the rimfire shortage...

Ray · Post by **Ray** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 8:11 pm

Deleted.

horsesoldier03 · Post by **horsesoldier03** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 8:44 pm

I have put in for notifications from several sites to pick up some .22 shorts. My FIL has a nice Browning Take-Down that only uses .22 shorts, hoping to have them in before Fathers Day.

Malamute · Post by **Malamute** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 9:11 pm

Wal mart still sells it for the normal retail price. The only problem is getting there before the hoarders/flippers buy it all.

The inflated prices seen online and in many shops is NOT from the factory, its somebody else in the supply chain.

Grizz · Post by **Grizz** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 9:37 pm

shoot 9mm

jhrosier · Post by **jhrosier** » Thu Mar 19, 2015 9:38 pm

I've about given up on ever seeing .22 ammo for sale except at stupid prices.
I just bought a 9mm CZ75B. I looks like it will be cheaper to shoot 9mm handloads than .22 for the foreseeable future.

Jack

Shrapnel · Post by **Shrapnel** » Fri Mar 20, 2015 8:51 am

I was buying 22 ammo on a regular basis back when it was $8.00-$9.00/brick. I kept buying it at that price because I knew it would go up in price eventually. It seemed like 20-30 years it stayed at or near those prices and I kept buying more than I was shooting to hedge against the eventual price increase.

Obviously I bought way more than I was shooting, knowing ammo will get me through times of no money, but money won't get you through times of no ammo.

Today there is a shortage of available ammo, but it is still out there. You need to decide if you are going to buy it and shoot it or pee and moan about how it isn't the same as it was 5 years ago...

buckeyeshooter · Post by **buckeyeshooter** » Fri Mar 20, 2015 10:10 am

exactly why I have a 22 hornet. Cast lead bullets and reload the cases. no problem here.

.45colt · Post by **.45colt** » Fri Mar 20, 2015 10:20 am

Since I picked up the 32-20 years ago I see no reason to worry bout .22's.

.

Grizz · Post by **Grizz** » Fri Mar 20, 2015 11:00 am

Shrapnel wrote:I was buying 22 ammo on a regular basis back when it was $8.00-$9.00/brick. I kept buying it at that price because I knew it would go up in price eventually. It seemed like 20-30 years it stayed at or near those prices and I kept buying more than I was shooting to hedge against the eventual price increase.

Obviously I bought way more than I was shooting, knowing ammo will get me through times of no money, but money won't get you through times of no ammo.

Today there is a shortage of available ammo, but it is still out there. You need to decide if you are going to buy it and shoot it or pee and moan about how it isn't the same as it was 5 years ago...

I did the same thing. Dollar cost averaged into a lifetime supply plus foraging supplies for my family to rear their kids on.

cheap commodities = big opportunity

Grizz

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Fri Mar 20, 2015 5:33 pm

Whew! Got worried when I saw that post so I turned on the light to the gun room to see if I had a shortage....nope...everything is fine. Still have several cases of CCI Mini-mag and another case of Green Tag, along with 10 or 15k of assorted "junk bulk" stuff.

My bud from Targetmaster called me a few minutes ago and he did remind me that there is still a pallet of CCI Mini Mags in the back store room but these are reserved for range use. A couple of months ago, I posted right here on Leverguns on the availability of as much .22 ammo you could buy that Targetmaster was selling but I guess a lot of people were not paying much attention. Cases of Mini Mags were going for $295 but from what I was told, no one called the store to order any. It's a shame as he must have had 5 or 6 pallets of the stuff.

There's an old saying..."make hay while the sun shines" or "you snooze, you lose".

I'll sleep a little better tonight.-----6

Les Staley · Post by **Les Staley** » Fri Mar 20, 2015 8:15 pm

Me too.. Bought way more than I needed for 25 years while working the oil field..had dispose able income then and knew I wouldn't have much moola in retirement..several bricks are marked $7.99..I still manage to buy replacement for killing sprees as I need them..no worries here. 'Cept the alphabet agency's that monitor these forums.

Larkbill · Post by **Larkbill** » Sat Mar 21, 2015 8:45 am

I have enough .22LR that I'm comfortable shooting whenever I want. Found out many Walmarts have ammo behind the counter, be sure to ASK.

LGS has .22 WRM from 12.95/50 up to 18.95/50 depending on brand/style with many boxes of each.

Oddly, last week Cabelas had 20+ boxes of .22WRF on the shelf. I didn't even know anyone still made it.

Grizz · Post by **Grizz** » Sat Mar 21, 2015 9:56 am

when it gets right down to it, .223 shoots the same dia bullets, and in non-semi-auto actions can be down loaded to any performance level. at cat sneeze levels the brass should last a long time. I may have talked myself into a new barrel for my H&R

Imagine that, the geniuses-that-be have herded the sport shooting public into adopting 9mm and 5.56 as the logical, practical, and affordable calibers of choice. Yeah, I'm for choice alright.

Grizz

mikld · Post by **mikld** » Sat Mar 21, 2015 10:16 am

I too would buy a brick of 22s whenever I stopped by the sporting goods section of my local box store, so I still have 8 or ten bricks in storage. But reloading is so much fun and I enjoy casting bullets, a load of handgun powder over a cast 45 grain cast bullet in my .223 Handi-rifle is waaaaaay more fun than rimfire and at today's prices much cheaper too...

4t5 · Post by **4t5** » Sat Mar 21, 2015 2:05 pm

I find it funny, that with demand so high, that no ammo maker stepped up to increase production/ add capacity, and steal market share from their competition.

southfork · Post by **southfork** » Sat Mar 21, 2015 9:02 pm

Well, finding 22 Long rifle ammo is really a PITA! I've about decided that I'm going to start reloading 25-20 WCF and cast my own bullets. I thought I had a set of dies for 25-20 WCF, but I guess it was 32-20 instead. If anyone has 25-20 dies they want to sell, let me know. I could trade a set of RCBS 32-40 dies for them.

Hairtrigger · Post by **Hairtrigger** » Sat Mar 21, 2015 9:31 pm

Check out the sale this weekend at Grice
Federal bulk packs 19.99 limit 20

Mescalero · Post by **Mescalero** » Sat Mar 21, 2015 9:54 pm

.32 Long
The intelligent alternative.

EdinCT · Post by **EdinCT** » Sun Mar 22, 2015 7:12 am

I walked into Dicks and saw a sign no 22 ammo available this week. A clerk asked if I needed help and I said I was looking for some 22's but your sign says it all. He told me hang on I have one tub left in the back and passed me 1400 rounds of Remington HP for 69.99. The new and improved Remington's seem to be better.
That will last me a long time now, I also started shooting home cast in the 32-20 during the shortage and it worked out well. I shoot into a bullet trap and reuse the lead.

OldWin · Post by **OldWin** » Sun Mar 22, 2015 7:28 am

It's still a waste of time bothering to look up here. I've gotten so sick of it I don't bother. I keep what I have and shoot something else.

Once I thought about it, there isn't much I use a .22 for anyway, just plinking at the range.

I've got a lot of cartridges that are more fun to plink with and are better small game loads anyway.

In the last month, my wife and I have gone through over a thousand .38's. A plated .125FP, a spot of Unique, and a primer. Pretty cheap shooting without the frustration.

Hey Jack,

I should be down sometime in April. I will let you know when I have some dates. I will come over to your buddies and maybe pick up a case of those CCI's that are always in the way.

That's the only reason I didn't call and order.
Looking forward to a visit.

Jay

mikld · Post by **mikld** » Sun Mar 22, 2015 10:30 am

I don't hunt anymore, so my .22s are just for fun. I have a 10-22 (among 5 other .22 rifles) that is a real kick to shoot. But, my Garand is just as fun to shoot (I like to compare the "fun level" of my Garand to my 10-22). So, I've been shooting my Garand about 5 to one for my .22s, and reload with M2 pulls and HMX brass, with some occasional premium bullets. Cost effective? Who cares? ...

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Sun Mar 22, 2015 11:36 am

Grafs had bricks of Hornady .22 WMR for $119 a few weeks ago, one brick per household. Grabbed one.
.22 LR is hit and miss here too.

Malamute · Post by **Malamute** » Sun Mar 22, 2015 12:40 pm

4t5 wrote:I find it funny, that with demand so high, that no ammo maker stepped up to increase production/ add capacity, and steal market share from their competition.

I believe they have. Last I heard, most manufacturers were running extra shifts. CCI was making several million rds/day. Its all being hoovered up by the hoarders. Not only old shooters, but all the new panic buyers from the past couple election/news calamity issues.

It isnt, by any means, that there isnt any ammo. Its being bought by everyone in freak out mode. Once it gets harder to get, EVERYONE seems to buy all they see, besides the flippers buying all they can to keep the regular priced stuff off the market and create articficial shortages they can exploit.

piller · Post by **piller** » Sun Mar 22, 2015 5:12 pm

The guy behind the Gun Counter at the Wal Mart in Lancaster, TX told me that the .22lr had come in that morning, about a week ago, when I came in about noon. He said that when he got to work, there was a line of people with their allaboutIme,me,mephone and the app that told them there was a pallet of .22lr in the back. He said they were all together, and they each bought the 3 boxes and ran him out in minutes. Nothing he could do since Wal Mart has the app available to tell the rude jerks who use the all about me phones where to get it so they can resell it.

kaschi · Post by **kaschi** » Sun Mar 22, 2015 5:25 pm

This thread reinforces the thought: "Get it while you can!"

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Sun Mar 22, 2015 6:19 pm

The GOOD news is, that regardless of price, somehow it seems to be winding up in the hands of the 'common man'. It may serve as a bad-times 'currency' of sorts, and certainly could make life miserable for any illegitimate 'authorities' who decide to create the bad-times...

7.62 Precision · Post by **7.62 Precision** » Tue Mar 24, 2015 10:57 pm

In the villages in Alaska it is as available as it ever was, at normal prices. That's because in a town of 300 people, no one is buying it all to resell.

In town, you still can't find it. I can find plenty of guys who have a friend who works at Cabela's though, who would sell me a brick for $150, and can show up at a range with the bed of their trucks stacked full . . .

Increasing ammo production is not easy or quick. It is not an industry in which you just hire more minimum-wage employees and install additional production lines. This is one reason why civilian gun ownership is essential for national security - it maintains the necessary level of firearm and ammunition production between wars. Still, rimfire production is at an all time high, and if it were not for the scalpers, there would be plenty to go around. This has been an artificial shortage for many months now.

Ray · Post by **Ray** » Tue Mar 24, 2015 11:56 pm

Deleted.

C. Cash · Post by **C. Cash** » Wed Mar 25, 2015 8:40 am

I noted with interest that our local Wally is well stocked with 50BMG. Still no 22's to speak of five plus years later. Dicks had some CCI recently and I bought two boxes of 100.

92&94 · Post by **92&94** » Wed Mar 25, 2015 11:19 am

I was just in my favorite gun shop in Tucson yesterday. Aguila 40 gr, $3 or so, then some match stuff for more. Winchester 222 boxes also. Still quantity limits, but ammo on the shelf. Same thing I saw in an Alamo gun store in January. Prices not great, but not too bad compared to other places I've seen - I suspect that they might come down some in the future, but that the days of $10 bulk packs are long gone due to metals costs - I doubt we'll see 500 count bulk packs below $20 again. That's just the way our inflation based economy works - and since there was minimal inflation from 1993 to 2005 (rough guess on both) it caught up with a vengeance once it got going.

bdhold · Post by **bdhold** » Wed Mar 25, 2015 11:43 am

just about 10 years ago, .38 special cowboy loads at gunshows was about a nickel/round, and .357 target loads were 9 cents.

Since rimfire has gone nuts, I just keep WTBs live at Midway and others and just buy decent Match bricks (Wolf, Lapua, RWS) when they alert me. If I'm going to pay a dime or two/round for .22, it's going to be the good stuff.

JohndeFresno · Post by **JohndeFresno** » Wed Mar 25, 2015 11:07 pm

Ray wrote:had started showing signs of easing last fall but is in full famine mode yet again.
[snip]

Forgive me if this is stated above; limited time and can't read every post. But the "bot" sites are really useful for finding ammo if you can't get it elsewhere.

http://ammoseek.com/ammo/22lr
Currently shows 22LR's for $.08 per round, not counting shipping

http://www.gunbot.net/ammo/rimfire/22lr/
Currently shows 22LR's for $.09 per round (and higher)

Don't forget to set the sort order on price per round. Buy in large lots, possibly sharing cost with a fellow shooter, to save on Hazmat and freight fees per round.

Ray · Post by **Ray** » Fri Mar 27, 2015 11:42 pm

Deleted.

vancelw · Post by **vancelw** » Sat Mar 28, 2015 12:03 am

Well sure he has unlimited funds to invest...he's buying at $21.95 and selling on FB for $50 or more, then coming back next week and repeating.

Our local WM manager doesn't enforce the limits....he simply wants it gone so he can tell all the customers they're out.

horsesoldier03 · Post by **horsesoldier03** » Sat Mar 28, 2015 3:35 am

I did manage to pick up a box of 325 (.22 LR) for $19.99 at an ACE Hardware. They had 8 boxes on the shelf, I returned later that day hoping to pick up another box and they were sold out. Later that day, I was in a pawn shop that I frequent, they had several boxes of 100 (.22LR) at only $ 12.99 per 100.

2571 · Post by **2571** » Sun Mar 29, 2015 8:13 am

Ray wrote:had started showing signs of easing last fall . . .

That's gotta be the biggest whopper I've hard this weekend.

harry · Post by **harry** » Sun Mar 29, 2015 9:45 am

JohndeFresno wrote:
Ray wrote:had started showing signs of easing last fall but is in full famine mode yet again.
[snip]
Forgive me if this is stated above; limited time and can't read every post. But the "bot" sites are really useful for finding ammo if you can't get it elsewhere.

http://ammoseek.com/ammo/22lr
Currently shows 22LR's for $.08 per round, not counting shipping

http://www.gunbot.net/ammo/rimfire/22lr/
Currently shows 22LR's for $.09 per round (and higher)

Don't forget to set the sort order on price per round. Buy in large lots, possibly sharing cost with a fellow shooter, to save on Hazmat and freight fees per round.

There isn't a Hazmat fee on ammo.

Malamute · Post by **Malamute** » Sun Mar 29, 2015 11:02 am

No hazmat fee, but by weight, its not cheap. I shipped 4 boxes of rifle ammo and it was 30-some dollars by UPS.

harry · Post by **harry** » Sun Mar 29, 2015 11:29 am

Malamute wrote:No hazmat fee, but by weight, its not cheap. I shipped 4 boxes of rifle ammo and it was 30-some dollars by UPS.

Shipping does cost but no more than any thing else, same cost for me to ship 20# of machined parts as it is for me to ship 20# of ammo.

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Sun Mar 29, 2015 2:55 pm

I haven't bought any 22 LR in 7-8 years, just to help the price drop, but I'm not all that sure it has helped...

7.62 Precision · Post by **7.62 Precision** » Sun Mar 29, 2015 3:33 pm

harry wrote:
There isn't a Hazmat fee on ammo.

Unless you live in Alaska, where everyone kills us on shipping because they know we have no alternatives.

Ray · Post by **Ray** » Sun Mar 29, 2015 7:06 pm

Deleted.

tman · Post by **tman** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 3:59 pm

Was in Walmart today. They had 5 {100 round} boxes of Winchester Hi-Velocity .22 LR ammo for $9.95 a box. Didn't buy any, won't pay Scalper prices. I'll shoot 9MM and .177 air rifle till prices come down.

JohndeFresno · Post by **JohndeFresno** » Mon Mar 30, 2015 8:41 pm

harry wrote:...[quotes]...
There isn't a Hazmat fee on ammo.

Whoops - I guess I was thinking of powder, which I also buy online.

Same thing applies there - I buy in bulk to save money when the price is right, and share the load when possible with another handloader. I just got stung this week with Hazmat for some Win 748.