Where's the ammo going?

excavator

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I was wondering if those "in the know" could help me understand where all the ammo and components are actually going?

I have heard many say that the everyday hoarder is to blame for the shortage, but that can't be the case. Here in Oregon, a very limited supply of ammo and components are even making it to the retail shelves. Thus, the everyday hoarder can't be the main problem.

How are the ammo suppliers and/or their distributors prioritizing who gets the ammo that is being produced, and who is actually getting it? Clearly, somebody is sucking up most of it before it gets to the retail locations.

Excavator
 
That’s a great question. I work for a company in the hunting industry and i still haven’t figured it out. Even the employees making the products can’t get their hands on it. Everything is back ordered and out of stock everywhere you look, but they are mass producing this stuff, working long weeks and weekends to “meet demand”.

I’m being told that it’ll get worse too. I can’t get Bullets, primers, powder, brass or even factory ammo for my rifles. Looking forward to this fall and my lack of supplies, I bought a .308 just last week since that’s all the ammo I can find right now. I’ve never been a fan of that caliber, but it’s what I can get.

and no, I’m not out of Bullets for my other rifles. I’ve realistically got plenty. I’m just not really wanting to burn through it, when there isn’t an end in sight to the ammo shortage.
 
Here's a real answer...

 
Hmmmm. My local gun store gets a shipment every Thursday. Yesterday I got a 200 rounds of 5.56x45mm for $96. Along with the other 50 people that came in. Next week they may get some 9mm and 45 acp. And once again everyone comes in. Flying off the shelf fast.
But some gun stores will save for when someone buys a gun which i think is great.

I am thankful i stocked up before this. But as i said in other threads a family of 4 shooting almost every weekend you can burn through rounds quick. So i am just replacing what we shoot. Its great family time for us
 
Is this seriously a question because I'm hearing people asking it all around. Where's all the ammo going? Look around you people. It is being purchased by everyone who owns a firearm. There has never been a buying frenzy for firearms and ammunition in history like this one ever since Adam and Eve built the first flintlock rifle .

When Beto O'Rourke says "yes Mr. & Mrs. America I'm going to take away your AR's and Ak-47's". When shortly afterwards the current President says he's going to make Beto his Gun Czar. Cities have been burning down.

There has been stifling of first amendment rights, people in government office on record saying that conservatives need to be reprogrammed. Biden has the strictest gun control agenda of any President in history and that agenda includes a huge firearm and ammunition tax along with restrictions. There are over nine million new gun owners last year alone, do you think they just might have bought ammo to go along with those guns? Over four million background checks this January alone and that doesn't even count the more than 25 states who have a system in place that allows conceal carry holders to buy guns without a BCI check. How many of those background checks were for multiple firearm purchases, they too probably bought ammo with those guns .

Last September Vista outdoors said they already had over one Billion dollars in ammuniton backorders that would take over a year to fulfill and it wasn't nearly as crazy then as it is now. Some people in the ammunition industry are saying things may not return to normal until the summer of 2022. Remington ammo production has been shutdown since the bankruptcy but their production is just a drop in the bucket.

I don't know, where did all the ammo go? It must be a conspiracy. I think all the ammunition manufacturers have banded together and decided not to sell any of their products at a time when it is selling at the highest volume and pricing ever. :unsure:
 
I sit at my screen and every once in awhile I click on refresh on a certain retailer. So far doing this I have been able to buy a few boxes of boolits at normal pricing. Ok, I bought about 1K bullets so far but I never wipe them out. Just a couple boxes here and there.

Can't say this for primers and powders though as those are never available.

I think other folks are doing what I'm doing as well. But with ammo and other components.
 
Well everyone has a impulse to buy buy buy with this new administration. So far every week i have been able to buy ammo. Last night the gun store had maybe 200 boxes of 20 round 7.62x51. Tonight there was maybe 150 boxes left. Plus i saw 2 more cases behind the counter
 
I'm Calling BS on some of the BS Stories Circulating the Earth!

I Haven't Bought SQUAT from Sportsman's Warehouse in Vernal Forever!

But Here's the Deal!

Down the Road at a Smaller Sports Store, I Have Bought Some Ammo there!

Yes they Limit it so it can be a little More Fair for others to Get some Ammo As Well!

I Don't Have a Problem with that!

Kinda Funny the Small Sports Store is Setting By Far More Ammo Out than the Bigger Stores!

3 Different People Have Told Me This:

I'm Just Repeating what They've Told Me & I Have No Idea Rather it's True?

They All 3 Told Me The Big Stores Offer the Ammo to their Employee's First!

They Claim the Employee's Slick it Up & Sell it on Sites Such as GUNBROKER!

For a Nominal F'N Fee of Course!

Wish I Knew rather it was True for Sure?

I'm Taking My Business to the Small Sports Store!

There's Some CROOKED BS Going On!
 
I believe they are holding it back because of new laws that we are not privy too. Also, during the pandemic, seemed like everyone was shooting allot since there wasnt all that much else to do. That 600 a week umemployment goes a long way towards having fun with guns. Change the subject a little , have you also notice all the new cars being bought. In Vegas I see lots a new cars on the road, supposedly with everyone being out of money.
 
Here's a real answer...


Unprecedented demand, following a down cycle (Trump slump) and shortage of material to make ammo. Certainly explains most of the problem.

What I want to know is: who is buying Remington core-lokts at $100 a box?!? I have used them forever for Texas whitetail but at $20/ box. Cant see paying much more than that. An Ok bullet that gets the job done on medium sized animals, but certainly not a premium bullet.
 
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No there is no shortage on material to make ammo,There is definitely something going on, they know that they can't take our guns away from us so the next best thing is take away the ammo,all the guns you own won't do you any good if you can't shoot them.I get e mails from Nosler and for the last year or more there trophy grade line has been out of stock did they quit making it ,also federal premium ammo I cannot find ,Weird stuff from the upper end for sure!!
 
I am a veterinarian and I am having trouble getting almost everything. Am on allocation for many drugs and syringes and needles. Most things are at least partly “made in China”. So why wouldn’t there be shortages for ammo supplies when we have Covid delays on supplies coupled with increased demand. Please enlighten us.

And there were ammo problems long before Biden took over. Cant blame Democrats for this. And no, I didn’t vote for a Biden. Just a realist conservative.
 
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My local gun dealer-gunsmith started having problems of getting ammo from distributors over 8-10 months ago. It got to the point he could not get any factory ammo to supply his customers,
He finally found a small commercial reloader that could supply him with most of his pistol ammo needs and had to limit the ammo to gun buyers only.
He also told me that he could not keep any .380, 9mm, 38 special, or 45 acp pistol in stock for more then a few days due to the new buyers wanting home defense guns during the riots going on in the big cities. A lot of the first time gun buyers were women according to him.
I know that the last gun I bought, a CZ 12 gauge "Coach" shotgun, it took around 13-14 days for the background check to be completed and CA. only requires a 10 day wait. My dealer told me that some were taking 15 days indicating a large surge of gun buying was going on.
RELH
 
I had a custom 280 ai built and last May bought a bunch of factory ammo to shoot and for the brass. Glad I did, can't find any now.
20200512_151244.jpg
 
The part that is frustrating is if you google for reloading supplies I have found stores in Canada that have plenty of everything on the shelves and in stock yet it’s all sold out here in the Us . Kind of makes ya go hmmm!!
 
That is because Canada did not have 9 million NEW GUN BUYERS like we did last year. Those new buyers are out there buying ammo now along with us old time gun owners.
When the factory ammo drys up, reloaders start buying reloading supplies in fear it will be next and to have sufficient shooting ammo on hand to replace the factory stuff they can not get right now.
No big conspiracy, just grass roots supply and demand. Right now the demand is far higher then the supply can keep up with.
RELH
 
lots and lots of people you'd never suspect have piles and piles of ammo.........that they'll never use in a thousand years.....but keep buying.

God bless them.....so glad I am way ahead of that curve.
 
I'll Give You a Hint:

It Sure TF Ain't Me Buying the CORE-LOKTS Up!




Unprecedented demand, following a down cycle (Trump slump) and shortage of material to make ammo. Certainly explains most of the problem.

What I want to know is: who is buying Remington core-lokts at $100 a box?!? I have used them forever for Texas whitetail but at $20/ box. Cant see paying much more than that. An Ok bullet that gets the job done on medium sized animals, but certainly not a premium bullet.
 
An Ok bullet that gets the job done on medium sized animals, but certainly not a premium bullet.
Up until September, many core lokts quality was pretty decent, because they weren’t actually made by Remington. Many were manufactured to the same spec variants that many match bullets are. Of course there are better options out there for hunting, but they weren’t the garbage that many assumed they were.
 
Up until September, many core lokts quality was pretty decent, because they weren’t actually made by Remington. Many were manufactured to the same spec variants that many match bullets are. Of course there are better options out there for hunting, but they weren’t the garbage that many assumed they were.


Didn’t mean to imply they were garbage. In fact, there are generally my go to bullet for all things Texas including big feral hogs. They are accurate and get the job done. But the biggest thing they have going for them was they were readily available and they were cheap. At double their normal price or more, there are better bullets. And when I go after big mule deer or elk, I like something a little tougher. Many people have used them on those animals too, but for them I prefer to be over gunned rather than adequate.
 
The reality is of course their is minipulation. I keep reading/hearing "record gun sales". True. But youd have to believe the new home defense buyers were buying 7mm, or .338, or 35 rem, etc for home defense.

Unfortunately we ve got bottlenecks. Vista owns the lion share of production now. Means they control either purposely, or otherwise, the majority of production, its speed, and its allocation.

Bass Pro has bought up a ton of our retail shelf. Meaning they too control it. The larger a company, the less nimble to react. Which slightly explains how some of the smaller places do get some shipment.

Lastly, I do think the "secret law" thing has some merit. We ve watched as our republic has become run via executive order. These companies, at the end of the day are businesses. They arent going to want to quickly expand, only to find next week there are executive orders aimed at them. Of course they are going to hedge their bets, like every other company sitting in the political cross hairs are right now.

Lastly #4. Just like with Elk tags last summer. There are a TON of dudes "working from home" who now can sit in front of their screen grabbing tags, buying Game stop, and hitting refresh on ammo sites. Combine that with those same dudes who now are hitting the Sportsmans in delivery day everyweek, and the old retired dudes who do as well. There are going to be some unbelievable estate sells in the future, when some dudes kid sees dad had 900 cases of .303 British and 800 of .308 Norma stacked up in the basement.
 
We rarely see reports or analysis of the impact of US government bulk purchases. “They” are the largest customer after all.
 
We rarely see reports or analysis of the impact of US government bulk purchases. “They” are the largest customer after all.
And beyond popular belief, the US citizenry basically gets the left over material after federal orders have been filled.

I am so glad all I ever do is BOWhunt...
 
I was wondering if those "in the know" could help me understand where all the ammo and components are actually going?

I have heard many say that the everyday hoarder is to blame for the shortage, but that can't be the case. Here in Oregon, a very limited supply of ammo and components are even making it to the retail shelves. Thus, the everyday hoarder can't be the main problem.

How are the ammo suppliers and/or their distributors prioritizing who gets the ammo that is being produced, and who is actually getting it? Clearly, somebody is sucking up most of it before it gets to the retail locations.

Excavator
Don't care where its going...haven't shot much for factory ammo since the late 80's.

Current inventory here, over 10K bullets in various calibers I shoot, 44 lbs of powder, 3200+ pieces of brass, and 6500 primers.

Have between 50-200 loaded rounds as well for every rifle in my house.

Not planning has consequences...
 
Certainly has been a roller coaster, ammo wise. But without Covid, it wouldn’t be anywhere near this bad. This is our “fool me once” episode, our wake up call, ..........Everyone should be going into the future with their eyes open now

I have a ammunition search engine looking for 270, 30-06, and 7 mm rem mag. My 3 mainstays. Get hits every day and if all I wanted was some ammo, I could buy quite a bit. Have recently picked up 3 boxes of exactly what I wanted for a fairly decent price. Just have to be patient and have fast fingers cause they don’t last long
 
Primers, primers, primers!
The primer manufacturers are NOT going to sell them to the reloaders when they need them to build ammo! Build ammo they are since the money and margins is better and there’s such a demand.
Yes, it started before the dems were “voted” in but most guys could see the writing on the wall with all the “civil protesting” burning down our cities.
No wonder we sold record amounts of guns.
Zeke
 
Don't care where its going...haven't shot much for factory ammo since the late 80's.

Current inventory here, over 10K bullets in various calibers I shoot, 44 lbs of powder, 3200+ pieces of brass, and 6500 primers.

Have between 50-200 loaded rounds as well for every rifle in my house.

Not planning has consequences...
Thanks for providing absolutely nothing in regards to the question asked.

As usual, you have it all figured out.

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself, so we can continue to be impressed by how smart you are. You better keep feeding that ego of yours because it has one hell of an appetite. Surely there is something you can tell us.
 
Don't care where its going...haven't shot much for factory ammo since the late 80's.

Current inventory here, over 10K bullets in various calibers I shoot, 44 lbs of powder, 3200+ pieces of brass, and 6500 primers.

Have between 50-200 loaded rounds as well for every rifle in my house.

Not planning has consequences...
What’s your toilet paper situation look like?
 
I went to a gun and horn show in a small town in N Idaho this weekend. Lots of ammo at not to bad a gouging price and lots of reloading components. But not a lot of powder.
 
Thanks for providing absolutely nothing in regards to the question asked.

As usual, you have it all figured out.

Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself, so we can continue to be impressed by how smart you are. You better keep feeding that ego of yours because it has one hell of an appetite. Surely there is something you can tell us.
Still don't care where your ammo is going...

Was bored for a few hours one day....so loaded 6-7 hundred rounds.
IMG_4896.jpg
 
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you'll put your eye out.....
Haven't yet...also checked your math, I have enough primers for the powder I have with room to spare. Average powder charge is about 50-55 grains...range of 38-72 grains. 44 lbs of powder is 308,000 grains...so around 6000 primers...if my math is right. Heavy on bullets but they don't spoil....
 
Buzz,

Again, there’s no need to tell us what we already know. You have it figured out. Anybody that doubts that only needs to read your last 500 posts.

With that said, if your psychology does not allow you to stop seeking my affirmation, feel free to send more pictures, etc...of your reloading room by way of PM.

At this point, I would assume everyone else is
tired of our conversation.
 
LOL. It’s mostly old beer posters and snap-on calendars. I used to have some of those Racks calendars, but they’re all gone now. And A couple of choice cards my buddies send me when I was getting divorced.

And horn porn. I have never seen a reloading room without offensive junk on the walls. I’m very suspicious.
 
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I was wondering if those "in the know" could help me understand where all the ammo and components are actually going?

I have heard many say that the everyday hoarder is to blame for the shortage, but that can't be the case. Here in Oregon, a very limited supply of ammo and components are even making it to the retail shelves. Thus, the everyday hoarder can't be the main problem.

How are the ammo suppliers and/or their distributors prioritizing who gets the ammo that is being produced, and who is actually getting it? Clearly, somebody is sucking up most of it before it gets to the retail locations.

Excavator
I go once a week now on Friday morning I get up and go to all of the sporting goods stores and look for bullets
Last week I got two boxes of 6.5 cm four boxes of .40 two boxes of 12, 20 and 410 bismuth each.
Not a bad day but if I keep it up I won't come up short.
Elk was right about the smaller shops having more than the big box stores.
 
shooting billets? Is this something they replaced bullets with in this ammo shortage? Asking for a friend..... :unsure:
 
LOL. It’s mostly old beer posters and snap-on calendars. I used to have some of those Racks calendars, but they’re all gone now. And A couple of choice cards my buddies send me when I was getting divorced.

And horn porn. I have never seen a reloading room without offensive junk on the walls. I’m very suspicious.
Hey Blue did you hear about the big Lesbian parade this weekend in San Francisco it is sponsored by Snap on Tools............
 
This sucks for a dad with a couple girls who like to shot their 6.5 and can’t find any billets for them.

Don't know how close to Cheyenne you are but their truck comes in on Fridays. It's 20-30% higher than it used to be but they get it. Here's what they got last Friday.

Screenshot_20210430-083057_Chrome.jpg
 
Hey Blue did you hear about the big Lesbian parade this weekend in San Francisco it is sponsored by Snap on Tools............
Hey, I was there for the hookers ball.......not sure I could handle the power tool expo.

Sadly, I’m the last generation that will ever see parts house and tool company calendars. :( My toxic masculinity has been replaced by white fragility.
 
I have two dozen arrows, two dozen broadheads, one dozen bolts with broadheads, and 250+ rounds of my favorite pheasant load. I also have everything I need to power my muzzle loader for a couple years. If something crazy happens and I draw a rifle tag for a OIL type tag I have enough .300 WSM ammo to get by.

I am dead serious when I say this - for those of you who just enjoy target shooting try a crossbow, My kids have not shot a gun since I got them cross bows. One arrow = unlimited shooting. As someone with serious hearing loss, the crossbow has other benefits.
 
California has all the ammo. I was on vacation to the redwoods and went to Sportsmans Warehouse in Eureka, CA. Their shelves were loaded!!! So I tried to buy a couple boxes........Ha HA HA. First they asked for my driver license to do a background check. I thought "really a background check for ammo....OK" Then they saw my license was from out of state.....means no ammo for you. I guess you can't buy ammo in California unless you have a registered gun with them in the caliber you want. I feel bad for Californians.
 
Heartshot, you are wrong about only being able to buy ammo for a gun in the same caliber you have registered with DOJ.
If you have purchased a handgun in the past since 1990 or a longgun since 2014, where DOJ has already run a background check on you. You pay a dollar for a quick background check, 1-2 minutes to run it and walk out with your ammo any caliber you want. You know that there is a old saying that CA. leads the way for other states. Do not be surprised if the present admin. does not try to have this law nationwide. Face to face buying from only licensed ammo dealers and no more online buying. Hopefully if they do, it will be considered a violation of the commerce laws where it will be decided by the Supreme Court.
RELH
_______________________________________________________________________

Do I have to go through this check every time I buy ammunition?​


Yes. Because this check does not “create” an AFS record, you will have to go through this every time you buy ammunition. Or, at least until you purchase or register a firearm that does create a record with the DOJ.


When you are purchasing a firearm from a dealer, the required background check will suffice for any ammunition purchased as well. As a result, you can buy ammo at the same time without an additional fee or background check. You are also not limited to the caliber of the firearm you are buying. The only concern is eligibility, so you can buy any caliber ammunition.
 
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Don't care where its going...haven't shot much for factory ammo since the late 80's.

Current inventory here, over 10K bullets in various calibers I shoot, 44 lbs of powder, 3200+ pieces of brass, and 6500 primers.

Have between 50-200 loaded rounds as well for every rifle in my house.

Not planning has consequences...
I'm not saying what I've got, but if you only knew. Let's put it this way, you don't have chit for inventory;)
 
Wow. Every week our gun store gets ammo. Last 2 weeks they got thousands upoum thousands of the 9mm,45 auto,38 special,.357,40,10mm,224,223 and various big calibers but only few hundred rounds of .300 win mag, 30-06,270.300 rum has been on the shelf for months, 6.8 western, 6.5 prc, 6.5 creedemore and so on. Even some 800 rounds of .22 for $46. The 9mm is $18 a box of 50. Very reasonable prices.

As i said i was prepared before and just been getting more. Now i been loading for some family memebers you havent had my luck. I haven't seen .257 roberts,7mm-08 and 45 long colt which is what some family needs. But a little patience it will come
 
Thanks, I’m a teacher so in 2 weeks I know when to come down. Is this a come early and stand in line?

Nah, I wouldn't lose any sleep. They have a 2 box limit so it extends it. Check their page before you drive down.
 
West from a 1 box limit in the winter and very little supply, with more showing up on the shelf the last few weeks and a increase to a 2 box limit about two weeks ago and a lot more pistol ammo on the shelves. Went to The local store yesterday and there is now a 5 box limit and more ammo, powder, brass and primers on the shleves as well.
 
West from a 1 box limit in the winter and very little supply, with more showing up on the shelf the last few weeks and a increase to a 2 box limit about two weeks ago and a lot more pistol ammo on the shelves. Went to The local store yesterday and there is now a 5 box limit and more ammo, powder, brass and primers on the shleves as well.


Where is this?
 
Ammo is still tough but it’s coming. We’ve been getting ammo all along. Just sells out fast. We do not do limits as our belief is I’m here to sell it. Not look at it. Plus a lot of our customers are rural ranchers coming to town 1-2 times a month. If I tell them they can buy 2 boxes today and another 2 boxes tomarrow after they just drove 2-3 hours to get here. They wouldn’t be customers for very long....pistol and 5.56 ammo on the shelf as of today in the pics.

2FFDBCA8-3B83-43DD-A6FC-79A0C230C19B.jpeg


28A18FAB-1792-4A1F-BC32-36E9DB96E36C.jpeg
 
Ammo is still tough but it’s coming. We’ve been getting ammo all along. Just sells out fast. We do not do limits as our belief is I’m here to sell it. Not look at it. Plus a lot of our customers are rural ranchers coming to town 1-2 times a month. If I tell them they can buy 2 boxes today and another 2 boxes tomarrow after they just drove 2-3 hours to get here. They wouldn’t be customers for very long....pistol and 5.56 ammo on the shelf as of today in the pics.

View attachment 40018

View attachment 40019
Wow!!!!! I better send some people in.
 
Wow!!!!! I better send some people in.

You know who to tell them to ask for. I’ll treat them right. Even help them load up there truck full of ammo?. The limits on ammo crack me up. Yes I understand the concept. But I also joke around telling people. Those places must be Democrats. You can have only so much ammo per day.......
 
You know who to tell them to ask for. I’ll treat them right. Even help them load up there truck full of ammo?. The limits on ammo crack me up. Yes I understand the concept. But I also joke around telling people. Those places must be Democrats. You can have only so much ammo per day.......

I guess they were there thursday and got some ammo
 
As far as limits, I guess I see it differently. I would rather be able to sell everybody some, than sell an unlimited supply to 50% of the people and tell 50%: "sorry we are out"

If you are getting enough not to be out when a significant portion of people come to buy, then there is no issue.
 
Ya I agree. You get guys coming back because they got some. Generally those guys buy other stuff while they are there.


It is interesting how smaller places are starting to get it in, yet Cabela's has nothing. Says a lot about the stores and their level of car for their employees
 
Check out the Federal Ammo website; they have varying amounts of ammo for rimfire, pistol and centerfire rifles. Like all stores or websites, their inventory fluctuates.
 

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