Ammo crisis ‘pears to be over.....

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TonyAngel said:
Yeah, I walked into Academy today and they had the browning 124gr 9mm in the 150 rounds boxes for like $27 and Winchester 5.56 in 200 round boxes that came up to $325/1000. Limit 5 boxes. I bought 5 boxes of the 5.56. I'm building a new AR this week and gonna wring it out this weekend.
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That is what I am seeing. People are buying a few boxes instead of a case.
I think the price will drop in a few months.
It was people predicting the breakdown of society buying up all the ammo hoping to make a killing on resale.
 
Agreed that the real definition of hoarding is buying something you won't actually shoot.
Personally, I see nothing unusual about keeping on hand a few thousand rounds of centerfire calibers and say 10,000 of .22LR, maybe more if .22s are your main thing.
When you keep a setback, in weird times you still have ammo to shoot and even some to share should you be of that mind. Yesterday, took two 300-round gift packs of this and that to buddies at work. Maybe that's only one range trip or a little bit of stock for them, but hey, it's something.
Keeping some stock, IMO, is no less smart than taking care of your guns.
OTH, flippers do pizz me off a bit, but it's a free-market economy and their right to try.
 
I think the term "hoarder" is more often than not applied to other people who are buying things that the finger-pointer doesn't approve of him buying. IMO, there's nothing wrong with people buying ammo whenever they want it and for whatever reason they want.

For this present situation, I expect there's a lot of cases like the following:
I know of a couple of examples of people who are 2A supporters, have 4 or 5 guns, perhaps a couple of those guns bought in the past 2 or 3 years. They get out and shoot for practice 3 or 4 times per year, maybe go hunting a couple of times per year. With things going as they were pre-Chinese virus, ammo readily available (just like toilet paper and ground beef was), they had two or three hundred rounds for each of their guns, maybe less for their hunting guns.

Then when the Chinese virus hit and ammo started disappearing, they suddenly realized that they shouldn't have gotten caught in the short-supply situation, and that they should pick up a thousand rounds of 9-mm, and maybe some 22 LR, even if they had to pay 50% more for it than they would have two months ago. There's nothing whatsoever wrong with that, IMO. And it doesn't take all that many people to make that kind of rational decision at the same time to trigger the shortage. And that doesn't make those people hoarders.

So, I don't think "hoarding" is triggering the shortage. I think it's the sudden realization by a large number of consumers that things have changed virtually overnight, the consumer has been caught off guard, and needs to make a correction.
 
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I6turbo said:
I think the term "hoarder" is more often than not applied to other people who are buying things that the finger-pointer doesn't approve of him buying. IMO, there's nothing wrong with people buying ammo whenever they want it and for whatever reason they want.

For this present situation, I expect there's a lot of cases like the following:
I know of a couple of examples of people who are 2A supporters, have 4 or 5 guns, perhaps a couple of those guns bought in the past 2 or 3 years. They get out and shoot for practice 3 or 4 times per year, maybe go hunting a couple of times per year. With things going as they were pre-Chinese virus, ammo readily available (just like toilet paper and ground beef was), they had two or three hundred rounds for each of their guns, maybe less for their hunting guns.

Then when the Chinese virus hit and ammo started disappearing, they suddenly realized that they would be much better off picking up a thousand rounds of 9-mm, and maybe some 22 LR, even if they had to pay 50% more for it than they would have two months ago. There's nothing whatsoever wrong with that, IMO. And it doesn't take all that many people to make that kind of rational decision at the same time to trigger the shortage. And that doesn't make those people hoarders.
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True stuff, IMO.
We 2A people are the same people who insist on non-regulated or minimally regulated firearm availability, so why in times of odd economics are we the first to be critical of people who's gun or ammo buying habits are different than are own? Personal choice is personal choice, after all, the and the freedom to pursue is the freedom to pursue it.
If someone's cutting into their food, rent/mortgage, auto care, etc. money, probably foolish, IMO ... but also his or her decision. As to use of discretionary income, who are we to say what people should be spending on or how much they should be paying? The market will sort it out.
My take on keeping a setback is that it's to avoid getting caught up in supply fluctuation or ridiculous pricing, but if someone else's is simply late to the game or is "OMG, got to build an ammo fort to defend the castle" or even "TEOTWAWKI is nigh!" ... shrug.
 
Elkins45 said:
My concern is that the supply might not be getting replenished if the ammo workers are being told to stay home. I don't know if ammo manufacturing is considered a "life sustaining business" in the states where most of it is produced.
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It seems like the only thing closed are bars and restaurants at least in MO. I believe Fiocchi is made in Ozark, Mo.

Considering Academy, Home Depot, Car Dealerships, McDonalds, etc are all open I imagine ammo is being made.

Midway USA is running ads for employment... $13.50/hour and start immediately.
 
I haven't noticed any easing so far. I was on the MidwayUSA site yesterday for non-ammo items and took a look at the ammo supplies out of curiosity. Just about everything was on back order, especially any ammo that might be used for defence. The local Cabelas had a huge run on ammo, especially bulk supplies, starting a couple of weeks ago. The guys there said a lot of this was from first time gun buyers. Their stock on the shelves is still very low. (They were visibly relieved when I bought a used 41 magnum Blackhawk and didn't need ammo to feed it.)

Having gone through a few of these shortages, I know to maintain adequate (for my needs) supplies of commercial ammo for HD and SD and 22lr and buy accordingly. Same with reloading components and muzzleloader supplies. No need for panic buying. No doubt this applies to many of us here.

After the last shortage a few years ago several people asked me to help them start reloading which I was glad to do. I consider that a valuable skill for anyone who goes through more than a couple of boxes of ammo and it's also a lot of fun. I hope this time a few more want to give it a try.

Jeff
 
Buzznrose said:
I may be missing your point here, but I think your last sentence contradicts your second sentence.

I know guys who buy guns for their newborn grandkids... and those kids won’t shoot that gun in a year, or likely even in four or five years. Is that hoarding?

Buying and keeping items of value isn’t hoarding IMO. For me, the key element in “Hoarding” is that whatever you are accumulating happens in a panic situation and to the detriment of others.

if I’ve accumulated a few thousand rounds of ammo slowly over time when it’s readily available, and avoid buying what I don’t need when it’s in short supply, I’m not a hoarder, I’m a planner.

but, just an opinion...not meant to be negative.

YMMV
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I was trying to say having extra for shortages is one thing. Having more than you plan to use is another.
Kinda like this TP thing. I keep 2 large packs of Charmin. I buy it on sale and use it. There was no need to run to the store when people freaked out.
Ammo is the same. Keep enough in stock for normal use through a potential shortage. Then you don't need to worry.
I wasn't trying to say you are hoarding, just trying to clear the definition, because people think a stock pile is a hoard. When it might not be.
 
Bfh_auto said:
I was trying to say having extra for shortages is one thing. Having more than you plan to use is another.
Kinda like this TP thing. I keep 2 large packs of Charmin. I buy it on sale and use it. There was no need to run to the store when people freaked out.
Ammo is the same. Keep enough in stock for normal use through a potential shortage. Then you don't need to worry.
I wasn't trying to say you are hoarding, just trying to clear the definition, because people think a stock pile is a hoard. When it might not be.
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Thanks for the clarification. I appreciate your point of view.

People are generally judgemental based on their biases. One persons cache is another persons “armory”. Prepping and Hoarding are words that society has used negatively as of late...until the next pandemic/hurricane/flood occurs.

I grew up in a family that grew vegetables for canning, bought heavy during harvests to put away for winter months. We cut extra firewood...

when you are well stocked, you can help others in times of need. This is how I like to live my life.

I enjoy teaching folks “to fish”, but I’m not above “passing out a few fillets” to those in need.
 
I stopped in Sportsman’s Warehouse while we were in town yesterday. I didn’t stick around long enough to check out their ammo stock though - I was there to buy worms. If the weather cooperates, a couple of buddies and I are going fishing in the morning. We’re taking separate vehicles, and we’ll do the “social distancing” thing, but we’re going.:D

Anyway, just to stay on topic - on our way home yesterday, I stopped at the small grocery store in Inkom just to buy a few beef bones to cook up for our dog, Ruger. While I was in the store, I noticed a couple of young guys checking out the ammo cabinet (which has some fairly oddball stuff in it BTW) near the checkout counter. I overheard (alright, I was eavesdropping) one of them tell the other, “Oh look, there’s a couple of boxes of 9mm.” But then he said, “Wait, it’s full-metal jacket. We don’t want that.” And then they left.

If anyone’s interested, I think Bisharat’s Market in Inkom, Idaho still has a couple boxes of 115gr FMJ 9mm Luger ammo, as well as a box or two of 303 British ammo of all things. And I’ll bet they’ll even do “curbside service” if you call ahead.;)

I myself am going fishing. We have enough ammo already loaded for the foreseeable future, and even hanging around THR, as much as I like it, is getting kinda old.
 
doubleh said:
"Stay out of crowds is my basic lifestyle choice."

Mine also. I have plenty of ammo and reloading components. Now then, toilet paper may become a problem in a few months. :evil:
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:DWhen I retired I invented the isolation,social distancing, stay out of crowds life style.
I hunt, fish, and teach the grand kids my skills. Except for family, a few people I was in the army or I was on the cops with, a few guys here I like solitude.
 
bikerdoc said:
:DWhen I retired I invested nted the isolation,social distancing, stay out of crowds life style.
I hunt, fish, and teach the grand kids my skills. Except for family, a few people I was in the army or I was on the cops with, a few guys here I like solitude.
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I have never cared for crowds and the older I have gotten the less I like to be around people. It takes a very small group to bother me now. I have outlived all my friends. I know a few geezers at the range and a few where I do business but I put them in the acquaintance group. All my grandkids are grown now so it’s great grand kids that I try to teach some of what I still know how to do. There are three that have been on lockdown for over two weeks here now. All girls, 8 months, almost 8, and almost 12. Boy, the noise level is much higher today than normal. The youngest is a peaceful little kid but her two older sisters are loud. I love them all though.
 
The longer this Chinese bat s*** crazy virus drags on, its starting to hit me that ammo demand will probably come down and prices will go back down.

The economy is so intertwined and fragile that if three sectors get decimated, everyone else will get dragged down with them. It just takes a while to see it everywhere.

My job in manufacturing is busy and I’m working hard and paying my bills. I have a good attitude on a daily basis but I have a bad feeling about our economy handling this much longer.
 
If it's a 'crisis' that's only for folks that weren't already prepared. I have only made two ammo purchases since the American virus-panic and those were online orders of things that were already in my shopping cart. Luckily I ordered at the very beginning of the American Panic and my orders will filled. Those were some 12ga slugs and some heavy hard cast handgun ammo that I wanted to be able to get before the spring/summer hiking and camping trips I have planned. But it seems like the shortages are still very much a thing. Some of them are not so much a lack of ammo but a lack of ability to deliver it. SGAmmo says on their web site that they gave 80% of their staff the next two weeks off with pay to because they're vulnerable demographics. While I absolutely commend them for doing so (it shows that they're good folks) it seems that they're more limited by staffing levels than supply levels.

I'm not sure how levels are in stores. I don't need any ammo bad enough to risk my life by shopping during a pandemic.
 
stockpiling is sort of pre hoarding. the idea being, that in times of plenty and good prices, many - myself included - generate a modest surplus in private stock. with the idea being that when supply dries up, you have plenty - and if someone else doesn't that is their problem, maybe they can trade you something for some. the other side of it is with ample supply - if nobody created any private stockpiles, then when there was a real shortage, there would be none for anybody, so - really people who collect a modest supply are doing others a service, so - if there was a real shortage, one could make some available from their personal stockpile. refusing to trade some if a real shortage came to be, might be hoarding then. I see some jokes out of this - "You might be a hoarder if … " just saying.
 
Would be nice if the ammo "panic" comes to a end but for many it won't matter because scooping up ammo has become a low priority.

Yesterday several co-workers got laid off, lucky I didn't but the future is uncertain. A couple people I know have said they won't be buying much of anything until this thing gets better, and that pretty much includes me.

I do have a good supply of ammo, so it is easier for me to say I'm not worried about getting more right now, but a month ago I had plans of getting cases and cases in prep for the election year, now that has all changed because while I think I'll still have a job business has declined a lot which still means a smaller commission check for me.

Florida is finally issuing a stay at home order tomorrow , the virus cases keep rising fast, there are rough seas ahead for many.
 
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