For the shooters out there

[W222]

Anyone try to buy ammo in the last two weeks? I tried to buy some 9mm and 22lr this weekend and the prices were crazy. 40 bucks for 50 rounds of 9mm. They wanted close to fifty for a 500 round box of 22. This is price gouging at its finest.

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[OB1🤙]

"You don't need no gun control, you know what you need? We need some bullet control. Man, we need to control the bullets, that's right. I think all bullets should cost five thousand dollars… five thousand dollars per bullet… You know why? Cause if a bullet cost five thousand dollars there would be no more innocent bystanders.
Yeah! Every time somebody get shot we'd say, ‘Damn, he must have done something ... ****, he's got fifty thousand dollars worth of bullets in his ass.'
And people would think before they killed somebody if a bullet cost five thousand dollars. ‘Man I would blow your f^cking head off…if I could afford it.' ‘I'm gonna get me another job, I'm going to start saving some money, and you're a dead man. You'd better hope I can't get no bullets on layaway.'"

-Chris Rock

 

[pie944]

Anyone try to buy ammo in the last two weeks? I tried to buy some 9mm and 22lr this weekend and the prices were crazy. 40 bucks for 50 rounds of 9mm. They wanted close to fifty for a 500 round box of 22. This is price gouging at its finest.

I've been checking daily for deals on .40S&W, I'm kicking myself for not buying more a month ago when I last purchased at $11.99/50 rounds

 

[loveoforganic2]

Anyone try to buy ammo in the last two weeks? I tried to buy some 9mm and 22lr this weekend and the prices were crazy. 40 bucks for 50 rounds of 9mm. They wanted close to fifty for a 500 round box of 22. This is price gouging at its finest.

Are we talking plinking ammo? I usu do academy for 9mm Monarch (used to be ~11 bucks a box, but looks like it's more around 15 now)

 

[pgg]

This is exactly why I started reloading in 2009. I got caught with just a couple boxes in my house and as a result couldn't shoot at all for months.

It'll pass. Try not to get gouged too badly in the meantime. Manufacturing has ramped WAY up in the last 4 years. It's being produced and sold. Even the hoarders will be sated or broke before long.

It's panic buying, nothing more.

No one's given me a remotely plausible scenario in which any meaningful gun control - much less "ammo control" gets through the House. Obama etc missed their chance in 2008 when they owned the legislature.

 

[periopdoc]

It'll pass. Try not to get gouged too badly in the meantime.

It's panic buying, nothing more.

This.

Your best bet is to find a reasonable deal on backorder, place the order and wait. You will get it eventually. I am still waiting on 500 rounds of 308 match ammo that I backordered for a song on black Friday, but it will get here eventually.

The killer is if you need it now. Then, you will have to overpay for it.

I expected it so I stocked up on ammo and components around the time of the election. I didn't expect that I would be reloading some new (to me) calibers for friends who didn't stock up and now are running out. I have plenty of bullets for my own calibers as well as plenty of powder and primers that can be used for their needs, but it has been mildly challenging to come up with bullets for them at a reasonable cost.

- pod

 

[gtb]

I recommend patience until the beginning weeks of Feb. Many ammo manufacturers effectively shut down their mfg lines at the end of the year for maintenance and retooling. Plus, all those new gun owners have been buying boxes and boxes for their new guns. It seems every year, even w/o Obama, there's a year end shortage. But this year it's especially bad for 5.56mm and 7.62 rounds. I really believe that unless there's an outright ban on these calibers , all shortages will resolve mid Feb.

 

[periopdoc]

A big contributor to the annual dip in gun and ammo availability is end-of-year inventory reconciliation. I have talked to a couple of big retailers and I know of at least one distributor who restrict inventory par levels as the end of the year approaches. The distributor says that they have placed a hold on all orders place after Dec 31 until all 2012 orders are fulfilled and inventory reconcilliation has been completed.

Another big contributor to low firearms inventory levels this time of year is that the SHOT show is always around the corner (2013's is about two weeks away) and retailers and distributors are waiting to see what new guns are going to be introduced this year before placing orders.

Last January, my LGS had bare shelves. They are only slightly more bare this year.


- pod

 

[periopdoc]

500 rd case - 40 cal Winchester Ranger 180gr FMJ ammo Q4356 $169.50 plus $14 s/h

$0.367 per round if you buy 500. Not bad even if it is just target ammo.

- pod

 

[sevoflurane]

Any thoughts on this?

http://www.sgammo.com/product/remington/1000-round-loose-pack-9mm-remington-umc-115-grain-fmj-ammo

Good deal for target practice?

 

[pie944]

500 rd case - 40 cal Winchester Ranger 180gr FMJ ammo Q4356 $169.50 plus $14 s/h

$0.367 per round if you buy 500. Not bad even if it is just target ammo.

- pod

Not bad, I've been waiting for a similar $11.99/50 deal($0.24/round) I got before, maybe I'm in denial?

I've got 100 rounds of 180gr FMJ left, once that goes I believe I'll cave.

 

[pgg]

Any thoughts on this?

http://www.sgammo.com/product/remington/1000-round-loose-pack-9mm-remington-umc-115-grain-fmj-ammo

Good deal for target practice?

Yes the UMC bulk pistol ammo is good stuff. What's the cost? I can't get that page to load (.mil firewall blocks a lot of firearm sites, go figure). I think the last time I bought some, Wal-Mart wanted about $70 per 250 rd box.

Brass cased FMJ 9mm could be had last year for around $.20-22/round in bulk. These days I guess anything under $.25-30/round is probably a good deal.

 

[loveoforganic2]

It's a bit over $250 after shipping. It's a fine price for plinking ammo. Just expect it to be dirty (a little more cleaning) and lighter recoil (compared to SD ammo). Plinking ammo is great to learn to shoot, but if you have the money (I assume you do), you should still fork up the dough to occasionally put a box or 2 of whatever you choose for SD ammo downrange (after putting at least 2-3 boxes downrange to start with to make sure it feeds and cycles your gun reliably)

 

[periopdoc]

40 S&W 180 gr RNFP

25.6 cents per round. Reloads, but should be reasonable range ammo.

-pod

 

[pie944]

40 S&W 180 gr RNFP

25.6 cents per round. Reloads, but should be reasonable range ammo.

-pod

Just saw this, thanks! Do you shoot reloads a lot?

 

[periopdoc]

Almost exclusively now. Of course, they are all my own reloads that I have tuned to mimic my premium loads.

I do have several thousand rounds of premium defensive ammo as well. I stock up when it is cheap and never have to worry about temporary shortages and price hikes.

Why is it that no one thinks that it is odd to stock up on toilet paper and laundry detergent when Costco has them on sale, but stock up on ammo and all of a sudden you are some end of the world prepper nut?

- pod

 

[pgg]

Just saw this, thanks! Do you shoot reloads a lot?

Almost everything I've shot in the last year or so has been my own handloaded ammo.

I'm reluctant to buy factory reloads from small manufacturers. For the small commercial reloading companies, google "[company name] kaboom" and see what comes up. Problems abound. Some of these companies may be too small to make good on a damaged gun, or cover your ER trip.

I would never buy reloads from an unknown company at a gun show, but obviously some people do. To me the $.05/round savings aren't worth the risk to my guns, fingers, and eyeballs.

Why is it that no one thinks that it is odd to stock up on toilet paper and laundry detergent when Costco has them on sale, but stock up on ammo and all of a sudden you are some end of the world prepper nut?

I think it's just lack of perspective. To those who aren't recreational or competitive shooters, it seems reasonable to have one or two 50-round boxes in the house. Because fifty is a lot, right? Plenty for defending the home. For some gun owners who only hunt, a 20-round box might last a couple seasons. Why would anyone need a thousand 30-30 cartridges? Who shoots a thousand deer?


The solution is to invite people to the range, and introduce them to shooting in a safe non-intimidating manner. A couple hours later, after you've gone through 300 or 400 rounds with them, they'll understand why we buy cases of 1000+ by mail order.

 

[pie944]

To me the $.05/round savings aren't worth the risk to my guns, fingers, and eyeballs.

I will go with this advice.

If you don't mind me asking, how much do you guys spend yearly on ammunition?

 

[periopdoc]

I honestly have no idea. I just watch for good prices and buy 1000 or so rounds at a time.

I shot somewhere in the neighborhood of 15-20 thousand rounds of handgun ammo in 2012 and a lot less rifle ammo.

-pod

 

[periopdoc]

Reasonable, if not ideal, defensive .40 loads.

$450 for 1000

- pod