Unheard of prices on .22 lr.

[monadnock#5]

My father-in-law had a saying: “A little bit of something is better than a whole lot of nothing”.

I’m happy as a honey bee with my “little bit of something” that will support me nicely and without worry to the end of my time on this planet.

Wise man, your FIL. Words to live by.

[farmbif]

biden has only just been sworn in and the lowest cost mini mags on ammoseek are 90 cents each, and I'm guessing they won't last long.

[Gray Fox]

Last night I was in the shop looking for something and found a Wally World bag tucked on a shelf. Inside were two Winchester boxes of 555 rounds of .22 LR priced at $28.98. I wonder what they'd go for today if I could find them? GF

[Thin Man]

A few years ago I had an indirect sales involvement with Smoky Mountain Knife company. An older fellow came to our store with a 1887 Winchester clone (perhaps a Norinco?) that had a loose magazine tube. A quick viewing of the magazine told me it needed to be replaced rather than repaired, especially since the owner had only recently bought it new from SMK. When the magazine first started acting up the owner took it straight back to where he had bought it. He spoke with a salesman and it went like this:

owner - My shotgun does not work right and needs repaired.
salesman - We don't have a gunsmith here.
owner - Can you recommend a gunsmith in this area?
salesman - Don't know anyone around here who works on guns.
owner - Since it is new could you send it back to the factory for me?
salesman - We don't do that either.
owner - Could you take back this defective shotgun and sell me a new one?
salesman - (Didn't answer the question. Stared at the owner, then walked away.)

We contacted the importer and sent the shotgun to them on a call tag. It came back in a timely manner and was correct in every aspect. When the owner picked it up and examined it he was very happy with the corrections. He also declared he would never, ever go back into SMK. That was then but this is today. He may have cooled off but even if he has not all the other buyers are jumping in to buy everything they can find. Think I will let those other people shop there, I'll pass.

[Divil]

Ammo prices are obnoxious when you can even find it for sure. However a Ruger MKIV is certainly 25% or more expensive to acquire than it was this time last year.

[Forrest r]

Shooters have been spoiled for decades with the cheap price of ammo. Power buying, cheap transportation, modern equipment used to make ammo have all contributed to the "golden age" of cheap 22lr ammo.

People have already shown pricing in the 60's. It really never went up until the early 80's. I could go buy a carton, brick or CCI ammo can of ammo in the mid to late 70's for +/- $5.99 per 500 rounds.

The same thing can be seen 125 years ago. In 1896 peters 22 longs & lr's sold for $2.50 per 100.
[IMG][/IMG]

Sear's and Robuck's (the turn of the century walmart) a decade later has 22 long ammo for $.36 per 100. They did this thru lower shipping costs, better mfg'ing & buying power.
[IMG][/IMG]

$.36 in 1909 is $10.xx today.

[uscra112]

One overlooked factor in all of this is the SOMEBODY is actually PAYING these stratospheric prices, or the prices would soon drop.

[NAVYENC]

I've worked at a small gun shop in NW Wisconsin for about 10 years now, and it's gotten absolutely nuts. We were out of 9mm 2 weeks into the covid deal, and it's gotten progressively worse since then. we couldn't get any ammo for deer season, I never thought I'd see 30-30 out of stock. We've kept our prices the same since it started (the boss hates price gougers), we're almost completely out of ammo except for oddball stuff. No primers, no brass, except for once fired, and that's going fast. Very little in the choice of bullets, or any reloading equipment. If and when we do get any ammo in, it's a 1 box limit per person per day which is better than nothing I guess. It's going to get a lot worse, before it get better if, it ever does.

[sandog]

I went into Walmart yesterday and they had 12 boxes of CCI .22 Mag. I didn't buy any as the only .22 Mag firearm I have is a Single Six Convertible and I already have an ammo can full of .22 Mag. I've been thinking I should look into buying a .22 Mag rifle as it seems like Magnum ammo is on the shelves longer.
Speaking of high prices, the other day I was looking on ammoseek for .22 ammo. Those 1500 rounds buckets of Golden Bullets that used to sell for $65 were going for $546 ! Can't imagine someone paying that much. I like Golden Bullets just fine for plinking but I paid $25 per brick last year, and managed to buy a half dozen.
Those GBs, 3,000 rounds of Mini-Mags and 800 rounds of RWS will have to last me a while, hopefully I'll be able to score more .22s at Walmart from time to time.

[Chill Wills]

Forrestr
I think I read that Peters info 2.50 / 1000 (thousand) not 100.

Fun old ads. I enjoy seeing them.

[farmbif]

don't know how the SMKW shotgun story fits here, but in my opinion they had no business getting into the guns and ammo sales, they tried selling powder and primers but that didn't last long and the put it all on clearance. I remember seeing a new ruger double action in 327 fed mag there and it had indentations in the barrel from a vise or something, yeah, thanks but no thanks, and buds gun shop is right across street, where if you ask online they will beat any price on a new gun.

thank goodness that Walmart is still getting some ammo in and does not jack up the prices

[uscra112]

If it weren't that I have drive 50 miles (uphill both ways) to get to a UPS shipper who will take ammo, I could make a small fortune on Gunbroker unloading all those bricks of Thunderbolts I put by during the first Clinton administration. *sigh*

(Yeah Thunderduds. I didn't know any better back then. )

[Murphy]

I broke out a bulk box of Federal's (550 pack) from days of old a few weeks ago. At the time I bought them, they were selling for $8.88 a pack at China Mart. Sure glad I stocked up back then. I'm still good to go for my wants and needs in .22 LR at this time.

A friend and I headed out for a little plinking a few weeks ago. I loaded up my ole' Nylon 66 4 or 5 times and just enjoyed the feel and smell I associate with it from days long gone by. Kind'a hard to believe that in todays world, that would be the equivalent of $14 to $15 worth of ammunition in todays market. Yep, it's gotten insane.

I also recall during the last major .22 LR shortage a lot of people selling off their .22 LR firearms and switching over to loading .38 Specials, it was cheaper by far. And now with primers at the insane prices they are going for, pick your poison. Either way, you can figure it's going to cost 25 to 30 cents a shot.


Murphy

[farmbif]

during last shortage anything chambered in 22 hornet when through the roof, have yet to search and find out if the trend is happening now

[Bmi48219]

None of the 3 Walmart stores in my area even sell ammo.

[sandog]

During the Obama rimfire shortage I sold several nice .22s and shot my centerfires more. Not gonna do that again.
My hunting stash are Mini-Mags and RWS. I plink primarily with Golden Bullets, and was down to my last brick of them.

I had to do a shopping trip today before a 5 day storm hit, and checked Sportsman's Warehouse and Cal-Ranch for .22 ammo, not a thing on the shelves.
Stopped in one of the Walmarts and they had 7 bricks of Golden Bullets and maybe fifteen of the 100 packs of Mini-Mags.
The Remington bricks were $24.97 each and the CCI was $7.97 each. Good timing, and now I'm set for a while longer.
People complain endlessly about Walmart, but they have been a good steady source of rimfire ammo at pre panic prices.

[uscra112]

Made a rare trip through Walmart on Tuesday at 06:00 AM, which is when they open the store early for us "seniors". Did cruise my scooter past the sporting goods section. No ammo on the shelves at all. Didn't really expect any.

[MrWolf]

Only thing my Walmart had was a single box of 20 Guage shotgun. That was it.

[owejia]

Been looking at the 22 rimfire reloader kit today. Thinking probably should get one and a few bags of the priming compound, just in case this panic goes on for a long time. They also sell a musket cap maker. Can reload used center fire primers with it. Not fast production but as always be prepared for any contingency.

[tazman]

The only ammo on the shelf at the store where I recently purchased my Aguila match rifle was a couple of boxes of shotshell ammo for a 22lr.