What's your new normal?

[PerpetualStudent]

The ammo shortage took me a bit off guard. It seems to have calmed down for most calibers but .22lr still isn't back where it was. And it's practically been 8 years :-? Where I am I can pay about .25 cents a bang for 7.62x54R, 12 gauge, or .22lr.

Most of us I think are trying to get back to shooting our .22s but with a rotating reserve. So something like 1500 rounds, shoot 500 buy 500 more but keep a thousand rounds in the hole. And keep rotating it first in first out.

I was curious to see what your normal practice is (since this doesn't promise to go away) or what you think is a reasonable reserve is for a shooter.

[Dtm870]

right now i pretty much only shoot 9 & 22lr

9mm costs me currently $.12 a round
22lr. $.08 a round.

At this cost I would much rather shoot and load my 9mm and keep my small 2k 22lr pile whole

[Baja_Traveler]

Your reasonable reserve (before being labeled a hoarder) will depend on how much you shoot 22's.
I shoot two smallbore silhouette matches a month, as well as starting up Schuetzen - and practicing equates to just short of a brick every month. I try to keep 2-3K on hand, but the past few years I was lucky to be a month ahead of the game (and paying $60 a brick for the cheapest stuff I could find if I was lucky).
Do I kick myself for not spending the $150-200 a case before the shortage? Yes. Now I'm looking to buy a case at a time and spending around $400 - and that's just for CCI Standard Velocity.

[southpaw]

I reckon I fall into the hoarder category. But, to be fair, I probably fell in that category before this shortage started, that and I have 3 kids that like to shoot. Heck, I bet that I have given or sold (for the price I paid) 3-4k 22's to friends and family. I have passed on more than I bought since I really don't need more bulk ammo atleast not for a few years. If someone asks me to pick up some for them if I see them or if it is something that I want to try then I buy them.

To answer your question I am going to keep x amount in the whole and try to pick up some to replace what was shot or what I anticipate will be shot. Having it on hand is nice, having it on hand before the shortage started is even nicer. Sometimes I have dumb luck, but I will take it.

The one that caught me was the 22 mag ammo. I have since resolved that. For a little while any way. I managed to get a sleeve from midway 2 different times.

Jerry Jr.

[tazman]

I try to keep 2K on my shelf as well as what is in my range bag(usually 500 rnds). That will last me for about 3 months at normal shooting rates. When I get down to 1K I start looking.
Recently, I have been able to find supplies for 6-8 cents a round.
Yes, I can load 38 special cheaper(5 cents per) but I get some of my best practice in with my 22s.

[Clark]

In 1994 the price of AR15 magazines went up. I collected a few cubic feet of them. I have never used one of them.
When 22 bricks went from $15 to $60, I started buying more. It was like pulling on a dog's tail.

[rbuck351]

I have been hoarding all shooting components since I was caught in the primer shortage of the 80s or when ever it was back then. I think I have enough components and 22lr and short ammo to last the rest of my life. I may have to buy some more sm pistol primers or some such but who knows.

[Earlwb]

I think that the ammo shortages will ease up a lot more now that all the wars overseas are pretty much done. The military was having the ammo factories churn out military ammo as fast as they could. The factories didn't have the capacity to make other stuff during that time period. I remember seeing the ammo shelves at the stores mostly empty then too. Everything was in short supply. Right now at the stores about the only thing low in stock is maybe .22 rimfire stuff. But they still have it though. Just not the large bricks, just the 50 round and 100 round packs. The specialty 22's seem to be in stock as well. The store shelves are pretty well packed with center fire ammo of all types now. But a few years ago it was mostly empty.

I think that plinking has changed meanings over the years. I remember as a kid where I could go all week hunting and plinking with a box of 50 22's. Now it appears people can use up a brick of 22's in one session now. To me that is shooting up a lot of "sabre toothed beer cans". Anyway, a brick of 22's would last me like ages. Now this excludes the target competition folks as they need to practice a lot.

[Greg S]

I try to keep at least 5k on hand to include some extra hunting specific stuff. Got to the point accuracy wise that I predominately stock match/accurrate ammo. If you going to drop 50+ a brick might as well get quality. All the shortage did was stop me from using the 22lr asma plinker and moved away from the 10-22 and invested in silouette and match rifles.

The shortage also brought out the 22 hornet from the back of the safe which basically replaced the 22 mag and is 1/2 the cost to shoot with jullets. Looking to get into casting for it to really drop the price down.

[tazman]

I try to keep at least 5k on hand to include some extra hunting specific stuff. Got to the point accuracy wise that I predominately stock match/accurrate ammo. If you going to drop 50+ a brick might as well get quality. All the shortage did was stop me from using the 22lr asma plinker and moved away from the 10-22 and invested in silouette and match rifles.

The shortage also brought out the 22 hornet from the back of the safe which basically replaced the 22 mag and is 1/2 the cost to shoot with jullets. Looking to get into casting for it to really drop the price down.

I like that idea about the hornet.
If I didn't have to invest in a new rifle and the reloading/casting setup for it, I would move that direction. Unfortunately, I don't have any 22 caliber centerfire guns in the house and haven't for a long time.

[Earlwb]

I was thinking that unless you already have a 22 Hornet, going with a rifle chambered for .223 Rem might be better. You can always reload with lower power loads for cast bullets. That way it could be loaded to fire like a 22 LR or 22 magnum or hornet, etc. Plus 223 ammo is fairly cheap to get too. CVA sells a inexpensive single shot rifle in .223 Remington too.

[wv109323]

When the shortage was at its peak I counted my .22 LR. I had 16,200 rounds. All this was bought well before there was a shortage. Aguils SE was marked $14.00 a brick and CCI was $175.00 per case of 5K. I am down to 7000 and looking desperately at another case.

[runfiverun]

I'm seeing 22 ammo of different types for 7 to 9 cents a round in different places.

I almost bought a pail of remington's for 99 bucks the other day then figured 1400 rounds was about as many 22's as I have fired in my whole life and wandered off to look at some fishing stuff I don't need either.
I did grab a 325 or 335 package of federal target sumthin or others for 21 bucks [just under 7 cents each] and thought it was stupid high but I wanna try them in a couple of pistols I have.

[marlin39a]

I began hoarding .22lr back in 2007. I was buying at $9.99 per bulk pack, then up to $13.99 when I quit. I did it more out of concerns of politicians possibly banning lead. Anyway, I have enough now for several lifetimes.

[tazman]

I'm seeing 22 ammo of different types for 7 to 9 cents a round in different places.

I almost bought a pail of remington's for 99 bucks the other day then figured 1400 rounds was about as many 22's as I have fired in my whole life and wandered off to look at some fishing stuff I don't need either.
I did grab a 325 or 335 package of federal target sumthin or others for 21 bucks [just under 7 cents each] and thought it was stupid high but I wanna try them in a couple of pistols I have.

Federal auto-match. 325 round box. Excellent ammo. I use it in my handguns and it shoots very accurately.

[Outer Rondacker]

I guess I am a hoarder. I have a lifetime of 22s. I will most likely never buy another one unless its really really cheap. I got mine many years back and paid .013 cents each. Just over a penny. I shoot a decent amount of cci 22. Local walmarts CLAIM to have been getting them in and price is still 21.97 per 525 or 555 box. Local gun shop has hundreds of boxes and most come in at 7.99-13.99 a box of 40-50. I do not think he has sold much of anything. His match ammo is 104.98 a box of 500 something. I think it was federal not sure. I will look next time.

People in my area talk about how its the same price to shoot 9mm pistol vs 22. For rifle its hard to top 10.97 for 50 shots of 5.56 at walmart. I hate walmart for the record but no one can afford ammo at the gun shop.

This is off the shelf prices. We all know reloading is cheaper.

[Earlwb]

I was surprised to see that the price for .22LR's is now $20 for a box of 100 cartridges at the big box sporting goods store. The CCI brand too, standard velocity, 1000 fps. They still had some kind of a Federal brand at $3.97 a box of 50, standard velocity too. But They did have some more expensive specialty 22's still though. The local Walmart has been out of stock for a while now.

[northmn]

LGS has had 22 in more quantity and longer than most others. Still a box of 100 CCI are going for about $15. I have picked up enough mags top last a while but the long rifles are kind of tough. Funny thing was that I could always get the 17 HMR which I have little use for. I pick up a box of LR's now and then to make sure I ahve them and and even seeing some variations like the CCI Velocitors showing up, but the prices are high. Kind of think that was the purpose of the "shortages" anyway. When the primers were in a shortage when they came back they were about double the price. I had already had a couple of boxes of 22's that ran me through the shortage.

DP

[AK Caster]

If I ever get up to 50,000 CCI SV's and the same amount of Blazers most likely will stop buying. But if the price drops I'll continue to buy.