Is It Time To Stockpile Ammo?

[luv2safari]

I am of the opinion that we should be adding to our loaded ammo personal reserves, not playing spray-n-pray games and leaving the ground glittering with spent brass. A global conflagration is a real possibility, and there won't be recreational shooting if it happens.

My two 21y/o grandsons and two of their friends came out a week ago to do some shooting. They went through more ammo in two hours than I burn in a year and thought nothing of it. When they got done shooting all of theirs and too much of mine I asked them how much do they have at home. They looked dumbfounded and said they just go to Scheels and buy what they're going to shoot a given day.

I'm not advocating hoarding, just some judicious buying. I think a well thought out plan to accumulate 22LR, 38 Spl, 9mm, 223, and 308 ammo is something most of us should consider. Watch for sales and pick up a few boxes of what you shoot. With China pressing forward against Taiwan, Russian aggression, and the Middle East fuse now lit on that powder keg chances of a black swan flying are all to real.

What ammo should each of you consider buying more of, bearing in mind it might never again be plentiful and affordable?

 

[HB]

I write the date and price of ammo when I buy it on the box. Seems like 2017 was the time to stock.

I am still shooting Remington UMC 9mm that I paid $10/box at Walmart and got a $5 rebate on each.

 

[Will Munny]

In this era is never NOT the time to stockpile. We are just one bad election away from not being able to buy ammo at reasonable prices or at all. Either due to an outright ban or a run on ammo that outstrips demand (possibly induced by design).

 

[Electrod47]

If your a reloader....you will usually, as a normal course of action, have thousands of rounds on hand loaded and the ability to double or triple that amount on demand, before ever going somewhere or getting online.
Waiting on Academy or LuckyGunner to have a sale, is well.......not a good plan.

 

[Gun-Reck]

There is a prudent number of rounds, per barrel, that a Citizen Militia should possess for contingencies.

The cold Civil War started in 2012.

 

[wayneinFL]

If your a reloader....you will usually, as a normal course of action, have thousands of rounds on hand loaded and the ability to double or triple that amount on demand, before ever going somewhere or getting online.
Waiting on Academy or LuckyGunner to have a sale, is well.......not a good plan.

I thought so, too. But then small pistol primers became unavailable. Last time I checked they're available, but almost the price of loaded ammunition.

Got 15,000 large pistol primers though, from back when they were $120 a case. But not shooting a lot of 45 and 10mm.

 

[bummer7]

If your a reloader....you will usually, as a normal course of action, have thousands of rounds on hand loaded and the ability to double or triple that amount on demand, before ever going somewhere or getting online.
Waiting on Academy or LuckyGunner to have a sale, is well.......not a good plan.

Stock up when you can. Also a good time to take up reloading too.

 

[Mk-211]

Unless you're bugging in, how many rounds do you think you can carry?

You can have an ammo fort a mile high and unless you have a semi, it's sitting right there. Of course when you run out of fuel, it just got moved closer for others to get to.

Nothing wrong with having a stash but if things go wrong, as in really wrong, you might be lucky to trade with people that are close.

If anyone knows where you live, finds out that you have a stash, they might come looking.

I'm sure most younger people think that none of this can ever happen. Until it happens and would probably sell/trade their guns for a different hobby.

 

[.455_Hunter]

If there is ammo on the self, it's never a bad time to stock up. Of course, I started hoarding ammo at age 12, so may not be the best person to ask.

For example, basic 9mm 115 gr FMJ is available in Denver Metro at $12 a box OTC with just a bit of looking. Not sure how it will get much cheaper in the future.

 

[reddog81]

I don't think prices will be going down much for the remainder of this year so I have bought some loaded ammo, components and played spray and play games over the last few months. That's on top of having reserves to continue shooting 1,000's of rounds per year without interruption for the next few years.

 

[GBExpat]

What ammo should each of you consider buying more of, bearing in mind it might never again be plentiful and affordable?

Buy/stockpile whatever you can reasonably & responsibly afford. Ammo & components will, almost certainly, never get cheaper.

I think that a lot of the membership here have been able to stock-up on ammo and/or components over the past decade, or so.

I am lucky to still have untouched cases of milsurp ammo that I acquired 20 years ago when it was stunningly "affordable" in addition to a healthy base of reloading components ... and I will still periodically buy a case (or two) of something well-priced & available.

 

[Lo-Profile]

I've been securing ammo since Clinton was in office for when the time comes.

Last time I sorted everything I found a case of 45 ACP I forgot I had.

 

[LiveLife]

I write the date and price of ammo when I buy it on the box. Seems like 2017 was the time to stock.

After the "Great Shortage of 2013", in 2017 we were hovering sub $30/500 shipped for 22LR - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...ammo-for-sale-under-30-for-500-rounds.825048/

Then in 2019, we tracked pricing of 22LR all the way down to sub $15/500 shipped and started stocking up at $14-$16/500 back towards $18/500 - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...ammo-for-sale-under-30-for-500-rounds.825048/

---

This time, Covid triggered shortage pushed 22LR prices back up over $50/500 and we started tracking in early 2022 when it fell below $50/500 shipped - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...-lowest-shipped-pricing.902560/#post-12229045

By June of 2022, prices fell below $40/500 shipped - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...t-shipped-pricing.902560/page-6#post-12330622

And by October 2022, prices fell below $30/500 shipped - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...t-shipped-pricing.902560/page-9#post-12431604

Prices hovered there for a while but by June of 2023, prices fell below $25/500 shipped - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...-shipped-pricing.902560/page-12#post-12647254

We briefly dipped below $23/500 shipped in August of 2023 - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...-shipped-pricing.902560/page-14#post-12702029

But by February of 2024, we were going back towards $25/500 shipped - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...-shipped-pricing.902560/page-16#post-12822377

And with protracted war in Ukraine with Gaza war, we are back above $25/500 shipped currently hovering around $27-$28/500 shipped - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...-shipped-pricing.902560/page-16#post-12877535

I was anticipating prices to continue falling towards $20/500 but didn't anticipate Gaza war ...

So we could call $23-$25/500 recent bottom of 22LR pricing from August 2023 through March 2024.

Why the recent price increase?

If you coincide the price bottom with calendar months, yup ... Winter months and likely demand for shooting/ammunition went down to increase supply. And as we approach spring, people are likely starting to shoot and stocking up for summer to increase demand.

So do I think price will continue increasing or fall back down?

I think that depends on global production capacity and with EU/NATO countries ramping up military stock piles again, foreign supply side may not increase as fast. Domestically, CCI/Speer/Federal/Remington ammunition companies are being sold to a Czech company which leaves us with Mexican Aguila and Philippines Armscor, hence why they have been so prominent and competitively priced recently.

I am not stock piling 22LR yet as I want to continue monitoring the prices further and since I reload all other calibers I shoot, I am not affected by centerfire ammunition price fluctuations (Maybe there will be another bottom depending on the outcome of November election heading into the winter of 2024).

If you need 22LR now to shoot, you can refer to "Lowest prices shipped" thread to buy some now - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...-shipped-pricing.902560/page-16#post-12877535

 

[HB]

After the "Great Shortage of 2013", in 2017 we were hovering sub $30/500 shipped for 22LR - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...ammo-for-sale-under-30-for-500-rounds.825048/

Then in 2019, we tracked pricing of 22LR all the way down to sub $15/500 shipped and started stocking up at $14-$16/500 back towards $18/500 - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...ammo-for-sale-under-30-for-500-rounds.825048/

---

This time, Covid triggered shortage pushed 22LR prices back up over $50/500 and we started tracking in early 2022 when it fell below $50/500 shipped - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...-lowest-shipped-pricing.902560/#post-12229045

By June of 2022, prices fell below $40/500 shipped - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...t-shipped-pricing.902560/page-6#post-12330622

And by October 2022, prices fell below $30/500 shipped - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...t-shipped-pricing.902560/page-9#post-12431604

Prices hovered there for a while but by June of 2023, prices fell below $25/500 shipped - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...-shipped-pricing.902560/page-12#post-12647254

We briefly dipped below $23/500 shipped in August of 2023 - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...-shipped-pricing.902560/page-14#post-12702029

But by February of 2024, we were going back towards $25/500 shipped - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...-shipped-pricing.902560/page-16#post-12822377

And with protracted war in Ukraine with Gaza war, we are back above $25/500 shipped currently hovering around $27-$28/500 shipped - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...-shipped-pricing.902560/page-16#post-12877535

I was anticipating prices to continue falling towards $20/500 but didn't anticipate Gaza war ...

So we could call $23-$25/500 recent bottom of 22LR pricing from August 2023 through March 2024.

Why the recent price increase?

If you coincide the price bottom with calendar months, yup ... Winter months and likely demand for shooting/ammunition went down to increase supply. And as we approach spring, people are likely starting to shoot and stocking up for summer to increase demand.

So do I think price will continue increasing or fall back down?

I think that depends on global production capacity and with EU/NATO countries ramping up military stock piles again, foreign supply side may not increase as fast. Domestically, CCI/Speer/Federal/Remington ammunition companies are being sold to a Czech company which leaves us with Mexican Aguila and Philippines Armscor, hence why they have been so prominent and competitively priced recently.

I am not stock piling 22LR yet as I want to continue monitoring the prices further and since I reload all other calibers I shoot, I am not affected by centerfire ammunition price fluctuations (Maybe there will be another bottom depending on the outcome of November election heading into the winter of 2024).

If you need 22LR now to shoot, you can refer to "Lowest prices shipped" thread to buy some now - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...-shipped-pricing.902560/page-16#post-12877535

This is awesome. I recently purchased 5000 rnds at Sportsmans Warehouse for $275.49. This is the best deal I found in a while. Adjusted for inflation, I can’t remember any deals like that in the last few years.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I keep my stocks up on rim-fire ammo and reloading supplies.

 

[Miami_JBT]

I've been buying cheap and stacking deep since Clinton.

 

[CaptHank]

I've been on a mission to reload as much 10mm, 45 ACP, 0.223 and 0.308. I have full cans as shown here, along with full cans in the bed of my truck. The price of powder is a shock now, along with other components.

 

[gwpercle]

I began stock piling Powder , Primers , Brass cases , bullet moulds , wheel weights and 22 Rimfire ammo in 2007-2008 ... I have since moved to full blown Hoarding .
You a little late !
Gary

 

[Miami_JBT]

I've been on a mission to reload as much 10mm, 45 ACP, 0.223 and 0.308. I have full cans as shown here, along with full cans in the bed of my truck. The price of powder is a shock now, along with other components.

View attachment 1205043View attachment 1205044

The shelves are double stacked too. So there are ammo.cans behind the ammo cans.

 

[DustyRusty]

anyone have that cost analysis on a graph?
The pictures are great

 

[DMW1116]

I try to keep my stock constant. I have enough that if I fall below a certain amount, I will have to stop shooting for fun. It's enough that if it won't solve the problem, I won't be around to worry about it anymore.

 

[N555]

The answer is always yes.

 

[dartor]

I thought so, too. But then small pistol primers became unavailable. Last time I checked they're available, but almost the price of loaded ammunition.

Got 15,000 large pistol primers though, from back when they were $120 a case. But not shooting a lot of 45 and 10mm.

If you get the itch to shoot the 45 and 10mm they do make brass that uses small pistol primers.
I haven't tried them yet, but I've heard the difference in 45 is negligible. Haven't heard any reports on 10mm using small pistol primers.

 

[LiveLife]

45 ... brass that uses small pistol primers.
I haven't tried them yet, but I've heard the difference in 45 is negligible.

Yes - https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...ed-with-small-pistol-primers-in-45acp.929359/

 

[HB]

I try to keep my stock constant. I have enough that if I fall below a certain amount, I will have to stop shooting for fun. It's enough that if it won't solve the problem, I won't be around to worry about it anymore.

This is my plan and recommend it to others. There are guys that rarely shoot that keep 50,000 .223 on hand. I don’t understand that mentality and think its like the toilet paper mentality of 2020… except I assume they use TP.

If you shoot 1000 rounds of 9mm a year (about 2 boxes a month), then it makes sense to have maybe 4000 rnds on hand. If you shoot a box twice a year, you might consider investing money elsewhere. Notice my 4 year stock…