Handgun Ammo at Cabela's

[VaTom]

This is the third big panic I've seen since I started shooting. I know it's more fun to make everything into a big conspiracy, but this is just like the others, a bunch of scared people (with a large influx of new gun owners) are buying everything they can get their hands on, and the production hasn't been able to keep up with demand. That's it, just like last time. The companies are not throttling, they're still going through the same supply chains, and the .gov is not blocking your box of 9mm from getting to the store.

Also like last time, it will eventually get back to normal, and when it does, remember what you ran out of and keep enough of that in reserve so you won't be as upset for the next panic (which will come). In the meantime, find other ways to kill the time you'd otherwise spend shooting or hoarding ammo, a nice day fishing is a lot more calming than reading online about how messed up everything is all day.

Yes-FISHING - Winter trout season here, plan on going tomorrow, Home projects you have been putting off, etc. I have only been to the range once since the panic and only shot .22LR as I stocked up on it (not hoarding) whenever I saw it after last shortage. What I don't have a lot of is center fire (9mm, 45ACP and 38 Special) so I have avoided taking those to the range.

 

[waffles]

Yes-FISHING - Winter trout season here, plan on going tomorrow, Home projects you have been putting off, etc. I have only been to the range once since the panic and only shot .22LR as I stocked up on it (not hoarding) whenever I saw it after last shortage. What I don't have a lot of is center fire (9mm, 45ACP and 38 Special) so I have avoided taking those to the range.

It's pretty fun! I'd been into fly fishing before, but this year I got going on spinning/casting stuff and ice fishing. Lotta pretty fish and pretty spot, especially if you don't mind a heavy hike. Much better than making the trip to the range and rationing the centerfire! I think I've made two range trips in the last three months, once to zero the deer rifle and pattern my shotgun, and the second because a buddy bought a few machineguns. That one hurt the wallet a bit (worth it!).

 

[Tytan01]

Your local gun stores are small fish. Ammo from distributors/manufacturers is usually allocated. Small gun shops order per box as they need them. Larger ones maybe a few cases a month. Big stores put in standing orders at the beginning of the year for the entire year. I can only imagine the orders dedicated ammo dealers put in.

When you are a salesman that works on common you prioritize the guy that spends a millions dollars with you or the guy that spends $2000.

I would think that Bass Pro Shops and Big 5 Sporting Goods would count among those who drop close to a Million a year for Ammo. Yet here in AZ their shelves are bare. Have been bare.

So I'm sticking with the facts. Ammo makers are purposely limiting access to their product. I'm sure Government contracts are getting filled. Big Youtube/Gunbroker Channels like Gun Prime are absolutely getting plenty of ammo. The rest of the country....not so much. And that is by design. There is no way to explain it away. I operate a business the same as Federal Does under Covid Conditions and I haven't lost production ability like they are claiming. He's making bullets...not Burritos.

Federal Courts in NY and other places ruled early in 2020 that Gun Makers and Ammo makers were "essential businesses" and not subject to lockdown orders. So the Jasons' need to stop jerking everyone around and get the ammo out to the public.

 

[Tytan01]

Since bass pro bought Cabela's I have completely given up on them. As I travel for my job I used to almost never drive past a Cabela's, I would always stop and check out the gun library and the bargain Cave. Yesterday afternoon I actually stopped at their location in Hammond Indiana. I went to check out the reloading section and noticed a bunch of people hanging out only to find that the employees We're rolling a cart of ammunition to put on the shelves. The buzzards scooped it all up. The signs clearly said maximum five boxes but I saw plenty of people walking out with six or seven. Not sure how many you could get away with but they clearly did not enforce the five box rule

In the last several years I have noticed many Cabela's letting their aquariums go downhill. This location always had one of the nicest and cleanest aquariums. Yesterday I noticed it was not pristine, still a very nice aquarium love to watch the huge snapping turtle,

Cabella's is decidedly ANTI-GUN and slowly phasing guns and ammo out of their stores.

Hell...they closed...CLOSED...the Elmer Keith museum they had at their Idaho location.

How do you claim to be Pro-Gun and then close a museum dedicated to one of the most important figures in the gun community at the same time?

 

[scoobysnacker]

Ammo is still being made and sold.
Everyone is concerned about "things", and wants a solid stash for emergency use.

I have enough to last awhile, and I don't consider myself a prepper (I'm probably somewhere in the margins, to be honest. Don't reload, don't have a huge stash of beans and rice on hand, don't have gallons of water).
I found myself looking for more, got drawn in by the drama of the shortages, and wanted to find "stuff" just in case. I expanded to 2 additional, more obscure calibers, to broaden what I could use, and to compete against less folks grabbing those.
I think the most I've paid for handgun ammo is 60 cents a rd, for an obscure caliber, by a specialty ammo maker that probably charged that same price in 2019.

Ask yourself- if you found a case of 9mm for "reasonable"- let's say $300, not even going back to sub-$200 like in the past- would you even hesitate to buy it instantly? Most gun owners would, just for the added insurance it provides.
Now ask yourself, would you have done that in 2019, if it was $210, and you had plenty already? Most people would say "no".

This is the problem we're facing with supply and demand. I always waited until I could find stuff at under $180, and I could do so quite often. I could be picky about brand, even about bullet weights (I tended to wait until I found 124gr fmj S&B or Fiocchi). And if I bought some, I didn't buy more the next week.

But right now, 99% of us would buy Tula steel-cased 9mm for $200, as many as we could afford, if we could do so. Well over 50% would do so at $300.
As long as that's the general mood, there never will be 'adequate supply' or good prices, because we jump on anything like a dog waiting for table scraps.

 

[kbm6893]

It's not the hoarders doing this. For it to be hoarders, there would have to be product to hoard. Shops near me are bare. My local guy hasn't gotten one box of primers in many months. I said not one box, not one case. Nothing.

These guys can put all the videos out showing machines and people working overtime they they want. The bare shelves tell a different story.

 

[scoobysnacker]

It's not the hoarders doing this. For it to be hoarders, there would have to be product to hoard. Shops near me are bare. My local guy hasn't gotten one box of primers in many months. I said not one box, not one case. Nothing.

These guys can put all the videos out showing machines and people working overtime they they want. The bare shelves tell a different story.

The range I belong to is also my FFL that I get things shipped to, and they sell ammo too.
Their cases are bare. Their prices are high... it was $20 a box of 9mm back when we could get it under $10 at Walmart. Over $40 now.

Guy at the counter says they have 10k in the back, with another 25k coming on the next truck. If someone asks for it, they sell it. He said there are people who have already spoken for some coming in... they aren't emptying what they have, but basically pre-ordering for customers who think to ask. You want a couple boxes, you can have them now. You want 4 cases at his price, it should be on the next delivery.

I didn't bother to ask him how much he's upcharging, but figure he's AT LEAST keeping the same profit margin as before. Wouldn't shock me if he's staying double the price, instead of $10 a box. Either way, pretty sure he's making money hand over fist right now.

 

[scoobysnacker]

Quick update to my last post-
I'm kinda thinking I'm going to let my range membership expire, as I don't particularly care for the mindset I see there. It comes due in June or July, we'll see how that goes.

I said they were selling 9mm for $0.80 a rd, well no longer. They have 500 in a plastic ammo can, for $750. Same with 5.56. I see PMC and Tula boxes laying around near the back, I guess that's what they are selling at that price.

I ordered a gun online, I had to call them 3 times to get them to send the FFL (I never had to do that more than once before); it delayed the shipment a week. I never got a call the gun came in, they say to wait for the call... I tracked the shipping and gave them a couple days before going up to do the paperwork.
I did the 4473, got a delay. In theory that delay would end tomorrow, on Tuesday. Never got a call, but was in the area, so I dropped in. I got 'proceed' last Friday, could have picked it up then had I known. I took it today, and the new counter guy (who was mildly curt about everything) questioned a couple times whether I needed to pay anything else. I paid the transfer fee when they ran the 4473, and it was more than it used to be for range members (but I paid it anyway).
Asking about stuff, he was telling me they no longer want members in after hours (we have a magnetic key card, could go in from 9-9 whether it was open or closed). It was one of the benefits of being a member.

The way it seems to be now, I'd rather just pay for whatever day I go shoot. I probably didn't go enough to really break even before this started, for sure I won't now. I'd have stayed with them had they continued to treat us nicely, but the attitude now is like trying to special-order a Big Mac with extra onions, dude is irritated and rude. He doesn't need my business right now, as he's scoring bigtime on the ammo panic. Hope he saves some of that profit, as I'm not the only guy put off by the new attitude.

 

[JWM]

Maybe I shoot take up archery again. LOL.

 

[STORM2]

So I have started a new plan. If I see ammo, I buy....then find a gun. I know where there is a considerable quantity of new 300 WinMag on the shelf. I'm going after it. I already know where there is a great buy on a used 300WM with glass. This is sorta like filling in the expense report BACKWARDS. I did a 30 Cal Blackhawk last week, same game. Powder a little different, the biggest container is going with me. Hint: There are more customers waiting in line to pay more than you while you are waiting on a better price. I'm buying what others don't think they want....yet. Think about this, big bore ammo is now often cheaper than handgun ammo.

 

[applefish]

.25 Auto is fun to shoot. I expend enough ammo that because of price I reload for it, although components are not always readily available. Think of it as reloadable 22.

With the cost of small pistol primers these days and no end to the shortage in sight, that might not be the best idea!

 

[kbm6893]

The range I belong to is also my FFL that I get things shipped to, and they sell ammo too.
Their cases are bare. Their prices are high... it was $20 a box of 9mm back when we could get it under $10 at Walmart. Over $40 now.

Guy at the counter says they have 10k in the back, with another 25k coming on the next truck. If someone asks for it, they sell it. He said there are people who have already spoken for some coming in... they aren't emptying what they have, but basically pre-ordering for customers who think to ask. You want a couple boxes, you can have them now. You want 4 cases at his price, it should be on the next delivery.

I didn't bother to ask him how much he's upcharging, but figure he's AT LEAST keeping the same profit margin as before. Wouldn't shock me if he's staying double the price, instead of $10 a box. Either way, pretty sure he's making money hand over fist right now.

My local guy is nice to me, but he never does me any favors on price. I've bought a bunch of used guns from him. They're usually reasonable. But his new guns have always been high. He's told me a bunch of times he has a gun in that I asked him about. I don't tell him I already bought it for $200 cheaper. He charges $75 to do a transfer, but only in guns he could have gotten for you. He says why shouldn't he charge a high price since you didn't buy the gun from him? That's why I won't buy new from him.

His prices on ammo have exceeded the "stupidly high" category. Whenever somebody expresses shock at the price, rather than let it go, he comes back with a nasty comment like "you gonna tel me how to run a business now?" Or "if you can find it somewhere else than to get it". I've heard a lot of people won't buy from him.

I get raising your price to keep with the profit margin you set for your business, but Remington isn't charging him 300% more. Price gouging is unacceptable. I won't be visiting his shop again.

 

[kleiss1]

It's pretty fun! I'd been into fly fishing before, but this year I got going on spinning/casting stuff and ice fishing. Lotta pretty fish and pretty spot, especially if you don't mind a heavy hike. Much better than making the trip to the range and rationing the centerfire! I think I've made two range trips in the last three months, once to zero the deer rifle and pattern my shotgun, and the second because a buddy bought a few machineguns. That one hurt the wallet a bit (worth it!).

Beautiful spot. Where abouts is that?