Now that the 2020 ammo situation has been in full swing for months, is the current climate getting better or worse.

Please post any empirical observations

I am going to start posting prices I see on completed auctions for this product (which I consider to be a staple) (these are not my auctions)

500 Rds. Federal 5.56 NATO XM193 55 gr $20 shipping



I
500 Rds7/6/2020 5:33 PM $320

500 Rds 8/11/2020 6:25 PM $385

500 Rds 8/31/2020 4:59 PM $435

500 Rds 9/14/2020 10:20 PM $390

500 Rds 9/17/2020 5:18 PM $425

500 Rds 9/20/2020 10:18 PM $439

500 Rds 11/8/2020 7:29 PM $463

(as of 11/8/2020 I sense the price has firmed at $450+)


(Disclaimer: Not a statistically controlled survey)

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Buy American
Vote Responsibly

Its not any better here. The cupboard is bare.

On the other hand, background checks are down from 3 days to about an hour. Maybe ammo supply will pick up.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

In my area(SW OHIO) its static, but by no means "good." Shops are still getting ammo. They post it on Facebook, etc and its gone in a day. But, they get more the next week or 2. Repeat. What sucks is pricing. 3-4 months ago I was buying .223 at Bass Pro Shops for $6/box and 9mm for $10. Now its $10+ and 14+. I got plenty and don't need more THAT bad.

Almost a dollar a round for 22 ammo? Granted it IS centerfire, but really?
Happily stocked reloader.

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Some collect art; I shoot it!

Ammo and reloading supplies still low in my area from my observations. I'm good though, been stocking up for years.

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OGCA Member.

I found several years ago that most of the cheap full metal jacket stuff is not very accurate, but it's reliable, feeds well, and always fires. I'd probably buy it if it was all I could find and had nothing better in the way of handloading components.

Target Sports is getting $1.00 per rnd .223

Not good in my area, or surrounding shops. Even Walmart shelves are getting bare, except for shotshells. I learned my lesson from years past, stocked up on components and range ammo when cheap. I'm still finding bullets and some primers, but I won't pay more than regular (pre-COVID/riot prices). Just ordered another 5K bullets today at regular prices. I'm concerned about November election, things could conceivably get worse :-(

no ammo here and background checks are way down because stores are empty of guns and ammo...miserable

My local Sportmans Warehouse got some 9mm Blazer in today, picked up 8 boxes at .26 a round.

They are seeing a small delivery of 9mm, .223/5.56, etc...about once every two weeks now. Seems deliveries are getting farther apart and less and less in quantity.

They only got two cases of Blazer this time, I’m sure it all went today.

So in my area, I would say getting worse.

144 pounds?

That’s gross.

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- Post No Bills -

The level is low to nothing,
The Cupboard is bare, situation static.
The other day down at Cabelas - they had 17, 38 Super and 454 Casull.
Plenty of Shotgun shells.
So I bought - wait for it -
SHOTGUN SHELLS!

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

Now that's funny .....

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I only take a knee for God

It's gotten worse and I don't see it improving any time soon.
Blue Bullets deliveries have gone from 2-4 weeks to 6-8 weeks to now 12-14 weeks for delivery.

Every time I go to ammo sales places there is less on the shelf


They are selling everything as fast as they receive it. They look liked they have been looted.

Ammo is pretty scarce in SE PA. I was up in Lebanon County this weekend, things were a little better up there but still no .38 Spl or .45 Colt to be found. Reloading supplies are starting to get scarce too. Traffic in stores is still steady, and the line to get in the Morgantown gun show was so long I skipped it and drove up to Lebanon. Background checks can still take several hours, but mine always sail thru in 5 minutes. I figure instead of “Approved” my checks come back with “That guy again? Seriously? Whatever, give it to him”.

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Wheel guns are real guns.

I buy all my factory ammo online. My local sources cannot compete with the likes of sgammo, targetsportsusa, outdoorlimited, etc.

That said, my usual sources are very low on inventory and the prices have risen dramatically. There are still a few (VERY few) bargains out there, but not for everyone.

I am a reloader as well as a hoarder of factory ammo in every caliber I shoot. Honestly, I could sell half of my ammo and reloading components and still have more than enough to last me the rest of my life. Thankfully, I have always bought in bulk when the prices were low and the selection was plentiful.

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FBINA, 204th Session

Much worse.

Worse in my woods.

Slim pickins in S. Oregon. I was in a prepper store I had never visited and the guy had Armscor 9mm for $22 a box. I don't know if that is good or not. He also had three cases of .22 on its way. His overall prices were high on the ammo cans, clothing, etc.

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Kevin in Oregon

I order .38 special on line from SGA or Freedom.Freedom is totally out and has been for quite some time .As soon as SGA posts new arrivals they are gone in a matter of hours. Everything that I had been buying at moderate prices is up as could be expected.

FWIW, I stopped by a small LGS and picked up a couple 300 rd bulk packs of Federal .223 at $177 each. $.59 per round. I also grabbed 150 rds of
.45 acp.

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213th FBINA

I don't see any improvement. I was at my gun club yesterday and one of the other shooters was going on about how impossible it was to find 9mm, but .45 was everywhere. I got online last night to check and could find no .45.

Couldn't get any worse here in upstate NY. I've been using the local Bass Pro as a yardstick. Handgun ammo has been gone for months, but looking just at 30-06 ammo. A month ago they had about 20 different options on the shelves. Two weeks ago they had 4 options. Last week they had 0 options. Not going to get better anytime soon.

Local places here have little if anything. Only handgun ammo I have seen is 25acp, 32acp, and some 44mag. Lots of shotgun ammo, and a lot of rifle ammo. Firearm counters seem to have a little more in stock. Saw Silver Bear .223 at one local shop for $9.97 (tax incl) for box of 20. So 50 cents a round for that stuff. Incredible.

In my area..blow away 9mm goes for 20 a box...if you can find it. Russian 223 was 8 bucks a box. Only available gone in an hour. I saw a fellow offering 45 auto 70s military at 25 a box, Even rifle ammo is getting gone in a hurry...but hunting seasons have started here. I had a fellow needed primers and powder for loading 308 ammo. He couldn't even find powder locally. Gave him some 4895 and a hundred primers. He told me he hasn't reloaded in 25 years and it was his only option to be able to go hunting. I had a fellow ask me if I had an AR 15 I would sell him(absolutely not). He owns no firearms. Scary to say the least Getting worse every day

Last week I saw 9m/m bring $21. a box at an estate sale. This morning I saw 9m/m on the internet for $40. a box. It's out there but a little pricey. Larry

I was in one of our LGS's last week. They had just gotten a pallet of .9mm in. 200rds for 69.95, one box per customer!! The owner said that this was the third price hike that he has seen.

I'm good on most of the reloading components with the exception of 125 gr bullets for my .300 blackout. Was looking for some this morning and there are hard to find in stock.

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SWHF #595

I was in my local Academy yesterday and all the had was a few 308, 6.5 creedmore and 30.06 but plenty of 12 bird shot. Dove season starts today.
No handgun ammo at all.

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Dogs are better than people.

I am getting reports of pretty bad selection, if at all. Been out of town, but stuff keeps pouring in. One guy said he went into a store and they were selling Blazer .380 for $57.00 & change-- a BOX I dont think it is doing nothing but getting worse-- I wanted to order some boxes (MTM) to be there when I get home-- took me a week -- the old out of stock game. these were for 38 S&W/ 9MM. NO-- it doesnt look good. If one is unprepared one is going to be out of luck.

9mm is not available. When some is found online the price has been doubled.

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Mighty 90's,Trying 4 a 100!

I frequent few brick and mortar stores, mostly because there are very few in South Jersey. When I am on the road, I try to see what is available, and the cupboard is empty.

Most of my loaded ammo is purchased online. Sportsmen's Guide is showing only 7 specific offerings of handgun ammo available: Remington 32 S&W and 32 S&W Longs, 44 Special, three flavors of 17s, and 8mm blanks, and prices are inflated. At OutdoorUnlimited, 9 mm appears to be starting at $0.80 a round for range ammo. Shotgun shells seem to be more readily available, but I haven't noticed the shot size.

For reloading components, there is some light. Primers are nonexistent. There is some handgun powders available, but not much of a selection. Black powder, many rifle powders, and shotgun powder seems more readily available, plus shotgun primers. I am able to find most of the rifle bullets that I use. Xtreme Bullets is showing stock available, but base price has jumped at least 25%. Berry's is showing limited offerings. Precision Delta has not shown bullets available for about 4 months. I am finding black powder and black powder substitutes to be more available. Just waiting for a shortage of roll caps that would limit my ability to make percussion caps (SERIOUSLY)!

Fortunately, I have all of the molds that I need to make handgun bullets. Good on .35 gas checks. The price of gas checks has even skyrocketed!

I would have to say that the situation is getting worse!

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Judge control not gun control!

Can't remember where I saw it online, but saw 50-round boxes of 9mm FMJ for $54.95 each. I ordered 10 boxes. NOT!!

Edit: Found It.....

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Ammo prices have gone straight up into the stratosphere as ammo availability has gone down the toilet.

I have no idea who is even buying ammo at these prices, because personally I think they're above and beyond justification unless you have absolutely no ammo on hand whatsoever, and even if that was my situation, then I'd probably just buy a box of two of FMJ the call it a day, because the prices of ammo, especially online are completely absurd after S&H.

My only hope is that by the end of the year folks will have eased up on panic buying ammo and prices with go down to something more reasonable.

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

Good luck finding even that in some areas.


Over the last week or so, I've stopped at 7 small gun shops in northeast PA and upstate NY. No .380 very little .38spl. Finally found a little guy going out of business and liquidating his stock. Scored four boxes of each at $22, three bux off the marked price to move stuff out the door. It will keep me going for a little while.

LGS has plenty of ammo but it's on the high side. Shelves are full of 5.56, .223 and 9MM. They have a rack for .22LR and magnums but anything else you have to ask for. This is what I paid last week for 5.56, 9MM and .38 Special. A month ago I was paying 12.00 for S&B 9MM.

Way worse. I'm glad I stocked some I don't think I'll see soon in the future - G2 45+P 230 gr ACP, 9mm 147 gr, 44 spl 165 gr FTX, Win Silvertip 38 spl 110gr, Federal 55 gr 223, Win 223 62gr HP. All shoot well in my guns. Glad I have backups.

Cheaper Than Dirt sent me an email two days ago that said their $59.95 50 round box of 9mm was a bargain...

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Heavily armed old man.

Worse.....

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“Look life in its iron face”

It won't necessarily get too much worse, but it will last a while. I'm on the younger end of this forum and have been shooting since 2009 or so, and since then I've seen the initial Obama panic, the Sandy Hook panic, and the pre-2016 election panic (plus of course this one).

Prices will eventually normalize, though I doubt we'll see the glut of dirt cheap ammo and ARs that we did after the last one as manufacturers don't seem to be gearing up to produce crazy amounts of guns and ammo this time. Once prices are down, just like last time, I'll make sure I'm stocked up on reasonably priced ammo and keep replenishing it so I can shoot reasonably during the panic times as well. I'm sure we'll see another two or three panics of this scale this decade as well.

I may be wrong but my guess is we ain't seen nothing yet. Larry

Worse ... All my go to places are up 50% .. I was getting 9mm to the front door for 8.20 a box .. No it's more like 49.00 ... I don't see it getting any better any time soon

Brian

Local Academy (yesterday) had one box of 357 magnum and a few boxes of 45acp. Lot of rifle and shotgun ammo.

I would normally say availability couldn't get much worse than zero but 2020 seems to take that sort of statement of as a challenge.

Its been consistently in stock for a month or so here. It took that long for people to have enough stockpiled that they didn't feel the need to buy more every time they saw it. The same will happen with ammo but it is going to take longer. You would think prices being 150% higher than they were a year ago would discourage people from buying large quantities but lot of people still are.

I don't see more people actually shooting so eventually people will decide they have a big enough stockpile and demand will slow. I understand wanting to have a nice stockpile of ammo but prefer to buy mine when prices are low.

A lot of people buying guns now are not really gun people and have a different definition of "lots of ammo" than we do. Many of them consider 500 rounds a lot of ammo. For some of them that will be a lifetime supply. So it will not take as long for them to decide they have enough as it will for those of use that shoot regularly. And people that shoot a lot should have seen this coming and bought when prices were low and ammo was plentiful.

It's pretty grim around here. I was at my LGS yesterday. I asked him why they even come in as they have almost no inventory. He said he was told by his ammo suppliers that things might be getting back to normal early next summer. The problems exist all along the supply chain so things like brass and copper are in short supply.

Hunting rifles and shotguns are the only things on the racks. Handgun ammo is non existent. Very little rifle ammo around. Shotgun shells are the only thing in decent supply. It seems that anything even remotely useful for home defense has been gobbled up.

I think that I will pick up a few more cases of shotgun ammo. If things go wrong in this election, we might have Kalifornia style ammo control everywhere.

If I put in writing what I wished upon CTD, it would earn me a permaban.

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- Post No Bills -

It seems to be staying about the same here. .380, 40S&W and 45ACP on the shelves, no 9mm or 38sp, and 357 is behind the counter. Still boxes of 223 available, and people seem to be shooting as much as before, judging from the traffic and spent brass at my local public range. Our Fall pistol league just ended, and, while some people had to look a bit for their ammo, it seemed to be available either here or in Denver. Many of us reload, and are set there, and others are considering taking it up. I'm guessing that the closer to the elections we get, the worse it will be.

Who needs gun control when you can just print up a couple billion and buy all the ammo?

I guess my last post crossed a line and was deleted so....I'll just say this.

Around where I live, most shelves are picked clean...not even reloading supplies are safe.

Moving on...as to the end of this? Yeah...hard telling. Depending on future events it may be as early as spring of 2021...or MUCH farther into the year, depending on what happens next.