While not necessarily representative of the rest of the country, I visited two gun stores and one indoor range while visiting my wife’s family in Omaha. I saw more ammo and reloading supplies than Iv’e seen in a couple of years.

I’ll state upfront I have no connection to any of the shops. First I went to Scheels to look around. Scheels had a full inventory of guns, matter of fact more than I’ve seen in a couple of years. They had a respectable supply of Hodgdon & AA powders, bullets including bulk but had no primers. Prices were pretty much retail across the board like powder ranging from $24-32 per pound. Ammo was plentiful for most common calibers and the shelves were full of shot shells.

Next I went to Guns unlimited and found plenty of Hodgdon IMR, Alliant and Shooters Choice powders for shot shells, pistol and Rifle. Sorry no Bullseye or Unique but some popular powders were available in large jugs. Prices were the same that you’d pay from Hodgdon. Shot shell primers were in stock as well as large rifle primers (#34?). I asked the clerk about SPP and was told they sporadically get them in limited quantities like 10,000 at a time.

Ammo was plentiful including 6.5, 30-06, 300 Win Mag and most popular calibers. The same was true for pistol calibers and shot shells. The only caliber I didn’t see was 357 but there was plenty of 38 Special at reasonable prices. There was a good supply of defensive ammo and range ammo. I purchased a brick of Federal 22LR (800 rounds in the blue box) for less than what Federal sells it direct for. I think unpaid $67 plus tax.

I spoke with the clerk about primers. He agreed prices are crazy but the dealers are paying elevated prices to get them. He also said there’s a new factory coming on line in Texas dedicated to making primers and believes availability will get back to pre pandemic levels and prices will come down some. They may not return to $35/1000 but prices will be much better. He said GU was still putting the same markup on items that they did pre pandemic.

I went to Inner 10 indoor range to pass some time. I carried my 3” King Cobra during my travels and took 200 rounds. Got to get away from the in-laws after a while. ;~}. Even the range had ammo for their rental guns but at a bit of a premium.

It was encouraging to see guns, ammo and reloading supplies returning and at much more reasonable prices.

How are supplies in your area?

hey now, that's our secret.. lol
I hope you waved as you drove by

Several times.

I drive through Omaha each year on my annual pheasant hunts to South Dakota. There is also a Bass Pro and a Cabelas. I often stop at Cableas because they have clean rest rooms and just to stretch my legs. I usually end up with some ammo also. One year is was .32 acp and 16 gauge.

I would say that most ammo is available here also, but some at way higher then “normal!” Walmart has it, probably the most reasonable of all. But they stopped selling handgun ammo awhile ago. No s heels around here, I wish there were. Cabelas and Bass pro are two hours away. They were both well stocked the last time I was there. Some powder locally, zero primers.

Regards, Rick Gibbs

The bulk boxes of Federal Auto Match 22s were at $22 and change at Wally World when I checked over the weekend. With the supply I stashed, mostly in the $12-15 range) I hope (and fully expect) prices below $20 before I have to replenish. I may be overly optimistic, but I’ve got enough to go for a while. Now if I could just find some more 209 shotgun primers!

Froggie

Its a start............. nice to know about the Texas plan.

There might just be a light at the end of the....................

thanks for the post.

Here in Arizona I see more normal conditions returning as well. Primers are no where to be seen or bought except at gun shows and online at pretty high prices. My wife and I are expecting things to worsen though and I encourage all of us to prepare.

When I see primers at or below ~ $85 I buy a box and stash them. I’m really in pretty good shape and have more powder than primers to load it but it’s hard to tell what direction the shortage will go and what the new normal price will be. I recently had a reminder of what we paid a few years ago when I finished a box of Winchester SPP’s marked $24. I can’t remember the price thirty years ago but would guess I was paying $15/1000 or less. Seems like 231 and 540 were around $8/lb. I might be wrong though but for sure they were way cheaper but again everything else was too.

22’s, I used to go by Wally once a month when my social security check hit and buy 5 or 6 boxes of federal 550 rounds and stash them. I think they were around $19 a box then. I have a pretty good stash but still buy a box here and there. Actually I told my wife yesterday I had to stop buying 22’s because I’ve run out of room to store them. Terrible problem.