I've been exposed to the better quality ammo now. There's no going back - I thought my 10/22 was great with MiniMags, but some of this slower target stuff just is amazing in it. I can quit buying targets and just put up a paster...
Anyone else soured on .22lr?
- Thread starter Jim NE
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I haven't run out of 22 nor have I been unable to find it. I have not paid $10 a round for any of the bulk ammo as it comes in at around $.07-$.08 delivered.
I use 22 LR for training purposes, myself and new shooters, as well as range fun. Even at 8c per round it is affordable fun.
I have a box of UMC 380 that was purchased in 1996 for $8.96. That is $.18 per round for 380 ammo. It is a bit higher than that now.
I use 22 LR for training purposes, myself and new shooters, as well as range fun. Even at 8c per round it is affordable fun.
I have a box of UMC 380 that was purchased in 1996 for $8.96. That is $.18 per round for 380 ammo. It is a bit higher than that now.
Delford
Member
I haven't soured on it but like most everyone i've slowed down with it. I have about 1000 rounds which i've picked up at WM stores and Academy on-line. I've paid ~$.08 a round.
I won't go higher than that. .45 acp has come down somewhat and I have a pistol I'm breaking in so I spend more time on it. I warm up with the Neos, which is still fun, and then move to my two .45s. I constantly keep an eye out for .22 and buy it when I find it under $.10 a round.
I won't go higher than that. .45 acp has come down somewhat and I have a pistol I'm breaking in so I spend more time on it. I warm up with the Neos, which is still fun, and then move to my two .45s. I constantly keep an eye out for .22 and buy it when I find it under $.10 a round.
Swing
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I've never been a rimfire fan. In fact, in our family's collection, which isn't small, we have two (2) .22LRs in the line up. One was for cheap target practice, the other for that, fun, and small game. Now with ammo availability being ridiculous, they aren't shot much, other than with some special subsonic stuff whilst using a (registered) silencer.
Ignition Override
Member
To a limited extent, even with most of my ten (+) bricks of .22 priced at approx. .10/rd. That's the price of "insurance" against another surprise panic.
As for rifles, shooting 7.62x39 at .20-.22/rd. seems a much better value for unique opportunities.
For twice the generally lowest .22LR price, a single jhp shot from the SKS can easily destroy, or at least shatter some targets.
As for rifles, shooting 7.62x39 at .20-.22/rd. seems a much better value for unique opportunities.
For twice the generally lowest .22LR price, a single jhp shot from the SKS can easily destroy, or at least shatter some targets.
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palmrose2
Member
I haven't been shooting .22 much, and that's because of price and availability. I had about 3,000 rounds when things got really stupid. I have about 300 left of old stock. 50 round box of Thunderbolts is marked $1.97. 100 rounds of MiniMags $4.19 and $6.97.
I think some of you forget how cheap .22lr really was.
I think some of you forget how cheap .22lr really was.
The problem is that, cost aside, there are just some things that are easier to learn by shooting rimfire than just about any centerfire cartridge that is chambered in readily-available cartridges. If you're trying to learn (or re-learn, as I must periodically do) to see the sights throughout recoil, that's just easier to learn with a .22lr that produces less sight movement. It's a lot easier to progress from can't-track to can-track-.22 to can-track-major-caliber than to just jump from can't-track to can-track-major-caliber.
22-rimfire
Member
I know there is 22LR around and available if you are willing to purchase at the higher cost or be willing to spend $3-$5 for a 50 ct box for pretty common stuff. Yeah, I can do math > that's 0.06 to 0.10 per round and consistent with the amounts mentioned here. The only regular ammo I have been willing to spend $0.09-$0.10 per round was HV CCI. That has been my path mostly to this point except for target grade (even less expensive target grade ammo like CCI SV). You generally have to make some sort of effort to buy even the cheaper grade of 22LR ammo these days and I haven't made the effort for the most part. I didn't need to basically.
I don't have to only buy the cheaper 22 ammo at Walmart, but that has been my primary source prior to the current shortage that started with 2008 presidential election (that's 6+ years ago) and increased in severity with the Sandy Hook incident (Dec 2012). That also corresponded to a sizable increase in firearms purchased if you accept the background checks as at least a benchmark and I would suspect there are a lot of new shooters who are needing 22 ammo more than I do. So, I restrain myself in favor of leaving the available stuff for others.
Whether or not the current prices will become normal prices, or in the relatively near future people may look back at $0.10/round for promotional ammo as being cheap, I don't know. I am not going to worry about that.
At this point, I am mostly in a holding pattern on shooting and shoot irregularly. I dropped my range membership and now have to travel much further to shoot at a regular range. The membership wasn't really that expensive in the grand scheme of things, I just didn't have the funds when it was due and I wasn't going to dig for a private range membership fee relative to my use there. I always preferred the range that is at a longer drive distance anyway.
One could say that I have soured on shooting in general. But the truth is I really enjoy shooting a lot and have just shifted my recreational activities to other things. I will certainly feel better about shooting once I see 22 ammo commonly available again in the big box stores. That is my reference point. I always purchased other ammo outside the big box stores, but the quantities were need based mostly at the time.
I don't have to only buy the cheaper 22 ammo at Walmart, but that has been my primary source prior to the current shortage that started with 2008 presidential election (that's 6+ years ago) and increased in severity with the Sandy Hook incident (Dec 2012). That also corresponded to a sizable increase in firearms purchased if you accept the background checks as at least a benchmark and I would suspect there are a lot of new shooters who are needing 22 ammo more than I do. So, I restrain myself in favor of leaving the available stuff for others.
Whether or not the current prices will become normal prices, or in the relatively near future people may look back at $0.10/round for promotional ammo as being cheap, I don't know. I am not going to worry about that.
At this point, I am mostly in a holding pattern on shooting and shoot irregularly. I dropped my range membership and now have to travel much further to shoot at a regular range. The membership wasn't really that expensive in the grand scheme of things, I just didn't have the funds when it was due and I wasn't going to dig for a private range membership fee relative to my use there. I always preferred the range that is at a longer drive distance anyway.
One could say that I have soured on shooting in general. But the truth is I really enjoy shooting a lot and have just shifted my recreational activities to other things. I will certainly feel better about shooting once I see 22 ammo commonly available again in the big box stores. That is my reference point. I always purchased other ammo outside the big box stores, but the quantities were need based mostly at the time.
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hot chili powder
Member
Finding 22lr ammo
I treat finding 22lr ammo like a hunting trip, stalking the gun shops and Wally World ect. to find what you are after. Sometimes you get what you're after and many times ya go home "skunked", but never give it up. I've "bagged" about 15,000 rounds on my "ammo hunts".
I treat finding 22lr ammo like a hunting trip, stalking the gun shops and Wally World ect. to find what you are after. Sometimes you get what you're after and many times ya go home "skunked", but never give it up. I've "bagged" about 15,000 rounds on my "ammo hunts".
The other motivator for me to shoot more .22lr is that I moved a year ago to a 5ac property in a mountain community, and can shoot in the gully behind the house all I want. The .22s are pretty quiet - so I don't shoot much else there.
JFtheGR8
Member
Nope, the question is whether anyone has soured on 22lr. The shortage is even mentioned in the OP. Hoarders and resellers irritate me. I'm not talking about guys who shoot it regularly as being hoarders either. I'm talking about people who buy it up and will never use it. I'm sure there's a good number of people that fit that category. Just like the old COPDer that bragged to me that he's got over 60,000 rounds at home. Shoot, I didn't want to tell him that he'll probably be dead in less than a year from his lung disease. That's great for him that he's got that stash and I hold no ill will towards anyone. It's a free country and people can buy what they want to when they want to. Maybe his grandkids can enjoy it at least and remember their grandpa while doing so. As for me I still immensely enjoy shooting 22lr. I just need to find some that's reasonably priced and without a huge shipping fee.
tubeshooter
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I think .22lr is still the same great round it always was, for all the same reasons.
Don't confuse a shortage with the caliber itself...
I have enough nice .22 guns that I like to where it would take a lot more than this to "sour" me on the caliber, if that would even be possible. I definitely shoot less now, but I had some ammo saved so I'm not as perturbed as some may be.
Don't confuse a shortage with the caliber itself...
I have enough nice .22 guns that I like to where it would take a lot more than this to "sour" me on the caliber, if that would even be possible. I definitely shoot less now, but I had some ammo saved so I'm not as perturbed as some may be.
Shawnpatrick
Member
I know it's not an option for everyone but a .22 suppressor has removed any souring of mine. I can't recommend it enough. I have two pistols and three rifles with threaded barrels and am on the lookout for more. Would love a new CZ but the only factory threaded model they have is right handed and I need left. Buying a 452 plus the cost of threading it is just too much money for my skill level. As far as ammo, I started buying a 500 or 550 round bulk pack every couple months 15 years ago and still have a fair amount.
Well, it is a free country. The original post said nothing about hoarding though.
I just can't see why after all this time people just have to bring it up and fuss about it in a thread that is not really about hoarding its self, but if we have soured on the .22 Lr. We can say yes, getting it is such a pain lately I am soured on it, without whining about "hoarding" all over again. Everybody knows the state of .22 LR. No need to bloat this thread with it.
JFtheGR8
Member
Well the hoarding and resellers are pretty much what is making it a "pain" to acquire and thus leading to many people to "sour" on the caliber itself. I just try to take it in stride and hope that it'll get better.
22-rimfire
Member
I don't know where all these re-sellers are at WM, I go there and there is zero 22LR. (I know.... show up at 7:00AM, another pat answer.) I'd love to see a selection of 22WMR. I think the WM people just have a pat answer with 22 now and blame it on those diry re-sellers. I don't believe the stores in my area are getting in any. The availability issue bugs me at this point as it has gone on for too long. I can shoot if I feel like it, but I don't much as it is too much trouble to replace it and you can't be choosey on what you buy either when replacing it. That bugs me and that sours me a bit.
I have quite a bit on hand. I have no serious need to buy promotional grade 22LR, but at the same time, I want to see it available in the stores and not rationed.
I have quite a bit on hand. I have no serious need to buy promotional grade 22LR, but at the same time, I want to see it available in the stores and not rationed.
I really don't shoot junk bulk and haven't had a problem feeding my Anschutz and CZs normally priced match ammo. I have a stash of midpriced stuff. (mini mags and SV) for plinking and pistol but have not shot as much of it because it's not easy to replace. What irk's me is that ammo companies have not been able to run specialty 22LR game loads.
No worries. I just get frustrated because even refusing to participate in a bubble still leaves you subject to the market conditions of the bubble.
22-rimfire
Member
That is precisely correct if you are a person that likes to maintain a certain amount of ammunition on hand. Even if you have ammunition, the bubble impacts you.
DM~
Member
You are kidding... right??
IF you ran out of ammo, blame yourself, it's not the cartridges fault! lol
I stocked up on 22lr looooong before it became harder to buy, BUT I am still finding some around. I bought 4 boxes of stingers from Cabelas a week or so ago, and a few boxes of lr at my local gun shop too... I just buy a few boxes here and there, of a kind that I don't have much of, when I see it...
DM
Ranger Roberts
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I haven't soured on them. Between my wife and I we shoot around 15k worth of 22's a year. I probably have around a year and a half worth of inventory. We also have suppressors on a few of our 22's and I use them for small game hunting. Just my opinion but they are a ton of fun.
Yet that might be just what you need to do to improve your skills....
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