This article is not in American Rifleman but online

Actually the comments below the article are the best reading.

OK, Really, What?s Going on with .22 Rimfire? - American Rifleman

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Regards, Ron
USASA 1965/69

I think it is all BS. Brass is brass, powder is powder, lead is lead, copper is copper and primer is primer. Why do we not have shortages of any other caliber? Canada has plenty of 22 ammo. The manufacturers are sitting on it inflating the price. This is not because of "hoarders".

James

I've yet to see anyone carrying out pallets of .22 ammo--it's just not there. With three makers going full bore, hoarders' closets--even entire basements--would be filled by now. Stores say they're not getting it in.

I think it has a lot to do with hoarding. A man I know was in a Walmart in New Mexico when 10,000 rounds of 22's came into the store. He seldom if ever shoots 22's in his word and he said he had 4" plastic pipes 2 feet long full of 22 cartridges. So what did he do? He bought all 10,000 rounds. It has been 3 1/2 years since the local Walmart has had any rimfire ammunition.

Topic has been beat to death. Studies have shown that a mere fifty people hoarding in just one state can upset the entire supply chain for that state. Anyone who doesn't think this is caused by hoarders must think the Earth is flat.

Cops just busted a guy a guy sitting outside a local Walmart who was paying random people 5 dollars to buy .22 ammo. Someone complained. Cops busted the guy with thousands of rounds. This was a week before a large gun show. Can't imagine what amount he was selling them for as he was paying the Walmart price plus $5.

In a normal market (when demand/buying is not at panic levels) there would be plenty of .22 LR to go around. I understand the free market and all...but I also hope the day is coming soon when all the hoarders have to dump their (hundreds of) thousands of .22 LR rounds at less than what they paid. Haven't bought a box in 4 years...

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Alan
SWCA LM 2023, SWHF 220

A couple months ago at the LGS, they put out a skid of .22 ammo,
@ $45 a brick, limit one per customer.
A flat ( 250 rounds ) of 12 ga. I purchased that day was $55. I went back 3 days later and the .22 was all gone.. I don't know who is willing to pay $40 or $50 a brick for .22's. But, it sure ain't me...

It's only worth $50 a brick if someone is willing to pay $50 a brick..

Did you read the comment from the Aussie guy?
He said shelves are over flowing with rimfire ammo and dealers are discounting to move it.

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Regards, Ron
USASA 1965/69

Don't know what state your in but this isn't illegal here we don't need any cards to buy ammo or restrictions that are normal like 18-21 to buy. If wally world wants to only sell you one box and you need more go for it. At $5 more a box it's still probably cheaper then buying online. I don't agree if he's buying for resale but that's his business and the idiots buying from him. Maybe take his money and leave by the other door would stop him.

CAPITALISM.jpg at it's best and there's a sucker born every minuet.

Maybe everyone is storing it to lure you in for a BF sale at inflated prices like CDDN. Come on now $139.88 + shipping limit two for 1400 round bucket of bullets. Even over priced GM is selling cheaper when they have it.

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Psalm 23:4

He found the only WM not limiting 1-3 boxes per person.

I was considering a rimfire AR style rifle for some time but finally came to the conclusion I didn't want to always be searching for ammo for it. I got a 5.56 and don't have trouble keeping enough on hand.

Shopping at Wally World and the topic has come up while there. More than a few times the clerk has stated "I had a bunch of 22 LR at 6 am this morning."

I acquired several sleeves of .22 ammo way long before it became the new bullion. I was also given more than a thousand rounds of odd-ball .22 ammo, nearly every 50 rounds in a different box.

But I have an Accurate Arms .22 conversion unit for my G19 pistol which sees limited use as this unit only functions with two types of ammo, one of which is Remington HV. I have less than a sleeve of this ammo so I use it very sparingly.

If the ammo makers are on our side, one way they can break the hoarders' backs is to work together to saturate the market with the stuff. When the price drops back to realistic levels, those hoarders will be stuck with ammo they cannot sell at a profit, if that's their aim. They could try depositing it at a bank or eating it.

For the record, I haven't bought a single box of .22 RF ammo in about eight years.

I call BS. I'm no business expert, but if you aren't making enough product to keep up with demand, you need to increase production. If that isn't feasible, or attractive for whatever reason, you raise the price until demand drops to the level you are able to supply.

It's been more than a year now, and there is no 22lr ammo on store shelves. Something's up.

I hope I didn't miss the info in the article but I was wondering how much of the ammo made here is being exported.It might account for not seeing that much CCI as compared to Armscor or Aguila which are imported.

I can buy as many 5000/rd cases of Armscor and Aguila as I want.

I'm calling bs on the hoarders being the reason. I'm a teacher now and am off all summer, plus several seeks a year. I'm up early with the kids so I'm one of those guys who stops by the ammo counter at Walmart when they open. If they get any 22 in at all its a few boxes, and it is rarely the bulk packs they used to have. Been like this for 2 years now. I'm friendly with the dept manager there and he tells me they rarely get 22 in, and when it does come in it comes in drips and drabs.

So first he says .22LR isn't profitable enough to open another factory.

Then he says there are hundreds of thousands more rimfire guns being sold than ever before and many of them are semi auto with large mags.

He omits telling about the new rimfire shooting sports that have been taking the gaming world by storm.

But then he wants to blame it all on hoarders. I don't get it. Having 10K of rimfire isn't that much. That's 19 boxes of the Federal bulk 525 count box plus a partial. I used to keep at least a dozen of those for taking friends shooting and teaching new shooters. And that was just the reserve for that one purpose and didn't include all my own rimfire blasting ammo, target quality ammo, or the odd stuff like shorts, CB, and others.

I'm sorry if making rimfire isn't the golden ticket for profit but if I see massive amounts of new rimfire guns and new shooting sports devoted to rimfire use then yes the long term return on profit should be real.

But I'm the devil if I try to order more than a couple of bulk boxes.

THERE APPEARS TO BE A TRICKLE OF .22LR SHOWING UP IN GUN STORES AND BIG BOX STORES IN THE NORTH EAST, AT LAST. CCI MINI-MAG IS STILL IMPOSSIBLE TO FIND, BUT IT CAN BE HAD AT VERY INFLATED PRICES ON GUN BROKER. EMPLOYEES OF BOX STORES LIKE WALLYS AND DAVES REPORT THE SAME PEOPLE VISITING EVERY MORNING, AND BUYING ENTIRE SHIPMENTS OF WHATEVER BRAND COMES IN. TO BE HONEST, I WOULD BUY AS MUCH CCI MINI MAG AS I COULD AFFORD, IF I FOUND IT FOR SALE. IT'S WHAT WORKS BEST IN MY GUNS. I GUESS MY BUYING HABITS HAVE BEEN CHANGED BY THE LACK OF SUPPLY, AS THE ARTICLE STATES……...

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'Nam 1968-69.DAV,VFW,NRA Inst.

I haven't bought or even seen a full brick of 22lr since 2012. Every gun store says that they do get some in but not the full pallets that they used to. What I don't get is why can I not get on a Backorder list ANYWHERE? No place online or local will accept a Backorder.

The local stores seem fully stocked with 17 hmr. 22 has been scarce lately. I wonder if CCI did some runs of the other rimfires for the hunters.

Suggesting studying up on "economic profit". Might help understand why the domestics aren't in a rush to build grass roots ammunition plants.
I expect additional supply will come from imports, like the Philippines, or eastern Europe.

I don't see powder being swept off the shelves. It never gets to the shelves. I believe demand for .22 HAS increased (everybody has a .22 'black' rifle) but that doesn't explain everything.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Our local Academy now has lots of .22..............At $5.49/box of 50. Earlier in the year they had limits and their prices were more normal. Not anymore.....
I can shoot my BIG guns with cast bullets for much less. Back in the day we used to shoot squirrels with .38 cast SWC's or wadcutters. Didn't mess "em" up any more than a high speed 22LR. may have to go back to the .38.

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S&W Accumulator

I work for a sporting goods store here in Ohio. For the last year and a half we limited 22 sales just to avoid having one buyer sweep the shelves clean. For about the last three months we have been getting regular shipments of 22 ammo in so we did away with the limits but we only put out a portion of what we get in at any time. We also bumped the prices up a bit but we are still much lower than flea market/gun show prices.

Most people are happy to find ammo on the shelf and just take a couple boxes but there are a certain number who see it and will buy up everything on the shelf. They are either hoarders or looking to re-sell it at flea markets and gun shows. I really see no other reasonable explanation for their actions. It only takes a few of these to leave nothing for anyone else.

Went by Walmart again this morning. Nothing in and no 22 has come in for over 2 weeks. Same two guys that I see everytime I go. Both of them work the Guhshows and sell ammo that they buy at Walmart.

I'm just gonna start buying online. Not worth my time to wait there. I only go when I'm passing the place to either hit the gym or when I'm up early shopping to avoid the crowds. But everytime I go, the same people are there.

I don't see what law he was breaking?

In most states, anyone over the age of 18 can legally buy it, and then sell it to whomever they wish.

Backorder is worthless...
I've had a backorder of one case of CCI SV placed on Feb. 4, 2013. I doubt I'll ever see it.

I won't add to the speculation about WHY .22 is in short supply. There's plenty of that to go around.
But I will speculate that we'll never see prices like we used to. I'm guessing that even when the supply catches back up that prices of about $4 to $5 for a box of 50 will be the new normal.

You punch him in the face?

Champion or Remington 525-Count .22LR Available on Black Friday at Dick's Sports - GottaDeal.com

Do what I did last year. Take you wife and your son....stand in line for about an hour Thanksgiving evening when you are bored and need to get out. Everyone comes home with a brick of .22 at a discount price.

Come to think of it. I gave one of those bricks to other son who couldn't join us. Still have the other two....

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The American dream is alive

My local Dick's have bunch today. They have Federal 550 Champion, Winchester 555 and Remington Golden 525. It was not packed and they had plenty left. Probably be all gone tomorrow.

James

My Walmart had several thousand 100 rd boxes of CCI black box on Black Friday. Three box limit, of course. There were only about 9 of us in line at 6:00 am.

If you could get a pickup truck load of it here, we'd make you king!

Like many you have chosen to lay blame where none should exist. Its dang hard to hoard ammo when all you get is 1 box a day if that. Can't be done.

You and others need to understand that demand far exceeds supply by several orders of magnitude for several reasons. First and foremost was the addition of millions of new shooters along with a change from the usual rimfire revolver and lever action guns to these so called tactical 22's with large capacity magazines. That plus price increases drove centerfire shooters into the rimfire arena. All of this results in shortages that exist to this day some 2 years after its emergence.

There is enough total production to provide 25% of gun owners 2 bricks of ammo but it will take a little over 2 years to to produce that amount.

You couldn't get into my local walmarts parking lot on Black Friday or the evening before. As usual it was a madhouse and because of that I chose to just stay away

There isnt much of a shortage around here and hasnt been for awhile now. 22lr stays on the shelf for days at a time, sometimes even a week or more. The only .22lr that disappears is the CCI. Of course that of which is the only .22lr that I will buy. As for the cheap stuff, i'm sure I have plenty to get me through the next few elections without a hick-up. I just wish CCI was more plentiful.

It's been about 6 years now that 22LR has been scarce to non-existent. Rules for radicals, you have to change the minds of the children to effect real change. Make the 22LR disappear, the children can't shoot, the children don't develop a love of shooting, we are no longer a country of riflemen. IMO it's a conspiracy and IMO it's working because in a young person's life, 6 years is life changing.

Remember, if you think a 7 year old is old enough to shoot 22's that same 7 year old is now 13 and since he has not shot much if any over the past 6 years, half his life, he's not hooked like we are.

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Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

I 'm grateful for the .22 shortage, it prodded me to start reloading, and I'm glad I did, not only do I reload .38 .357 .308 and 9mm, I have also started reloading shot shells. It gave me a new hobby, and something to do during those cold winter nights... I also went out and bought a .22 caliber air rifle for when the urge to shoot a .22 comes around.

I was told by a manager--that the WM home office determines where 22 is sent? True or not?I dunno?Ive heard so many diff stories that why not add another to the pot.

Operating on someone elses property without any taxation or licensing or permission from the store? They ought to crack down on those Girl Scout bake sales that are always outside Walmart.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"