Just looked in 3 different cities and found zero 22lr ammo. Ask one guy and he said he used to get about 60 cases per year, last year he got 16. This was after a rep told him that he was getting the same amount of ammo as he always had and that people are just hoarding. What a bunch of Bull - this is just .22 ammo, what gives?

Stupid [bleep]'s buy it for 2x the price it's supposed to be. So greedy classless [bleep] get it all bought up and scalp other with the price

You can find all you want to buy on Gunbrokers

....... Yeah, at the "bargin" (asking) price of $100 +/- for a 500 round bulk pack that was $20 a year ago. It's cheaper to shoot/reload centerfire. -TomT

Ammo is out there just look for it. Just last week I purchased three bricks of Wolf Target from Champions. But the prices you remember seeing on the shelf in years past are history.

I remember buy wolf target for $20/500 , but the first ammo scare ruined that along with when the "secret" got out how good the cheap wolf .22 ammo was . Snowwolf my point precicsely!!

there's one thing the people buying up all the .22 ammo aren't doing, and that is shooting it. thats for GD sure

This shortage is being caused by the ammo companies I believe. When places like Midway, walmart, cabelas, etc. can not get ammo something fishy is going on. I have been told companies have a higher profit margin on centerfire ammo, 17 HMR, 22 mag, etc and are making more of that since people are still going to buy something.

I usually buy 3-4 cases of rimfire a year and have not bought but a 1K since the panic. I know guys that bought 5-10 cases a year that also have not bought any. Think of all the thousands of other benchrest shooters that bought cases upon cases of ammo every year that have bought nothing in the last 14 months. That's a lot of ammo to be sold 1 to 3 boxes at a time.

I called a place yesterday that sold American eagle for $169 a case. It then went to $229 case and now it's going to $290 a case. They did let me order the old price of $229 a case so I ordered a few cases. They told me 4-12 month expected delivery time.

I don't believe they are making as much rimfire ammo as they have in years past.

Dink

Its all profiteering bull chitt! Find a commodity in demand, create a shortage, raise the prices, lock it in--then blame some body else. Pretty much explains how are government is operated also. Talked to CCI last week--CS said they were producing 3 million .22 rds A DAY x 7 days a week. Do the math--Home Land Security ain't buying all this, no matter what you might think. If Wal-Mart Cabelas, etc. can get in 2 cases a day per store--they can get in 20 cases just as easy. All you dummies that are paying $6.00 a box for American Eagle, probably believe that the liberal media tells you nothing but the truth--geez!
G

there isn't any conspiracy, it's just the same combination of scalpers and hoarders. ammo manufacturers are attempting to keep up with demand, but the "demand" results from profit motive and hoarding motive, not from actual volume of rimfire shooting. which doesn't really bother me much, it has just made rimfire shooting more difficult and expensive in the short term.

I just don't buy it's the hoarders. The reason being I don't know of anyone that can say they have stocked up 25k rounds since the panic. Everyone I know has bought none or very little since the panic. They would all like to buy a lot but it's not there to be bought.

If CCI is making three million rounds a day that's a billion rounds a year from one company. Then we have Remington, federal, Eley, laupua, etc. With the limits in place it just doesn't add up.

Dink

I do. hoarders plus scalpers. ppl who used to buy a brick or two now buy a case or two bc they are panicked. look at any one of the 1,000,000,000 threads on the internets right now where ppl are talking about how they finally have 10,000 mini mags in their closet and they hope it'll be enough for a little while.

coterminously, you have groups of buzzards that are circling the local wal-marts, etc., to buy all the supply up as soon as it hits the shelf. its the same thing as if you had enough ppl going to the gas stations in town and filling up cans until it was all gone as soon as the truck had come and pumped it in.

the manufacturers have zero incentive to be going anything less than full-bore on the production scale. they are selling 100% of the product produced. thus, more product produced, more profit.

I agree scalpers and the people dumb enough to pay their prices. If they can keep selling it at twice what they paid for it, what incentive is there for them to stop buying it all up?

I hate to say it but it's like gas, when they found out you will pay for it why change, I doubt that 22 will come down to the good ole days, and we did this to ourselfs, just my 2 cents.

Yes.

+1

Prices in stores here are still normal (when there's anything on the shelves) . Too bad all I can find is hollow points.

There is a lardass fireman and his cronies (mother in law, retarded nephew, ssi sucking trailer park neighbors) that all hover over the counter at 5am. I gave up trying to score some that way. They are there every random time I pop in at 7am. By then, all of them have red swollen ankles from their flaring diubeetus. So they must be there EVERYTIME wind gets out that a delivery is loaded with 22ammo.

whatever, I hope he goes flat ass broke trying to hoard all that crap

Hell I'd love to be a hoarder - last time I found any ammo was at Walmart, they would only allow 3) 100 packs of CCI mini-mags per person. So, I bought my 3 packs and have been very careful about shooting them up. If I could have bought 10 I sure as heck would have. I never considered keeping 10,000 rounds in my house before this all happened, but now - when I can I'm going to stockpile. All I need is 1,000 rounds a year, but I sure would like to have a couple years cushion.

I'm tellin ya ... this mentality is part of why there is a shortage.

not criticizing either, I don't blame you or anyone else for how they spend their money. but when people ask "why can't i find any .22's?", this is one of the big reasons why.

Nationwide, the number of gun owners has more than quadrupled since Obama was elected. almost all of them buy at least one .22, and being new shooters are quite eager to shoot.

I know of at least 2 guys who never had any interest or inclination to shoot that are now convinced that a zombie hoard is imminent.
One, a nephew, now owns more guns than I do and has become a bit of a fanatic.

The American Rifleman magazine last month or this month's issue said the same thing. More gun owners, like in the millions in the last five years, most have bought 22 rifles or pistols. More people are into prepping also, which not only includes food, toiletry items, but ammo as well. Winchester just built a new 22 factory in Mississippi that just started production, I think last month. Remington is building a new factory. CCI is running 7 days a week and they are owned by the company ATK, that owns Federal also. We are also importing Wolf and Aquila. Hopefully once these new factories start production, the pressure might go down some. I too like CCI mini mag solids, but can't hardly find them.

I priced components and can reload 9mm as cheap as 22 mags cost. Wish the 9mm carbines didn't cost so much, like the Kel-Tec.

Of course for food gathering purposes; snares, traps, pellet guns, blow dart guns, even sling shots, can obtain small game. Why waste ammo in a SHTF situation. However for practice shooting and keeping your shooting skills up, 22lr is hard to beat.

You can buy a super accurate air rifle for under 500 and a tin of .177 pellets is very easy to find as well as being much cheaper than rimfire ammo.

Yep, and eventually people will realize that--or realize it's easier and cheaper to handload than buy rimfire ammo at scalper's prices. That and the increased production will drive prices down and availability up in the long run. It's simple capitalism.

In the meantime some people will scoop up ammo as soon as it appears at stores, and sell it on websites or at gun shows for 2-4 times the price. Some of them are retired, some of them have fortunate schedules, but together they've created another layer of "dealers" who add another layer of profit to normal prices.

The one thing there ISN'T is a conspiracy among the ammo manufacturers to reduce production and drive up prices. I know a bunch of people in the business, and they all say they're REALLY tired of running factories 24/7, along with answering e-mails and phone calls asking, "Where the hell is the ammo?" The same is true of stores, including the mail-order companies.

Yeah, the money is good, but nobody likes to work day and after day of overtime, and never see any light at the end of the tunnel. And no, they are not diverting manufacturing from rimfire to centerfie. I've visited several ammo factories, and the rimfire and centerfire production lines are totally separate.

Yet we still have guys like Dink, who firmly believe ammo companies refuse to make as much .22 LR as people want. As evidence they say even the big companies like Midway and Cabela's "never" have any in stock. Well, just like Wal-Mart and every other retailer, anytime the mail-order companies get any "average price" ammo in stock it's all purchased within a few hours, usually because some guy on the Campfire or other Internet site does all his fellow shooters a favor and gives them a heads-up.

Then why did midway cancel all their back orders (more than a year old) a few days ago? If they are getting ammo in why didn't they just fill the orders? Wouldn't you think if they were getting ammo they could have filled a order in 12 months?

Dink

Maybe they just felt like Dinking with you

I would be willing to be their cancelled orders have to do with a book keeping issue and not wanting to carry over into a new year. Just a guess though.

This

I shoot a lot of air rifle pellets for practice and controlling European starlings, and that started before the panic a year or so ago.

That, and I bought a 22 hornet and have a good supply of lil-gun and 40 grain v maxes, z-maxes and blitz kings

The manufactures of ammo/reloading components may be cutting fat hogs right now, but I think in the long run they are damaging our sport and their own future. Keeping inventors tight, and prices high is just going to drive a lot of people away and into other areas of interest.

I didn't have any on order...lol

I read about it on net.

I can see walmart being out of ammo due to how they stock their stores. But midway not being able to get ammo to fill orders that are a year old something's up.

Dink

Stayclean,

The manufacturers are trying to produce 10 or 100 times as much stuff as shooters buy normally. They are NOT keeping inventories tight, they are making as much as they possibly can.

The problem is NOT them, it is US. We are the ones making it difficult for a kid to go shoot 100 rounds of .22 ammo, not the manufacturers.

If you want to believe all rimfire ammo manufacturers got together the day after the Connecticut school shooting and cut production, go ahead. But all that proves is you're as much of a nitwit as Dink.

I was talking with a few workers at 2 local gun shops here in ohio,and they were telling me that groups of retired guys come in on shippment days and buy them out to sell at the flea markets and gun shows at 3-4 times the cost.. Sad! The american way for some!!!

What a bunch of dumb ass people paying the price!! Not this kid!

Did I call anyone a nitwit? Take a deep breath, and don't forget to take your medication.
I fully realize that the hoarders, and scalpers are grabbing all they can, BUT-it has to get to the sales floor before they can do that. If you ask the sales people how much their stores are getting, they tell me they are getting LESS. The product is NOT coming down the supply chain in large amounts. The same is happening with brass, they will sell you a $40 box of rifle ammo but brass is not available in many calibers even though the price has nearly doubled. Anyone who thinks the ammo companies don't want this to continue is just na�ve.

How much worse will it get now that the nation's LAST lead smelter has closed it's doors. It's an OBAMA conspiracy damn it!!!

No, they don't want it to continue, and are doing all they can to fill all orders.

The reason brass is in short supply is that there are far more ammo orders, and the companies can only make so much brass. More is going to ammo, because not everybody reloads.

The reason the rimfire ammo isn't reaching as many store shelves is that more people are ordering it on-line, often back-ordering it months before it's ever scheduled to show up. Because there are more places ordering ammo, each one gets a smaller share--or none at all.

I just took a deep breath and decided you are still a nitwit.

yes ... the dumbassery will stop somewhere.

glad the voice of reason arrived. the rimfire shortage aint hard to understand.

I love it when you act all arrogant. Just keep in mind no matter how arrogant you try to act you will never be like or come across like Ross Seyfried. I know you would like to thought of in the same way as Mr. Seyfried but it's not working out for you.

Dink

This.

Every place says the same thing "we can't get .22 ammo". If no one can get it and no one is getting back orders then there is no ammo getting it the stores.

I guess that is something you learn when you don't get your ammo for free.

Dink

DINK,

You're another nitwit. I haven't gotten any "free" .22 ammo in at least 3-4 years, and I don't really care whether I'm as "respected" as Ross Seyfried.

Please tell me how many ammo and component factories you've visited in the past year, and how much of their production lines they have shut down so they can drive prices up. I've visited some, and will visit another in March. They're all running full-out, and shipping more stuff than they ever have in the past.

As one example, just about a year ago Hodgdon had already shipped as much powder in the first two weeks of 2013 as they normally ship in three months, and were already back-ordered. The orders haven't slowed down since.

I visited CCI in June and they were running 24/7, trying to fill rimfire orders--and they don't just make CCI rimfire ammo. They also make some for Federal and Remington. And yes, every one of their rimfire machines was spewing out ammo like a faucet. I'd visited the plant before, maybe 3-4 years ago, and in June they were making even more rimfire than they did then. One of their big problems is finding enough workers in the Lewiston area, because despite the good money, many get weary of working so hard, so find another job.

The same is true of every manufacturer I've talked to or visited. While they're all grateful for the business, they're getting weary of the continued and unprecedented work-load.

Now, please provide me with photos of all the shut-down .22 rimfire machines you've found in your visits to various factories. I haven't found any so far, except those temporaily stopped for repairs, due to running so hard for so long.

I live about 25 miles as the crow flies from the Remington ammo plant at Lonoke, Arkansas. I know many people that work there, in fact my Mother in Law is retired from there. I have asked, and every one of them has told me the same thing. They are working as fast as they can making .22 long rifle, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They are expanding the factory as told by these same people and the television news out of Little Rock, Arkansas. People are buying as much .22 long rifle as they can with no plans to shoot it. They are stockpiling or reselling at a profit. There is/was some here on the classifieds doing the resell for a profit and they did not like being told that they were part of the problem. It is a lot easier to blame someone else. miles

MD,

I once read that one should never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig.

I've read your comments/replies to several of the folks that participated in this thread. Your information is spot-on. I'm employed in the industry.The present state of affairs isn't some dark conspiracy, just fear and greed. Some guys just don't get it... Thanks for bringing some accurate information to the discussions here.

milespatton and TNrifleman,

I was waiting for DINK and similar folks to come back and say obviously the CCI factory started up their rimfire machines for a few hours to fool a visiting gun writer. They still may, and might even argue with you two. You're right, you can't teach a pig to sing!

I bet most of us on here are sitting on a bunch of used brass, bullets that didn't quite "make the cut", and powder cans with enough for 10 or 20 loads in them. Instead of pissing and moaning online and lurking around the counter at Walmart waiting for the Ammo Fairy, why not load some up and go shooting?

The truth is, lots of us are packrats that like to sit on big piles of stuff feeling all smug and self-sufficient. This is a good opportunity to clear up some of the clutter and get in some practice. I've probably got at least a dozen broken boxes of .22s on the shelf and when the weather breaks, I'm going to take a couple of handguns to the range and burn some up.

This too, shall pass.

Pappy that is a great suggestion. I recently did just that. I went through all my boxes and shelves in the basement and found a fair amount of bits and pieces that I had somewhat lost interest in. It will have to tide me over, maybe for some time. After that who knows? It�s a bit frustrating as you see interesting things advertised that you want to try, but they don�t seem to really exist.

While I'm preachin', I think that it's not a bad idea for us to think about the way we do things sometimes. How many bazillions of .22s have we sprayed carelessly downrange without really trying to aim and squeeze? I'd like to have a few thousand of those back. I can remember spending a week or so at my grandmother's in PA, trying to make a box of hollow points last the whole time. We used to buy shorts for plinking because they only cost 59 cents as opposed to 90 or so for long rifles.

The problem isn't with the rounds sprayed down range, it's the people accumulating & sitting on 20, 40, 100 thousand rounds thinking they can stave off the hungry hoards attacking their hidy hole when the lights go dim.

Ok, you seen them making 22 ammo. What was the end of year count? How much more did they make in 2013 than 2012?

If stores can't get product where did it go? Who's able to get it to hord it? Why the price increase from $169 to $290 a case?

Dink

348, Good Idea.. I have some odds and ends of .22 ammo lying around mostly in coffee cans or old bullet boxes.. I used to put it in those when shooting gophers, or for ammo I left in the truck so I would have a few rounds if I needed them.. If I don't shoot em away, we are going to visit the grandkids in March.. I know they will be glad to help..
I have been working on using up those half cans of powder also.. Mostly loaded plinking ammo for my lever action rifles.. 30-30 and .32 spl..

I think the rate of consumption has skyrocketed, on top of the desire to put away some extra.

The kids/adults aren't shooting bolt action or single-shot rifles and single action revolvers anymore.

Nowadays it's all about semiauto pistols and doing mag-dumps with the AR and 10/22 with 25rd mags.

From CCI's website



Q: Does the recent news regarding a major U.S. lead smelter shutting down mean you'll have trouble obtaining lead for manufacturing conventional ammunition?
A: At this time we do not anticipate any additional strain on our ability to obtain lead.

Q: Why is ammunition in certain calibers so hard to find?
A: The current market and environment is causing stronger than usual demand for products in our industry.

Q: Are certain contracts taking ammunition away from civilians?
A: No. We remain committed to serving all channels of our business. The majority of our product serves the commercial market.

Q: Why can't you just make more ammunition?
A: Our facilities operate 24-hours a day. We are continually making process improvements to increase our efficiency and investing in capital and personnel where we have sustained demand. We are bringing additional capacity online again this year.

Q: What is your stance on the current gun legislation?
A: We support the second amendment and responsible gun ownership. We remain fully engaged in the legislative and regulatory process to provide the most accurate and comprehensive information to decision makers. Like most major manufacturers in our industry, we are also members of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). This organization helps represent our industry and our customers before federal, state and local government entities. More information about legislation and our industry's positions can be found at www.nssf.org.

A Letter to our Customers
CCI is a commit

You misunderstood me. My point is that there are ways to cope with the situation we have until the hogs stop adding to their piles. Slow down a bit, put in some serious practice, shoot something else. Don't patronize the commercial scalpers or the gun show slugs that scarf up every round they can find. If you know where there's some ammo for sale and someone who really needs it, quietly tell them about it, so they can get some before the hogs get it. When this is over the hogs will be left sitting on piles of shells they don't need and wasted lots of time, money, and and gas to get.

If everything goes to Hell, the Omega Man wannabes ain't gonna save their asses with Mini-Mags.

I was kinda hoping ATK would add on some ammunition stuff out here at their struggling space/rocket facility. Lots of lay offs and empty buildings out here.

I havent heard a rocket or shuttle booster test in years..I dont know what all goes into the ammo making operation, and hear that the powder isnt even made in the US..Damn shame cuz there are huge mix/cast buildings out here just sitting vacant.

It just occurred to me: why haven't the Chinese jumped on this "opportunity"? Be a perfect way to unload some depleted uranium or some other toxic crap on us.

Outta curiosity was I the problem when I was buying bricks for $12 a pop and ammo was plentiful??

rosco1,

One reason most factories have only upped the time they spend making rimfire ammo, rather than adding expensive machines, is they've seen what happened in the last two panics, in 1994-5 and 2008-9. Anybody remember those?

In 1994 the assault rifle "ban" was passed, and a rumor went around that primers were going to be modified to turn into duds within 6 months. People were buying "old" primers that supposedly wouldn't go dud, putting them in PVC pipes and sealing the ends, then burying the pipes in their yards. Consequently it was almost impossible to buy primers for up to a year in some places. Eventually the panic passed, though I wonder how many PVC pipes are still buried.

In 2008 primers were also very scarce, while .22 ammo wasn't. But as in 1994 the panic passed and things returned to normal.

This panic has lasted longer, though nobody can figure out why, since no new national gun laws were passed. But one thing manufacturers learned from the first two panics was NOT to add extra machines or build more buildings right away, because demand was going to subside. And at that point all those expensive new machines and buildings were going to be idle.

In fact several companies went under after '94 and '08, when the panic bubble crashed. This panic has lasted longer, but that doesn't mean people are going to be buying and hoarding all the rimfire ammo in sight forever and ever. We already have the production of primers and powder and .223 ammo catching up with demand, and it will happen with .22 ammo as well. Demand may be greater than it was before the panic, but that will be due to more shooting, not hoarding and profiteering, the two primary causes of scarcity right now.

I also want to add something for those who can't imagine why there isn't .22 ammo available if so much is being made.

Well, try to imagine (and I know that's difficult for some of you) that every time anybody bought a new set of tires for their vehicle, instead of buying 4 they bought 400. Due to the basic laws of capitalism, manufacturing capacity is "designed" to fill demand. It would be stupid to build enough tire factories to produce twice as many tires as people buy, let alone 100 times as much.

But IF demand for tires increased 100 times, there'd be a tire shortage too, and a buying panic. Fortunately, most people can't store 400 tires in their garages, so they can't hoard 'em, and they can't show up at the local Wal-Mart and buy 400 tires every time the tire truck shows up. As a result we'll probably never see the stupidity, greed and fear over tires we're presently seeing over rimfire ammo.

Good write John, I think this panic might be lasting longer because more and more weak minds are getting access to the internet, and everyone knows if is written on the net it's got to be the thruth, without even putting ratioal tough or recearch into it.

Does anyone know of any place where you can walk in and buy 100 bricks of 22 LR? If so, please share. People are not buying a hundred bricks, they are buying zero, because there is zero on the shelf to buy. People are not even making their usual purchases because there is nothing TO purchase, zip, zero, zilch, nada.
Eventual the supply will come back, at �new� prices,-just like the primers.

Wow ...

You got any inside information or just another newbie with a WAG? miles

Stayclean,

Good to know you're consistent, but as Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds."

At the beginning of the big panic, over a year ago, people WERE buying 10 or 50 or 100 times as much .22 rimfire ammo as they usually did. That's why stores had to put a limit on how much each customer bought; otherwise the first person or two would buy the entire stock. (This is gotten around these days by entire families showing up when delivery trucks arrive, and each family member buying their limit, then--in big stores--getting in line and doing it again.)

This also why it's not in stock at stores: When rimfire ammo does show up it sells out quickly. And only smaller shipments are showing up at stores because places that never used to order more than a few boxes of rimfire ammo are now ordering cases, because that's the only way they can get in line for back-orders.

And back-orders are the way rimfire ammo is being sold, whether to stores or individuals. Yes, individual are now competing with stores, both the bootleggers and hoarders who meet the delivery trucks at Wal-Mart and people who are back-ordering bricks and cases from places like Midway. Manufacturers are months behind in their back-orders, just a tire manufacturers would be in the same situation.

Yes, prices for rimfire will be higher when it's found in stores again, because when demand rises, prices for the basic materials (brass, lead, powder) also rise. But it won't rise all that much. I do see rimfire ammo in local stores now and then, even right now when according to you it's non-existent, and it's at pretty much normal prices. Don't buy much because I have plenty, but do buy some when it fits a specific need. Bought two 50-round boxes of the .22 Magnum ammo my Winchester 9422M likes a month or so ago, and it was $12.95 a box, maybe a little more than normal, but not much. I'm also buying primers at the same store for $30 to $35 per 1000. Is that more than primers cost 10 or 15 years ago? Yeah, but everything else costs more than it did 10-15 years ago.

The fact is that MOST stores are charging pretty much normal prices for rimfire ammo when they have any. That's why families of gougers can buy it up and make a profit by selling it for 2-4 times the price at gun shows and on the Internet.

Oh, sorry. All of that is fiction. You're right. It's a national conspiracy by all the ammo manufacturers, who shut down factories to drive up the price.

And now you're going on "ignore."

John, I realize you are an employee of the industry, but since I am not I felt free to express an independent opinion. At any rate, it�s not worth blowing a head gasket over.

If all of those shorthanded on ammo had picked up 2 boxes of mini mags every time they stopped at the LGS (since 1980) to bullshit and tell stories, both they and their LGS would be in better shape today...

IME/IMO, most shooters, even the serious ones, talk more about shooting than actually shooting.
There ARE exceptions and i suspect that most of them hang out here at the campfire.

You are seriously ate up in the head...

edit; How's that for an independent opinion???

Guess putting him on "ignore" didn't help.

Will make two comments:

First, I'm not "an employee of the industry." I would be if I worked as an editor for one the NRA magazines, or was similarly salaried by some other company. Instead I freelance for various magazines as an independent contractor, but make almost as much of my income by selling my words directly to readers, either in my self-published books or the quarterly on-line magazine my wife and I publish--which does not accepted advertising.

But all that's really irrelevant, because unlike your "opinion" (which you are indeed free to post) mine is based on facts derived by direct investigation, such as visiting actual factories where rimfire ammo is being made, and buying rimfire ammo occasionally in local stores in the past year, instead of making paranoid guesses about industry-wide price-fixing conspiracies.

Give up, Mule Deer, He heard it from his non shooting, bullshitting buddies at the gun store...
The same buddies that are in there every day, but buy something once a year...

Got a friend who owns a gun shop and he is afflicted with these know-it-alls...

johnw, you have the idea for being well supplied.. When a guy sees a good buy, or sale, etc.. that is the time to pick up extra stuff, bullets, primers, powder, ammo, what have you.. That is the key to being well supplied. I have also found if I pickup something at a good price and really have no use for it, a couple of my pals will take it off my hands.. we both win..

You answered your own question, "when ammo was plentiful". At $12 a brick I'm sure it was before the hysteria of the last couple years.

Actually, it's only been a little over a year--it just SEEMS like two years!

True, the rush after SH was a little over a year ago, but Obama has been too many years making shooters nervous! The last rimfire ammo I bought was over 1 1/2 years ago and it was already difficult finding specific loads. It took my dealer over a month to get the WW Subsonic TCHP I like.

Yeah, I'm glad I had a decent supply of Winchester Power Points before the big panic hit.

Any campfire members buy more rimfire in 2013 than they did in 2012?

Between the campfire forum, RFC forum and some of the benchrest forums are probably the most dedicated rimfire shooters in the country. I have not seen anyone post they have bought more rimfire than usual. Most have bought little to none.

Dink

I purchased more in 2013 then in 2012 and 2011.

Probably averaging 4 bricks a month.

In Canada we did not see a shortage anytime I purchased 22 ammo, there was lot's left for the other person.

Average price per brick was about $23.00 Canadian.

We are experiencing powder,primer and bullet shortages ,finding components for your pet loads is a challenge.

Freight and other taxes kick the [bleep] out of prices as well as as the growing difference in our dollar .

Homeland security is a bitch, we get continue to get hosed on optics, 30% difference between Cabelas Canada and Cabelas US.

US citzens close to the border could not purchase 22 ammo.

JB you have more patience then me ........

Flyer

I like a conspiracy theory as well as the next guy but mule deer laid out the most logical scenario I've heard. I was of a mind that it couldn't be hoarders until I went to a yard sale where a guy was selling the estate of a friend. he had 2 one pound bottles of imr 4350 powder on the table. of course I grabbed them. I asked if he had any more and he took me in the back where his pickup was. his deceased buddy was a hoarder. in the pickup was 800 pounds of imr 4350. I hadn't seen any powder for a year, it was like a wet dream. I bought all I will ever use in my life time for 15.00 a lb. also had a good supply of 4064 and blc(2). that's when I realized the magnitude of hoarding going on.

I think this present panic is lasting longer because of the politics involved. There is consistent anti 2A talk from a variety of democrat politicians, not just POTUS. There also are the anti-2A organizations who get media time and various state and federal court decisions that are being made. All of this keeps fanning the flames of hoarding.

I know from my previous firearms safety training, as an instructor, we frequently had dud .22lr ammo for the kids to
use. Why I bring this up is that all the hoarders will eventually discover their precious stash doesn't fire.

Well, yes I did. Gave away more than in those other years too. Also bought a .223 black rifle. I did not even want one until they started telling me I did not need one. miles

Miles how much more did you buy?

Any mirrors for sale in that yard?

My last 22 LR purchase was about Oct 2011. Still in good shape, but I am not going to do any sloppy shooting. Every shot will count.

A bunch, but I did not keep track. Because of the shortage and since I am retired, I made a bunch of trips to the local Walmart before the annual trip to Quemado. I figured since they were in short supply, my friends might have trouble shooting all they wanted to on our get together so I made sure I was there at opening time (local not open all night) and stood in line with the group that was regulars. It was hard to beat them since they seemed to know how much was coming and would bring enough people to get it all, but I kept going earlier until I got a good supply to take. It was there for free for all to shoot and then I gave quite a bit away to friends after the shooting was over. I have since given some to a friend or two with children that shoot. I need to do it again before the trip to Texas in April. miles

I should have added that I am keeping more on hand than in the past, one reason is that three days before the Sandy Hook shooting my Wife told me she wanted a new .22 pistol. We looked online and she decided on a Ruger 22/45, so I went and bought one right before the shooting. I keep more since we need more. miles

Just picked up 3 bricks of 555 for $23.78/brick at Walmart on Saturday. I left two on the shelves for the next guy. Ain't Kanada great.

It must be a little confusing to the conspiracy theorists to hear about our Canadian friends being able to buy rimfire ammo so easily in stores. If ammo manufacturers were deliberately decreasing production to raise prices, you'd think Canada would be having a shortage too.

Of course, the first "evidence" of a conspiracy in this latest episode was a shortage of .223 ammo, which was blamed on the US government wanting it all for itself, leaving none for citizens. But .223 ammo has been all over the place for several months now. Just stopped in a couple of stores today and saw thousands of rounds.

Also found some Hornady .17 HMR 17-grain V-Max at one, with a limit of three boxes per customer. It was priced at $11.99, which is about the price it's been selling for in stores for many years now. Four bricks were already at home, but I shoot as much .17 HMR as .22 LR, so picked up three boxes. If there's any left next time I'm in the etore might buy some more.

Also picked up 500 .22 caliber match-grade pellets for my very accurate air rifle for $10, less than half the price a brick of .22 ammo goes for at normal retail prices. I shoot it a lot too, including in the garage in the winter, and even accurate pellets are really cheap. Wonder why the pellet manufacturers haven't shut down their plants to drive the price up?

Oh, and saw the normal bazillion shotgun shells, which never were scarce even at the height of the panic--at normal prices.

Here's a tidbit to drive the American "Let's all share" guys crazy.

Here in Canada, I bought a case, yes a CASE, of WW 40gr HP Power Points last month. For the same price as I did last year and the year before that.

Although I will shoot those this year at gophers, that likely makes me a hoarder in the eyes of many here.

I will also buy two cases of Lapua 22LR ammo soon to shoot in rimfire silhouette this year for the same price as last year. Come to think of it I bought a case this past fall. Easy peasey. It may not really be germane to this topic as it comes from Europe to Canada, and doesn't have to get past the US Walmart gauntlet.

Just got a couple cases of Laupa myself for this years smallbore silhoutte work. I get 2-3 cases a year of Laupa or Eley just as I have the last several years. I like to keep a case or so of Blazer around for pistol plinking , but have seen that for sale since BEFORE the big panic. But do manage to pick up a bit of CCI mini mag once in a while, so I got a case of centurion orderd for my pistol stuff should be to my ammo guy any time.

How many people that are retired, UN-employeed, work the night shift, store clerks, friends of store clerks are buying 70-80% of what IS being distributed before it's stocked or barely put on the shelf.

The ANSWER - LOTS & LOTS of it. And as long as people keep paying 40,50,60+ a brick we'll continue to see empty shelves.

And as John pointed out, as long as the fools who normally shot 50-100 rounds, maybe a brick a year are hoarding thousands upon thousands of rounds the prices will continue to be inflated.

Big Chains like Cabelas have taken any ammo that is being sought after and basically removed it from their on-line/mail order because it's all being shipped to the store and bought up quicky

I stumbled across bricks being sold at one Bass Pro and then at another a few weeks later....the ammo is there, but there are still folks buying it up and waiting in lines like they were a year ago.....cost is about the same, I was able to buy a federal 525 bulk pack for around $21.00

Bottom line, if folks would calm down, this would end, but its a catch 22 (no pun intended) because if I see it, I'm gonna buy it because its so rare to find

I really have not been looking for .22 LR, but I buy it when I see it. In the last couple of months I have bought some CCI Velocitors and some CCI SV at local stores. Also, my wife has called when she sees some at Wal Mart and I either take it or leave it depending on brand and quantity. On the .22 magnum front, I have scored about a thousand rounds since mid-November, some on the shelves and some mail order. I also have some magnum on back order with Midway. As Mule Deer pointed out a few days ago, back ordered ammo is never going to be shown as being in stock when it arrives, so it looks like the seller has been out for a year when it really has been receiving and shipping.

I've seen enough scorsese flicks to know that the mob is controlling the rimfire ammo supply now.

DINK: Several "insiders" I know agree completely with you!
The deliveries of rimfire ammo they had been receiving for decades have been halved!
And in some cases even less than that has been delivered to them in the last 15 months!
There has NOT been a doubling of rimfire ammo outlets - I know that for a fact!
The ammunition companies simply are shifting to more profitable ammunition sales/production in my opinion.
I now see factory centerfire ammo at 2 1/2 to 4 times what it cost just 24 months ago!
WTF?
I also heard yesterday that there has been ANOTHER jump in lead shot prices!
Sadly, I concur, that prices we used to see and AMOUNTS that we used to see of rimfire ammo are GONE and NEVER to return!
And thats a shame.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

This is all funny to me. I buy ammo or supplies as I go. My rimfire supplier has held his prices. I order and Dan says that he doesn't have it today, but it will be at his store in 2-6 weeks. When it arrives he ships it. I am tired of all the whinnying. Get up at 4am in the morning if you choose. I order mine from Dan Killough and when it comes in, he ships to me. Yes, I have several bricks of rimfire ammo, it is not for sale, and if you quit whinnying and order you will get it.

I'm surprised WOLF hasn't hired the biggest cargo ship they can find and came over and profiteered on us greedy capitalist!

They may be selling all they can make too.

Mike

A buddy just bought an AR style .22, I gave him 200 rounds from my supply for 2 diet dews.

Another friend of mine asked if I've been able to find any ammo and mentioned his 11 year old hasn't been able to shoot in awhile, I took 200 rounds by his office and had his secretary put it on his desk free of charge, I shoot when I want to shoot and if I run out before the shelves replenish I'll shoot something bigger and so on and so on, I'm blessed with multiple caliber options.

Mike

My concern has been limited annual or however often they schedule oddball runs of brass and whether the "craze" will hinder that!

I've been thinking about adding a new cartridge to the collection and there is no brass available for it. So I wait.

Mike

Butch,

VarmintGuy prefers to drive around southwestern Montana every month or so, and when he doesn't find the "normal" amount of rimfire ammo on store shelves he whines about the conspiracy. Though he has admitted to finding both .22 Long Rifle and .17 M2 recently.

Apparently he cannot even begin to comprehend how demand beyond normal levels changes the market. He and DINK and others refuse to consider ordering ammo, instead of spending a bunch of money on gasoline in the blind hope of finding any on store shelves.

As a result he refuses to believe the testimony of many people about how rimfire manufacturers are running constantly. Instead he just keeps driving round and round and round.

If you're going to drive round and round and round, there are worse places than Montana.

Muledeer,
Your wrong again about me. I have been a hoarder since I have had a job. I have cases (yes, cases not bricks) of rimfire ammo. I currently have four cases (again cases not bricks) of various rimfire on order. I have always bought by the case and always keep plenty.

I need absolutely nothing but I like to buy and test stuff for myself.

Where I live I can hit several wal-marts, cabelas, bass pro, Dicks and a couple of very large privately owned gun shops with very little effort. One can even time it so you get to the majority of them just as they open. Usually there is not a single 22LR shell in all the above places for sale.

How many cases of ammo do you think the above places have on order? One of the private gun shops said he would take a 100 cases of CCI yet he usually has nothing or Eley edge in stock (that stuff is cheap). He says he simply not getting what he used to (he always had pallets of rimfire).

If the above places are not getting it who is? Who is getting all the extra ammo that the companies are making while retailers that order a hundred thousand dollars worth are getting little to none?

I can't believe that it's all going to mail order places while these big retailers sit empty.

Dink

I have already told you what the people that work at Remington have told me so here is what I saw with my own eyes back in the summer when I was trying to get .22 bullets to take to Quemado.

I started hitting the walmart stores around here and from where I live there are 4 within thirty miles. I had no luck finding anything on several tries. There is just one of these that is not open all night so I figured that would make it easier to catch them will bullets and I asked when they got ammo shipments. I was told that ammo came in on Mon, Wed, and Fri. nights but was not put out until the next morning. Store opens at 6:00 Am so I go and the first time I get there around 6:15 and there was a few people at the sporting goods area waiting for the ammo to be put out. They got a few boxes of Federal .22 in bulk packs but there was enough people ahead of me to get it all at a three box limit, and I got none. I did buy some 9mm ammo. The next day for ammo I went again and there was no line but when the ammo was put out, there was no .22 bullets. There was some assorted ammo but no .22. A few days later I tried again and the same bunch was in line ahead of me but there was one box of bulk federal over what they bought, so I got a box. The next time I went I was there way ahead of time and was the first through the door and I got a three box limit of Remington bulk. Then same bunch was right behind me and had enough people to get everything if I had not been the first in line. This bunch consisted of a man in a wheelchair and his entourage and all money for the .22 bullets came out of his wallet. There was always enough people with him to get all bullets unless it was an odd number and not an even three box limit. Somebody was tipping him off about the number coming in, I think even though he said you could find out on line. I could never find a place with that info. This Walmart is in a small town with a population of 2500 or so and they got some .22 most shipment days. Some days there was not but they always got some ammo. It might be 9mm,.38, .45 .223 ect. but always some and most days there was .22. Other Walmarts where I have asked says that they are getting none but I doubt it and think they are tipping people off or keeping it for themselves to sell. This is against walmart policy and if it could be proved I figure they would be fired but a store that is open 24 hours a day it is harder to pin down when the ammo is put out. There is a lot more going on than most people think. miles

You should have tipped his wheelchair over.



Travis

I agree, but no matter what he is doing or has done, I would have looked like the bastard. miles

I was hitting the walmart here every trip to town for ammo. I would say I checked 25-30 times, nothing there. On my last trip I was able to get three boxes of stingers. All they had left.

Bimart across the highway was the same. Until thus weekend. They had a 100 boxes of federal .22s.

I bought my 2 box limit three days in a row. Brought my 12 year old son but they would not let him get two even with me.

So I got at lest these three hundred. My revolver likes Winchester 36 grain bulk Pak best. And federal HPs work great too. Can't find them anymore.

I was in my local Walmart 2 days ago and did not even look at the ammo, last time I checked a few months ago I picked up a box of Wolf .45 ACP real cheap, but it is gotten to the point that I am not bothering to look anymore, anywhere for .22 RF. Just not shooting as much, and when I do go to the range the pellet guns with some centerfire handguns get the nod, while I have around 1,000 rds of .22 available, I am just waiting for things to get better.

I find it strange that the foreign makers like Wolf, Sellier and Bellot, Aguila, etc. have not pumped up their production to take advantage of this?

Just in case I do look at the online sites like Graffs, but of course it is the usaul "Not in stock, on backorder".

These people who are "whinnying" - are they "neigh"-sayers?

HE112,

I am sure the foreign .22 ammo manufacturers have upped production, just as the American makers have. The trouble is demand (orders) is still running several times the normal level. Not just a little above normal or even doulve, but several times. Consequently, manufacturers still can't keep up with demand, which is why .22 ammo is back-ordered by every brick-and-mortar store and on-line mail-order company in the U.S.

There's plenty of .22 ammo stocked in stores in Canada, because Canadians didn't go into a buying panic when Obama was re-elected. We did.

There was a short period of time around late spring that the European producers flooded the American market with 22LR. Most high end Target. Made for short supply in Europe after that. They were laughing at us before that happened. They are not now.
This problem is worldwide!

It's taken a year, but it's catching up to us now. 22 ammo is hard to find. It's out there, but a lot of stores are down on inventory or out. No shortages with Euro stuff so far.

According to my ATK stock holder paperwork and emails, When the 2012 production run of components sold out early they kicked 2013 production run time up. That sold out before 2013 actually arived. Then they ran 2014 production earlier then usual to make up for shortages. That has long been sold out. They do not have a supply line in place to just up production to a rate that would keep up with demand as it is now.
The foreign companies can not up their imports because there are quotas in place to only allow certain amounts of any foreign munitions in . The lack of powder for reloading is under these same constraints.
As far as local supplies here in North central Wyoming, I do not even bother looking cuz, there aint nothing to be had, except at Shipton's Big R in Sheridan and the prices they have jacked things to ,they can keep it. I will be patient and get what I need on a cross country trip next month.

Mr.260. Do you know if Rocky Mnt is keeping 17HMR stocked? Planning on being out there in June and checking on restock options.

kass-

Check out Cabela's website. They might have 17HMR. Their stores all full of them.

Was at McBrides guns in Austin today, it is one of the old premier independent gun shops in town. Absolutely NO .22 rim fire including magnum available, even their reloading gun powder looked almost cleaned out. Was at an Academy store (big chain store) last week, no 22's either.

Decided to sell another gun in .22 RF, my Henry lever action, it is a good gun but I prefer bolts. And it is in .22 RF which has not been available for too... long.

If before Obama there was some 22 ammo in 50% of the households with an average of 500 rounds stored and used per year in to the top 10%, and then hoarding started, with all of the top 10% then wanting 10 bricks, we an calculate the recovery time.

The consumption is 500 rounds per year but now they want 5,000 in reserve. That is a 10 year supply. The manufacturers can run three shifts to triple production. One shift would be for consumption and two shifts for hoarding. The recovery would then take 5 years.

But the 22 shortage did not start until Obama was re elected. His initial election caused a primer shortage. Primers are now available, but double in price.

So Obama's Presidency will end in 2016 with a year of potential 22 shortage remaining. But if a Republican is elected President in 2016, each hoarding household will stop at ~ 8 bricks in reserve.

I don't know how one can 'hoard' something that is not available. I know the owners or managers of nearly every sporting goods store in my area and they insist that they can not get a delivery on 22 LR. I have not seen any 22 LR on the shelves in nearly two years and I look every time I get to a shop. It is simply not being delivered to the sporting goods stores.

Federal Premium� Ammunition Website: We are currently experiencing high demand for our products. We appreciate your patience and support and remain committed to serving all of our customers, from hunters and sport shooters to those who protect our country and our streets.

FAQ:

Does the recent news regarding a major U.S. lead smelter shutting down mean you'll have trouble obtaining lead for manufacturing conventional ammunition?
We do not anticipate any additional strain on our ability to obtain lead.

Why is ammunition in certain calibers so hard to find?
The current market and environment is causing stronger than usual demand for products in our industry.

Why are you selling your ammunition to the DHS?
The Department of Homeland Security contract makes up a very small percentage of our total ammunition output. Our production volumes on government contracts have been stable since the mid-2000s.

IS DHS BUYING MORE AMMUNITION TODAY THAN EVER BEFORE?
Department of Homeland Security ammunition purchases have been declining since 2009. It is projected that it will continue on this trend. Read the GAO report.

Are certain contracts taking ammunition away from civilians?
No. We remain committed to serving all channels of our business. The majority of our product serves the commercial market.

Why can't you just make more ammunition?
Our facilities operate 24-hours a day. We are continually making process improvements to increase our efficiency and investing in capital and personnel where we have sustained demand. We are bringing additional capacity online again this year.

At CCI� Website: We are currently experiencing high demand for our products. We appreciate your patience and support and remain committed to serving all of our customers, from hunters and sport shooters to those who protect our country and our streets.

FAQS:

Q: Does the recent news regarding a major U.S. lead smelter shutting down mean you'll have trouble obtaining lead for manufacturing conventional ammunition?
A: At this time we do not anticipate any additional strain on our ability to obtain lead.

Q: Why is ammunition in certain calibers so hard to find?
A: The current market and environment is causing stronger than usual demand for products in our industry.

Q: Are certain contracts taking ammunition away from civilians?
A: No. We remain committed to serving all channels of our business. The majority of our product serves the commercial market.

Q: Is DHS buying more ammunition today than ever before?
A: Department of Homeland Security ammunition purchases have been declining since 2009. It is projected that it will continue on this trend. Read the GAO report.

Q: Why can't you just make more ammunition?
A: Our facilities operate 24-hours a day. We are continually making process improvements to increase our efficiency and investing in capital and personnel where we have sustained demand. We are bringing additional capacity online again this year.

http://www.winchester.com/learning-center/faqs/Pages/FAQs.aspx

Nothing on Production or Market Supply ???

FAQS Hornady� Website:

Hornady Products are scarce in my neck of the woods. How can I get ahold of some?

The current political climate has caused extremely high demand on all shooting industry products, including ours. Empty retail shelves, long backorders, and exaggerated price increases on online auction sites � all fueled by rumors and conjecture � have amplified concerns about the availability of ammunition and firearms-related items.

If the information you hear doesn�t originate from Hornady Manufacturing, don�t believe it.

Here are some of rumors we�ve heard, and questions we�ve received:

�Have you stopped production, or has the government forced you to stop?
Not at all.

�Did you stop selling bullets so you could only make loaded ammunition?
Absolutely not.

�Since we can�t find your product you must be selling it all to the government.
Nope, less than 5% of our sales are to government entities.

�Why can�t you make more? Ramp up production? Turn on all the machines?
We�ve been steadily growing our production for a long time, especially the last five years. We�ve added presses, lathes, CNC equipment, people and space. Many popular items are produced 24 hours a day. Several hundred Hornady employees work overtime every week to produce as much as safely possible.

If there is any question about that � please take a tour of the factory. You�ll be amazed at what you see. We are producing as much as we can; much more than last year, which was a lot more than the year before, etc. No one wants to ship more during this time than we do.

We appreciate everyone�s understanding and patience. We don�t know when the situation will improve, so please bear with us a little longer. And remember, when it comes to Hornady Manufacturing, if you don�t hear it from us, please don�t believe it.

It just came to me. What was Reagan and Brady shot with?

There is your answer.

http://support.remington.com/

Nothing on Production or Market Supply ???

Thinking about it - The "no comment" from Rem and Win is odd!

I know my Walmart and Dunhams are receiving 22LR. I know some of the scalpers that run out and buy it up for resale. It's all bought up the day it's put out.

An FFL friend of mine just told me one of his distributors said they had received a HUGE supply of 22LR ammo, but were requiring you to buy a 22LR firearm before they'd sell you any ammo. He said the sale of 22LR firearms had been down lately due to the ammo hoarding so they needed to unload some firearms. "Buy a gun to get your ammo" is a good way for them to unload some inventory to the desperate dealers. My guy said he's paying around $18.00 for a brick of cheap promo LR, selling them for $30.00 a brick to the gunshow and flea market guys who mark it up once again.

Seen quite a bit of .22 ammo at my local walmart and the local acadmey sports here along the coast in texas!

CCI is made in this town.
22LR is available here most days.
It is usually not CCI brand.
Go figure.

That's obviously because you live in a seaport, where most stuff is imported from exotic places like Lonoke, Arkansas.

If I was only an inland Canadian.....

I went to three gun shops in town here and all three were well stocked with all sorts of 22LR. No Limits on their purchase either...

No problem finding ammo here...

Check out midway and Cabelas like right now. Not sure how long it will last.

Where something is made isn't always relevant to it's retail availability.

Had to have some Berry's bullets shipped from Graf's in MO to St. George, Utah, where they are made.

Go figure, indeed.

Paul

We visited a couple good spots for ammo (.22).. The one place had lead CCI 49.00 / 500.. Last fall they had a bunch of Rem. at just a bit higher than normal prices.. My step son did buy some 333's for 17.99, but had to buy a .22 rifle first... Lots of all centerfire ammo...

not the case in upstate NY ,it's out there but scarce

Kuz it's gone

Reading these posts, it seems like states along the mainland edges have better supplies compared to the upper midwest.
I rarely see it in MN and anything sitting there is a lucky find our gougers out there.
I remember seeing a bunch of remington subsonic at $15 at a walmart and a guy bought all he could and then went on to 9mm ammo. I could tell he was buying to resell because he had minimal shooting knowledge by the stupid questions he asked.

When the have any at all, Federal and Winchester is what you see in Lonoke, Arkansas. miles

Right now the thing to do is be patient, I am seeing very little .22 mag. or long rifle appearing on the shelves, usually in small amounts and expensive. I have seen some of the top of the line Eley at $20.00 a box on the internet, which is normal retail for this Olympic grade ammo.

I have sold 2 of my .22 rimfire guns and have put an emphasis on my pellet guns, have always been an air gun and black powder enthusiast anyways. Had thought about selling my CZ-452 that I have had since 2001, but it is too nice a gun to unload. The hoarders who are trying to get a quick profit by jacking up the price are primarily the issue now, but if we stay patient and not buy from them this should help. What ammo you have in stock I would use very sparingly, I keep it to 25-30 rounds for my .22 RF guns per trip to the range, and use my other center fire and airguns most of the time.

Another change that might happen is with the 2008 shortage, and this new one going into the second year other manufacturers might realize that expensive investment into tooling to make this caliber would be a safe and lucrative business investment. How about Ford Motor Company making .22 ammo? They have made other products like aircraft, etc. before. We are clearly in a long term need mode and with more makers, more ammo.

If FoMoCo commenced to making 22 ammo, it would likely supplant Remington as the absolute most useless brand on the shelves.

Assumin' any actually ever got to a shelf somewhere?

Not likely there will be any new companies bringing any 22LR ammo to market within the next 3-5 years. Reason is EPA and environmental impact approval and necessary governmental (federal, state and local) production licenses being granted. There are no license applications in process.

MissouriEd...good point, it takes time to plan, build and get up to speed a large manufacturing facility. I wonder if it can be done faster by a smaller company, like some of the gun makers, LaRue, Cooper, and Kimber when it was in Oregon?

How about a 2-3 man operation? It could be done on a farm away from the city with all it's restrictive codes

I'm thinking by the time you got all your paper work and permits done and approved the gold rush would be over.

You still need a ATF manufacturing license. Much too cost prohibitive for 2-3 man operation. Will take years to get all the equipment and logistics in place for raw supplies and for distribution. Reverse law of diminishing returns. All of the current manufacturers of ammo are producing it on surplus govt equipment and facilities.

Im thinking the shortage will be over the day the demo nuts are out of office.

NOT in my part of our state...at least for reasonable prices.

One LGS had Remington 500 round bricks for $89.90 each. I remembered why I don't buy stuff there.

Low and behold I found a 225 pack of 22lr Rem Golden Bullets at Walmart! Just one and I took it. I think it was $11.37? Anyway out the door for less than $12. Not a huge score to be sure but at least I can take the kids out plinking for a bit.

Magic 8 balls reads "Get used to it"



Travis

Nine out of ten Ouija boards concur. The tenth one needs sent in for a tweak.

I got 1550 rounds of Federal Champion and Federal Champion Target, plus 200 rounds of CCI Mini Mag from Gander Mountain - all 1750 rounds for $97 shipped to my door. 5.5 cents per round. Might be the cheapest .22 LR ammo I buy for the rest of my life...

four to five cents per round if things ever settle down.
That what cost is when/where it is available to me.

700lh I'll second that.
Last week a friend stopped by to shoot his new/used Beeman 177 cal pellet rifle. I asked about pellet cost and he said about $15/per 1k for the kind he was using. about 1.5 cts ea. After awhile he came into the house for a break (cold and windy outside) we shot the [bleep] for awhile. He spotted my SW M10-8 HB 38 Special sitting on the counter and asked about it. I told him it was my new 22 pistol and he gave me a BS look and said how's that? I told him I'd been collecting lead for 35 years and for the last 10 yrs 95% of it went into the same reclaimable backstop, was reclaimed then recast into 158 gr swc .358". He knew that but didn't really think about it as I do. It's one of my hobbies I enjoy, some of that lead has been down the barrel many times. Casting my own is the only way I can keep some of my guns shooting period, obviously you can buy 38 cast bullets damn near anywhere but I don't have to, I do my own. Still wanting an answer to my new 22 comment I asked him if he remembered the deal I got on CCI-550 small mag pistol primers 5 years back at $8.50/1000? Yeah he remembered, I said well you were happy with 1000 of them and I bought the other 17K he had,.85 cts each. Then I reminded him of the HP38 I snagged at the spring gun show 3 yrs ago where I got the whole case for $50 and he told me to sell half for $50(10 ea) so I wouldn't have any money in the other 5 lbs. I reminded him that I said no way and kept it all. At 3.7 grs a load with 158 gr bullets that was almost 1900 rds to the pound and 19000 to those 10 lbs. Well I told him that figured out to .26 cts per round powder cost + the .85 for the primer and the bullet at no cost as it had paid for itself many times ago. So I said 1.11 cts a round and MY time, how long has it been since you bought 22 ammo for that price? Well he laughed and said well maybe when I was 12-13yrs old in the mid 60's. I asked if he got it yet about the new 22 and said yeah I do. Leaves extra cash for better beer and the other necessities of life. Just something I got out of Boy Scouts the "Be Prepared" when I was one almost 50 yrs ago. The point is there are still ways to shoot inexpensively if You spend some of your time as well. Magnum Man

I was in a LGS yesterday and saw some bricks of Blazers in the display case. Asked the kid behind the counter about the price and when he checked, they weren't marked. Then he looked at the loose 50rd boxes and said "$10.99".

Must have been the new solid gold Blazers.

Remington Cyclone's on sale locally for $20 per brick. Still can't get myself to buy any of it. Picked up some more American Eagle yesterday, I think I'm set for a while.

Had a guy come in the gunshop yesterday and tell me with a straight face, he has an uncle that is an officer in the military, and that the new troups are now training with rifles converted to 22LR to save money, and THAT is where all the 22LR is going...

The "stories" continue...(grin!)

Virgil B.

I've been finding somewhat irregularly Remington thunderbolts and federals on the shelves as little as 2.49 box to as much as 5.95 which is too much !!!

Over the last 2 mos, I've found fed. bulk, cci sv, and cci blazers. Going rate has been $35/brick.


maddog

I just picked up 3 boxes of Remington golden bullets at Wally World, 225 round boxes, for $11.17/box. They had CCI stingers for $6.47/50 which I thought was ridiculous.

My local Dick's sporting goods had HP mini mags 300/27.99

GUN show prices today
550 federals $55
525 federal light blue box $79.99
various 330, 225 packs were $35
500 rem thunderbolts $60

Yea, I just picked up two 100 packs of cci and a pack of 100 subs for 5.99 ea at gander mountain last week, its getting better.,

Cabela's in Post Falls, Idaho had Federal 525 round value pack's for $23.99 yesterday. They didn't last long.

Probably the same 525 packs for sale in the classifieds for 65.00 yesterday?

Less than $23 a box (525 rds) at Wal-Mart yesterday. 3 box limit. Remington golden bullet. I got 3. They also had Winchester 333 rd boxes as well, but passed on those.

No doubt.

the retailers like Cabelas, Chinamart, etc. are starting to increase the prices. Which means the manufacturers are,since most of the retailers base their mark up on percentage of purchase price. Still can find the occasional box at 4 to 5 cents a round but now the cost is likely to be at 8.

Other rimfire rounds have all held their prices. No sales now, but the per 50 price is still there, availability sometimes spotty, but better then 22lr. But one can pretty much get 17hmr anytime to order and much of the time off the shelf when you walk in a store.

I buy every box of 22lr I can with a reasonable price. It ends up with people I know that can't get it, have kids and grandkids that can't shoot, and with the sportman's club for their youth programs and other youth organizations that I know will use it.
Is that hoarding? I am sure others do the same.

I realize it is not the whole problem but STOP supporting the Scalpers!!
Check out the classifieds here and you see it all the time.
Regardless of how many post or what their rep is on the Fire, Dont buy from SCALPERS ,that is just contributing to the problem.
Shoot a shotgun,bb gun,centerfire handgun or rifle ,throw rocks,whatever but STOP supporting these people who are destroying our shooting sports .

Black powder (Pyrodex) has been on the shelf whenever I go in the local store. That's been my backup plan during these crazy times. I will not pay scalpers!

Bcraig: Is it your contention that this now 19 month long ammo shortage is caused by "scalpers"?
I attended a gunshow this weekend in Missoula, Montana and out of all the table holders and vendors (including a group of 6 tables held by a commercial ammunition selling company!) there was exactly 2 (two!) bulk packs of 22 L.R. ammunition being scalped there as of the opening bell!
Those two lonely boxes (bulk packs) or Remington Golden Bullet hollow-points were marked at $55.00 each and were on the same table!
So at that venue there was NOT a lot of "SCALPING" going on (possible!)!
In fact I spent the whole long day searching for 22 hollow-points and 17 Mach2 ammo in the town of Missoula and then south through the length of the Bitterroot Valley.
I lost track of the chain stores, sporting goods stores, gun shops, pawn shops and the like that I searched through.
I saw not a single box of 22 h.p. ammo on a stores shelf anywhere!
I did find a small dank pawn shop that had 6 boxes of 17 Mach2 ammo (the labels were faded by the sun!) at $11.00 per box.
There is scalping going on and the only way I see ending this now 19 month long ammo shortage is for the manufacturers to make more ammo.
I have already relayed on this forum how I observed a man selling 22 hollow-points at the tiny Whitehall, Montana gunshow a month or so ago.
He had a case of Remington 525 round bulk pack Golden Bullets and he was selling them at $46.00 a pack - he had already gone through more than one half of that case and it was early morning of that shows opening day.
So if you consider $46.00 per 525 rounds of hollow-points "SCALPING" then you my friend have a tough row to hoe ahead of you in trying to convince folks not to buy from scalpers.
Good luck in promoting your policy - but I think your contention is incorrect/flawed.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I see it fairly regular at Sportsmans WH and Cabelas. But then my work takes me by both so I am able to stop in fairly frequently.

Its usually gone in a day or two but the truck comes every week.

As I said from the beginning I realize scalping is not the entire problem.AND I NEVER said it was the only problem,nor did I IMPLY that the 19 month long ammo shortage was caused by Scalpers.
That is a leap of your imagination to say the least.
reread my post.
And its not BUT when someone does buy all they can and then turns around and Scalps others for it it ADDS to the problem.
Just because some ARE willing to pay scalpers prices does NOT mean that scalpers are not part of the problem.
IF people would stop paying double what they can be bought for then it would certainly help.
Of course it goes without saying that I think your contention that Scalping does no harm is wrong and flawed .
Now for the part you ARE correct about a lot of people will buy anyway.
So it will continue to be a problem.
But to say that SCALPING is not PART of the problem ,
well, I could agree with you But then we would both be wrong.

You can only be scalped if you want to be. People need to quit whining. You should have been buying along and not waited. The manufacturers are working overtime and making large investments in facilities.
If I had a dollar for each of the whining threads on ammo I would never have to work again.
Get over it guys and but when you can as we will have another episode again one of these days.

Yeah for the most part true about allowing themselves to be scalped.
However when the scalpers are defending the outrageous prices some people will naively believe then that this is normal and ok .
More need to stand up to this sh.. and tell them that this not ok.
Telling people what they should have done doesn,t help as that is an after the fact statement.
There is nothing wrong with complaining about others trying to take advantage of you.
I do agree with the part about buying when you can with the caveat of not being a slovenly pig and buying it all or bringing in others to help you buy it all ,then turning around and trying to stick it to others less fortunate to be in the right place at the right time as they were.

Your so right....

So why is there still not any .22lr ammo?

Because we have it all and we are not sharing.

Our Canadian members have said that they are not having an issue getting .22 ammo, so there is still the panic mode going on here in the USA with Obama in the White House. I can imagine this will continue for some time until he is out of office. I have begun to find .22 RF in some of my local gun shops, but in small amounts and at high prices. But a year ago, you would have not found any at all.

Just because we get a Republican in the White House, it will most likely swing the other way again as Americans are under greater economic pressure that neither political party chooses to fix and will vote for another empty liberal suit. So I would make sure you are stocked up for the next Democrat who gets sworn in down the road.

Our Wally World has still been getting 22 LR every couple weeks. You can buy three boxes of 550 Federals for $24.00 a box. You have to get there at 7 oclock to get any. Some of the same old guys are there every time. You can not beat them. They are not shooter, just trying to help there income. I have told him to give others a chance, but he keeps coming back. I am just trying to supply 3 of us shooting. Scalpers rub me wrong and buyers from them will not help themselves.

Distract the fuggers...

Epoxy a quarter to the sidewalk about 20' from the door, or, leave a few, good old fashion porn mags on the bench outside the door.

Poor fellers!

Ammo is around, just takes a little online research to find it. Today I bought 20 boxes of CCI SV for $4.99 a box. Called my brother to tell him and he did the same from the same retailer. Then found a brick of the Remington 33 grain premier .22 mag stuff as well for $22.99 a box.
Cabelas has some 22LR in stock as well but they limit you to one box per day.