On the subject of 22 ammo.

pyscodog

Active member
I was on 6mmBR and read a article by Sierra on 22LR shortage and I guess it makes sense. Sierra doesn't make rimfire ammo so this was just their response.
A certain bullet maker(?) produces 25 million bullets per day and can't keep up. Their reason was, Hoarders buy all they can get. Gougers buy all they can get their hands on to sell to the hoarders, leaving none on the shelves. When the hoarders either run out of money or feel they have enough ammo, the gougers will no longer have anyone to sell their ammo to. It will then start to fill the shelves again and prices will go down. See, there is hope.
 
Does anyone but me think there is just more firearm owners in the US now then ever before? Maybe just maybe people are actualy using the ammo and not quite so much hording??? I keep hearing about hording and I am sure that might be a problem but with all of the recent firearm sales in the last 5-6 years do you think people may be using some of those guns?= using more ammo? And with the ol .22 being a great beginner gun that might explain the fact that .22 is some of the hardest to come by.
 
I think everyone owns a .22 and no one wants to get caught with their pants down "just in case they need it." I don't see it loosening up for years because it is relatively cheap to buy in larger quantities. Even people who generally don't own many firearms probably own a .22 of some kind. I'm just guessing though.
 
Quote:Does anyone but me think there is just more firearm owners in the US now then ever before? Maybe just maybe people are actualy using the ammo and not quite so much hording???...Scalloper,,I agree with you to a degree...More states now have Concealed Carry, which means many more CCW certifications that usually are done with .22lr as opposed to larger calibers...One that I know furnishes the weapon and ammo to his clients and he's one of those that buys in quantity when he can..

I have eleven grandchildren, three of which are intense about learning to shoot...I furnish the ammo until they are working part time and then they pay for most of their usage...One boy is hot into handguns and shotguns and two girls are into the .22 rifles...Fortunately I have a substantial amount that I've accumulated over the years that I haven't been hurt really bad as to need, except for my 'match' ammo...

But I think you are right about the proliferation of .22 firearms that are currently out in society as compared to what used to be, say even ten years ago....

There are, though, those that are stockpiling everything that they can get in their hands...Some for hoarding, some for reselling at inflated prices...If people would refuse to pay those prices, at least some would become more available...
 
I agree with Scalloper and Gerbs on the 22 LR ammo shortage.

Since Obama was elected there are millions more 22 LR firearms out there than there was before he was elected.

Millions of 22 LR Firearms owners before Obama were not stocked up with 22 LR ammo. They would just go to the store and buy some ammo when they needed it.

If you own a 22 LR is it hoarding to want to have 4 to 10 bricks of ammo? Millions of people are wanting to have 2 to 5 bricks of ammo now when they were happy before Obama to have 2 to 5 boxes of ammo.

I would also bet that there is more than twice as many rounds of 22 LR ammo being shot a day now than there was before Obama.

As far as gouging goes I feel like I am being gouged when I look at any ammo, powder, primers, brass etc because the price for ammo and brass is twice as much as it was 10 years ago. The prices of ammo have gone up because the cost to manufacture the ammo has also gone up.

12 ga target loads that are not hard to find have doubled in price in the last 10 years. If and when there will be plenty of 22 LR ammo for everyone the price may go down a little but they will still cost way more than they did in the past.
 
i met up with a friend today and rode in his car, he had a brick of 22's on the passenger floorboard. the subject then turned to 22 ammo, he is determined to accumulate, in his words, 5 digits of ammo. he later said he needs to have at least 10k rounds for the "zombie apocalypse". i do not believe that he shoots much, he also refused to say what he paid. but he proclaimed that he had found some and therefore he would pay whatever he had to. saying that i was foolish to go to walmart at 7:am to buy ammo when it comes in. justifying the high price he paid as cheaper in the long run that driving to walmart first thing in the morning. he proclaimed that the price would NEVER get below 12 cents per round ever again. and therefore would buy all he could now at around that price. i offered to bet him $1000 that within 2 years the price would be under 6 cents a round.

HE is exactly the reason there is a shortage. he is buying ammo that he will likely not shoot for many years, he is buying it at ridiculous prices. HE is keeping the prices high with his paranoid demand. i do believe that the amount of money he is spending is a hardship for him.

there are likely many out there just like him.

i will continue to use what i have and ride out this period of hyper-demand. when the supplies are back, then i will stock up again. just like last time.
 
I think the best answer is that its a combination of hoarders, gougers, and more new shooters.

I recently watched a segment on a hunting show that featured a guy from both Hornady and Black Hills Ammo during which they both said that demand is at an all time high and there is almost no way to keep up with orders. Granted they weren't speaking about 22 lr but still I believe its relevant. They also both said that political unrest related to our current administration was the primary cause of the shortage.

Now most of us knew all of these things but I believe its a combination of 3 or 4 factors that are causing the current shortage.

One thing that I absolutely can not fathom is where in the world this zombie apocalypse thing came from. I know many people who say it's coming and are getting ready for it. I just absolutely don't understand it.

Another thing to consider is how hoarders, gougers, and new shooters are all related. As an example my father-in-law bought all three of his daughters 22 pistols for Christmas so thats three new shooters. Now there are people hoarding so that means there are people who are looking to make a buck, and my FIL was not going to buy them pistols and then have them not be able to use them so he paid 75 dollars a brick. So in one foul swoop hoarders, gougers, and new shooters all affected the market. Its an endless circle really and a lot of it is prompted by an uncertain future and a general mistrust of the government. Its just the nature of the time we live in. Maybe im looking at this all wrong but I dont see a realistic end in sight.
 
Just punched around on the calculator. At 25 million rounds produced per day, and 5 days a week, times 52 weeks a year, equals 6.5 billion rounds. If there is 150 million 22LR shooters that leaves 43.3333 rounds per year per shooter. Geeze my head is hurting.
 
Remember a little over 1 year ago when people were buying anything AR for unrealistic high prices? How do you thing most of them feel now? It seems that AR prices have fallen30-60% depending on what you may have bought. This I belive will also happen to some horders. By the way, how much ammo would you need to have to be considered a horder? LOL
Regaurding .22 ammo. To alot of new shooters may not relize the exceptionaly high prices some are selling at. They may just look at the cost of everything else not thinking 22 ammo is high. Look what it costs to fill the gas tank these days.
 
tons of 22rf at gun show yesterday. standard price at every table was 75 dollars per brick. all the sellers sticking togther. 100 round boxes cci mini mags priced 30 dollars. i didn't buy any.
 
Originally Posted By: RhinoriderJust punched around on the calculator. At 25 million rounds produced per day, and 5 days a week, times 52 weeks a year, equals 6.5 billion rounds. If there is 150 million 22LR shooters that leaves 43.3333 rounds per year per shooter. Geeze my head is hurting.

so about 50% of the entire US population shoots 22's?
 
I just guessed at the population shooting. My logic is that although maybe not half of the population shoots 22lr's many who do shoot more than one gun. Case in point the wife and I went to the range this afternoon, she shot her SR-22 and her 10-22, I shot my SW 41 and my 10-22. I know it's not scientific just a guesstimate average. All in good pun.
 
Originally Posted By: SlickerThanSnottons of 22rf at gun show yesterday. standard price at every table was 75 dollars per brick. all the sellers sticking togther. 100 round boxes cci mini mags priced 30 dollars. i didn't buy any.

Unless youre in cheyenne, thats 2 shows this weekend with $75/brick as the going rate. But all the bricks had an inch of dust on them, guessing theyre not selling a single round a show. It was definitely pre-panic the last time i saw someone buy a gun at a show.

The lesson, people at gunshows suck at economics.



My 7yo wants to learn to shoot i cant find ammo to teach her. I spoke with the folks at sportsmans today, they get 22 in every week and none to sell to a normal person. They still have the same people lining up an hour early for it. 1 brick will do her until shes ready to transition out of the 22. I know i havent shot any in over a decade, gave what i did have last year to 4h so they could learn. I should have kept some for my kids i guess.

I wish she was big enough to teach her on centerfire, i can load all i need.
 
Originally Posted By: NdIndyOriginally Posted By: SlickerThanSnottons of 22rf at gun show yesterday. standard price at every table was 75 dollars per brick. all the sellers sticking togther. 100 round boxes cci mini mags priced 30 dollars. i didn't buy any.

Unless youre in cheyenne, thats 2 shows this weekend with $75/brick as the going rate. But all the bricks had an inch of dust on them, guessing theyre not selling a single round a show. It was definitely pre-panic the last time i saw someone buy a gun at a show.

The lesson, people at gunshows suck at economics.



My 7yo wants to learn to shoot i cant find ammo to teach her. I spoke with the folks at sportsmans today, they get 22 in every week and none to sell to a normal person. They still have the same people lining up an hour early for it. 1 brick will do her until shes ready to transition out of the 22. I know i havent shot any in over a decade, gave what i did have last year to 4h so they could learn. I should have kept some for my kids i guess.

I wish she was big enough to teach her on centerfire, i can load all i need.

NdIndy,
Spent a lot of years in Cheyenne in the service. PM me your address and I will send you a can.
 
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NdIndy, I hate to see a youngun not able to shoot. PM me your address. I could spare some as well.

What are you shooting? Bolt, semi auto, or pistol?

PM sent, as well.

Kevlars
 
Troller1 and kevlars are two stand up guys. great to see you guys help out a fellow shooter teach the next generation the values of firearms......
 
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