I thought I was over the 22LR "ammo panic" but I guess not completely....

[berettaprofessor]

Given that a) I haven't had trouble finding 22LR in over a year, b) that I can find almost any brand I'm looking for lately when I want it, and c) that I have a pretty decent stockpile now, I thought I was past buying 22LR on impulse....

But then, today, in Dick's, I spotted a small pyramid of Eley 40 grainTarget 22LR on clearance for $3.58/50 rounds. There were around 18-20 boxes. I bought 10.

May run back tomorrow to buy the rest. Unless one of you gets there first.

 

[John Joseph]

That's quite a deal on Eley!

 

[1911 guy]

I do it, too. But only one specific type of .22. Federal AutoMatch. My bolt action Marlin just eats it up. I have ammo cans full of it because it's my go-to squirrel and target round. When supplies begin thinning out in my area, it's the first to disappear. So I always have quite a bit on hand.

 

[bannockburn]

berettaprofessor

Sounds like you did alright at that price. Still doing okay with my small stockpile of Wolf Match Target, CCI MiniMags, and Federal Auto Match. None of my .22s ever did all that great, accuracy wise, with Eley Target ammo.

 

[entropy]

I wouldn't call that panic buying, I'd call that a smart investment!

 

[Reloadron]

Whenever I see 22 LR for a good price I buy it. I have been doing that for decades and that is likely why shortages, droughts, and other disasters in the supply line have not affected me. Great deal on the Eley. Looking back over the past summer I really didn't shoot much 22 LR. Think I was just to preoccupied with 223 and 308. Anyway, you can never have too much of 22 LR. Good move!

Ron

 

[FROGO207]

Now that .22 ammo is basically back on the shelf, when I find a good deal I will buy it two bulk boxes at a time. One to shoot , one to put back. Just like I have been doing for the last 30 or so years when I had the spare cash. Stabilizes my supply and is a hedge against inflation IMHO. If you bought EVERY round of .22 in the store that MIGHT be considered a panic buy.

 

[Hokie_PhD]

Now that .22 ammo is basically back on the shelf, when I find a good deal I will buy it two bulk boxes at a time. One to shoot , one to put back. Just like I have been doing for the last 30 or so years when I had the spare cash. Stabilizes my supply and is a hedge against inflation IMHO. If you bought EVERY round of .22 in the store that MIGHT be considered a panic buy.

I was going to comment earlier but waited. I’m glad you said that.

I agree folks should buy when see a good bargain, and can afford it. But I’d say buying just to buy and not use is hoarding in my opinion.

Like you, I have a system. I buy what I use times two. One to replace what I used and one to build up my supply as I’m still fairly new and don’t have what I feel will get through the next panic yet. What I don’t do is buy up all I can just to build my p a supply.

Now I held off commenting as others will disagree with me and that’s fine. That’s the beauty of our (still as of now) free country.

 

[H3NT3]

That is a good price for Eley! Normally that stuff can be expensive for rim fire.

I myself did a sort of impulse buy of .22LR recently. 2075 of Fiocchi. 1575 of which came with a free plastic ammo can for $117. Online with free shipping after $100 of other "needed" items.

Got to get it while we can.

One of the "needed" items were some NRA Lifelike paper targets of wabbits and squirrels. Beautiful targets worthy of being framed IMO. Will pair nicely with your Eley.

 

[ontarget]

I tend to buy what I can whenever I can when it comes to ammo. I only have a back stock of .22 and 9mm though. Everything else gets shot up.

 

[caribou]

Ammo, Money, gasoline, etc....who could have enough??

Rock on!

 

[KansasSasquatch]

I don't shoot near as much .22 as I did before the panic of 2013. I started reloading (and casting bullets) in 2012 and found that I can reload centerfire handgun ammo for about the same cost of buying .22lr during the panic. But lately I've been considering buying at least one bulk pack of .22 every month. My oldest kid, out of three, is turning 6 this month and I figure now is a good time to start stocking up on "learning ammo" for the kids. My oldest has already done some target shooting with me once or twice and next spring/summer I'd like to take her shooting once a month.

It'd probably be a good thing if more people buy .22lr on a regular basis, even if they aren't using it up right away. Then maybe everyone would have at least a small stash and manufacturers could keep making it at a steady rate instead of having to crank the factories up to full blast overnight.

 

[22-rimfire]

Whenever I see 22 LR for a good price I buy it. I have been doing that for decades and that is likely why shortages, droughts, and other disasters in the supply line have not affected me. Great deal on the Eley. Looking back over the past summer I really didn't shoot much 22 LR. Think I was just to preoccupied with 223 and 308. Anyway, you can never have too much of 22 LR. Good move!

I haven't been impacted either as I had quite a cache of 22 LR before the panic and still do. I try to resist buying any now unless the price is really good or it's target grade ammo like you bought.

 

[hdwhit]

My father just used up the last of the 22LR that I bought at MagicMart (remember them?) in the late-1970's early 1980's. I'm still sitting on more than 11,000 rounds of 22LR that were acquired pre-panic, para-panic and post-panic, so I think I'm good and will instead concentrate on adding more components for 223. .

 

[hdwhit]

My oldest kid, out of three, is turning 6 this month and I figure now is a good time to start stocking up on "learning ammo"...

Congratulations. Take the time to teach them well.

My oldest is 27 and one of my few regrets is that I didn't spend more time teaching him.

 

[BullSlinger]

It still makes me shake my head in wonder that there was a run on 22 cal ammo. The whole thing took me by surprise but indeed it did happen.
I saw posts of people hording with pictures of stacks of 22 ammo on pallets even, showing off their stash and bricks going for more than a hundred dollars. It was all due to panic buying and greed.
I have never been a high volume shooter of 22 as an adult, a brick will last me a year usually but I too got caught up in it and paid high prices to have a thousand rounds on hand. Gave a brick to a friend when he wanted to take scouts out and couldn't find enough.
Now that it is once again not in short supply I have picked up a couple of bricks and will buy a few more when I see it for good prices (less than $30 per brick. It was just a few short years ago that Big 5 would advertise Federal Golden for $13 a brick.
To think that this happened due to a false shortage and driven by all of us being interconnected on the internet.

 

[Reloadron]

It still makes me shake my head in wonder that there was a run on 22 cal ammo. The whole thing took me by surprise but indeed it did happen.
I saw posts of people hording with pictures of stacks of 22 ammo on pallets even, showing off their stash and bricks going for more than a hundred dollars. It was all due to panic buying and greed.

First just about all ammunition was gone off the store shelves. The 22 stuff went fast but consider, aside from a few novelties you can't make your own. Just about all reloading supplies, powder, primers and bullets were also gone from the shelves.

Ron

 

[Elkins45]

CMP sent an email a few weeks ago offering a case of Eley standard velocity ammo made for CMP. It was $358 shipped. That’s $35.80 per brick. Given that I have been paying $39 a brick for CCI standard velocity I decided to splurge and pick up a case. I don’t regret the decision.

Now that I own a silencer I pretty much only shoot subsonic ammo these days.

To think that this happened due to a false shortage

If you can’t find ammo it sure feels like a real shortage.

 

[Reloadron]

CMP sent an email a few weeks ago offering a case of Eley standard velocity ammo made for CMP. It was $358 shipped. That’s $35.80 per brick. Given that I have been paying $39 a brick for CCI standard velocity I decided to splurge and pick up a case. I don’t regret the decision.

Now that I own a silencer I pretty much only shoot subsonic ammo these days.

A good example of it was there and the price was right so buy it. Should another shortage happen or when another shortage happens doing this makes for well prepared. Not saying with a wife and young children blow the grocery money on ammunition but if something comes along and you can manage it then buy it.

Ron

 

[RedlegRick]

I do look for deals when they come around, but there's still people where I live who hoard. Never had much of a problem during the crisis, I have a single shot rifle and only one pistol in .22 to worry about. Buy one, store one is a good tactic.

 

[Axis II]

I do it, too. But only one specific type of .22. Federal AutoMatch. My bolt action Marlin just eats it up. I have ammo cans full of it because it's my go-to squirrel and target round. When supplies begin thinning out in my area, it's the first to disappear. So I always have quite a bit on hand.

I did the same thing after my savage shot a ragged hole with it and got a couple bricks that wont shoot worth a hoot. I took it out and sighted it in and got 1 shots in a large ragged hole and squirrel hunted Saturday and couldn't hit squat but put some more of it in the mag and popped a squirrel next round about. My buddy said he could tell a difference in sound without ear plugs.

 

[1911 guy]

I did the same thing after my savage shot a ragged hole with it and got a couple bricks that wont shoot worth a hoot. I took it out and sighted it in and got 1 shots in a large ragged hole and squirrel hunted Saturday and couldn't hit squat but put some more of it in the mag and popped a squirrel next round about. My buddy said he could tell a difference in sound without ear plugs.

How close did you look at the packaging? I got a little miffed at Federal a while back when they changed their packaging. The AutoMatch and some of the "cheaper stuff" have similar packaging now. I almost made the same mistake a while back. Had it at the register and happened to look at it again while talking with the cashier.

 

[BrocLuno]

Which is the "good" Auto-Match and which is the "bad" ...

 

[Axis II]

How close did you look at the packaging? I got a little miffed at Federal a while back when they changed their packaging. The AutoMatch and some of the "cheaper stuff" have similar packaging now. I almost made the same mistake a while back. Had it at the register and happened to look at it again while talking with the cashier.

its auto match. dicks would run sales on them sunday only for like $20 so I would grab two each time. white box with a black ring says auto match. I did email federal and they said send the receipt and upc to them but I burn ammo receipts cause ammo is non refundable. When sighting in with it I would fire 10 shots at a circle the size of a squirrel head and got 3-4 that went haywire and others that would stack in the circle. I like cci standard the best but its hard to find and $5=50rds. I also get minute of squirrel head with thunderbolts believe it or not but I'm thinking aguilla in the yellow box will be my squirrel ammo cause 10 shots all in that circle and not one flier.

 

[1911 guy]

Ohihunter, sorry to hear about your luck with it. Especially since i have thousands of rounds of it stored with no way to match receipts to boxes, should i have a problem. I'm not overly surprised about the Thunderbolts, either. My son's .22 eats it up. We get the odd failure to fire once every couple hundred rounds, but otherwise it's decent.

BrocLuno, I have no idea. Apparently, it's variation within lots, not "good" lots and "bad" lots. I might consider cracking open a few boxes just to sample check for future reference.