Am I the only one?

**Spats McGee** · September 29, 2018, 11:31 AM

The Great .22 Drought of 2008 to about 2016 meant I spent a lot of time hunting for .22LR, finding very little, and shooting even less. I certainly don't want to jinx things, but both Wal-Mart and Academy Sports around here have had plentiful supplies, at least by Great .22 Drought standards. I know that a bunch of folks just quit shooting .22s, because they couldn't find ammo. When they did, it was at ridiculous prices. I horse-traded into a couple of new .22s back in December and have dug out my trusty 10/22. I've said on several different forums that I've rediscovered the .22.

Am I the only one who had almost forgotten how much fun .22s are? Anybody else dragging out .22s that you haven't shot in years?

Glenn E. Meyer · September 29, 2018, 12:26 PM

Interesting. I need to take my Ruger 10/22 to a carbine match. I set it up with a rail and optic sight. Bought 25 round mags but I have so much fun with my AR, I can't get myself to bring it out.

I also like shooting steel with my Buckmark but those matches start at 8:00 AM, meaning I have to get up at six and that's not me lately.

TruthTellers · September 29, 2018, 12:39 PM

I've been shooting .22 a lot this year because I haven't had time to reload like I did last year and I bought a Ruger Charger that shoots 1 MOA. After a month I don't think it's true, that it was a hallucination that the 10 inch barrel shot CCI SV that well and I have to go back to the range and confirm that it does indeed shoot 1 MOA with CCI SV out of a 10 inch barrel.

Thus sometime in November, I'm going to order another 2000 rds of CCI SV and other .22 LR and hope for the best.

Dave P · September 29, 2018, 01:20 PM

22 is great, esp if you put a suppressor on it.

Reloading - no desire to do anymore of that!

BBarn · September 29, 2018, 02:00 PM

I quit shooting 22LR as well during the long drought. I formerly bought my 22LR ammo at Walmart, but didn't see any there for many years. They always told me it would arrive and be sold out within a very short time. It was obvious to me that certain people were being notified when it was available and scooped it all up. It would have been some help if Walmart would have put a reasonable limit on volume purchases at the time, but none of the stores around here ever did.

I was so frustrated at them, I decided to avoid buying 22LR ammo at Walmart even if they had it. Now that they have it in stock, they can keep it as far as I'm concerned. Plenty of other places had it in stock when Walmart never did, and those places still have it for sale at reasonable prices to boot.

I didn't start buying it again until I could get it for about $.06 or less per round. Now I see it occasionally for less than $.05 per round. Back to enjoying 22LR after many years of shooting almost none.

Brian Pfleuger · September 29, 2018, 02:40 PM

I think we mostly got so used to the absolutely, insanely ridiculous, "I'm not paying that!" prices that now we're OK with today's only mind-numbingly stupid prices... Kind of like what they did to us with gas... when it was $1.35, we thought $2 was stupid... then it hit $4 and now we "happily" pay $3.

Well, .22LR is still 2x (at best) what it was before the panic hit... and I still ain't buying it.

zukiphile · September 29, 2018, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian Pfleuger

Well, .22LR is still 2x (at best) what it was before the panic hit... and I still ain't buying it.

I am. I remember buying cases of 22lr for less than $100 back when the DJIA was under 10,000. I started buying when I saw cases available for under $400. The last two cases were $190. I don't expect to ever see it at $100 again, but will be happy to be wrong on that.

I shot less during the drought, but never stopped.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spats McGee

I horse-traded into a couple of new .22s back in December and have dug out my trusty 10/22. I've said on several different forums that I've rediscovered the .22.

I went through a bout of 10/22 tinkering in the 1990s. I spent a lot of money with a result that wasn't great. I succumbed to another bout a couple of years ago and found a wider choice of good parts. Maybe a lot of that is just the relative easy of internet shopping.

Given the rising popularity of two gun and steel challenge games geared for 22lr and Appleseed, you seem far from alone.

osbornk · September 29, 2018, 08:10 PM

I shoot a lot of 22LR, some 9mm, some 12 gauge,a little 5.56. a little 380 and very little 22 Mag and almost no 38 special. I shot and cleaned them all last week and I enjoy shooting the 22 LR the most. I shot 6 or 7 mags through my Mk III 22/45, 3 or 4 cylinders through my Rough Rider, a mag through my Henry, a mag through my Marlin 60 and a mag (25) through my Mossberg Blaze 47 along with a mag of 22magnum through my Marlin 25MN. I also shot a mag or two through my Taurus TCP, my RIA 1911 in 9mm, my Taurus PR111 and a mag through my SD9VE along with a cylinder of 38 special through my Taurus Model 94 and my old TG 38S. I also shot a dozen 12 gauge shells through my Mossberg 500.

I probably shoot 25-50 22LR for every round of anything else.

ManyMag · September 29, 2018, 08:32 PM

Oh no, you aren't the only one. Like you I thoroughly enjoy my 10/22. Have it set up with the same length of pull as my varmint and deer rifles. I went as far as picking up a P250c 22 and upgrading to the same grip module that's on my edc P320c. I shoot the 22s more than anything else.

Brian Pfleuger · September 29, 2018, 08:41 PM

On the other hand, I recently realized that the scope on my 10/22 was dead... it’s a WalMart special bought with the gun in the early 90s... so I bought a new one with some Bass Pro gift cards I got for Christmas, so I guess I’ll be buying some ammo too.

kenny53 · September 29, 2018, 09:26 PM

I shot 22 during the drought. I had plenty. I never sold any and bought it when I found it at none gouging prices. I am still buying it at good prices and stacking it deep. If we hit another drought I should be good, If drought hits again I won't be selling any ammo. I don't gouge and I am never sure when if I can find it again.

Mike38 · September 29, 2018, 11:27 PM

During the "Great .22 Drought" I probably shot one .22 to 10 centerfire. Now I'd say it's exactly opposite. Maybe even more like twenty .22 to one center fire. Loving every minute of it!

Niner4Tango · September 30, 2018, 12:05 AM

You're not the only one. There are few things more fun than a .22 - rifle or handgun!

Scorch · September 30, 2018, 12:35 AM

Quote:

The Great .22 Drought of 2008 to about 2016 meant I spent a lot of time hunting for .22LR, finding very little, and shooting even less.

The Great 22 Drought only lasted about 2 years out west where I live, after that there was plenty of ammo online. Most stores wouldn't order in ammo that would be selling for less than they paid within 30 days though, so a lot of brick and mortar shoppers felt the drought lasted longer than it did. I had to scramble a bit for a couple of years, and even sacrificed some of my personal supply to my shop for testing customers' guns, but the supply issue fixed itself pretty quick. But I did get some strange looks from shooters at the range when I would give my kids 300 rounds of ammo to burn up while some shooters said they couldn't find any. I had to cut back a bit on my 22 shooting for a couple of years, and probably haven't quite made up the difference.

**Spats McGee** · September 30, 2018, 06:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TruthTellers

I've been shooting .22 a lot this year because I haven't had time to reload like I did last year and I bought a Ruger Charger that shoots 1 MOA. After a month I don't think it's true, that it was a hallucination that the 10 inch barrel shot CCI SV that well and I have to go back to the range and confirm that it does indeed shoot 1 MOA with CCI SV out of a 10 inch barrel.

Thus sometime in November, I'm going to order another 2000 rds of CCI SV and other .22 LR and hope for the best.

This year was really the first time I’ve ever really taken note of my 10/22’s accuracy. (It’s hard to measure MOA on a tin can.) It actually seemed to shoot better groups with SV ammo than it does with HV. I’m currently trying to trade into some SV ammo so that I can test my theory.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave P

22 is great, esp if you put a suppressor on it. . . .

I’m anxiously awaiting the arrival of my first suppressor!

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBarn

I quit shooting 22LR as well during the long drought. I formerly bought my 22LR ammo at Walmart, but didn't see any there for many years. They always told me it would arrive and be sold out within a very short time. It was obvious to me that certain people were being notified when it was available and scooped it all up. It would have been some help if Walmart would have put a reasonable limit on volume purchases at the time, but none of the stores around here ever did. . . . .

I don’t know if anyone was being notified about arrivals at the WM where I shop, but we had our scalpers, too. Ours had limits, though. Still does, actually. The guy who works the ammo counter told me that the same guys would come in, buy a limit, go out to the car, change shirts, and come back in.

Quote:

Originally Posted by zukiphile

. . . .I went through a bout of 10/22 tinkering in the 1990s. I spent a lot of money with a result that wasn't great. I succumbed to another bout a couple of years ago and found a wider choice of good parts. Maybe a lot of that is just the relative easy of internet shopping. . . . .

My 10/22 has never been a target rifle. Growing up, we just shot out on the farm, and it never dawned on me to test its accuracy. I just killed soup cans with it. I am, however, trying to finance a .22 bolt gun as a target rifle/suppressor host.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scorch

The Great 22 Drought only lasted about 2 years out west where I live, after that there was plenty of ammo online. Most stores wouldn't order in ammo that would be selling for less than they paid within 30 days though, so a lot of brick and mortar shoppers felt the drought lasted longer than it did. I had to scramble a bit for a couple of years, and even sacrificed some of my personal supply to my shop for testing customers' guns, but the supply issue fixed itself pretty quick. But I did get some strange looks from shooters at the range when I would give my kids 300 rounds of ammo to burn up while some shooters said they couldn't find any. I had to cut back a bit on my 22 shooting for a couple of years, and probably haven't quite made up the difference.

Unfortunately, I lived in an apartment for 2010-2015, so I really didn’t want to order ammo online. I didn’t really want a case of ammo sitting on my doorstep to: (a) get stolen; and (b) advertise to my neighbors that I had guns.

Interestingly, and purely as a matter of speculation and innuendo, heard from a relative of a guy that worked at the Remington plant ~40 miles from my house . . . . . I have heard rumors that the Remington plant had containers (the big steel ones) of .22 ammo sitting out back, but that they wouldn’t ship it out. They were, according to rumor, afraid that the market would bottom out if they released too much ammo too fast.

Wishoot · September 30, 2018, 06:30 AM

My MKIV and 10/22 are seeing a lot of range time and my checking account is getting a bit smaller thanks to the decent sales on 22lr ammo.

**Spats McGee** · September 30, 2018, 06:34 AM

^^^^Yep. My pistols is a MK IV 22/45 Lite, and it and the 10/22 are getting more range time than they've gotten in a long time. Now I just need to be sure I'm stocking more ammo than I'm shooting. . . .

Wishoot · October 1, 2018, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spats McGee

^^^^Yep. My pistols is a MK IV 22/45 Lite, and it and the 10/22 are getting more range time than they've gotten in a long time. Now I just need to be sure I'm stocking more ammo than I'm shooting. . . .

I'm usually shooting 200-300, then buying 3000-5000 to make up for what I shot.

Metal god · October 1, 2018, 09:42 AM

Actually no I have not but it does sound like a good idea . When I think back I used to always take a 22 with me of some type , not so much anymore .

Quote:

I was so frustrated at them, I decided to avoid buying 22LR ammo at Walmart even if they had it. Now that they have it in stock, they can keep it as far as I'm concerned. Plenty of other places had it in stock when Walmart never did, and those places still have it for sale at reasonable prices to boot.

My local WM had rumors going around that the employees were grabbing it in the back when it came off the truck .

Brian Pfleuger · October 1, 2018, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spats McGee

It actually seemed to shoot better groups with SV ammo than it does with HV.

That's actually quite common... made me sad when I did all my woodchuck hunting with a .22. I sure loved CCI Stingers, and pretty much used them anyway, but they were considerably less accurate than normal CCI ammo, even than Mini-Mags.

The 10/22 in general, though, I never knew was supposed to be inaccurate until I joined this forum. It shoots full-mag groups around 2" at 100... I thought that was pretty good for a bone-stock .22 with a $35 WalMart scope... I'll have to try it again when the new scope gets here.

spacemanspiff · October 1, 2018, 04:07 PM

The drought may be over but in my area, the price has not receded. Thus I am reluctant to stock up on bulk 22 ammo when its still at premium prices.

I am finding more opportunities to shoot the match ammo I have accumulated to see what my CZ prefers. That is proving to be a very enjoyable experience.

Onward Allusion · October 1, 2018, 10:45 PM

I don't shoot 22 LR much these days. When the extreme shortages took place, I shot more 9mm and didn't go back.

**4V50 Gary** · October 3, 2018, 10:03 AM

I rediscovered the joy of the 22 LR when my ammo budget was cut by the city's adoption of the domestic partner vendor policy (early '90s). The city could only buy from vendors who provided employee's domestic partners with health care. My ammo price per case jumped about $40-60! I asked where I was going to get the ducats to buy the ammo we needed.

I finally resorted to 22 LR for practice. We had to buy a few 22 LR guns and then when practice was over, went over to regular service ammunition. I even wrote an article that was published in IALEFI's The Firearms Instructor.

RickB · October 3, 2018, 11:51 AM

I bought a new .22 rifle about four years ago, put maybe 200 rounds through it, and haven't shot it again, since.
It's as if I've forgotten about my rimfires, as for a few years I could handload any centerfire caliber for cheaper than rimfire, when I could even find the latter.
I should probably buy 100 rounds every time I'm in a store with reasonably-priced rimfire ammo (seven cents a round seems to be the new four cents a round) on the shelves.

Don Fischer · October 3, 2018, 12:40 PM

I shoot 22 RF's very little anymore and them mostly to put down predator's around my chickens and pigeons, mostly my 22 mag. Hunting with a 22 I just don't do. If I was to go rabbit hunting say, I'd take my S&W mod 16 in 32 long loaded with cast bullet's. Less expensive than buying 22 rim fire ammo and does just as good a job.

September 29, 2018, 11:31 AM	#1
Spats McGee Staff Join Date: July 28, 2010 Location: Arkansas Posts: 8,821	Am I the only one? The Great .22 Drought of 2008 to about 2016 meant I spent a lot of time hunting for .22LR, finding very little, and shooting even less. I certainly don't want to jinx things, but both Wal-Mart and Academy Sports around here have had plentiful supplies, at least by Great .22 Drought standards. I know that a bunch of folks just quit shooting .22s, because they couldn't find ammo. When they did, it was at ridiculous prices. I horse-traded into a couple of new .22s back in December and have dug out my trusty 10/22. I've said on several different forums that I've rediscovered the .22. Am I the only one who had almost forgotten how much fun .22s are? Anybody else dragging out .22s that you haven't shot in years? __________________ I'm a lawyer, but I'm not your lawyer. If you need some honest-to-goodness legal advice, go buy some.

September 29, 2018, 12:26 PM	#2
Glenn E. Meyer Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2000 Posts: 20,064	Interesting. I need to take my Ruger 10/22 to a carbine match. I set it up with a rail and optic sight. Bought 25 round mags but I have so much fun with my AR, I can't get myself to bring it out. I also like shooting steel with my Buckmark but those matches start at 8:00 AM, meaning I have to get up at six and that's not me lately. __________________ NRA, TSRA, IDPA, NTI, Polite Soc. - Aux Armes, Citoyens

September 29, 2018, 12:39 PM	#3
TruthTellers Senior Member Join Date: October 22, 2016 Posts: 3,888	I've been shooting .22 a lot this year because I haven't had time to reload like I did last year and I bought a Ruger Charger that shoots 1 MOA. After a month I don't think it's true, that it was a hallucination that the 10 inch barrel shot CCI SV that well and I have to go back to the range and confirm that it does indeed shoot 1 MOA with CCI SV out of a 10 inch barrel. Thus sometime in November, I'm going to order another 2000 rds of CCI SV and other .22 LR and hope for the best. __________________ "We always think there's gonna be more time... then it runs out."

September 29, 2018, 01:20 PM	#4
Dave P Senior Member Join Date: August 16, 1999 Location: North Florida Posts: 1,346	22 is great, esp if you put a suppressor on it. Reloading - no desire to do anymore of that! __________________ I think this country is screwed.

September 29, 2018, 02:40 PM	#6
Brian Pfleuger Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Austin, CO Posts: 19,578	I think we mostly got so used to the absolutely, insanely ridiculous, "I'm not paying that!" prices that now we're OK with today's only mind-numbingly stupid prices... Kind of like what they did to us with gas... when it was $1.35, we thought $2 was stupid... then it hit $4 and now we "happily" pay $3. Well, .22LR is still 2x (at best) what it was before the panic hit... and I still ain't buying it. __________________ Nobody plans to screw up their lives... ...they just don't plan not to. -Andy Stanley

September 29, 2018, 02:00 PM	#5
BBarn Senior Member Join Date: December 22, 2015 Posts: 887	I quit shooting 22LR as well during the long drought. I formerly bought my 22LR ammo at Walmart, but didn't see any there for many years. They always told me it would arrive and be sold out within a very short time. It was obvious to me that certain people were being notified when it was available and scooped it all up. It would have been some help if Walmart would have put a reasonable limit on volume purchases at the time, but none of the stores around here ever did. I was so frustrated at them, I decided to avoid buying 22LR ammo at Walmart even if they had it. Now that they have it in stock, they can keep it as far as I'm concerned. Plenty of other places had it in stock when Walmart never did, and those places still have it for sale at reasonable prices to boot. I didn't start buying it again until I could get it for about $.06 or less per round. Now I see it occasionally for less than $.05 per round. Back to enjoying 22LR after many years of shooting almost none.

September 29, 2018, 08:10 PM	#8
osbornk Senior Member Join Date: August 11, 2012 Location: Mountains of Appalachia Posts: 1,598	I shoot a lot of 22LR, some 9mm, some 12 gauge,a little 5.56. a little 380 and very little 22 Mag and almost no 38 special. I shot and cleaned them all last week and I enjoy shooting the 22 LR the most. I shot 6 or 7 mags through my Mk III 22/45, 3 or 4 cylinders through my Rough Rider, a mag through my Henry, a mag through my Marlin 60 and a mag (25) through my Mossberg Blaze 47 along with a mag of 22magnum through my Marlin 25MN. I also shot a mag or two through my Taurus TCP, my RIA 1911 in 9mm, my Taurus PR111 and a mag through my SD9VE along with a cylinder of 38 special through my Taurus Model 94 and my old TG 38S. I also shot a dozen 12 gauge shells through my Mossberg 500. I probably shoot 25-50 22LR for every round of anything else.

September 29, 2018, 08:32 PM	#9
ManyMag Member Join Date: September 17, 2018 Location: Kerrville, Texas Posts: 53	Oh no, you aren't the only one. Like you I thoroughly enjoy my 10/22. Have it set up with the same length of pull as my varmint and deer rifles. I went as far as picking up a P250c 22 and upgrading to the same grip module that's on my edc P320c. I shoot the 22s more than anything else.

September 29, 2018, 08:41 PM	#10
Brian Pfleuger Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Austin, CO Posts: 19,578	On the other hand, I recently realized that the scope on my 10/22 was dead... it’s a WalMart special bought with the gun in the early 90s... so I bought a new one with some Bass Pro gift cards I got for Christmas, so I guess I’ll be buying some ammo too. __________________ Nobody plans to screw up their lives... ...they just don't plan not to. -Andy Stanley

September 29, 2018, 09:26 PM	#11
kenny53 Senior Member Join Date: December 30, 2015 Location: My back yard Posts: 971	I shot 22 during the drought. I had plenty. I never sold any and bought it when I found it at none gouging prices. I am still buying it at good prices and stacking it deep. If we hit another drought I should be good, If drought hits again I won't be selling any ammo. I don't gouge and I am never sure when if I can find it again.

September 29, 2018, 11:27 PM	#12
Mike38 Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2009 Location: North Central Illinois Posts: 2,710	During the "Great .22 Drought" I probably shot one .22 to 10 centerfire. Now I'd say it's exactly opposite. Maybe even more like twenty .22 to one center fire. Loving every minute of it!

September 30, 2018, 12:05 AM	#13
Niner4Tango Senior Member Join Date: May 28, 2007 Location: Vancouver, WA Posts: 287	You're not the only one. There are few things more fun than a .22 - rifle or handgun!

September 30, 2018, 06:30 AM	#16
Wishoot Senior Member Join Date: June 5, 2009 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 1,093	My MKIV and 10/22 are seeing a lot of range time and my checking account is getting a bit smaller thanks to the decent sales on 22lr ammo.

September 30, 2018, 06:34 AM	#17
Spats McGee Staff Join Date: July 28, 2010 Location: Arkansas Posts: 8,821	^^^^Yep. My pistols is a MK IV 22/45 Lite, and it and the 10/22 are getting more range time than they've gotten in a long time. Now I just need to be sure I'm stocking more ammo than I'm shooting. . . . __________________ I'm a lawyer, but I'm not your lawyer. If you need some honest-to-goodness legal advice, go buy some.

October 1, 2018, 04:07 PM	#21
spacemanspiff Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2002 Location: alaska Posts: 3,498	The drought may be over but in my area, the price has not receded. Thus I am reluctant to stock up on bulk 22 ammo when its still at premium prices. I am finding more opportunities to shoot the match ammo I have accumulated to see what my CZ prefers. That is proving to be a very enjoyable experience. __________________ "Every man alone is sincere; at the entrance of a second person hypocrisy begins." - Ralph Waldo Emerson "People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use." - Soren Kierkegaard

October 1, 2018, 10:45 PM	#22
Onward Allusion Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2009 Location: Back in a Non-Free State Posts: 3,133	I don't shoot 22 LR much these days. When the extreme shortages took place, I shot more 9mm and didn't go back. __________________ Simple as ABC . . . Always Be Carrying

October 3, 2018, 10:03 AM	#23
4V50 Gary Staff Join Date: November 2, 1998 Location: Colorado Posts: 21,838	I rediscovered the joy of the 22 LR when my ammo budget was cut by the city's adoption of the domestic partner vendor policy (early '90s). The city could only buy from vendors who provided employee's domestic partners with health care. My ammo price per case jumped about $40-60! I asked where I was going to get the ducats to buy the ammo we needed. I finally resorted to 22 LR for practice. We had to buy a few 22 LR guns and then when practice was over, went over to regular service ammunition. I even wrote an article that was published in IALEFI's The Firearms Instructor. __________________ Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt. *Molon Labe!*

October 3, 2018, 11:51 AM	#24
RickB Senior Member Join Date: March 1, 2000 Location: Boise, ID Posts: 8,518	I bought a new .22 rifle about four years ago, put maybe 200 rounds through it, and haven't shot it again, since. It's as if I've forgotten about my rimfires, as for a few years I could handload any centerfire caliber for cheaper than rimfire, when I could even find the latter. I should probably buy 100 rounds every time I'm in a store with reasonably-priced rimfire ammo (seven cents a round seems to be the new four cents a round) on the shelves. __________________ Runs off at the mouth about anything 1911 related on this site and half the time is flat out wrong.

October 3, 2018, 12:40 PM	#25
Don Fischer Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2017 Posts: 1,868	I shoot 22 RF's very little anymore and them mostly to put down predator's around my chickens and pigeons, mostly my 22 mag. Hunting with a 22 I just don't do. If I was to go rabbit hunting say, I'd take my S&W mod 16 in 32 long loaded with cast bullet's. Less expensive than buying 22 rim fire ammo and does just as good a job.