Shortages are back

[srb08]

I haven't looked at the ammo situation locally but based on what I'm hearing from friends and neighbors, the situation is bleak.
.22lr is unobtanium and if you do find any, has doubled or tripled in price.

I did a bulk .22lr buy last Dec. I called all of my friends who shoot and asked if they wanted in. I explained that prices had bottomed out, the election was coming up and it was time to buy. Only one guy took me up on my offer. He got 10k rounds of CCI SV?
These are the same guys who, when offered a killer deal on Fed .223 ammo just before Sandy Hook, all said they wanted some but when I got it, didn't have money. The only guy who picked his up, is the same guy who got in on the .22lr deal. After Sandy Hook and the shortages, every one who didn't have money at the time, called and said "hey, can I grab that .223 now." Of course the answer was NO. These same guys have been buying guns but no ammo.

One of my neighbors likes the buckets of Rem Golden bullets. A couple months ago, I found a good deal online and let him know about it. I also let him know not to wait because they would be gone. He looked but decided to think about it. When he went back the next day to order, they were all sold.

I don't understand. People knew this was coming but did nothing to prepare.
I got caught short on .22lr and loading components before Sandy Hook. It didn't happen a second time.
I'm almost glad prices are back up so I can stop buying and start spending money on other stuff, like food.

 

[redline4]

I haven't looked at the ammo situation locally but based on what I'm hearing from friends and neighbors, the situation is bleak.
.22lr is unobtanium and if you do find any, has doubled or tripled in price.

I did a bulk .22lr buy last Dec. I called all of my friends who shoot and asked if they wanted in. I explained that prices had bottomed out, the election was coming up and it was time to buy. Only one guy took me up on my offer. He got 10k rounds of CCI SV?
These are the same guys who, when offered a killer deal on Fed .223 ammo just before Sandy Hook, all said they wanted some but when I got it, didn't have money. The only guy who picked his up, is the same guy who got in on the .22lr deal. After Sandy Hook and the shortages, every one who didn't have money at the time, called and said "hey, can I grab that .223 now." Of course the answer was NO. These same guys have been buying guns but no ammo.

One of my neighbors likes the buckets of Rem Golden bullets. A couple months ago, I found a good deal online and let him know about it. I also let him know not to wait because they would be gone. He looked but decided to think about it. When he went back the next day to order, they were all sold.

I don't understand. People knew this was coming but did nothing to prepare.
I got caught short on .22lr and loading components before Sandy Hook. It didn't happen a second time.
I'm almost glad prices are back up so I can stop buying and start spending money on other stuff, like food.

Sounds like here. A guy I work with has purchased 6 9mm handguns in the last 6 months.
He says he has 100 rounds of 9mm...

 

[FergusonTO35]

The thunderbolts are about 75% out of my 10/22, and about the same out of my 69A... Now the Winchester gallery gun eats almost everything, but the exposed hammer and heavy spring make for a resounding impact...

The Ruger MKIV varies.

I should add that my usual .22 rifles are bolt or lever action. I only use decent ammo in my ancient Marlin 995 and the wife's 10/22.

 

[FergusonTO35]

I don't understand. People knew this was coming but did nothing to prepare.
I got caught short on .22lr and loading components before Sandy Hook. It didn't happen a second time.
I'm almost glad prices are back up so I can stop buying and start spending money on other stuff, like food.

I have zero sympathy for people who suddenly decide that they need ammo when there is a panic going on and none to be had. Many or most of these people aren't even real hobbyists anyway, they are just following the herd. Shooting and reloading is really important to me so I am always buying small quantities of supplies for it, no matter what else is going on. The other day I donated some .223's to a co-worker who just built his first AR and was itching to try it out 'cause I didn't want him to spontaneously combust from anticipation.

 

[redline4]

I'm not sure how many of you share my view on this, but I know a few guys who are ammo snobs.
Heaven forbid they feed steel case to their precious AR or some off brand ammo to any other firearm.

My personal view is even if accuracy suffers, if it wont go bang from any ammo put in the chamber and it's the firearms fault, that firearm goes down the road. I don't want to be stuck depending on something that needs special ammo to go bang.

 

[2000ssm6]

I can't say I feel bad for those who didn't catch a hint in 2008, there was plenty of time to stock upon cheap ammo until now.

As an FFL with several distributors, I can't even get any 223/5.56 or 9mm, waiting lists are very long.

 

[srb08]

I'm not sure how many of you share my view on this, but I know a few guys who are ammo snobs.
Heaven forbid they feed steel case to their precious AR or some off brand ammo to any other firearm.

My personal view is even if accuracy suffers, if it wont go bang from any ammo put in the chamber and it's the firearms fault, that firearm goes down the road. I don't want to be stuck depending on something that needs special ammo to go bang.

I don't consider myself an ammo snob. I have a fair amount of steel case Russian and Chinese ammo but haven't shot a lot of it, except 7.62x39, other than to make sure it functions and is reasonably accurate. I have plenty of better quality factory ammo and I reload. When it was really cheap, I bought it because it was really cheap. The Chinese Norinco is good ammo.
If it was the only ammo I had, I wouldn't feel handicapped.
I will offer it as a low cost option to someone who shows up to shoot without ammo. More often than not, people turn their noses up and don't want to shoot it.
The stuff I won't shoot is surplus military ammo from third world countries or questionable sources.
I've had some bad experiences and don't plan on repeating.

 

[FergusonTO35]

My M16 replica eats Tula .223 no problem with good accuracy. Only thing I don't like about Combloc ammo is the steel bullet jackets. It takes thousands of rounds to notice but they will wear the bore faster than copper or brass. For the average person who shoots a few hundred rounds a year at most this is probably a non-issue but I'm obsessive about these things. What I do is pull the bullets and put them in reserve, then seat a Sierra or Hornady soft point into the loaded case. Cheap ammo with good bullets!

What's strange is, some components are unobtanium in one shop and gathering dust in another. My side job shop is almost back to normal on .22 LR, whereas Cabela's is completely empty. My favorite fun store has a fair amount of SP primers in stock and nobody other than me is buying them. I bought half a box two weeks ago and then bought the other half yesterday, the other boxes on the shelf were untouched. If those appeared on the shelf at Cabela's a riot would start.

 

[Locust Cutter]

My M16 replica eats Tula .223 no problem with good accuracy. Only thing I don't like about Combloc ammo is the steel bullet jackets. It takes thousands of rounds to notice but they will wear the bore faster than copper or brass. For the average person who shoots a few hundred rounds a year at most this is probably a non-issue but I'm obsessive about these things. What I do is pull the bullets and put them in reserve, then seat a Sierra or Hornady soft point into the loaded case. Cheap ammo with good bullets!

What's strange is, some components are unobtanium in one shop and gathering dust in another. My side job shop is almost back to normal on .22 LR, whereas Cabela's is completely empty. My favorite fun store has a fair amount of SP primers in stock and nobody other than me is buying them. I bought half a box two weeks ago and then bought the other half yesterday, the other boxes on the shelf were untouched. If those appeared on the shelf at Cabela's a riot would start.

We've had a hell of a shortage lately on primers. Large pistol, Rifle, and Mag variations aren't as bad, but small anything is near unobtanium. Cases vary.

 

[srb08]

For the past couple of months, I've been watching .22lr prices that some of the online gougers have been getting for .22lr ammo. Remington TB's going for $.20/rd, while Eley and SK, of much higher quality was $.10/rd. The Eley and SK was still available, after the Thunderbolts were sold out.
I guess people were buying up the good American ammo and passing on the cheap foreign stuff.

I was in my LGS this week. An older couple was buying a 9mm auto for home protection. The dealer didn't have any 9mm ammo but put their name on a list to call, when he got some. Apparently people are buying guns even though they have no ammo for them. I had a range bag in my truck and found a partial box of 9mm ammo, that I gave them.

Interesting times for sure.

 

[USMC615]

For the past couple of months, I've been watching .22lr prices that some of the online gougers have been getting for .22lr ammo. Remington TB's going for $.20/rd, while Eley and SK, of much higher quality was $.10/rd. The Eley and SK was still available, after the Thunderbolts were sold out.
I guess people were buying up the good American ammo and passing on the cheap foreign stuff.

I was in my LGS this week. An older couple was buying a 9mm auto for home protection. The dealer didn't have any 9mm ammo but put their name on a list to call, when he got some. Apparently people are buying guns even though they have no ammo for them. I had a range bag in my truck and found a partial box of 9mm ammo, that I gave them.

Interesting times for sure.

Liking that Steve...good on you.

 

[FergusonTO35]

For the past couple of months, I've been watching .22lr prices that some of the online gougers have been getting for .22lr ammo. Remington TB's going for $.20/rd, while Eley and SK, of much higher quality was $.10/rd. The Eley and SK was still available, after the Thunderbolts were sold out.
I guess people were buying up the good American ammo and passing on the cheap foreign stuff.

I was in my LGS this week. An older couple was buying a 9mm auto for home protection. The dealer didn't have any 9mm ammo but put their name on a list to call, when he got some. Apparently people are buying guns even though they have no ammo for them. I had a range bag in my truck and found a partial box of 9mm ammo, that I gave them.

Interesting times for sure.

In Kentucky you are supposed to bring your own gun to the CCW class. At my class, an old guy showed up with a Jennings J-22 and something was wrong with the mag, upon reloading the bullet nose would catch the top of the chamber mouth and get stuck. Dude was driving a 90's Pontiac so I doubt he had any better guns. I used to keep one of these things as my car gun so I gave him the mag out of it, figured he needed it alot more than I did.

 

[Ron660]

For the past couple of months, I've been watching .22lr prices that some of the online gougers have been getting for .22lr ammo. Remington TB's going for $.20/rd, while Eley and SK, of much higher quality was $.10/rd. The Eley and SK was still available, after the Thunderbolts were sold out.
I guess people were buying up the good American ammo and passing on the cheap foreign stuff.

I was in my LGS this week. An older couple was buying a 9mm auto for home protection. The dealer didn't have any 9mm ammo but put their name on a list to call, when he got some. Apparently people are buying guns even though they have no ammo for them. I had a range bag in my truck and found a partial box of 9mm ammo, that I gave them.

Interesting times for sure.

Eley HP hunting ammo still available like you said. This is what I use for squirrel hunting.

 

[Ron660]

Eley subsonic HP’s work pretty good.

 

[Ron660]

works so well I ordered several bricks. Most accurate HP’s in my rimfire rifles and pistols. Usually around $8+ a box.

 

[FergusonTO35]

You got black squirrels down there? Thought those were only up north. What kind of a rifle is that?

 

[Ron660]

You got black squirrels down there? Thought those were only up north. What kind of a rifle is that?

Got this black one in October of this year. First one I ever killed. Last Friday, I killed two more. Before these, I’d only seen three ever in the woods.
Rifle was built by Voelker:
* Remington 581 action
* Broughton barrel 1:17 twist 22”/Eley chamber
* Black walnut stock/blank from Silverhill sawmill...think it’s in S.Carolina
* Canjar trigger set at 1.25lbs
It loves Eley HP’s

 

[FergusonTO35]

Wow, that's a nice rifle. Old steel tube Weaver scope?

 

[Ron660]

Wow, that's a nice rifle. Old steel tube Weaver scope?

Thanks. Yes old Weaver El Paso fixed 8x with parallex adjustment.

 

[Vice]

Have to give credit where credit is due here. My Ruger American .22 is very accurate with Thunderjams. Was shooting it today and they turn in noticeably tighter groups than Winchesters. Will be interested to see how Aguila Super Extra compares, given that they shoot great in every other gun I have and cost the same.

Both of my mark 2s fire thunderbolts fine, but are a 50% failure in my wife’s Glenn field 25, which we don’t use much anymore because the chip is a pain to get out. A new clip is three times what I paid for it 25 years ago.

I had to dump all my carry pistols after running into some financial crunch. I don’t feel I need one. I’d like my wife to have one and that’s why I was asking in an other thread