.22 Ammo?

[cornfedkiller]

Was at the store just killing some time the other day and walked by the ammo section and noticed that there is still no .22 ammo on the shelves, and a sign there still limiting the amount an individual can buy..

I don't keep up on a lot of it, but can someone tell me why there is still such a shortage of .22 ammo?

When I was a kid (not that long ago), .22 ammo was dirt cheap, and we shot a TON of it. I remember buying boxes of loose 550-round federal and remington ammo at walmart for $10-12. And up until about 4-5 years ago, it was still the cheapest thing to find and shoot. Now, I can't hardly find the stuff, much less justify the cost for shooting cans and targets for fun.

Are the days of .22 ammo being plentiful and cheap over? Am I going to have to buy a pellet gun if I want something I (and my step daughter) can go out and shoot a bunch of rounds with for cheap?

 

[16Bore]

Rimfire Ammunition- MidwayUSA

 

[BuckSnort]

Simple answer... People hoard it... When people see it in stock they feel they have to buy all they have, there's even people that wait at stores like walmart for the ammo deliveries so they can snatch it up..

If you don't have any I'd be happy to send you some you you can shoot with your step daughter..

 

[cornfedkiller]

Ok I guess I should've specified, I have SOME..maybe a few hundred rounds, so its not like I cant find ANY or am in dire need of some (thank you for the offer BuckSnort!).

I was more curious if you thought .22 ammo was ever going to be like it was 20 years ago.. when you could go to any walmart, any sporting goods store, or heck even small town hardware store, and they would have a few thousand rounds sitting on the shelf.

So basically what you guys are saying is there isn't a supply problem, its a demand problem?

 

[UtahJimmy]

Definitely a demand problem. With the shortage of a few years ago, retailers realized people would pay a premium for it. Now that the supply has caught up, there's no reason to drop the price. They keep a few on the shelves to make you think they're almost out, so you snatch up their "maximum allowed per person" at $.10+ per round. You can find online for much cheaper but you have to wait. As long as you don't need it in a pinch you can find it for $.05/round.

Case and point: A few weeks ago at a gun show, there were brokers selling boxes for $.12 a round! I gave them shit about it and a guy walked up super excited to see a box and bought it! So whatever works...

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

 

[CorbLand]

Technically, its a supply problem because supply can't keep up with demand.

Its never going to be that cheap again but I think it will eventually get back to being regularly available but I didn't think it would take this long to do that. Most stores get it in regularly but like Buck said, people buy the piss out of it. A couple years ago I went into a store and asked if they had some and they had just sold the last box. A guy walked up 30 seconds later and asked if they had some, they told him the some thing as they told me. His comment back was "thats ok, I have 10,000 rounds and don't even own a .22". I watched a guy throw a temper tantrum because they wouldn't let him buy three bricks, even when they had a sign saying you could only buy one brick. No shit, he was 50 years old acting like a 2 year old because he didn't feel that the sign was clear enough and he should be allowed to buy three bricks. Until this mentality stops and people don't buy it ever chance they get just because, its not going to be available or its going to raise the price to meet demand.

 

[ezmorningrebel]

i don't even look for it when i go in sporting goods stores anymore. just buy it online.

 

[JWP58]

I have no problem buying .22lr. The trick is not to buy the cheap garbage (see Remington golden turds and the cheapo Winchester stuff) that bubba and jethro plans to hoard. Eley and SK are your friend (along with Wolf MT and higher priced aguila).

 

[Northernpiker]

About 1yearago I had a hard time getting .22's. Now it's available at quite a few stores.

 

[Ohio Darin]

Not to hard to find but don't see it ever getting back to where it was mainly due to economics. Manufacturers make very small margins (think pennies) per round of .22lr compared to other more lucrative calibers. The shortage created by decreased availability has helped drive prices up and make it somewhat more appealing to manufacture and aided in some stabilization. Doubt anyone could purchase the equipment and start a manufacturing facility focused on .22lr and be profitable so the market is stuck with the current manufacturers and their production schedules.

 

[elkguide]

Readily available here but it is pricey. Think that probably the "good old days" are long gone.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

I'm not sure I will ever see it back to normal locally. That's what the internet is for I guess.

Esse quam videri

 

[topher89]

No problems around here. I can get CCI mini mags at pretty much every store I frequent

 

[kodiakfly]

It's pretty available here on the island. There's people trying to sell their hoarded boxes on local for sale boards and no one even bites. I went to a garage sale a few weeks ago and a guy had a table full of it for decent prices and people just walking by. He was a buddy of mine so he cut me a good deal on a brick. I've got a couple thousand rounds on hand now. Not from hoarding, but just buying it cheap from the guys that wanted to put their kids through college on it but now are unloading it.

 

[MallardSX2]

The local cabelas has quite a bit for about .06$/Round.

 

[Sodbuster]

Try gunbot
Or ammo fast when they have a sale and the free shipping deal.

Rumor In my little hole of a town is that the local pawn shop/gun store has a real with Walmart manager to call him first when they get a shipment in,
Gun shop gets it all.
Walmart never had any here.

 

[nflesher]

I have zero issues finding it at all. I don't think guys look hard enough or something.

 

[16Bore]

Redneck 401K

 

[Beendare]

Its in stock at the online outfits I use; Ammoman....and SG Ammo....they deliver right to my door [until the end of the year here in Ca]

 

[ezmorningrebel]

my last couple of bricks have come from cabelas. if i'm on the hunt i usually just check on ammoseek to see who has what.