Why is there a rimfire ammo shortage?

[Elkins45]

Sorry, but I don't buy that--it is greed and theft, period--and thankfully I am not obliged to deal with jerks of that kind due to my hobby interest in casting and reloading. It is still wrong as hell, and if someone objects to the terms "scalper" or "hoarder" as used in this context, perhaps THIEF or GRIFTER is more to the point and a more succinct descriptor that might be hitting a little too close to home.

Greed, yes, but it is absolutely NOT theft. Nobody is reaching into your pants and taking your money then shoving a brick of ammo into your hands. When someone voluntarily participates in a transaction for a non-essential commodity at overinflated prices that doesn't make them a victim of theft. It makes them a victim of their own bad judgement.

I haven't bought 22 ammo since December of 2012, and I won't again until the price and availability is at a level I can tolerate. I also haven't bought any diamonds, gold bullion, Beanie Babies or Ferrari parts. There are guys out there who will compete with each other to pay hundreds of dollars for old model train engines that probably cost $3 new. I don't buy those either.

I think ammo scalping is a distasteful practice and I won't deal with people who do it, but the buyers are just as much to blame for continuing to make the practice profitible. The sellers wouldn't exist without the buyers.

The people I really feel bad for are the ones just getting into shooting, or parents wanting to teach their kids to shoot. Those are the people that scalpers are really hurting. All the rest of us should have been stocked up already.

[LeadRecycler]

The people I really feel bad for are the ones just getting into shooting, or parents wanting to teach their kids to shoot. Those are the people that scalpers are really hurting. All the rest of us should have been stocked up already.

I agree with this, which is why I was looking at .22 anyway. My stock is getting low, because I keep giving it to folks who are trying to teach a youngster to shoot. My stock is below 1000 rounds now, so I look at it when I see it. Still refuse to pay $60/box though. Luckily, my kids shoot .38 spc just fine.

[9.3X62AL]

Elkins' last paragraph cuts right to the chase, and sums up most of my annoyance with the practices under discussion here. I'm in fair shape in terms of 22 LR ammo, and I have centerfire rounds I can refill 'til the cows come home. Still, this avaricious course of conduct is reprehensible--and I'll be (blank)ed if I'll feed the jerks.

[Bullshop Junior]

I think the deal with new shooters buying 22s is spot on. Look how many new casters have joined this forum since te shortage started. Same with powder and primers. People are buying them and ten dont really know what to do with them.

[9.3X62AL]

People are buying them and then don't really know what to do with them.

That is an easy fix. If they haven't already done so, buy a reloading manual or two and educate themselves. I've seen those posts, too--another side-effect of the feeding frenzy. We can get 'em schooled with a little guidance, it ain't rocket science--but it requires care and a modicum of understanding.

[Elkins45]

That is an easy fix. If they haven't already done so, buy a reloading manual or two and educate themselves. I've seen those posts, too--another side-effect of the feeding frenzy. We can get 'em schooled with a little guidance, it ain't rocket science--but it requires care and a modicum of understanding.

This brings up and interesting and scary point that I've noticed in recent posts. People who don't understand the complexity of what and why happens inside the case generally can reload quite successfully as long as they follow the manuals like a cookbook. The problem has become that none of the powders listed in the manual were available and questions like "can I create a substitute load using a burn rate chart?" start to crop up. That's when bad stuff starts happening.

[Bullshop Junior]

You can if you know what you are doing. But someone who has never loaded a round in their life should not.

[dtknowles]

I agree that if you follow the manual to the letter then you really don't have to more than be able to read and comprehend. At 15 I taught myself to reload for my 30-30 and at 16 was casting and reloading cast bullets, started with a Hornady Handbook and then got a Lyman when I started to cast. All my equipment was Lyman at the time. The guys at the shop where I ordered my equipment were not much help, I think they knew less than I did but would not admit it, they sold my brother healed bullets meant for 32 Colt to load in his 32 S&W long, I know they worked but I am not sure the shop knew the difference and I bet the guy they stocked them for was sad when the were no longer on the shelf. I got the Hornady handbook because that is what they had on the shelf along with Hornady bullets, CCI primers and IMR powders.

Tim

[Blacksmith]

This brings up and interesting and scary point that I've noticed in recent posts. People who don't understand the complexity of what and why happens inside the case generally can reload quite successfully as long as they follow the manuals like a cookbook. The problem has become that none of the powders listed in the manual were available and questions like "can I create a substitute load using a burn rate chart?" start to crop up. That's when bad stuff starts happening.

Had a nOObe reloader on another forum made up a series of rounds for testing with increasing charges. First 10 went OK. First shot in the next group flattened the primer, continued to flatten the primers in the remaining nine. Only stopped stopped his testing when the first round in the next group completely blew the primer out of the case. He had pictures of the cases when he asked why it was happening. Got a start point on the internet and went up from there. Enough people jumped on him to reign him in I hope.