.22 ammo-NDR

Dwight Harley

Dwight Harley

Well-known member
I stopped by Cabela's this afternoon to pick up some .22 LR ammo. The guy in the gun department said "we don't have any". I asked why don't you have any and when will you get some? He said "I don't know". What the hell?
 
I stopped by Cabela's this afternoon to pick up some .22 LR ammo. The guy in the gun department said "we don't have any". I asked why don't you have any and when will you get some? He said "I don't know". What the hell?
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It has been that way for a couple years now. Lot of hoarding. It is out there, just have to look for it. Shame.
 
Have not seen much around in Southern New England in years. Can find overpriced fifty packs but no bulk packs of 500. I imagine they will be even harder to find with all the issues in the news and the political chatter about gun control.
 
None here anywhere and I have been looking every time I go into a store that sells ammo. Even have friends looking for me.

Mark W
 
Nothing around here except some anemic off brand stuff. I haven't seen CCI Mini Mags in a couple years. The hoarding is out of control. I'm not sure why .22 shells.

Tim
 
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It has been that way since the Sandy Hook shooting. When I was in ND this fall we stopped in a little gun shop that had 500 rounds for $75. Too pricey for me to buy any.
 
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Not sure why Sandy Hook would have anything to do with it.....there seems to be plenty of .17 rimfire ammo and every kind of center fire ammo available
 
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All I've seen around me is 50 packs of the expensive match-grade stuff. It all started with Sandy Hook. Some folks started talking about gun control and some other folks panicked and started buying guns, ammo, whatever they could get before the government outlawed it. Of course the government didn't outlaw anything, but for whatever reason the hoarding has kept up with the .22 stuff. I for one don't get it. there must be guys out there that have 10's of thousands of rounds of the stuff in their basement that'll never see the light of day. Probably some other guys that are buying and selling for profit. Luckily I don't use much of the stuff so I haven't needed to buy any in a long time.

A friend of mine wanted to get back into duck hunting around the same time this all took place. He literally had to call Gander Mtn. and put a hold on an 870 and then go there and take a number (like at the DOT) and wait to buy a gun. It was crazy.
 
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2013/10/20/remaining-lead-smelter-usa-closing/

I'll post this and pass on a conversation I had with a Cabela's store manager last spring. Lead long gun metal is now imported. The dollar is strong relative to most export nation's currencies. Ammunition manufacturers have opted to put most of the expenditures into rounds for calibers that will generate better return. As a portion of the .22 caliber production has dried-up, hoarders have made a point of jumping on any shipment, buying it up and either reselling it on-line at extreme mark-up, or sitting on their supply. He shared with his own analysis of a shipment his store received. When the .22 rounds were placed on the shelf, several folks showed-up and purchased all of the existing inventory, literally overnight. He said he tracked a couple of on-line sites and monitored the location of the folks posting new .22 round quantities for sale at, what he called extreme mark-ups. He said he saw his shipment for sale on-line, that's right, nearly the entire shipment up for sale on-line.
 
Capitalism at it's finest, right there. Buy cheap and sell for a big profit.

As Tod stated, it's been scarce for a couple years now.

Since my son grew up and moved away, (taking with him the last remnants of my .22 rounds), I dont plink nearly as much anymore so I haven't needed it. Luckily, I have about 100 rounds which will last me a while. Picked it up one evening at Wally World. I saw it sitting on a shelf and didn't hesitate to get out my wallet.

Jon
 
This is really ridiculous. I could understand a depletion of stock from a surge in buying/hoarding. But this is years now! They could've built entire factories by now.
And they should! You'd have to be an idiot, not to recognize the tremendous market demand for .22LR.
 
China is a chief lead source. Here is a U.S. Dollar/Chinese Yuan chart for two years:
http://www.xe.com/currencycharts/?from=CNY&to=USD&view=2Y

The Chinese have artificially inflated the value of their currency for decades, until their stock market declines in September of this year. Manufacturing base is shifting out of China and into other southeast Asian countries, particularly for clothing and textiles, slowing the Chinese economic growth and base.
 
Gander keeps some in stock; HOWEVER, it's kept behind locked doors and reserved for anybody purchasing a .22 caliber rifle or handgun. Otherwise it wouldn't stay on the shelves for very long. I suspect the bigger stores are doing the same thing with their allotment of .22 ammo.
 
Not that it helps you at all but the Gander Mtn in Portage, MI had std velocity Federal .22 ammo on the shelf this past Tuesday, (Dec. 1st), with a two box per customer limit. Until my grandson gets old enough to shoulder a rifle, I have all I need. Maybe the "crisis" will be past by then, but as long as there is money to be made, I doubt it.
 
Everyone knows that when it comes time to fight off the zombie apocalyse, it's 22LR you want. Forget centerfire rifle, pistol, or shotgun ammo. Only 22 will really take out the bad guys.
 
Our local sporting goods stores have signs indicating a max limit of one 500-round brick per visit but ya wouldn't know it by looking at the empty shelves. I'm not convinced it ever makes it to the shelves.
 
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