Ammo Prices/Supply

G-Hought3

Active Member
Messages
138
I’m a newbie to this topic, but have been looking to get a decent stock of ammo for the guns that I own. 22 and 223 of course seem to be very hard to come by right now in any quantity, and are more expensive than I ever remember. I guess what my main question is:
is ammo supply and demand very predictable? Or is it about like playing the stock market?
Just don’t want to stock up on ammo during an expensive time, but also don’t want to miss out if it’s only going to go up. Maybe election dependent?
Thanks,
Bowhunter3
 
Wait till the election is over. If Biden wins, prices will go much higher and supply will be hard to find. Should have stocked up during the time Trump won .
RELH

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Homer my reloading supplies far exceed the factory ammo I have on hand. I learned my lesson with shortages under Bill Clinton and Obama.
RELH
 
Homer my reloading supplies far exceed the factory ammo I have on hand. I learned my lesson with shortages under Bill Clinton and Obama.
RELH
Yup, I started buying .223 by the case after clinton got elected. Back then it was 75.50 for 500 round cases. HBARs could be had for $750.
 
Feddoc, I have about 300-400 hundred factory rounds of .223 and about 500 new unfired cases and over 1000 bullets for reloading the .223. The funny part about it is that I do not own any semi auto rifle that shoots that caliber. Just a bolt action mini-mauser rifle I use for varmint shooting.

RELH
 
I would hold off for stockpiling a supply. Hopefully Trump will win and things will slow down and the price & supply will get back to normal. Just buy enough to shoot when you go to the range to keep in practice.
I increased my supply of factory ammo due to CA. passing a law that forbids buying on line at cheaper prices. Since that law passed I have not had to buy any factory ammo at a local dealer at higher prices.
Some of that ammo you see in my photos was from a general hardware store that quit selling ammo due to our laws requiring paperwork on every sale of ammo. I got the ammo at cost before the law went into effect.
RELH
 
Bowhunter3 I think you are late to the party. The only question now is how long is the shortage going to last.

If Biden wins it could be years. People will continue to hoard because they don't know what the future will bring. As soon as ammo hits the store shelves it will be bought.

Even if Trump wins it will be a year or more before a lot of ammo is available. Every ammo shelf in every gun store in America is nearly empty. It's going to take a while to get restocked under the best of circumstances
 
Bowhunter, my local gun dealer will only sell ammo to customers that buy a handgun from him and there is many customers buying handguns for self defense.
He can not get factory ammo and has several backorders that are months old to his distributor. He teamed up with a local that reloads for commercial sale and that is where he is getting his pistol ammo for gun customers.
Even our local big box sporting goods stores have bare shelves for most common ammo and now reloading supplies are getting hard to get. Just try and find primers. Good thing I have over 15 thousand primers for rifle and pistol reloading and enough powder to last me 10 years if I shoot about 200 rounds per month.
RELH
 
Ammo and reloading components are akin to a bank savings plan.
Get started as early as you can but remember it's never too early and never too late to get the account going.
Buy what you want and buy it when you can and slowly build up your "savings" account.
Don't let those of us with a lifetime supply deter you or discourage you. Just start when you can.

Zeke
 
Zeke gave you good information about buying when you can. Now while prices are high, buy just enough to get by on. Later if prices drop and supply becomes available, start buying for the future by stocking up. I did not get my supply over night. I caught sales over several years time and bought then. In three years I ended up with the supply I have now.
I learned my lesson when Bill Clinton was elected and they started talking banning guns and the supplies dried up or prices took a jump.
One thing with ammo and primers and powder, their shelf life is very good over many years. I have H4831 powder that my Father in law bought in the 60's by the keg and it is still good today.
RELH
 
Feddoc, I have about 300-400 hundred factory rounds of .223 and about 500 new unfired cases and over 1000 bullets for reloading the .223. The funny part about it is that I do not own any semi auto rifle that shoots that caliber. Just a bolt action mini-mauser rifle I use for varmint shooting.

RELH
I’m in the same boat- I’ve got a couple hundred 223 loaded at all times, and probably have components for another 1500 or so on hand (limited only by bullets, stacked deep with powder and primers). Don’t own a semi auto, just my bolt gun that I shoot at the range and an occasional prairie dog. I’m actually getting short on bullets for my current barrel though. I’ve got a new one coming in a 7 twist AI, at I’ve been buying heavier bullets To go with it. Hopefully it gets here before I run out!
 
I’ve done pretty good the last year. I should have enough rimfires to last at least ten years. I was given a decent amount on a gift card from a property manager for work done as kind of a bonus. I went to the big box store and used almost all of it on ammo. It was done in a few trips. I even stocked up on quite a bit of powder and bullets. My problem is primers. I have a lot, but not enough. It’s crazy how fast those things go. I could go through 400 on an afternoon of reloading. I need to see those with more value than I normally do.
 
I’m a newbie to this topic, but have been looking to get a decent stock of ammo for the guns that I own. 22 and 223 of course seem to be very hard to come by right now in any quantity, and are more expensive than I ever remember. I guess what my main question is:
is ammo supply and demand very predictable? Or is it about like playing the stock market?
Just don’t want to stock up on ammo during an expensive time, but also don’t want to miss out if it’s only going to go up. Maybe election dependent?
Thanks,
Bowhunter3
Ammo is hard to come by anywhere right now. Ever since all the riots started people are stocking up on ammo. Wait it will all calm down in the future. Prices will get back to normal. That’s the time to stock up.
 
The issue is all the grey hairs with nothing better to do than stockpile. Ran into Cabelaa to grab a box of BB for swan hunting.

I kid you not, dude pushing ammo cart out to stock shelves followed closely by 3 old dudes picking up every box he sat down. Literally. Even the odd ball stuff.

I asked him if they ever got any T or F shot anymore, and laughed at what I just saw.

He told me they are there every week.
 
They take it to the gun shows and peddle it. Even normal people have started going to gun shows now - the yard sale circuit for bluehairs. ;)
 
Bluehair, you are probably right about them buying to peddle at a higher price at a gunshow.
Years ago, when Obama was in office, primers were scarce when I attended the Reno gun show. As I walked into the door, there was a old geezer with a table at the entrance door. He was selling primers for 50 bucks per thousand. He had about 20-25 thousand primers for both sizes in rifle and pistol. 250 bucks per brick of 5 thousand.
I then saw the Miwall sign near the center of the show and walked over there and purchased a 5,000 brick of primers for $135.00. As I left I told the old geezer he was going to eat those primers at his rip off price. I got a dirty look from him. I guess he did not count on Miwall being there selling at that low of price.
The Miwall company is about 20 miles from my home and they do not have the habit of jacking up prices during lean times. All of our local law enforcement agencies purchase their duty and training ammo from them. They are a major distributor of ammo and reloading supplies and are normally closed to the general public except for Father's Day when they will sell to the general public and it takes about 30-40 minutes to get inside due to the large crowd.
RELH
 
Bluehair, you are probably right about them buying to peddle at a higher price at a gunshow.
Years ago, when Obama was in office, primers were scarce when I attended the Reno gun show. As I walked into the door, there was a old geezer with a table at the entrance door. He was selling primers for 50 bucks per thousand. He had about 20-25 thousand primers for both sizes in rifle and pistol. 250 bucks per brick of 5 thousand.
I then saw the Miwall sign near the center of the show and walked over there and purchased a 5,000 brick of primers for $135.00. As I left I told the old geezer he was going to eat those primers at his rip off price. I got a dirty look from him. I guess he did not count on Miwall being there selling at that low of price.
The Miwall company is about 20 miles from my home and they do not have the habit of jacking up prices during lean times. All of our local law enforcement agencies purchase their duty and training ammo from them. They are a major distributor of ammo and reloading supplies and are normally closed to the general public except for Father's Day when they will sell to the general public and it takes about 30-40 minutes to get inside due to the large crowd.
RELH
Sounds like a quality company. Ive got a small shop nearby that has really impressed me. He wont sell bulk right now, and he wont sell to people from out of the area. But he has good stock of powder and primers (all sizes) that he is selling to locals at the same prices he was getting this time last year. I probably wont make a gun or component purchase that doesn’t go through his shop any time soon.
 

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