Reason there is a .22LR shortage

[Jack Flash]

One reason is some folks are hoarding, as mentioned before. Do they believe they may need it to trade for a handful of beans in some post-apocalyptic world or do they just think they will use it eventually? Who knows? Hoarding can become a mental disorder, so there is no sense in trying to get a rational response.

Another reason is the obvious buying/flipping that goes on. I do not like the practice but as long as it is legal, what can you do about it? I quit buying ammunition at gun shows, largely out of disgust from witnessing this behavior.

 

[DeathGrip]

I'm good for about 1600 rounds, mostly federal bulk.

I had a chance to buy more a couple of weeks ago but left it there at WM. Hopefully the next customers that saw it could use it.

It was CCI, I shoulda got more.

The Winchester 62 loves to eat boxes of the stuff. If I only shot my K22 it would last a long time. Crappy cell phone pics. .........

 

[jframe]

Around my area, it's hoarding, pure and simple. I overheard a group in the local Wally World talking the other night in the sporting goods area about how all they needed to to was wait until all the pallets were brought out that night, then start digging through them looking for ammo. I've got 1000-1500 rounds I think, and I absolutely refuse to pay what a brick is bringing on any of the Facebook gun group auctions, or at the gun shows. I say "bringing" loosely, as a lot of this gun show ammo seems to be just travelling the circuit, and the Facebook auctions seem to have stagnated some as well.

 

[Jack Flash]

I bought a whole bunch after the last shortage, so I should be good for a long time.

Assuming of course that I don't need to trade it all for a handful of beans!

 

[the ringo kid]

And that's where it's going to all the scalpers.
I know a guy who stands in line every day at Wally World when ammo comes in, buys his three brick limit at $23.95 and them puts them out on his table at the weekend flea market for $75-$80 and usually sells almost none at the price.
Another guy in that same line at W W says he has over 50,000 rounds of 22LR already, but can't seem to help himself from hoarding more.

There's the reason for your shortages and it's happen at hundreds of thousand places all over the country. I hope they all get stuck with it.

I have 3 bricks and that's more than I will ever need for a long time for my purposes.

Sounds like your local guy with the 50K of .22 is related to the guy we have here braging about his huge stash.

That said, it took me over a year to get the 3 bricks I have. I havent seen any in at least 8 months now.

 

[the ringo kid]

I've go enough for recreational shooting, but I like to shoot match grade in my match pistols, and I haven't seen any CCI Green Tab in more than two years.

Funny you should mention that type ammo. I was at WW yesterday and they had at least 50 boxes of the above mentioned. I passed on them as well as the 25 or so boxes of .22 short.

 

[JSW]

I walked into Palmetto State armory's new store in town and found full shelves of Federal auto match 22lr, 325 count for $24.99 a box. Not the greatest price but they had some! I bought 2 boxes.

That's not too bad a price. I got some at Walmart 2 months back and it was only $1 less.

 

[Frizzman]

This sort of thing is why I like my flintlocks. I can find or make everything needed for a day at the range or in the field. I cast my own projectiles and powder is readily available. No caps or brass needed. So far as the stockpiling of billions of rounds of anything goes, I prefer to let others fight over it. I am not going to stand in lines or fight over or pay scumbag prices for .22...Those who buy it a up to resell at predatory prices can keep it. I saw people do that during previous dry spells and many wound up having to eat it when it came back...Anyone remember the "assault weapons ban"? People who paid silly prices for banned magazines got hosed when it went down the drain...I know a guy who has several $100 Glock 19 magazines...Panic leads to bad decisions.

 

[M3Stuart]

+1 on these comments.

It's the same people, every day, camping out to buy it up. Then they resell it - or try to - at triple+ the price.

On the plus side; they got totally burned in the 9mm ammo market as there are now shelves full of the stuff everywhere. Soon, they'll get burned on their closet full of .22LR.

 

[rimfired]

Used to walk 4 country miles, one way, to buy a box of .22's for .50 in the 50's.

Later when I wanted a brick I bought two or three. It was never "hoarding" it was simple logistics. Gonna use one , buy two for backup. Save gas, save time. Same with all other ammo. Get it while you're there.

What holds my house down, ammo from the 60's, 70's 80's, 90's, you get the point, hopefully.

It ain't rocket science, it's common sense. Which is uncommon today

 

[the ringo kid]

+1 on these comments.

It's the same people, every day, camping out to buy it up. Then they resell it - or try to - at triple+ the price.

On the plus side; they got totally burned in the 9mm ammo market as there are now shelves full of the stuff everywhere. Soon, they'll get burned on their closet full of .22LR.

Im waiting for them to get burned on the .45 ammo too. We have one bustard here who has been buying all the .45 he can afford to buy--mostly anything thats 100 rd or more. However, his pockets arent deep enough or his eyes aint sharp enough to see the other boxes stashed on the top shelf that are .45--includinga few bulk boxes.

 

[Jack Flash]

Used to walk 4 country miles, one way, to buy a box of .22's for .50 in the 50's.

Later when I wanted a brick I bought two or three. It was never "hoarding" it was simple logistics. Gonna use one , buy two for backup. Save gas, save time. Same with all other ammo. Get it while you're there.

I don't think anyone would call that hoarding. We're talking about the guys who have 50,000+ rounds and still get up early to stand in line at Wal-Mart to buy their limit.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

Only 10,000 rounds?

You're slipping Rick!

Drew

I still have two kids in school.

 

[Inspector-Callahan]

I see the enemy and it is ourselves....

Until we can get people to stop buying bricks at gunshows for $50+, the shortage will continue because there will continue to be a huge incentive for the profiteers to wait at Walmart when they unload pallets and clean them out.

I think we all should pull these guys aside and have an "intervention" with those paying the crazy prices to remind them that their actions are what specifically perpetuates the problem. Of course, they don't care. They just want their ammo. Thus the cycle continues.

All the stores who sell it at a normal markup from the manufacturer are selling bricks for no more than $25/brick. If you see the cheap target brick for much more than that, we all should walk away and stop the problem from recycling itself.

If we were talking FOOD here, then I can understand paying such an inflated price to survive another day, but I know of few people who's life depends on 22 rimfire ammo so much they absolutely NEED it.

I understand anyone had the right to pay whatever they choose for ammo if its within their means and I respect that for sure. I am just opining on the reason WHY the shortage persists longer than it should.

IC

 

[Backlighting]

Unless you want to get in line, a hour before Sportsmans Wherehouse (Las Vegas) opens on a their once a week shipments (Thurs. or Sat.), there's no ammo to speak of there....& no S&W revolvers on display for sale. This has been going on for almost 2 yrs.

 

[Whitens Moss]

My Wally World has a ONE-BOX limit, usually 50- or 100-rounds. Always gone when I get there. I reject the notion that the ammo makers are producing it 24/7. So do my local gun shop owners, who say that their many distributors have virtually none. Neither do big-box retailers other than spot supplies here and there. There are more profits to be had in expensive centerfire cartridges, which is where the Hornadys, Winchesters and Federals of the world are concentrating.

As for the gougers who triple the price of stuff, I suppose that's just another example of American profiteering -- capitalism to put the best face on it, greed the worst. I also buy into the notion that the government and military, which get priority in shipments, are getting most of the rimfire, leaving little left for civilian use. Back-door gun control is in play, as well, in light of massive purchase of rimfire ammo by DHS, and numerous government agencies. Since most youngsters start on .22LR, what better way to discourage the sport than by restricting the supply available for novices to learn and appreciate the shooting sports. Over time, the enthusiasm will wither away as supplies dwindle and the black market ripens.

 

[samuelrp]

Get an adult, high performance air gun in .22 . Ammo is $8.95 for 500 rounds. Hunt, plink, shoot till you drop. They will put all your shots in a dime at 50 yards.

 

[shouldazagged]

Hoarding can become a mental disorder, so there is no sense in trying to get a rational response.

^What Jack Flash said.

 

[Autococker07]

I don't mean to be argumentative, but from where do you source "massive purchase of rimfire ammo by DHS"? And do you also have some knowledge of government and military rimfire purchases?

With the exception of the CMP, I have never run into the military ordering/stocking/using rimfire cartridges, certainly not on a large basis.

 

[Hamster65]

Get an adult, high performance air gun in .22 . Ammo is $8.95 for 500 rounds. Hunt, plink, shoot till you drop. They will put all your shots in a dime at 50 yards.

I watched some videos on those. They are quite possibly, the coolest airguns on the planet.