Last Caliber Standing at the Big Box Stores

wmg1299 · July 30, 2020, 02:43 PM

My wife just got into shooting, so we've been making more trips to the land for plinking sessions. I started having difficulty replacing my ammo stock months ago, and it is getting worse by the day. In my area (Dallas Metroplex), 9mm ran out first, followed by .22 lr. I was able to find 45 acp and 40 S&W for awhile, but that dried up a few weeks ago. Last week I could still find .357 and 38 Special at my local Academy, but today even that is gone. As of today, handgun shooters in my area can choose from .22 wmr, 44 mag, and 32 acp. Are forum members across the country having the same results, or are some calibers more plentiful in certain areas?

KEYBEAR · July 30, 2020, 03:51 PM

I would guess that you know that reloading is the only answer ?
I seen it coming and bought the stuff then no problem now .

laytonj1 · July 30, 2020, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KEYBEAR

I would guess that you know that reloading is the only answer ?

Little late for that too. Component shortages follow along with ammo shortages.

Jim

kenny53 · July 30, 2020, 08:43 PM

wmg1299 to answer your question, yes it is the same here in the Beehive state. I went to Sportsman's warehouse the other day and it look like it had been looted. Empty selves everywhere. Walmart has no ammo to speak of. We have a chain of stores here called "Cal Ranch" They had plenty of 40 and that was about it. I did pick up 500 rounds of 22 short. The kid working at Cal Ranch told me to check back in about a week, he said the truck was coming in. I have plenty of ammo I just like to replenish what I shoot.

Prof Young · July 30, 2020, 11:29 PM

Between buying some 22LR every time I could find it for less than 5 cents a round and reloading my brains out ever since we've been spending more time at home my ammo closet looks GREAT!

However; local stores do have less on the shelves than normal.

Life is good.
Prof Young

ghbucky · July 31, 2020, 08:07 AM

The most 'popular' handgun cartridge left in my area is 10mm.

Calling that popular is a stretch, I know. Basically, if it is fun to shoot or useful as defensive caliber, it is out of stock.

When I went to my local range this week, I was the only shooter. I suspect because no one has ammo. Nice thing was the rangemaster shut down the range while I was cleaning up and swept all the brass to me so I could pick and choose.

jmr40 · July 31, 2020, 09:32 AM

Ammo is still being produced and put on shelves. The problem is that it is being sold shortly after going on the shelves. I'm seeing more ammo at smaller stores than bigger stores. You just have to be in the right place at the right time. I picked up a 500 round bulk pack of Aguila 22 ammo yesterday. They had 8-10 boxes on the shelf.

The basics, 9mm, 223, and 22LR always sell out 1st. But will also be the 1st to be restocked. During the shortage those 3, along with 45, 357mag and 308 may be the only new ammo produced. The less common stuff will eventually sell out too, and it will be the last to be restocked on the back end.

Manufacturers aren't going to stop the assembly line producing 9mm and change over to 357 sig until they catch up with demand for 9mm. And that could be months. Even during normal times less common rounds like 35 Rem are only produced once a year for a day or so. That will meet the demand for a whole year.

lee n. field · July 31, 2020, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wmg1299

My wife just got into shooting, so we've been making more trips to the land for plinking sessions. I started having difficulty replacing my ammo stock months ago, and it is getting worse by the day. In my area (Dallas Metroplex), 9mm ran out first, followed by .22 lr. I was able to find 45 acp and 40 S&W for awhile, but that dried up a few weeks ago. Last week I could still find .357 and 38 Special at my local Academy, but today even that is gone. As of today, handgun shooters in my area can choose from .22 wmr, 44 mag, and 32 acp. Are forum members across the country having the same results, or are some calibers more plentiful in certain areas?

Last time I looked in the farm store (one of the few places one can get that stuff in town since Wally World caved to the Demandy Moms), there were down to a couple boxes each of .44 Magnum and .41 Magnum. And I think maybe some 10mm auto.

ballardw · August 9, 2020, 03:24 AM

I bought one third of all the center-fire pistol ammo the local Cabela's had today. There were 5 boxes of TCM-22 and one Herter's brand 32 Acp.
At least the price on the TCM-22 wasn't different than the last time I bought any. The budget only extended to 2 boxes but at least that fills all the magazines once.

TXAZ · August 9, 2020, 06:49 AM

Last trip I saw:
10mm
.22-250
.38
.50 BMG
9mm Makarov. (Not the same as “9mm”)
.44 Mag
A few others I hadn’t noticed in a long time when the shelves are full.

Mike38 · August 9, 2020, 11:55 AM

I stopped by my local Rural King farm supply store yesterday to scope out the guns and ammo situation. Guns were at around 50% of their normal stock, ammo was just about non existent. They did have a few bricks of .22LR. Norma Tac22 at $4.49/50 and Norma Match22 at $6.49/50. Good prices for the times. I always wanted to try Norma .22, so I bought a box of each. By the time I test it and decide if it's any good, I'm sure they will be sold out.

cc-hangfire · August 9, 2020, 05:29 PM

About 5 weeks ago I bought 4 boxes of .32s&w long from the rolling rack of handgun ammo at Academy. A friend tells me you can buy 3 boxes of anything they receive in their Wednesday morning ammo shipment on a first-come-first-serve basis, but there’s nothing on the shelves (or rolling cart) for the last 5 weeks.

In other words, the odd cartridges were the last to sell out.

Ignition Override · August 10, 2020, 12:20 AM

Rifles: Bolt-action, larger chamberings such as .270 etc.
.17 is always around.

Handguns: .32 Auto is most often available. I'm not at all familiar with WMR etc, or what they look like.

Otherwise, generally as described by the OP.

If .32 Auto had normally been priced at approx. .25/round, at least if so in "Pre-Anarchist Apologist"

days, I would buy about 300 rds., simply to enjoy more freq. plinking with the WW2 Sauer 38H.

Back then it was about .40/rd., so I never bought very much.

July 30, 2020, 02:43 PM	#1
wmg1299 Senior Member Join Date: March 14, 2013 Location: DFW Metroplex Posts: 190	Last Caliber Standing at the Big Box Stores My wife just got into shooting, so we've been making more trips to the land for plinking sessions. I started having difficulty replacing my ammo stock months ago, and it is getting worse by the day. In my area (Dallas Metroplex), 9mm ran out first, followed by .22 lr. I was able to find 45 acp and 40 S&W for awhile, but that dried up a few weeks ago. Last week I could still find .357 and 38 Special at my local Academy, but today even that is gone. As of today, handgun shooters in my area can choose from .22 wmr, 44 mag, and 32 acp. Are forum members across the country having the same results, or are some calibers more plentiful in certain areas?

July 30, 2020, 11:29 PM	#5
Prof Young Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2007 Location: Illinois - down state Posts: 2,404	Not to brag but . . . Between buying some 22LR every time I could find it for less than 5 cents a round and reloading my brains out ever since we've been spending more time at home my ammo closet looks GREAT! However; local stores do have less on the shelves than normal. Life is good. Prof Young

July 31, 2020, 09:32 AM	#7
jmr40 Senior Member Join Date: June 15, 2008 Location: Georgia Posts: 10,808	Ammo is still being produced and put on shelves. The problem is that it is being sold shortly after going on the shelves. I'm seeing more ammo at smaller stores than bigger stores. You just have to be in the right place at the right time. I picked up a 500 round bulk pack of Aguila 22 ammo yesterday. They had 8-10 boxes on the shelf. The basics, 9mm, 223, and 22LR always sell out 1st. But will also be the 1st to be restocked. During the shortage those 3, along with 45, 357mag and 308 may be the only new ammo produced. The less common stuff will eventually sell out too, and it will be the last to be restocked on the back end. Manufacturers aren't going to stop the assembly line producing 9mm and change over to 357 sig until they catch up with demand for 9mm. And that could be months. Even during normal times less common rounds like 35 Rem are only produced once a year for a day or so. That will meet the demand for a whole year. __________________ "If you're still doing things the same way you were doing them 10 years ago, you're doing it wrong" Winston Churchill

August 9, 2020, 03:24 AM	#9
ballardw Senior Member Join Date: September 19, 2008 Posts: 1,411	I bought one third of all the center-fire pistol ammo the local Cabela's had today. There were 5 boxes of TCM-22 and one Herter's brand 32 Acp. At least the price on the TCM-22 wasn't different than the last time I bought any. The budget only extended to 2 boxes but at least that fills all the magazines once. __________________ -+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+ All data is flawed, some just less so.

August 9, 2020, 06:49 AM	#10
TXAZ Senior Member Join Date: September 5, 2010 Location: McMurdo Sound Texas Posts: 4,322	Last trip I saw: 10mm .22-250 .38 .50 BMG 9mm Makarov. (Not the same as “9mm”) .44 Mag A few others I hadn’t noticed in a long time when the shelves are full. __________________ Cave illos in guns et backhoes

July 30, 2020, 03:51 PM	#2
KEYBEAR Senior Member Join Date: January 11, 2012 Location: Indiana Posts: 1,059	I would guess that you know that reloading is the only answer ? I seen it coming and bought the stuff then no problem now .

July 30, 2020, 08:43 PM	#4
kenny53 Senior Member Join Date: December 30, 2015 Location: My back yard Posts: 971	wmg1299 to answer your question, yes it is the same here in the Beehive state. I went to Sportsman's warehouse the other day and it look like it had been looted. Empty selves everywhere. Walmart has no ammo to speak of. We have a chain of stores here called "Cal Ranch" They had plenty of 40 and that was about it. I did pick up 500 rounds of 22 short. The kid working at Cal Ranch told me to check back in about a week, he said the truck was coming in. I have plenty of ammo I just like to replenish what I shoot.

July 31, 2020, 08:07 AM	#6
ghbucky Senior Member Join Date: June 12, 2020 Posts: 1,177	The most 'popular' handgun cartridge left in my area is 10mm. Calling that popular is a stretch, I know. Basically, if it is fun to shoot or useful as defensive caliber, it is out of stock. When I went to my local range this week, I was the only shooter. I suspect because no one has ammo. Nice thing was the rangemaster shut down the range while I was cleaning up and swept all the brass to me so I could pick and choose.

August 9, 2020, 11:55 AM	#11
Mike38 Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2009 Location: North Central Illinois Posts: 2,710	I stopped by my local Rural King farm supply store yesterday to scope out the guns and ammo situation. Guns were at around 50% of their normal stock, ammo was just about non existent. They did have a few bricks of .22LR. Norma Tac22 at $4.49/50 and Norma Match22 at $6.49/50. Good prices for the times. I always wanted to try Norma .22, so I bought a box of each. By the time I test it and decide if it's any good, I'm sure they will be sold out.

August 9, 2020, 05:29 PM	#12
cc-hangfire Senior Member Join Date: August 14, 2014 Posts: 304	About 5 weeks ago I bought 4 boxes of .32s&w long from the rolling rack of handgun ammo at Academy. A friend tells me you can buy 3 boxes of anything they receive in their Wednesday morning ammo shipment on a first-come-first-serve basis, but there’s nothing on the shelves (or rolling cart) for the last 5 weeks. In other words, the odd cartridges were the last to sell out.

August 10, 2020, 12:20 AM	#13
Ignition Override Senior Member Join Date: February 18, 2008 Location: About 20 nm from the Big Muddy Posts: 2,886	Rifles: Bolt-action, larger chamberings such as .270 etc. .17 is always around. Handguns: .32 Auto is most often available. I'm not at all familiar with WMR etc, or what they look like. Otherwise, generally as described by the OP. If .32 Auto had normally been priced at approx. .25/round, at least if so in "Pre-Anarchist Apologist" days, I would buy about 300 rds., simply to enjoy more freq. plinking with the WW2 Sauer 38H. Back then it was about .40/rd., so I never bought very much.