22 Ammo

Over the past few weeks I have picked up a several 100 round boxes from small shops. Prices have been between $8 and $10 per 100 rounds for CCI and Remington. Prices were higher than two years ago but much better than what I've seen at any gun show over the past year. One guy told me he had Remington bulk boxes for $26 that stayed on the shelf for several days. The local "Mart" has not put any rim-fire out for over a month.
 
I still got a descent stash of 22 ammo I bought for $15 a brick of 500 a little while before the gun hysteria. Actually have 20 50 round boxes coming in that I got for around $2.30 a box that says will get here in a week but bought them on backorder and they first of all said July they'd arrive so who knows. I think the ammo companies are just keeping things in short supply on purpose so people will constatly be in desperate need and pay the high prices the retailers are selling them for. A box of plinking 22 ammo should not be $4 a box and can only buy 4 at a time in local stores and other ammo only 4 boxes at a time. Although some online stores are selling them at good prices like $0.5 a round .All those pennies add up espeically when shooting tons of 22. Hopefully things will get back to the way they were someday.
 
I happened to be in one of the big box stores last week early in the morning, about 6:30 AM.

I wondered into the sporting goods department to get a copy of the hunting regs for this year. I noticed a guy standing at the register, but nobody behind the counter.

The hunting regs were right in front of him, I stood there for a minute thinking he would move, but he didn't, so I stepped up and said excuse me, and started to reach in front of him for the regs.

He turns toward me and says "I'm first, I was here before you.".

I stood there looking at him, kinda puzzled, and told him I just want a copy of the regs, you can stand there all day if you want just give me a copy of the hunting regs.

After he hears that, he starts apologizing saying that he's been there for 30 minutes or so waiting on the ammo to get there.

When I hear this, I look on the shelf and there's .40, 9mm, .45, .357, and even some .380, but no .22.

Stock guy walks up then and they nod at each other and the three bricks of .22s come off the cart an onto the counter, and the guy whips out his credit card and pays for them.

I ask the stock guy for a brick and he tells me that's all they got in, maybe more next week. Then the guy that just bought them says he'll sell me a brick. I said sure, hows 26 sound that should cover the tax.

He rolls his eyes and says "nope, I'll take 35 right now, I can get 40 or 45 at the gun show this weekend."

The guy behind the counter didn't say a word, not even when I told the guy to shove em up his ###, I've got enough at home, I'm not desperate.

Call the guy a capitalist if you want, I just call him, a D bag. If people would just stop paying the inflated prices they wouldn't have a reason to do that stuff and you could buy .22s at regular retail off the shelf instead off of the net or at gunshows for inflated prices.

When people stop buying it at the high prices the stockpiled .22s that these guys have bought will sit there until they have to get rid of it.
Then you'll be able to buy it at a better than retail price, or their basement will flood and it won't be any good anyway.
 
All the the "big box stores" in this area have been limiting purchases to one brick per customer per day because of instances just like that. I have seen guys at shows paying more than double the retail price for ammo.
 
That is pretty amazing that the customer flat out tells you he's selling them at the gun show this weekend. I suspect he could do better in the parking lot and not have to pay admission to the show or rent a table. Anyway, I don't like stories like this.

I pretty much would have reacted the same way since I have a substantial stash already.
 
A bit of help understanding something... why on earth would anyone want to hoard .22 ammunition? Some preppers are going to fight off the US Marines and all the other post-apocalyptic preppers with a Remington 10-22? If I were hoarding ammo, it'd be something useful, like 30-06. :)

Just curious. I haven't tried to shop for ammo yet, so I don't know what the local supply situation is like, but I just bought a .22 for the kid and don't like what I'm reading about ammo prices.
 
I have only found it in a couple "specialty" gun stores at ridiculous prices in the Denver area. Haven't seen it in a big box store in 2 years or more.
 
Every time I go to the stores there are no 22 ammo, I got tired of it and sold my pistol. I now have 500 rounds of ammo I don't need and will sell but will not ship.
 
Oh well. Guess this little rifle will at least look attractive hanging on the wall. :eek:
 
Bob W said:
A bit of help understanding something... why on earth would anyone want to hoard .22 ammunition? Some preppers are going to fight off the US Marines and all the other post-apocalyptic preppers with a Remington 10-22? If I were hoarding ammo, it'd be something useful, like 30-06. :)

Just curious. I haven't tried to shop for ammo yet, so I don't know what the local supply situation is like, but I just bought a .22 for the kid and don't like what I'm reading about ammo prices.
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I think you mean Ruger 10/22. Why hoard .22lr? Some do because you can keep a crap-load of it and it will require less money to purchase (unless you deal w/ gougers) and less space to store than an equivalent number of .30-06 shells. It's a better small game cartridge than .30-06 and easier on the shooter for extended practice sessions. Not knocking .30-06 or anything else but there are reasons .22lr comes in bricks.

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Beckerhead #42
 
GingivitisKahn said:
I think you mean Ruger 10/22. Why hoard .22lr? Some do because you can keep a crap-load of it and it will require less money to purchase (unless you deal w/ gougers) and less space to store than an equivalent number of .30-06 shells. It's a better small game cartridge than .30-06 and easier on the shooter for extended practice sessions. Not knocking .30-06 or anything else but there are reasons .22lr comes in bricks.
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My question was a bit rhetorical, but thank you for addressing it nicely. I always considered the low cost and easy availability of ammunition to be the leading factors in .22 popularity. Eliminate those two things and the attraction just isn't there.
 
Bob - I still maintain that things will turn back around. .22lr will never be as cheap as it was, but it will remain much cheaper than any centerfire cartridges would. Availability should build back up as well.

But with that said, there is a reason my squirrel gun is a .22 air rifle.
 
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Bob W said:
Oh well. Guess this little rifle will at least look attractive hanging on the wall. :eek:
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Bob, what state do you live in? (I'm in Tapa so I can't see)


Edit- never mind, just figured out hire to view your profile. PM your address and I'll send you some do that your son can shoot
 
liamstrain said:
Bob - I still maintain that things will turn back around. .22lr will never be as cheap as it was, but it will remain much cheaper than any centerfire cartridges would. Availability should build back up as well.

But with that said, there is a reason my squirrel gun is a .22 air rifle.
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I hope you're right.
 
Cavalry_Scout said:
Bob, what state do you live in? (I'm in Tapa so I can't see)


Edit- never mind, just figured out hire to view your profile. PM your address and I'll send you some do that your son can shoot
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Thanks for the offer, but it's not necessary. The fellow who sold me the rifle says he has a box for me. :thumbup:
 
Our local Gun Shop is having their Anniversary Sale this weekend and a Brick (525) Of Federal 22 ammo at $27.95. Limit 2 bricks. I keep telling myself "If you wanna dance you gotta pay the fiddler" But it pisses me off.
 
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