I've been hearing a few different things on this, but mainly that there is no current shortage. Rumour has it that some persons are snatching up most of the ammo that is hitting the market and then trying to sell it online/gun shows at inflated prices. When the average person tries to buy some and sees the empty shelf he assumes there is a shortage and they buys it at the inflated prices, making this scheme profitable for the first group of persons. What's more, it is much easier to keep the shelves empty of .22 ammo than other caliber due to its low cost.
My theory is that originally back when this all started, the ammo manufactures were using most of their resources to make centerfire ammo, because I'm assuming there's a better profit margin. Now that they've caught up with the hoarders and gougers that bought all the centerfire ammo, they are able to put resource to rimfire ammo. But there's still plenty of hoarders and gougers around picking up .22 ammo. Back in the spring I stopped in at a new outdoors store in the area called Field and Stream. It was during my lunch hour and they had just put 2 full pallets of .22 ammo on the floor, one was bricks of Thunderbolts and the other bricks of Golden Bullets. I picked up a box of each for myself and called my buddy who wanted some, but by the time he called them at 4:00 it was all gone. The same thing happened at the Bass Pro Shops near me last month, a full pallet of Federal bricks sold in less than a day.
If we can start getting enough of it on the shelves people will stop paying the scare prices and the gougers will stop sucking it all up.
It'll all settle down in a couple years when he leaves office, provided he's not replaced by that certain she. It is a supply/demand (and a bit of hoarding) that is driving it all. If you go by wallyworld and get in good with a sales clerk they may call you when it comes in. Here they limit you to 3 boxes of any specific caliber/sale. Pay at the register turn around and buy 3 more - guys do it all the time, sell it locally at exorbitant prices I shook my head when they told me I could buy 3 (500round) cans of .223 but only three 50rd boxes of cci .22
I think it's getting eaten up by all the AR .22 and conversion kits for the AR. A lot cheaper to blow of a few hundred round in .22 as opposed to .223/556
I'm going to try to hit the guy up for another block of thunderbolts when I pick up the buck mark. He says that he saves them for new gun sales, might be able to get one more hit.
There are two small sport shops in my town that are very rarely out of stock of anything. It might not be the brand you want, but they'll have something, and reasonably priced, though not "8 years ago cheap". I gave up trying to buy ammo at Wally World, Meijer, Cabelas, Gander, Dicks, etc a long time ago. Once word gets out, it's good as gone. The smaller shops are the ones I'd like to see stick around, and if you frequent their business, you're more likely to get a box or two tucked under the counter to buy on your next visit.
Gunbot.net is usually pretty good just have to pay shipping. It's where I've been buying from for a while. Sometimes free shipping is offered if purchased in case quantities. Also I've seen some not for semi auto on the site not sure why that would be just make sure you read it if that's what you need.
Before the AR 22 and the conversion kits a brick of .22 would last a few years plinking. Now when your feeding the gun 30 round mags you go through a ton of ammo.
Well, I'm kinda a hoarder but only 'cause I bought Fed. 36 gr. HP in the 550 carton from WallyWorld, about 15 years ago. I did buy a lot of them at the time though. I don't blame hoarders at all, they buy for the future. The guy's that buy and then flip, nothing more than a ticket scalper or such. pizz on 'em.
There are many conspiracy theories from the gubment buying billions of rounds to the flippers trying to make a buck. Bottom line is that everyone has a 22, it's cheap to shoot, and nobody says no to the kids haha. Believe it or not, it's actually getting a little better. Keyword being little. If the guy won't sell you any, ask him if you can get notified when it arrives. All the online retailers have email notification for it too. When u get the email...drop what you are doing and buy FAST. It only lasts minutes and I mean that literally. As stated above...if things go a certain way come 2016, this will start all over again. Get a supply, stay ahead, and you shall weather the storm. Save ur pennies and buy a case of 5k rounds. Even if you don't plan to shoot that much, u can barter for anything if you are holding unicorn farts aka .22 ammo.
Some of the military branches uses .22 conversions in the m-16's too during basic training. Not saying a reason, but bet they dont have problems. My dad talked to someone and they told him some dealers have a back door deal with online folks that buy all they get in for certain price to resell online. Glad my local guy doesnt do this BS.
There are a whole bunch of new people in the shooting sport - what's the first gun they buy? - a .22 rifle/pistol We have a brand new shooter right here in GrizzlyAdam. Each new 22 owner drives the demand side. On the production end of things, manufacturers may be reluctant to add additional tooling/production lines, fearing the market will go back to normal depending on the political climate. None of these "new" shooters have any idea what "the good ole days" of walking into Walmart and buying a brick of 22 for $10-15 and shooting 2-3cent ammo all day was like. They are as determined to shoot their new toy as any seasoned shooter is (with any new gun) and they'll pay what they have to, to get some ammo. The gray market guys(unemployed scrubs) waiting at the counter calling their other scrub buddies on ammo day to buy everything they can and mark it up 3-5x the msrp bulk rate - those folks are just making the situation worse - they've become the middleman. Don't buy from them and the problem goes away. If every gun retailer that sold a 22 instilled this in these new purchasers the scalpers wouldn't exist.
Thanks for service. My dad retired Chief Aviation Ordnanceman. I got out after 4 years Sgt in Security and was Armorer too.
It was one of those "stepping over dollars to save dimes" .gov moves to put .22 kits in the M16s. I'm not sure if any units still are setup with them. The .mil alread buys 5.56 by the chitload for pennies a round, why bother with .22? After that debacle they went to 5.56 frangible... basically a plastic bullet, supposed to be cheap and save the planet or something like that. It would gum up the guns pretty bad and didn't shoot the same. Get your gun sighted in while qualifying, then go to use it with real bullets and it would be off. At one point them even used marker bullets which were kinda like paintballs but shot out of M16 with gunpowder. They have them for 7.62 as well. Last I dunno maybe 5-6ish years they went back to shooting normal ammo. This is based off Air Force/Army, dunno about the other branches.
