Price and Availability

[DDDWho]

As I poke around at gun and ammo websites I’m overwhelmed at ammo prices which are sometimes 3-4X what they were just a few months ago. Guns likewise are staggeringly high priced. All of this while so much stuff is out of stock. I always think I need more ammo but I refuse to pay current prices. Guns the same. I’m just going to set on what I have and thank Gawd for it.

 

[Lennyjoe]

Best thing to do now is be patient and keep your eye out for acceptable deals. We've all been suffering the same as everyone else with the market the way it is. Some learned from the Obama era to increase stock when prices are good and to hold the line when prices rise.

 

[lightman]

Yeah, prices are crazy right now. I pretty often browse around on Ebay and Gunbroker and I'm amazed at some of the prices. I'm not holding anything against the sellers if they have a low opening bid and the buyers bid it up to the crazy level.

Back about the start of this Pandemonium I paid a crazy price for a H&G bullet mold. I wanted a certain mold to round out my collection and I had to pay the price. It didn't really have anything to do with the Pandemonium, it was just a rare mold.

 

[rust collector]

Most of us have some concept of the value of our ammo choices, and will buy when prices fall within that range. The market will move toward equilibrium, but it will take awhile.

 

[NuShootr]

Most of us have some concept of the value of our ammo choices, and will buy when prices fall within that range. The market will move toward equilibrium, but it will take awhile.

What's funny to me, as I am new to the game, I look at the prices and tell myself "it is what it is". I really have no concept of what it used be. I bought 800 rounds of 22LR at $150 and thought I got a good deal. Only to do some online browsing and find these "bucket o' bullets" of 1600 22LR rounds that used to sell for $70. I was like, "damn...must have been nice". But to me, my overwhelming feeling of need to protect those I love doesn't come with a price tag. It's hard on the wallet, but helps me sleep at night. And yes, I realize that a 22 rifle might not be the ideal choice for protection, but I'm easing my family into this, and that's most important of all.

 

[FROGO207]

I am thankful that this not being the first rodeo I have been to and all the signs helped me to stock up on a bunch of things ahead of time. This is going to be a more prolonged problem than a lot of the population is prepared for I am afraid. There is light at the end of the tunnel but we may have to vote our way out of this mess. Ammo is still trickling in at more or less reasonable prices so keep looking and some will show up here and there for those willing to put in the effort. We will adjust to it like we have every other time in the past.

 

[MosinT53Hunter]

What's funny to me, as I am new to the game, I look at the prices and tell myself "it is what it is". I really have no concept of what it used be. I bought 800 rounds of 22LR at $150 and thought I got a good deal. Only to do some online browsing and find these "bucket o' bullets" of 1600 22LR rounds that used to sell for $70. I was like, "damn...must have been nice". But to me, my overwhelming feeling of need to protect those I love doesn't come with a price tag. It's hard on the wallet, but helps me sleep at night. And yes, I realize that a 22 rifle might not be the ideal choice for protection, but I'm easing my family into this, and that's most important of all.

I know 22. lr ammo is scarce where your at, but man...
That's spendy for 22., even in my neck of the woods. I bought 400 rounds of CCI for about $32 just yesterday locally.
Sure hope the prices go down for you soon.

 

[NuShootr]

I know 22. lr ammo is scarce where your at, but man...
That's spendy for 22., even in my neck of the woods. I bought 400 rounds of CCI for about $32 just yesterday locally.
Sure hope the prices go down for you soon.

I was lucky to find it! Most ranges near me won't sell you ammo at all, unless you're using it at their range right then. Sure, if you buy a bunch, but don't use it during your range time, you can take it with you, but I can't just walk into a shop and buy ammo now. I am a frequent customer at a pistol/rifle/archery range place so they look out for me for ammo and that was the best they had. And the shops that don't have ranges have zero ammo.
I'm also buying up 9mm Luger when I can find it at $40 for 50 rounds. Don't have a 9mm yet, but will soon start trying some out for a future purchase. So far, I only have 50 rounds, LOL.

 

[CDW4ME]

I'm sure glad I bought ammo in summer 2020 when FMJ 357 Sig / 40 S&W / 10mm was still forty cents a round, delivered.

 

[Harriw]

I got into shooting right when the various Obama panics hit. I learned my lesson well: when Trump was elected and prices dropped like a rock I did what I could in 2018, 2019, and early 2020 to stock up.

There are still reasonable deals out there, but you have to put in the phone and leg work to find them. At least around here I find most of the big box outdoor stores are still keeping their prices roughly where they were (their prices weren't terribly good pre-panic, but those same prices are the best around now) - they're just limiting per-person quantities. Even with the limits though, when they get a shipment, you have to get there before it's all gone. They're even getting in powder and primers sporadically, but in small quantities.

I'm not a wise old sage or anything, and I don't mean to preach. I'm just passing along the advice that was given to me last time around. Let this be your lesson, and act accordingly if/when prices ever do drop again: buy cheap, and stack it deep. These panics are cyclic, and even if this one ends it WILL happen again.