In December 2019, just before Covid hit, it seemed a good time to stock up. Prices were low and all my favorite ammo was available.

Fast forward 5 years. Ammo prices are down from their panic buying high, although still pricey, much of my favorite ammo is again available.

Seems to me like a good time to stock up.

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Buy American
Vote Responsibly

Do what you think is best for you. Prices rise and fall all the time. Will they get lower? Maybe..... Will they go up? Maybe........... The election will probably have some influence on the prices. Probably in an upward trend.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

Set your watch price and buy when your price is met. Online sales and gun shows are the only place I buy ammo.

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S&W factory revolver armorer

I have 10 years worth if I use 2-3K rimfire, 1-1.5K centerfire handgun rounds annually, I'm a "hobby shooter" for the last 20 years. I probably have enough centerfire rifle ammo for the same time frame. I'll be 81 then and will re-evaluate according to availability/legal/political conditions then. Hard to say what life will look like in 10 years. Joe

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Behavior Creates Destiny

Yes. I believe that it is.

Going back more than 10 years there have been at least 3 times the ammo shelves were emptied. There was no warning - I didn't know anything was going on until I went to the store and there was nothing to buy.

So I now think I have enough that I will not have to stand in line for 2 hours to get 100 rounds of 22LR. In other words, buy it now - it lasts a long time.

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6/23/2022

Keep enough on hand so that you never have to ask yourself this question again .

I keep 50-60 rds on hand per hunting rifle (3boxes). 1000 tds 9mm and 38. Couple hundred tds 12ga and 44mag. I have a “thing” for 44mag rifles and revolvers. When I see things cheap I buy it. I never panic buy.

If you are looking for .22, we can buy it cheaper at Wally World than a gunshow. Since I do not buy commercial ammo generally, can speak for that.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

X2 On--> Yes. I believe that it is.

If you need something, yes. There’s a black swan coming.

Hmmm....sounds like about enough for about one or two weekends worth of shooting .

My response to anyone who is pondering the question.

It is never NOT time to stock up on ammo.

Best,
RM Vivas

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RM Vivas
SWCA#1482L, SWHF#837

Those quantities would last me about a month of shooting. I’d be buying many cases of ammo if I was that low.

When it’s available, probably not getting any cheaper, you got the money, an election is straight ahead?
Hell Yes!
I’m buying. Probably 22 and 9 mm.
38 Special if I can find a deal.

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NRA LIFE MEMBER

Prvi Partizan 38 Special Ammo 158 Gr Semi-Wadcutter HP - Ammo Deals
Don't know if this qualifies. A case of 10 boxes/50 is $225+tax and about $2 for an "overbox." I have shot a case and have 4 more on hand. It is basically "FBI load" but not marked +P. Joe

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Behavior Creates Destiny

I was in Dunhams the night before the first big scare. They had plenty of ammo and guns. The next day I took my son and his best friend up there with me. Before we stepped out of the truck I told both of them. You are going to see a lot of scared people when we go in. Don't be scared. I want you both to see this and never forget it. I am prepared and not worried in the slightest. These kids were 10. They saw all the people lined up at the gun counter. There were no AR 15s , ammo was wiped out. Guy told me 40 minute wait on background checks. The kids were amazed. I told them " now you know why I reload and have the ammo I have. Let this be a lesson to both of you. Don't ever get in this position. Always be prepared." Those boys learned a life lesson that day.

"Bird in hand is worth two in the bush". --- attributed to an unknown ammo hunter

I bought a 525 count brick of .22 ammo and a 350 round pack of CCI brass 115 grain 9 mm ammo at an estate sale this afternoon...because it was there, for less than a hundred. There is something going on with Russia and China right now. They control around 55% of one of the main ingredients of gunpowder. I don't remember what this is, ask Louisiana Joe, he's the one that told me about this. The US controls about 30% of the same stuff. Russia and China just banned selling the stuff to the US. This probably means reloading powder and new US produced ammo is probably going to go up a lot. I'll try to get Joe to send you a link to this as I obviously don't know enough. Right now, the easiest thing for me to buy is 9 mm. When I find it in the $9-10 a box range I'll buy another 1,000 rounds just to have some practice stuff. I've got about 1500 rounds of Ranger carry stuff, so I'm good there. I try to keep at least 5,000 rounds of .38 special, .357, .40, .45 ACP, and 9 mm practice ammo and a few hundred rounds of carry ammo. My good friend and fellow forum member Leland passed away from the covid monster four years ago. He left me with over 30,000 rounds of .38/.357 rounds of his very good target reloads, so I'm good there for a while. Bottom line is stock on on your favorite caliber/gauges and reloading components while you can, even if you have to pay a little more for it. We don't know what the future holds.

It’s a few days past time to be stocking up! China has cut the U.S. off from Nitrocelulose and antimony.
“The recent decision by China to halt the export of two critical components —nitrocellulose and antimony— has raised alarms within the U.S. ammunition manufacturing industry and among defense experts”.
Here’s a good article to read bout it. What ammo is made with be for the military and anything left will be high dollar pickings for the civilians. I’m glad I stocked up years ago.

China's New Export Restriction Choke Hold on Critical U.S. Ammunition Components, Are You Prepared?

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Get off my lawn!

Just ordered a case of CCI SV 22LR from TargetSportsUSA, $350/5000 rds with free shipping. $380 or so with 7% state sales tax, insurance, and extra packaging. I’ve seen it for less but I’m comfortable with that price and the company has a good track record. I reload everything else.

As a mostly informal smallbore benchrest shooter my main concern is a lifetime supply of my standard practice ammo, CCI SV. I can go without the high end Eley if I have too. That's for a grudge match with friends.

I have enough 9mm & .38 spl if I have too. Another case or two of .380 before this next election would be nice. Truthfully I have enough centerfire to last for a lifetime of LEOSA qualifications and carry. But practice ammo is nice.

If things go sideways in November I'm placing some big mail orders on Wednesday.. I buy cases mail-order and that could be ending in January or shortly afterwards. Is that a panic prediction? Yeah, maybe. But elections have consequences. That and Covid started the last few shortages. In this case I'm worried about the outlawing of bulk ammo sales, nationwide. Some states already have that, so don't be surprised. Remember if onerous laws or executive orders are passed it will be cloaked by "It's for the children" and "it's a common sense safety standard".

VOTE, your rights may depend on it.

I guess my point was I have enough on hand to see me through a rough patch. My hunting ammo is the big thing for me. Also I usually have 400-500 rds of 223 on hand. These are my minimums. There are times I have much more. But I’m not a panic buyer

Yes, it is. At my current shooting rate I have enough of everything except 38/357. I intend to remedy that today and order some 38.

I still have a small amount of 22 LR and some Winchester 8 1/2 120 primers left from when then Clintons were going to shut things down.

I'm good on 9mm and .22 LR, don't really shoot factory ammo in my .38s, .357s, or .44s, and have plenty of lead for bullet casting and a comfortable stock of powder and primers. If anything I should probably buy a case of .45 ACP. Watching for a decent deal on my preferred Federal American Eagle 230 grain ball.

I stocked up late last year but haven't been shooting much so I have a space issue. I have stocked up on other things like standard capacity magazines.

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Release the Kraken

THE GOOD NEWS: I got a lifetime supply of ammo!!!
THE BAD NEWS: I'm old as heck so I don't need all that much.

Probably early next year. I just bought a couple of cases last week. We are not taking any chances.

The best time to buy ammo is always now as long as you can get it. Probably won't be any cheaper in the future and God only knows what the future holds.

Never in my life have I ever seen prices fall on anything worth buying. I am at 67 years old. Never any better time to buy than right now.

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S&WHF #946
S&WCA #3824

If you have theextra money. BUY it now...if your concerned about price. Dollar cost average.

Another reason to reload but cost of components have gotten crazy.

I suggest to buy if you can. I recently made a couple really nice private deals for 380acp and 9mm, and I have been shooting a lot over the past 3-4 months. Also, a few of the big online guys have decent prices for the current times.

There used to be an antimony smelter along the railroad between Laredo and Eagle Pass, TX. It was put there during WWII and most of the ore came from Mexico. I guess we could restart it if we need to.

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6/23/2022

one thing to contemplate. I always have a case or two of 9mm, one is HP, and maybe 3-4K of .22 that I never count as part of my stock. That is reserved in case thngs get ugly.

You can always sell or trade excess ammo.

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NRA RSO

I stocked up on primers after the first Obama scare. I have a lifetime supply left.

I stocked up on ammo right before the pandemic hit when prices were dirt cheap. If it gets that cheap again, I'll consider buying. Right now it's no bargain.

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Retired LE Instructor/Armorer

I'm sure it won't take more than 10 or 12 years for the EPA to approve it.

Of course if the country really needed it and the right man was in office, he would tell the EPA to go pound sand...I hope.

Way back when President Obama was elected, ammo got hard to find. I couldn't even find .22 LR for my daughters to go plinking. So, I started buying bricks of .22 LR when I saw it available at a decent price. Did the same w/ 9mm once it again became available. This has served me very well in the several times since when post election cycle contractions of ammo led to similar circumstances as occurred in 2008. I expect the same thing to happen in 2024 if the Demokrats gain control. Do not expect a mere repeat of the 1995 crime bill. There will be no sunset provision. JMHO. Sincerely. bruce.

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<><

Hard telling. We know that it may get cheaper.

We also know that it will, at some point, be more expensive.

You'll never lose money on ammo.

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Just Say No - To Social Media

FWIW, went to a gun show today and, for the first time I recall, a number of tables has cans and cans of powder sitting out… plus stacks of primers. All priced at $38-45 for powder and around $80/brick primers. A lot of numbered powders I didn’t know. Nobody much looking or buying that I saw.

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Uvidíme se později, aligátore.

I'm not concerned with ammo prices going up ...the cost of everything has been going up ...gasoline, clothes , groceries etc. so it should come as no surprise that ammunition costs rise as well .
I am more concerned with ammunition being unavailable for a period of time like it was a few years ago.
I very much enjoy shooting and was very limited in how often I could go and how much I could shoot when I did go.
If there is another ammo shortage ...this time I am prepared and it would have to be a very long shortage before it would affect in any way.

Over my history at times like now I’d get my basic pile started. Get enough bought to get you going for a medium time frame. Get that done, then you can start buying when you find a “good deal.” Build up your stash that way. I have a comfortable pile now. Never let it get really run down. If you HAVE to top it off from time to time, do so. Take a good deal when they come up. I’ve never regretted doing it that way. If you end up with too much (haha) you can sell some off when you get old. If you have a decent stash, you can comfortably top it off. Not so easy when it gets down to the desperate sized pile.

They are reopening a mine they closed back in the early 2000’s but they say it’ll take years to get it rolling enough to get the 63% that China was selling us.

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Get off my lawn!

Well I’d plan on a long shortage.

China's New Export Restriction Choke Hold on Critical U.S. Ammunition Components, Are You Prepared?

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Get off my lawn!

Hurry! The end is near! Buy some more 22 LR ammo!!!

I have 50 rounds of Hornady Critical Defense for every gun I own except the .22s. Other than that, I keep 2000 rounds or so of Herters .22 on hand for our most shot pistol, revolver and lever rifle. If I see a sale I buy extra, if prices are about normal, I wait until I get near 1000 to stock back up.

I find a lot at estate sales, especially if the deceased was a gun person. Friday I picked up a 350 case of CCI 9 mm 115 gr. brass and a 525 brick of ,22's for less than half of retail. It was in a remote part of the house and I asked one of the sales people if they had ammo and he showed it to me in a closet. Of course I asked about the guns and he said family members got them before the sale. I have found some nice guns at estate sales, often old, but they are usually gone before the sale starts or they want some stupid price. "When you don't sell it at that price call me" has worked a couple of times.