales for 11.99".
Now they are 14.99. Shelves still full. I have plenty, choke on them.

Remington going under certainly fueled it. All that Remington ammo all of the sudden ceasing to be produced

They’ve been back in the game for some time now, at the same facility and same people for the most part. IIRC I read that they never really stopped production, but were very limited because of supply issues. As to rimfire, it’s been years, maybe decades, since I bought any of theirs as other brands were simply better for me. I do shoot their shotshells and find the 12ga Gun Club loads work pretty well and are often the cheapest available for about $9 a box online.