I stopped at Academy today to see how the ammo shelves looked. And they looked better than they have in about four years! Lots of everything, including .38 Special and even some .357. I saw .32 S&W Long, .45ACP, and FN 5.7. Loads and loads of .22LR. As for prices, well, they weren't as bad as they've been, but they will NEVER be as low as four years ago I don't care what all the curmudgeons grumble about. Dream on, it ain't happening. Federal 9mm FMJ, 200 pack, $75. That's as good as it's going to get, folks. Stock up, the time has arrived.

I picked up 1000 rounds of S&B 9mm 124 grain for $13.99 box, wasn’t to bad

Prices are still higher than I am comfortable with, though I load my own and have an adequate stock of range ammo at hand.

Respectfully, $375/case for range 9mm isn’t “as good as it’s going to get.” In fact, it’s already considerably better.

While I absolutely agree that for those whose stocks are running low it’s time to start buying again, I don’t recommend paying a $5/box premium at a sporting goods chain.

Thanks for the update. Glad to hear revolver cartridges are finally rebounding.

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213th FBINA

I get e-mails almost daily for $240/k free shipping on 9mm cases. Brass, American made.

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NRA RSO

Ammo is back, but prices are high. Oh well.

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No baby we aint

I can find 9mm for 11.95 a box all day. A $10 box of 9mm in 2019 would be $11.89 today, adjusted for inflation. Barring another Chicken Little Panic we are almost back where we started.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

Ah, but what is it? I certainly cannot buy 9mm ammo I would want to use at that price here. Mind you, I'm picky, and there is a lot of 115gr plinking fodder I won't use, especially in a gun I intend to carry or keep handy for self defense. For that kind of practice I prefer 124gr, and if it's NATO spec all the better.

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Release the Kraken

Availability is up, and prices down on some of the common stuff - .9mm, 5.56, ect. Problem is most everything else is way up, well past the rate of inflation.

Pre-China Virus, when .9mm ball was about $10 a box, 30-30 SP hunting ammo about $12. You can find 30-30 for about $25 a box now. It was higher and harder to find last year.

It makes sense ammo like .9mm, .223, .22lr would show up first, and eventually drop in price first as well due to demand. I am sure a lot of hunters who do not reload will be glad if and when the manufacture of classic sporting cartridges returns to "normal".

Larry

I found 32acp for 24/bx PMC Bronze yesterday. I bought the case he had in stock. No fire sale but its better than nuffin.

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My Daddy was a pistol..

I don’t remember ever seeing 9mm at $10 a box, in the 14 years I’ve been shooting, but maybe it’s just where I live.

I went in one yesterday near Houston and found the same. I saw some (wouldn't say a lot) Remington in .38 Special and other calibers. I guess those boys are back up and running.

Only place I saw that was Walmart. Mostly Federal 115gr. But last time I saw that was prior to the previous (2013-) shortage.

I have found some brands like Winchester white box are loaded weak and if it is available at the same price prefer something like Speer Lawman or NATO spec. But even with WWB its not like practicing with a 22 and carrying a 9mm. I will pay a little more for ammo closer to what I use for carry ammo in terms of power but there is a limit.

In addition to inflation those of us that buy in bulk online need to remember that shipping is now typically included in the price. I looked at some old invoices and was usually paying about $18/case for shipping on orders I placed pre-pandemic. UPS charges by the pound and ammo is heavy.

Well, my crystal ball isn't working properly so I don't know where the bottom line pricing on ammo will be. One thing I am confident in is that it prices won't be where they were 5 years ago! I have bought what I need to insure my next decade or so of shooting will be hassle free. I am not telling anyone here what or when to buy, but to me personally, it's not worth the gamble of a few bucks here or there to run out of ammo and or components. I am also confident that if and when I am old too shoot anymore, I will be able to get al least what I paid, probably more.

I've read here on the Forum that some people just refuse to pay more than X amount for a particular item and draw their line in the sand - they are usually the same ones who complain that they can't shoot because they've run out of ammo or are getting low. Again, not pointing fingers, but I always live by the 6 P's. Previous Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance. I never thought I'd pay what we do for groceries, clothing, insurance, cars and taxes - but we do! Ammo is no different, accept besides the inflation factor we are also dealing with political agendas and procuring ammo and components in the near future may not be so easy, not to mention the cost of shipping and hazmat fees.

Probably 25 or so years ago, I could buy Blazer aluminum 9mm for $3.86 a box. I had to drive 4 or 5 hundred miles to Academy in Nashville to get it however. At the time, I was going to Talladega twice a year and it wasn't difficult to stop. The only problem, was did Academy have the amount of ammo I wanted? I always called them in advance, but it didn't seem to matter. One year, I also had to stop at the store in Gadsden, but I was the only guy at Talladega with a Sig, 3 mags and 8,200 rounds.

The one thing I have found difficult to find is 410 gauge shells. Local store put out some tungsten turkey shells out the other day. They are unbelievably expensive. $44 for five shells.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I only use 124gr round point for practice and there are a few U.S. made makers who have it for $12-$13 / 50-round box, with Free Shipping on a $250 order.

As for the next Chicken Little Panic... 2024 Elections are coming and people will start 'manufacturing' a Dem-Panic in 2023, when people start announcing for Office and the Liberal nominees start their Gun Control rhetoric.
Hopefully, the usual panic won't happen this time, but it's happened during the last 4 elections.

While there's no need to panic buy now, it would be wise to buy as much ammo/reloading supplies as one can comfortably afford now, so you don't have to panic buy later.

Side Note: There were a LOT of reloaders who thought they had more than enough supplies before COVID hit, that found out that they ran low on certain items before manufacturers re-opened.

Inflation alone means pre-pandemic prices are gone forever.
10% to 25% inflation per year for the last two years will see to that.
And who can say what it will be in the near future?
If the ammunition companies are having the same problems hiring and keeping employees like almost every other industry, turnover and training costs would drive up prices as well.

There is ammo available up here, but it is expensive. No 41 Mag, 44 Mag, 22-250, 204 R, 45 Colt, and the list runs on. Most rifle ammo is $2.00 stick, pistol $1.45 stick. Unless You want some of the exotic target stuff.

I haven’t looked at bulk extensively, but when I recently priced .45ACP it was about a hundred bucks to ship from the low-priced sellers.

Bulk ammo online only works with cheap or free shipping IMHO. Then comes the fun in storing it sensibly.

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Release the Kraken

Yes - ammo IS expensive! Just think about the $800 revolver bought today that just a few years ago was $400. Will these prices drop anytime in the near future? I'm not taking that bet!

What is a “stick”
I am sure I am not the only one wondering about that.
If a stick is a round, why not call it that, as per common usage?

How much .45 are you talking about?
That is the critical information.
If it was 5,000 rounds, that would be reasonable shipping costs

I see plenty of ammo in retail locations and at Gun shows. Prices are still very high IMHO. Online 1000 round bulk is the way to go.

I miss the days of 500rd. bricks of .22s for $9.99 on sale.

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No baby we aint

That's 9mm ball only, isn’t it? Good mainly for target practice (which is okay) and not for CCW.
Enjoy it while you can.
And stock up if you need to.
I’m waiting for carry ammo prices to come down too, but I am not expecting that to happen to any significant degree.

[QUOTE=Fishinfool;141678129]Availability is up, and prices down on some of the common stuff - .9mm, 5.56, ect. Problem is most everything else is way up, well past the rate of inflation.

Pre-China Virus, when .9mm ball was about $10 a box, 30-30 SP hunting ammo about $12. You can find 30-30 for about $25 a box now. It was higher and harder to find last year.

It makes sense ammo like .9mm, .223, .22lr would show up first, and eventually drop in price first as well due to demand. I am sure a lot of hunters who do not reload will be glad if and when the manufacture of classic sporting cartridges returns to "normal".



We won’t like the new “normal”

I bought Remington 9mm ball ammo at Dick's Sporting Goods on sale buy the case only for $45. ($4.50/box)
Same sale had .38 Special for $49/case and 45 ACP for $54/case.
This was around 2008 and the last time that ever happened. (I bought 2 cases of each, still have 1 of each stashed)

Up until the shortage that started towards the end of 2011 early 2012 9mm ammo was usually $7.99/box. (box of 50) Then it went to $9.99/box until the shortage hit I think in early 2013.

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Freedom is never free!!
SWCA #3437

Meanwhile, our house is worth double what we paid 7 years ago and my 5-year old truck will sell today for what I paid for it when new, especially if I max out my credit card to fill the gas tank. I can wander the aisles of the grocery store and gaze longingly at all the things I used to enjoy so much, like butter, eggs, milk, bacon, orange juice, and those wonderful things marked "USDA Prime".

Nickel candy bars sell for a buck-and-a-half. People line up clutching wads of folding cash in their hands while a spiky purple-haired walking billboard for a tattoo parlor with the contents of a fishing tackle box displayed on her face creates another Grande Deluxe Decaf Caramel Latte with Double Whip to sip while they play games on their phones and share selfies with their social media friends and followers. WalMart continues to be overrun by relatives of the Michelin Tire Man wearing Spandex waddling along with a 44-oz. Big Gulp in each hand.

A growing population of college graduates with delinquent 6-figure student loan debt for their advanced degrees in gender studies, documentary film history, or advanced basket weaving are contemplating suicide or extended luxury vacations rather than bothering with job applications.

Hardly a week goes by without another seizure of heroin, fentanyl, cocaine, or such things in sufficient quantities to euthanize the population of North America once or twice. Half the states now have recreational marijuana dispensaries with prominent locations in expensive business districts, and the masses are screaming in favor of allowing EBT cards to be used there.

Oh how I miss the golden days when 10 cents would get me an ice cold bottle of Dr. Pepper (2 cents back if I returned the bottle), a box of .22 shells was 29 cents, and a dozen fish hooks for a dime so I could have a proper day of digging worms, catching fish, and chasing big game like squirrels or cottontails.

$10 for a box of 9mm? Not unless it comes with a Starbucks coupon that I can use with the app on my IPhone.

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Life of the party until 8:00PM

It was around $8.00 to $9.00 here locally pre pandemic...You are right though prices are way different depending on where you live. And most of us knew it was going to come down eventually maybe not to pre panic prices but it was coming down. We have been through these cycles before and once the resellers and panic buyers fill their gullets it begins to drop....

I was getting Federal 124 gr ball all day for $$8.50/ box 50 before the scamdemic. Now it's $13, no big deal (primers alone are $4/50). The real tragedy is Alaskan King Crab legs at Albertsons; 15 years back $6.99/lb when harvests were abundant. One of the "banner ads" today wanted $90/lb. A favorite I'd still be eating if the "Big Pharma Largess" was paying for 'em. Social Security is more like sardines in oil. Joe

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Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

A fairly sizeable local gun retailer in Columbus and in surrounding area has 124 Grain 9MM CCI Blazer for 239 per K I think I will pick up a couple at this price.

Updated it is actually 124 Grain not 147, but still the cheapest I have seen in a long time.

If SHTF I think everyone would be fine with any type of ball ammo. I think we are mesmerized by FBI protocols, jelly tests and big expanding hollow points but I would hate to be hit with 115gr ball ammo. Anything punching holes in your body will not be good.

I picked up 2 as a just in case, so I don't feel too stupid if prices spike. Just going to stash it for now and watch the prices. 3 out of 4 of their locations are sold out, so clearly people are jumping on it at that price point.

Drew Carry said it best...
"Dress for your body size!"

The inept handling of the COVID by the Government and false fear mongering by both the Government and mass media has had a big impact on the economy and our way of life. It only makes sense that when people are forced to stay in their castles (home) and they come to realize the Government will not help them they turn to providing their own defense.

It seems that there is still a lot of fear on the Forum. Past history has shown that when panic buying stops lessening demand the price of ammunition and components will drop to pre-panic levels.

2023 should be a good year for buying ammunition and components. With the elections over and a divided Congress the chances of gun control laws being passed are highly unlikely. If gun owners will continue not to buy at these still high prices the simple law of oversupply will force prices down.

When I see primers at less than $80(already double what they were 3 years ago), and actually on shelves, and not read excited posts on here with pictures of a few boxes on a shelf in a Bass Pro or Academy, I’ll begin to feel better.

But has your income doubled in the last 7 years?

IMHO now is the time to stock up.
Prices on everything are up. Why should ammo be any different?
Any big developments on the world stage could play havoc with domestic ammo supplies.
Gunz too. I just got one I've been wanting.

I find .38 Spl. not easy to find. If, usually FMJ. Of course too high as well.

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No baby we aint

Of course not. Even if it had, the larger amount would still have a lower purchasing power. The entire point of my comment is that comparisons based upon a price in dollars becomes relative to the purchasing power of the dollar.

It is not a matter of 9mm ammo costing too much, it is a matter of the dollar being worth so little (compared to what we were accustomed to 5, 10, 20, 50 years ago).

A million bucks just ain't what it used to be.

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Life of the party until 8:00PM

The older i get, the closer to a lifetime supply i got.

While at the indoor shooting range, I walked over to the ammo section to see what they had.

They were a little high at $2.15 a round for SD ammo, but for those on the wild side
they did have 1,000 Federal small primers at only $ 128.00, plus tax.

I think I will wait a little longer, to buy supplies, here.

1 hour at the range could cost more than 5 hours at a golf course including the 19th hole.

Most of the ammo is back, although a bit pricey! I even found 4 boxes of Winchester power point 35 Remington for my old Marlin 336 Texan! Now if I could find some 44 spl. for my revolver.

The shelfs are stocked in my home town other than 30 carbine and 410. Little by little the price is going down but like the 22LR ammo shortage in the early 2010's they will never go all the way back to normal because they know people will buy it.