Life Post-Ammo Shortage #1 & #2

[B.L.E.]

If you think .22 ammo is way too high, try buying some #11 percussion caps for muzzleloading rifles. The big box stores absolutely scalp on muzzle loading supplies. $7.99 for a tin of 100 percussion caps? Really? It's cheaper to just buy bullets for a modern 9mm than it is to load a cap and ball revolver.

[P5 Guy]

When a certain mail order catalogue had 380ACP FMJ for more than a dollar a piece.

[Willie D]

Answer: Archery



I would routinely shoot .22 when it was still <$15 for 500 rounds. Now I rarely shoot, period.


$175 got me a recurve bow and some arrows and that's all I've ever needed to spend beyond range fees for the last 3+ years. It's also more challenging for me than shooting static targets with a good rifle and more exercise. (I'm still garbage with a pistol and could use some more practice there)


Probably not the answer you want to read on a firearms forum.

[SHR970]

Having been through the Clinton Shortages and being a reloader I got worried when I was out of small rifle primers, low on small pistol, and low on large rifle.

But I was lucky and a friend told me which vendor at the upcoming gun show had stock and was not preselling and had limits on certain supplies to share the wealth.

I also already knew which powders had good cross overs even if they weren't optimal. People who poo pooed reloading 9mm in the past couldn't even get dies.

So when one guy was dithering on IMR-4895 I grabbed the last 8 lb.'er and my friend listend when I told him to grab the 4 lb.er of W231. Then by luck later I was offered a sweet deal on 2 lb.s of Red Dot, 2 lb.s of Green Dot, and a lb. of Herco form the Widow of a second tier friend along with 2k CCI 2009 primers.

I knew I could use the Dots even if they weren't the best and Herco is Uniques dirty Cousinbest used in heavy cast loads. Some experimentation found some sweet loads in odd places.

All the last shortages made me change on was using up my supply of rimfire. Those nasty Golden Bullets I had became hold backs until I could replace them. But I found some nice replacements.

[Don P]

(I'm still garbage with a pistol and could use some more practice there)

Practice dry firing at home costs nothing, except time.

[chaim]

I started shooting far less often (barely at all). I didn't have a huge stockpile, though I had ammo stocked up, and I didn't want to use too much of what I had. No one knew how long it would last, and I had to think about future replacement costs when what I had dried up. I still haven't fully recovered and shoot like I used to, once you form a new habit or break an old one, it is hard to make a change.

I had been playing with the idea of consolidating to a few calibers, now I'm thinking more of expanding. I have recently bought another .40S&W since I haven't had a working .40 in some time. I'd also like to get a 10mm and a .357SIG before long. That way, if I can't get 9mm and .45, at least I should be able to find .40, .357SIG or 10mm. As I recall, both .357SIG and .40S&W were relatively available even during the worst of it.

I no longer shoot .22lr since it is still hard to find at reasonable prices. I may add an air rifle and pellet pistol (or Airsoft) for occasional cheap practice. I do have a cheap Crossman CO2 revolver that I bought when I was 18 or 19 that I've thought about breaking out, but something better quality may be more fun.

[rickyrick]

I went two years without shooting during the 08 panic

[SocialAnarchist]

The whole concept of the ammo shortage never really phased me. Well other than it put my normal buying of a brick or 2 of .22, or a box or 2 of .45 or 9mm, or 3 or 4 boxes of 7.62x39, in rotation every payday on hold. Honestly other than some JHP .45 I haven't bought any ammo in roughly 3 years and I'm not worried about running out. Sadly part of that is I simply do not have to the time to shoot like I used to. That is why I don't shoot so much right now not the cost of ammo. If I need anything I will buy it. I'm not going to let ammo pricing stop me from shooting.

[reinert]

It was always the primers for me. Even at times in the Clinton administration (let alone the last admin's run), it was the primers. Luckily, I always had enough for my shooting needs, but I was always looking for them, too.

B.L.E. mentioned percussion caps... unbelievable price on those, and have been for a long time. That's one I could never figure as to why; supply/demand I guess.

[tlm225]

After the 90's I've maintained a 3-4 year supply of .22's and the same amount of powder and primers for reloading. rifle and pistol rounds. That enables me to gradually resupply during the lean times instead of running out.

[xandi]

Let's see
I bought a 22lr pistol in 2012 thinking it would be sweet too plinck with, I was disapponted by the lack of ammo I could find.. I thought itwould be one the self like in the w bush era
I put in ar($500 vs $1k+ that the same rifle costed) put togather and a few months later the atf trys and ban m885/ss109 ammo. When I used to go to walmart buy 3-5 boxs of zzi for $10, I no longer could. I saw the last 85 boxs sell to the guy in fornt of me in line;(
I payed $45 for a box of 25 357 mags, was the only thing I could find. I didn't know I could shoot 38s in it
Now I know rough prrices on the stuff I use, and handload. I keep a bit of ammo on hand.

[JoeSixpack]

I seen 22lr for 4.5cents a round the other day.. still aprox twice what it was before the shortages started.. but it's coming down slowly.

Maybe the industry slow down is finally starting to effect ammo sales.. I know other calibers have come down.. 9mm can actually be found for levels I seen when I got into guns in 07.. you have to look and wait but it's out there.

I refuse to buy 22lr at current price levels.
I have not bought 22lr since 08 just as the first shortage was hitting.

Luckily I still have some on hand but less then I'd like so the 22's just stay home nearly always these days.

I know it does not make a lot of sense since 22lr is still say about 3x cheaper then 9mm.. but considering the "dud" rate in bulk 22lr and the fact that I get more enjoyment not to mention more use (practice) out of 1 9mm then I do 3 22lr.

[rickyrick]

I gave up on 22lr and most 22 guns are out of my collection. I have one kids sized 22 single shot, but I have no small kids anymore. It's just a nice handy sized light little rifle.

[gshayd]

.There is plenty of 22LR and even .22 Magnum sitting on the shelves with decent prices here in SE Texas even at the local WalMart. Slowly stocking back up here.

[B.L.E.]

I haven't curtailed my .22 shooting during the ammo drought. My .22 is a single shot and I'm a lot more interested in making long difficult shots than I am in seeing how fast I can dump a magazine of bullets into some point blank range target so I don't really shoot up that much ammo. A range session might consume a box of ammo, not a brick.
Because I don't shoot it up by the brick, I don't mind paying a premium for the good ammo that is accurate and not full of duds.


Five shots @ 50 yards

[kozak6]

I ...I..think it might finally be over.

For the first time since 2012, I've seen .22 lr on a Walmart shelf .

And not only that, but it was a reasonable amount. I saw maybe half a dozen bricks of Thunderbolt. There were also 100 round packs of something, but I was so shocked that I didn't even pay attention to them.

Now, I can actually buy a .22 pistol. That's absolutely wild. Or maybe an old school Remington target rifle...

And I even have a few years to establish a stockpile before the next election panic.

Just wow.

[Reloadron]

Life Post-Ammo Shortage #1 & #2

Think about how quickly the last ammunition and gun shortage came about. Sandy Hook gave the prevailing party, the anti-gun fanatics all the ammunition they needed to trigger a shortage. While the current administration is not likely to look to take away our guns and ammunition everything can change real quickly. Being well stocked and supplied is the way to avoid future problems. I am not saying a father or mother of a family should buy guns and ammo in light of food but when a good ammo sale is running, grab a little. Properly stored ammunition, like reloading components, have a long shelf life. Little by little and piece by piece we save for a shortage. Under the right circumstances another shortage can happen as quickly as the last.

Ron

[Bartholomew Roberts]

I can remember people growing up that would shoot the same box of ammo for years. Fire a round or five at a target before deer season to confirm zero, go hunting, put the remainder away for next year. Maybe wring out the handgun on the nightstand with six rounds once a year.

I think what we are seeing is that recreational and defensive shooters have more or less replaced hunters as the majority. And they are shooting a lot more ammo than their predecessors did.

As far as what it has taught me? Buy cheap and stack deep. Guns and ammo generally hold their value well. The only firearm I've ever bought that hasn't kept pace with inflation at least was an Olympic Arms 11.5" HBAR AR15. I paid $550 for it in 1989. Now you can buy a better AR for under $500 even without inflation adjusting.* And I'm happy to see it too as I can't think of a better sign that AR15s are as mainstream now as a lever gun was in 1957 when the AR was invented.

*Hint: This signals the "Buy cheap" part is underway for this item.

[rickyrick]

Buy cheap and stack deep. The next election is going to be a ride.

[tlm225]

I've been reloading and casting my own bullets since the mid 80's. I got caught short during the Clinton era and learned my lesson. '08 didn't have much impact on me and prior to Sandy Hook I had been gradually building up my stock of rimfire, primers and powder. I had a good supply of my preferred rimfire hunting rounds (CCI mini-mag HP) and a variety of other bulk packs for plinking. I did pace myself during the panic but didn't have to buy anything and exited with a good overall supply intact. Don't wait for the next panic, prepare and achieve some balance.

The scalpers were able to exploit fears and profited only because people allowed themselves to become desperate.

[johnwilliamson062]

The post Sandy Hook shortage has blown my mind. I still couldn't say I have any confidence there would be 2lr on the shelf at my walmart tonight, so in my mind it is still a shortage. Going on 5 years.

If I get back to shooting the amount i would like to be I will have to find some sort of substitute for rimfire in my volume fundamental riflery practice. Probably eventually move to a $1000 air rifle at some point, at least as back-up. Problem is good match pellets aren't really any cheaper than decent 22lr.

[ThomasT]

I learned my lesson back in 1996 when the rumor went around that primers were going to be made with a 6 month shelf life. That caused a panic and if you could find primers they went from $10 per thousand to $20-$25 per thousand.

The rumor was debunked and soon you could buy primers again. But not for $10 a 1,000. Now they were $20 a thousand. I have always wondered who started that rumor?

But I have never been caught short again, not even in the last two ammo runs. Frankly I have more than I can shoot. But I have two sons who will pick up where I leave off. I really feel sorry for those who just got in to shooting in the last 10 years or so. Stuff used to be reasonable to buy. Now its crazy. I am not sure I would have stuck with shooting or buying as many guns as I have if I had to pay todays prices.

But one word of advise is to get a reloading kit. Buy dies and supplies for every gun you shoot. Stock up on generic powders that will work in several different calibers so you only have to stock 3 or 4 powders. Then buy in bulk.

You may not ever think you will do it but buy a few bullet molds and scrounge lead. Its not that hard to do. Most guns will work with lead bullets and it frees you up from counting on bullet makers who may or may not have stock when you need it.

I could write a small book on this. All I am saying is think ahead. Most of you have been very well trained on what happens in a panic.

[B.L.E.]

Most of you have been very well trained on what happens in a panic.

It's pretty simple really. People buy up ammo because the shelves are empty and the shelves are empty because people are buying up all the ammo. A self perpetuating viscous circle.

Also, the next buying panic may very easily NOT be .22 LR ammo but something else. Beer perhaps.

[TXAZ]

I just shot a bit less, but kept a 'reasonable' supply.

[Ike666]

We have met the enemy and it is us.

In neither 2008 or 2012 was there any effective restrictive legislation passed with the exception of some benighted states.

Virtually 100% of the shortages were generated by a combination of panic buying, hoarders, and profiteers.