A few weeks ago it seemed that prices for 500 rounds of 5.56 NATO had come down to about $375. Now it seems they are back up to over $500 per 500 rounds.


Am I the only one seeing this?

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I've seen it. Saw it at retail at an Academy store a few weeks back, too.

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Come and take it!!

I sure do miss the days when I could go to our local LEO supplier and walk out the door with a 1000 round case of Winchester or Federal 55 gr. 5.56 FMJ for $180.00. And even before that around the mid 80's you could get the same stuff for $3.50-$4.00 a box of 20. Probably never gonna see that again, ever.

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SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS

You only see it if you look for it. It's like the price of a can of Spam to me. I have no idea what that might be.

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That's just somebody talkin.

At Academy sporting goods store today, there was NO rimfire ammo of any kind, NO centerfire rifle or pistol ammo of any kind. The only ammo in the whole place was five boxes of 28 gauge birdshot.

There were three guns in the counter. A Ruger 5.7 pistol, a .22lr cowboy type six gun, and a .22lr cowboy type six gun with a 16 inch barrel. That was it.

Guy behind the counter said things were getting a bit less hectic, but the coup on Jan. 6 stimulated another mad dash.

I just can't wrap my head around ammo and primer prices lately, especially on the secondary and auction markets.
I can't believe people are that desperate. The factories will eventually catch up with demand.
A dollar or more a round for 10 cent 9mm??? .380 is even worse!

Thankfully I'm well stocked and have even sold a little bit of excess ammo, brass and bullets to close friends.
My primers are worth 10 times + what I gave for them but I only kept a box (1,000) or two of each size on hand, so they aren't going anywhere until things improve. Same with my several pounds of powder.

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Chris
SWCA #2243 SWHF #292

People are desperate and they are panicked by the events of the past 12 months and fear of what may soon come. Fear is driving the demand and fear makes people make bad decisions. Glad I got mine while I could at reasonable, pre-pandemic/panic prices.

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VCDL, GOA, NRA

I remember a time when I had more responsibilities, less money, more debt and thinking that each pull of the trigger was like sending a quarter down range. Back then I bought and shot ammo by the box and didn’t do much shooting.

Today, each shot feels like shredding a dollar bill, I’ve stopped buying ammo, shoot much less per trip to the range, never go to an indoor range because of Covid, and I truly wonder how so many people are able to buy ammo by the case at current prices.

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I keep saying this: The shooting sports can not support $1 a round 223 or 9mm prices. Not many of the people I shoot with can afford to shoot like they used to. They can not afford to spend 2 or 3 hundred per range session to shoot their ar15 or wonder 9. Two things will happen to bring ammo prices back to reality. This COVID nonsense will end and manufacturing and interstate commerce will return to normal and gun owners will reach a saturation point where they will no longer invest in stockpiling ammo. At that point, supply will catch up and prices will drop. I don't believe that politics will have a big role in driving prices going forward. The Democrats have the weakest majority in recent history and will not be able to get out of their own way. Any attempt at any real legislation is only going to be lip service. Of course we can't let perception drive reality and that will be the hard part.

I saw 22 magnum CCI up to $37.50 + 15% buyers premium + shipping for a 50 round box on auction yesterday. It was not just one box but a bout 30 each in separate lots.

I'm thinking that shooting has been a high dollar sport all my life. I remember making $1.25-$1.75 an hour and shotgun shells were $2.00 a box and .22s were $0.50 a box. Very few people had jobs that would support target shooting. Larry

Doesn't all this remind you of the old story about the industrious ant and the lazy grasshopper?

I'm going shooting today.

Q. Why is there no plan to do a remake of The Rifleman?

A. At current ammo prices the opening scene would be too expensive.

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Unless armed conflict occurs the market will reach a saturation point and demand will decrease and so will prices. The big question is when. I am getting older by the day and don’t want to waste what shooting days I have left so I will keep shooting!

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Hue 68 noli me tangere

8 months from now all the hoarders will be selling it for 50% of what they paid for it...just bide your time. Buy it cheap and stack it deep.

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Chief

Yeah, that's what a lot of people who didn't buy ammo when prices were low said last time, and the time before, and I never saw their "hoarded ammo" back on the market....

Mine didn't go back on...

until now.

I believe a lot of the ammunition for sale comes from people who have a good stash and are picking up some easy cash. Sure would be tempting to sell a case of 223/556 for a dollar plus a round if you happened to have a few cases you got back when. Add up components cost at current prices (if you can get them) and even reloading is pricey.

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Hue 68 noli me tangere

I don't think I could enjoy shooting a AR at a buck a round. As fast as I can shoot a 30 round mag without even trying I think it would take a lot of the fun out of it for me.