Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Ammo shortage

How long is this going to last, they are literally ripping us off on the minimal products even available...I went searching for Federal 30-06 Nosler BT and may as well been looking for hen's teeth. Nothing on line, nothing available in retail, guys aren't going to be able to even hunt unless they stocked up.

You need to change to 350 Legend. It's on all the store shelves here.

I can’t say for certain who’s ripping off who, because I don’t know what the retailers are paying for their stock. Some stuff, notably good .22 ammo, seems pretty close to what it’s been in the past, and available if you look a bit. Took myself out of the factory rifle ammo market years ago, but I look now and then. It’s pretty scarce, though reports here have it popping up now and again.

You’re correct; those who didn’t pay attention to events a year and a half ago may be out of luck. Unfortunate, but it’s perhaps a life lesson for some, who hopefully won’t get caught next time, and there will be a next time.

There was a pic posted here sometime this year, of what l could have been very spacious walk in closet, maybe 8 feet deep and tall, with ammo packed floor to ceiling. That's the root of the shortage.

I found 1 place that had 165 gr. boattails, $104 + shipping for a box of 20




Exactly, they are blaming the upsurge in gun purchase, COVID, and not keeping up with the demand...but even the big online dealers and big box stores don't have any. I was looking for some oddball calibers like 41 mag, 260 Rem, 17 HMR, and they are scarce too....much less finding primers or bullet styles you need.

We have had ammo shortages every few years for a while. I guess the lesson is to stock up somewhat when prices are reasonable. I load most of my own ammunition, so my issue is components. I'm fairly well supplied, but it would be nice to see a return to more normal prices and supply. But I think it's going to be at least a year before we see that.

Plenty of 6mm CM, and 6.8 Western in my neck of the woods. Oh, yea, and 50 BMG. For the elk hunters I guess...

Only ones getting ripped off are guys to fugging stupid to buy enough for their needs. That answer your question? Mb

Powder is coming back but at an elevated price $36-40 lb. Saw small and large pistol primers local the other day $7/100, limit 400.

I just totally rebuilt my 1980's Rem. 700 Custom BDL deluxe, and have 2 boxes of cartridges but still have to sight it in. I have other guns and ammo to use, but wanted to break out the 30-06 again this year for old time sake.

I don't think that makes me stupid.

I learned after the Obama years. I stocked up first 2 years of Trump when everything was dirt cheap and plentiful.

I sympathize with those who were caught short, but this situation has repeated itself at least twice before in this century, so I don’t understand why they allowed it to happen to them yet again. No matter how many closets full of stuff are out there, two years ago ammo and components were plentiful and cheap, available to anyone. Their dilemma was totally predictable and preventable.

A year ago I looked at all the ammo I had loaded up for more than few firearms.I decided there was no way I could possibly shoot it all before I kicked the bucket.Now it is like money in the bank, plus all the bullets, primers, powder, an brass that I will probably never load I could sell and pay for a guided hunt..

Some say it is the stupid ones who didn't plan for these eventualities. That is not all that accurate. Up until this year, I had no use for small rifle primers, so my stock is low, but still have enough to do me, plus some magnum small pistol primers I could use if needed. I have sold/given some large pistol, large rifle, magnum small pistol to guys that are short on inventory.

Yea, it's the ones who post a full closet full of components and factory ammo that are driving the shortage a lot more than other causes IMO. You can bet those same ones wouldn't help out someone in need. I was out at the range the other day and guy was bragging he had 15,000 + rounds of .223 and I have never seen him shoot more than 100rounds

You have 40 rounds of ammo for your 30-06?

How many rounds do you need to sight in your rifle?

How many rounds do you need ot punch your tags after you have it sighted in?

In normal times, when I buy a rifle that I'm going to shoot factory ammo in, I buy 100 rounds that will be dedicated to that rifle and when I buy the factory ammo, I try to get it from the same production lot/run, which is why I prefer to buy factory ammo in person rather than on-line. MidwayUSA has a particularly annoying policy of only selling individual boxes of factory ammo, so if you buy 10 boxes of ammo from them, you could get 10 boxes that come from multiple different production lots/runs. I particularly don't understand why they do that with rimfire ammo, since the have to wrap the individual boxes in bubble wrap when they pack/ship the ammo. There must be a reason for them doing this, but it seems counterintuitive to me.

Was in Bass Pro here in Central NYS last week. Strange thing is that 223,40 S&W and 9mm was plentiful but anything for deer hunting was non existent and our Northern Zone season opens Saturday.

I stocked up on components, glad I’d did. Some hunters gonna be caught short.

Me too!

I got caught short of 17HM2 ammo after the Sandy Hook school shooting that took place back in 2012. I had enough Eley/Remington to hunt with, but no CCI/Hornady for casual shooting.

The only factory ammo that I've bought in 2021 has been 100 rounds of 6.5 CM and 100 rounds of .40 S&W. I could have bought other factory ammo, but felt that I should leave it on the shelves for people who needed it more than me. I'm still a little pissed at my oldest daughter for shooting up all of her .380 Auto HP ammo while plinking, rather than using the matching .22 that she had nearly 1,000 rounds to plink/practice with.

The Obama Shortages should have been a wakeup call for everybody because the political cycles will continue to shift like the pendulum in Grandpa's clock and it'll happen again and again. Don't reload? Fine, stock up for a rainy day when stuff is bountiful. Can't afford to? I feel for you, but there aren't many here getting along on a fixed/retired income as frugally as me but I saw the writing on the wall and stocked the hell out of my stash of components and .22 ammo - cost be damned. Had to live on hot dogs and beer for a while but I survived and now I'm glad I did because I can shoot/hunt like I stole the stuff. Priorities, baby, priorities.

No, it doesn't make you stupid. But these political-panic "shortages" have been common enough for the past quarter-century that you might be justifiably accused of being unobservant.

Unless, of course, you're too young to remember the last "shortage," which occurred after Obama's reelection.

Yep. As well as the first Assault Weapon Ban under Slick Willie’s reign.