How is Ammunition Availability at Your Local Gun Shops?

Hi...
I don't typically buy ammunition as I reload for the vast majority of the calibers that I shoot.
I do check availability when I am in the gun shops though.
I do not see any .41Magnum cartridges and very little .45Colt but when I do see it is very expensive.
I haven't seen any .38Spl cartridges locally either for quite a while.
I have not seen a single box of Winchester 7mm Magnum 150gr Ballistic Silvertips in 2-3 years. That is one of the very few cartridges I do buy because my Savage will consistently shoot less than one inch groups at 100yds. I still reload for it but I like to keep a few boxes of the Winchester factory load in my personal inventory as I have found it difficult to match the load with my handloads. I can come close but haven't yet tried all available bullets because of lack of availability locally.
 
Scheels in Lincoln is decent, more well stocked than Cabela's in La Vista, where .30-30 is relegated to essentially 1 brand and only a few boxes. Whereas 5 years ago, just about every caliber had at least one or two brands and were stocked. Surprised to see some of the farming stores near by have some of the real oddball calibers.
 
I only buy at Dunhams cause they have the best prices.
They've had plenty 9mm and most other handgun ammo. But, lately their stock seems to be a little low.
Not have had much 38spl. Hp. What they have had has been high price.
Little or no 30 30 or 30 06. What little they have had has been high.
They have most shotgun gauges and buckshot. Except, no 410.
Can't say ammo is back to normal when there's no 410 on the shelf.
 
oldschool45 said:
Northern Kentucky/SW Ohio seeing plenty of ammo. 45/70 at Cabalas yeah it was $2.50/round but several boxes, 9mm has been avaliable in quanity just not cheap, 45acp glad I reload but avaliable & getting cheaper, primers are sporatic but becoming more common if expensive. 38special & 357 startled me so much I dam near bought it for the brass.
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AIM Surplus is only 1/2 hour or so from the Cinci/Covington bridge, they’ve got 9mm, .38Spl., and .357 at decent prices. Might be worth the trip.
 
Mark_Mark said:
I’m going to stock up when the prices are cheap & plenty

Never forget 2020-2021
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So what’s the new cheap?

AIM had several brands of 9mm under $8 a box two years or so ago, now $12-13 is decent.

How low will it return to? At what point do you stock up?

I was, and still am, good for a while in the ammo I shoot. Same for primers and components.
 
Speedo66 said:
So what’s the new cheap?

AIM had several brands of 9mm under $8 a box two years or so ago, now $12-13 is decent.

How low will it return to? At what point do you stock up?

I was, and still am, good for a while in the ammo I shoot. Same for primers and components.
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1,000 brass 9mm / $225 shipped is my target
 
Speedo66 said:
How low will it return to? At what point do you stock up?
Click to expand...
The million dollar question...

I've been keeping up with @LiveLife's .22 L.R. thread as well as their reloading component thread. I figure the new bottom will be pre-pandemic low prices + inflation. So for example if .22 L.R. was 4 cents a round back in the day and inflation since then is 25 percent we're looking at a new low of about 5 cents. I figure this is a decent way of being confident that you're not paying a premium based on demand.

The thing about guns and ammo is that demand causes their end user prices to fluctuate up or down. Inflation is different in that it only forces prices higher. This is why we'll almost certainly never see another box of CCI Blazer 9MM for $8 on Bass Pro's shelves.
 
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The only ammo I usually buy locally is .22LR and shotgun shells. I rarely visit local gun shops. Yes, my bad…but it’s a time and value thing for me.

.22 is pretty available in Academy, Wally’s, and Bass Pro. I’ve been adding a box or two of .22’s when I go by WallyMart, but that’s pretty infrequent these days.

12 gauge is available but high. I miss the days of $59 cases and $24 sleeves of 100 rounds of 12 gauge dove loads although I still have a few set back.
 
Scout21 said:
Was this local or online? Was it $239 OTD? If so that was a stellar deal!
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Local. Vance Outdoors in Columbus, Ohio. $239 +tax when you bought it by the case. Limit 3 cases per customer (in-store sign whereas their ad says “10”). For 124 or 115gr. Looks like the price is back up to $12.99/50 today.

3EEDCE88-0436-47AB-B70C-046B38E25122.jpeg
 
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A lot of gunshops around Detroit. Not sure there are any in Detroit (may be banned, I don't know, but a web search only showed shops being outside the city limits). Pretty good stock of ammunition at most of the shops. I even found .41 Magnum. Closest gun shop periodically will have a pallet of 9mm to sell by the 1000-round case and those go pretty quickly. Typically the gun shop ammo is rather expensive compared to online ordering.
 
My local Ace Hardware has a nice sports shop. The Ammo selection is decent. A little high, but not stupid high. Some reloading supplies.
The only 410 was 3" buckshot. I would like to find some 2 1/2" for my Bond Arms Rowdy.
 
There is quite a bit of factory ammo on the shelves locally, but I couldn't tell you the prices without going to look. Since I hand load for all of our calibers except .22 LR, I don't look at the prices that much. My BIL says that he's buying 9mm locally for $20 a box. (50 rounds)
 
Speedo66 said:
So what’s the new cheap?

AIM had several brands of 9mm under $8 a box two years or so ago, now $12-13 is decent.

How low will it return to? At what point do you stock up?

I was, and still am, good for a while in the ammo I shoot. Same for primers and components.
Click to expand...

When primers cost $5 for 50, then $13/50 of 9mm cartridges is cheap. Cheaper than I can reload for when you factor in all the component costs. Not to mention, the time commitment.
 
I think now’s the time to buy again. Although I’m reading about new factories going up in the US to produce ammo, my gut tells me to get moving on restocking the shelves.

I just ordered some bulk .44 mag from Freedom Munitions. Although not a steal by any means, $.75/round is better than it’s been and my levers are hungry after binging Yellowstone.
 
guyfromohio said:
I think now’s the time to buy again. Although I’m reading about new factories going up in the US to produce ammo, my gut tells me to get moving on restocking the shelves.

I just ordered some bulk .44 mag from Freedom Munitions. Although not a steal by any means, $.75/round is better than it’s been and my levers are hungry after binging Yellowstone.
Click to expand...


80c per round or less for .44 mag is a decent price. Especially for factory soft points or hollowpoints.
 
North Central Arkansas / Lower Missouri. Pretty darn good for factory offerings. Here local Primers are now openly available as well as powder. So things are better, much. Just ridiculous prices. Nobody said I had to pay them; and I don't.
 
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