Update: I bought the ammo, based on the responses. I'm going to leave this post up, with one modification (below), to help others who might have the same question.

Newbie questions here, so please be gentle.

I found only outdoor range (about an hour away in the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California) that allows any type of rifle ammo to be shot. My new, soon to be picked up M&P 15 Sport ii can take 5.56mm ammo. I was asked (below) about the twist rate, which is 1:9"

What is a reasonable price right now for 5.56 FMJ ammo?

My new LGS has 1,000 rounds of I believe MagTech for $600. My other LGS hasn't had .223/5.56 in weeks.

Along the lines of asking you to pull out your crystal ball, do you think that .223/5.56 FMJ ammo prices will settle down?

Pardon another possibly really newbie question, but is there an optimal number of FMJ rounds I should have in possession?

I'm in California, so I have to have on-line purchases of ammo shipped to my FFL. Only the new LGS will accept and that's $25 per order.

Thanks!

Prices vary from different areas here .223/.556 is 60/70 cents a round, Ammoseek is a good source for ammo prices. The subject of ammo prices has been going on for awhile, it is said prices will not go down much . A 1000+ rounds is a good number to keep . I always buy couple boxes of ammo whenever at LGS or Academy Sports.

I got my Sport 2 last year so was already well into the pandemic and every issue we were living with. Over the past year I have been able to get some 223 in the $.50-.57 per round area. I have been ok with that, it wasn't what owners were paying pre-2020 but it was fine for me to be able to shoot and get used to the new to me platform.
I would only guess that prices will not hit older levels, too many variables now that affect costs. I also cant speak for what ammo is out in CA for prices (if higher due to regulations) but $.60 may be somewhat reasonable these days. And as always if something works for you that is part of the decision.

Rural King had 223 at a buck a round today. If you can get it for 60 cents a round that is not bad these days I don't guess. I make my own so don't really pay all that much attention to the current price.

The best bulk 5.56 price I have seen recently was $599/1200 IMI 55gr fMJ, with free shipping from Midway. Next time I see that deal, I may order some. With sales tax, it works pit to $0.53/rd for me. Not sure when/if we’ll see substantially lower prices than this for decent ammo.

Given that you’re living in a Commie state, I’d say your LGS is a good place to buy ammo these days. You won’t hav to pay the transfer fee there, correct...? I think that $600 for 1,000 rounds is not bad.

I don’t see Ammo going way down in cost anytime soon. It will creep down in time, but it’ll still be high compared to pre-panic/mass money printing days. I’d take the bird in hand, and have the ammo you need, Magtech is good ammo, and again, $600 is a decent price for brass cased .556 these days.

As for how much to have on hand, I’ve always been a more is better kind of guy. I’ve got enough to not have to worry about shortages and high prices. One thing has been constant in my 30+ years of shooting; over time, ammo NEVER gets cheaper. If you’re not a big prepper/shooter kind of guy, I’d say you’d want to have a couple/few thousand rounds stashed away. More is better if you want to stay prepared/insulated from future panics and related crazy prices. YMMV

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NRA Life Member

Just saw 20 round boxes at Academy for $13, and they had plenty. Did not not the brand.

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

just got an unusual ammo can filled with 24 20 round boxes(480 rds) of ChinaSport(Norinco) .223 55gr FMJ. Brass case, '92 headstamp, boxer primed, lead projectiles. $125 at our gun club flea market. I had just sold 2 boxes of .38 cast lead wad cutter bullets and that gave me just enough cash! Surprised none of the usual vultures grabbed it

The barrel's twist rate and choice of bullet weights are important for outstanding accuracy.
There is no such thing as too much ammo.

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Have Fun/Stay Safe

Thanks, all. I just messaged the LGS for 1,000 round purchase. Curiously, Big 5 Sporting Good had Winchester 223 55 grain FMJ 150 round packs on sale today from $145 to $125. I was in the store today and saw several boxes of them. Curiously, the store manager was talking to another customer interested in 9mm and .38 cal. He said they get shipments every other Friday and to arrive early before they open this Friday, because there's always a big line. I'm unsure what to make of the .223 surplus there - maybe the $.83 per round cost even when on sale, or everyone has enough .223 ammo?

Mine is spec'd at 1:9, so 55 grain, which is what I was asking about (will adjust the post accordingly), should be good for it. I'm also thinking about building a Poverty Pony, but the higher-end PSA are 1:7 twist. I'm not looking for marksmanship*, just home defense. Would a 1:7 twist work fine with 55 grain ammo?

* That said, I suppose I'd consider myself a prepper. I've stocked up a few months' supply of these, in the following order over the past 11 months and in descending order of quantity: canned food; water (I have a 50 gallon water heater that I will quickly drain for water if there's a water shortage); toilet paper; first aid supplies; physical gold and silver, including US 90% silver coins; cash; guns and ammo. Everything is in the house in different, off-beat locations among my piles of mess, with a decoy safe under the bed with worthless, but pretty coins. I work from home and spend most of my time at home. I learned that lesson about on-premises valuables from a friend who stored his gold at Wells Fargo in a safe deposit box, only to have that branch close, denying him access, during the early parts of the pandemic.

Perhaps I should do a separate thread, but none of my neighbors are doing any sort of prepping that I'm aware of, save one family that has a garage full of toilet paper or paper towels, two doors down from me.

Based on my hints about prepping, I sense that people around here view preppers are paranoid, fringe types (except if you have a couple days worth of food or water), so I don't discuss it much with them.

The only gun person I know is a retired cop who only believes in pistols for home defense and recommended against shotguns or ARs for home defense (barrels are too long for tight corners). He thinks a Glock .40 S&W is the bee's knees (IIRC, he got to keep his issued gun). However, I learned on my own about the concept of short stocking and will practice that just in case I ever need to recall that skill from muscle memroy.

Anyway, I'm not inclined to do room clearings on my own, but rather would barricade myself in my bedroom (have rehearsed the escape plan from where I spend most of the day; I just have to figure out if I want my Shepherd to stay with me in the bedroom or be another line of defense outside of the bedroom). Any thoughts?

AmmoSeek price trends.

Tracks daily lowest cost of name-brand factory ammo from highly-rated online retailers. Daily low is averaged for the weekly number.

Does not include shipping or tax.

I bought a case of M855 green tips for $400 at the height of the '12 panic. 7 years later I got 55 gr Federal for $299/K with a $1/ box rebate. We are easily stampeded. Unlike Wildebeest, instead of running back and forth with the herd, we need to rest in the shade until we see the lion. Joe

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Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

I would amend that slightly to say, "There is no such thing as too much ammo or too much gasoline . . . unless you're on fire . . . "

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Qui plantavit curabit

giants1,
I agree with your retired cop friend advise. If you are going to use a AR for "home defense" (not a good idea) keep in mind YOU are responsible for every round fired that exits your house and enters your neighbor's house. If a stray round hits and kills someone other that the intruder you could (will) face charges.

I like handguns with lasers for home defense and personal protection. shoot JHP's

I suppose it has a parallel with purses and shoes.

Perhaps . . . but that's what we used to say in the aircraft

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Qui plantavit curabit

I'm a shotgun guy myself, but with anything, proper ammo selection can help reduce the risk of the round leaving the house. Everything that I have seen shows that 55 gr FMJ actually starts to tumble and break apart when it hits an object up close. Handgun rounds, even with JHP, travel further through drywall. Any of it will go through an interior wall, but 5.56 55 gr has shown that it penetrates fewer walls.

It doesn't sound like this fella will have this problem in the SF area because they don't allow rifles at all at indoor ranges, but around here,(Detroit area) indoor ranges won't allow steel core or steel cased ammo.

I shoot here, bullet type is not relevant, unless it's .50 BMG. Joe

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Wisdom chases me; I'm faster

With the impending Russian ammo ban, rifle and pistol ammo won't be going down anytime soon. Might take a few years for domestic and off shore manufacturers to fill the void. I'm holding on to my brass now. I used to sell the surplus but without a source anymore (range pick up) there won't be any more surplus at my house.

Buy it at 0.60/rd. and keep the brass. Just my opinion and it's worth what you paid for it.

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That's just somebody talkin.

That's a nice range. Looks deserted.

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That's just somebody talkin.

Which range is that? Does it have the 3 second rule by any chance?

EDIT: Oh oops I see that you're in Florida.

Ordered online last week including tax paid 0.62 cents a rnd. From 2009 MEN military contract. Don't feel a need to unwrap looks good, may even order another can.

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Last week LGS had 5.56 $14 20rd box , 9mm $20 50rd box. They had stacks of 50 BMG don't remember the price

My greatest concern with ammunition is inflation going forward, the current price has already reduced my recreational shooting significantly, with additional cost of house hold goods eating into my disposable income. Simply filling the gas tank is a major hit in the wallet each week.
Happy Shooting
Taking to take a serious look at AirForce .25cal rifles again
Condor SS