.22 LR Ammo

[ericoak]

it this point it seems like they are raising prices as far as they can and seeing where the buyers will eventually say enough is enough.

golden bullets for 11 cents a round is a joke.

Isn't that what everyone in almost every business does?

 

[ironpony]

Isn't that what everyone in almost every business does?

Yes, but they are not all called "Dick's" ...usually. Sorry had to say it.

 

[rockstarr]

Isn't that what everyone in almost every business does?

in some cases yes but its usually over the course of time, not at the speed of gasoline prices...

at this point, some 22 is coming damn close to what steel cased 9mm cost per round.

 

[molonlabe]

Picked up a box of federal 325 and a box of thunderbolt 500 rounds at Dicks in Medowbrook mall. They had a boatload and no I didn't scarf them all up. I found out why Walmart in Weston is always out. A local sporting good store buys them all up for 24 bucks and resells them for a hundred after rebagging them. This was related to me by a patron. I remember going into this store a year ago and I commented to my wife I would never pay that price.

 

[DutchV]

If you want to get a decent price, get on a few mailing lists and be ready to buy a case when it comes in stock. Split it with a friend or two if you have to. But don't reward poor behavior by buying from some jerk at a crazy inflated price. Federal Automatch .22 can be had for $.08 / round if you wait.

 

[molonlabe]

I paid 7 cents a round for the thunderbolt slightly more 7.3 cents for the federal. I didn't think that was getting ripped. Now I bought some CCI mini mags they were close to 10 cents but they have always been expensive but their for hunting not plinking.

 

[silver78]

As I have been saying for over a year: In the long run higher prices for 22 ammo is good news for most shooters.

Old situation - Big box stores sell 22 ammo at 5 cents a round when it arrives - instant sell out. Winners = neckbeard scalpers + people who have enough time to monitor and find cheap ammo. Losers = all other shooters who have to buy their ammo from neckbeard scalpers at 15 cents per round.

Current situation - Big box stores sell ammo for 7-10 cents per round. Most shooters can find it in stock within a few days of looking. Winners = all other shooters - in other words most of us.

The big box stores didn't create this mess. Put the blame where it belongs on the liberal gun grabbers who caused this panic.

....In my opinion a price increase by the big box ammo sellers is what is needed to squeeze the scalpers out of the market and in the long term will lead to a price decrease and the end of the 22 ammo shortage.

 

[Don H]

As I have been saying for over a year: In the long run higher prices for 22 ammo is good news for most shooters.

Old situation - Big box stores sell 22 ammo at 5 cents a round when it arrives - instant sell out. Winners = neckbeard scalpers + people who have enough time to monitor and find cheap ammo. Losers = all other shooters who have to buy their ammo from neckbeard scalpers at 15 cents per round.

Current situation - Big box stores sell ammo for 7-10 cents per round. Most shooters can find it in stock within a few days of looking. Winners = all other shooters - in other words most of us.

The big box stores didn't create this mess. Put the blame where it belongs on the liberal gun grabbers who caused this panic.

If I could only find .22 in the Big Box stores

 

[Sundazes]

I paid 7 cents a round for the thunderbolt slightly more 7.3 cents for the federal. I didn't think that was getting ripped. Now I bought some CCI mini mags they were close to 10 cents but they have always been expensive but their for hunting not plinking.

Your gong to hate me for this but just before the height of the panic, Midway was selling 5k round case for about 6 cents a piece. It only took about a year to be delivered. Came home one day and it was at the door. I had forgotten about ordering them. That was 2013 I think, the new norm now is 10 cents a round for MM's

 

[TapRackBang]

Old situation - 22LR was 4-5 cents a round and Wallyworld et al always had plenty on the shelves.

Current situation - The panic is long over (until Shillary wins). Most rifle and pistol ammo is cheaper now than it was in November of 2012. Yet the 22LR shortage continues.

It's been four years. This is no longer a "panic" issue, this is manufacturers not stepping up to meet sustained demand. Nice side benefit is they are making twice as much money on what they do make. The scalpers can only succeed when there is a shortage.

 

[silver78]

Rimfire ammo manufacturing is different from centerfire. See link below for details.

https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2015/11/19/keefe-report-why-can-t-i-find-22-ammo/

 

[TapRackBang]

There was a very similar article that came out in 2013 - three years ago - that said the same thing. Might have been the same author.

The article's point is that making rimfire is hard and requires sustained demand to justify the expense of expanding production. No doubt.
Demand has outstripped supply for NINE years according to CCI and the article.
Prices are still double what they were in 2012 while every other ammo type is cheaper now.

Those are about the strongest signals the market can get that supply needs to expand. The market is failing us, IMHO.

 

[rockstarr]

If you want to get a decent price, get on a few mailing lists and be ready to buy a case when it comes in stock. Split it with a friend or two if you have to. But don't reward poor behavior by buying from some jerk at a crazy inflated price. Federal Automatch .22 can be had for $.08 / round if you wait.

with respect, you can get fed automatch for 6 cents a round easily still. you just cant take Palmetto state armory or dicks sporting goods up on their inflated prices.

check you local gun shop, due to the mainstream stores gouging prices, my LGS has become cheaper on some ammo which is saying ALOT as they were NEVER cheaper than DSG or cabelas etc...

 

[DutchV]

with respect, you can get fed automatch for 6 cents a round easily still. you just cant take Palmetto state armory or dicks sporting goods up on their inflated prices.

check you local gun shop, due to the mainstream stores gouging prices, my LGS has become cheaper on some ammo which is saying ALOT as they were NEVER cheaper than DSG or cabelas etc...

Can I ask where you're getting Federal that cheap? I was pretty happy with eight cents and free delivery.

And yes, my local gun shop has come through once or twice with 22 ammo. But not quite down to eight cents per round, and not a ton of stock either.

 

[rockstarr]

Can I ask where you're getting Federal that cheap? I was pretty happy with eight cents and free delivery.

And yes, my local gun shop has come through once or twice with 22 ammo. But not quite down to eight cents per round, and not a ton of stock either.

walmart or bass pro usually. if you find them at walmart they are still 17.99

 

[DutchV]

walmart or bass pro usually. if you find them at walmart they are still 17.99

Okay, thank you. I have heard a rumor that my local WalMart carries 22, but I have never seen any there myself. The rest of their selection is decent. They even have 300 Blackout most of the time.

BassPro is on my no-buy list for a variety of reasons.

 

[Mike OTDP]

If you want to get a decent price, get on a few mailing lists and be ready to buy a case when it comes in stock. Split it with a friend or two if you have to.

This, but don't split the case. .22LR is a commodity. It'll keep. But once you find the ammo your gun likes, buy it in case lots...and know which distributors are cheap for which ammo. I buy mid-grade target ammunition, and the prices from the specialty target shooting supply houses are about half that of the big name distributors.

 

[lazarus]

There was a very similar article that came out in 2013 - three years ago - that said the same thing. Might have been the same author.

The article's point is that making rimfire is hard and requires sustained demand to justify the expense of expanding production. No doubt.
Demand has outstripped supply for NINE years according to CCI and the article.
Prices are still double what they were in 2012 while every other ammo type is cheaper now.

Those are about the strongest signals the market can get that supply needs to expand. The market is failing us, IMHO.

I don't recall where they announced it, but federal said a few months ago that they had finally invested in expanding production and expected to increase production 20% this year.

I'll grant I've only been shooting for a little less than a year, but 22lr is a lot more common now then it had been. Prices don't generally subside that fast until you've had a glut for awhile. I wouldn't be surprised if it takes 6-12 more months before you see prices on 22lr slowly start to subside.

 

[awdnick2986]

Dicks Crofton

Dicks in Crofton had 1400 round remington 22lr for 99.99 and 325 federal for 24.99 tonight

 

[Magnumite]

"The big box stores didn't create this mess. Put the blame where it belongs on the liberal gun grabbers who caused this panic."

That is passing the buck, like the antigunners blaming guns for crime. Put the blame where the behavior lays. It is the greed within the shooting community doing the scalping. Those are the ones who will leave you alone and unsupported when the SHTF - because they will not realize any personal gain.