Psychology of .22 hoarding

[Stomper]

we are at the end of the .22 shortage. Its burnt out. It make take 6 months or a year to normalize but the problems are in the past.

So, THAT's how you manage to cry yourself to sleep at night!!

 

[mcfoto]

I don't shoot rimfire nearly as much as I used to, in no small part because of the scarcity of the ammo. If there was ammo to be had on the shelves no matter what day or time I walk into a store, I would shoot more often.

+1. This was a big motivation in buying and now primarily shooting my XDM. At this point, I feel confident I can walk into any store that sells ammo and get 9mm. A friend with a Glock warned me that 9mm has had its time as scarce as well, but agree that I'd shoot more .22 if I was more confident that I could replace what shoot.

 

[Gator Monroe]

we are at the end of the .22 shortage. Its burnt out. It make take 6 months or a year to normalize but the problems are in the past.

Total BS ! I have not seen one Bulk Box at either of the Super WAL*MART stores in Shasta County in well over 2 Years and doubt it will suddenly improve this Summer.

 

[IronMonster]

Total BS ! I have not seen one Bulk Box at either of the Super WAL*MART stores in Shasta County in well over 2 Years and doubt it will suddenly improve this Summer.

Ive seen .22 at Walmart, Coastal farm store, Sportsman's, and Cabelas just in the last few months.

I think you need to get out more.

 

[Gator Monroe]

Drive to Medford or Woodland/Sacto for Ammo ? (I've seen lotsa Bulk Box .22 at Funshows but at 4X+the price, if you saw bulk box or bucket 22 at 2o12 prices and did not buy it for your hard up friends or self thats on you.

 

[IronMonster]

I actually have bought quite a lot and given it away.

I dont have any hard up friends, Because they are my friends and I had plenty to share. Like I said I have shot and gave away at least 20,000 rounds in the last few years.

 

[mcfoto]

As a noob, I can't give an educationed opinion on whether the shortage is waning or not but in my few months of experience, I have seen relative feast or famine. A few short weeks age, I ran through a lucky patch where I was consistantly able to buy 100 rounds every time I dropped in to one of my regular stops. At that time, I was even considering a second .22 gun, feeling confident I would be able to find ammo for it. The week before last that source dried up and I haven't seen it anywhere on my circuit. Plans for another.22 are now on hold...

 

[The Heretic]

I indeed don't "get out much"; I get into a store that might have ammo maybe once a month at most. Been into two in the last two weeks, one was said to have ammo a couple of weeks ago. The shelves were bare, even of premium ammo.

I have bought all my ammo in the last year from people on this forum, at 6 to 7 cents per round, which isn't a deal, but isn't exactly scalper prices either.

I shouldn't have to go into every store that might possibly have ammo on particular days of the week at certain times of the day. I have a job, I can't afford to be waiting at the counter of Bi-mart on a weekday morning at 10 AM waiting for their shipment to get in. That reminds me of the bread lines in Russia.

Can I sometimes order it from Cabelas now that there is a local store where I can pick it up? Maybe once every couple of months, if I want to go out of my way for a single bric - they still limit it to a single brick per customer. Rationing it like that is still an indication that the supply isn't anywhere near meeting demand (although yes, some of that is due to scalpers).

 

[d2the3]

we are at the end of the .22 shortage. Its burnt out. It make take 6 months or a year to normalize but the problems are in the past.

Very, very highly doubt that!! In 6 to 12 months do you really think it will be back to "normal" however you want to define that?

 

[WAYNO]

Folks profess the rimfire shortage is nearly over, and they can cite the places they've seen ammo available recently to prove their point. I've seen it available a time or two at these places too, but there's not one of these places I could go to today and find it on the shelf. I don't see the end in sight.

(in my area)...Bi-Mart had it on the shelf more often than other places for actually quite a little spell, but they've dried up again, unless you've got inside information of when they're receiving or have received a shipment.

Bi-Mart, as other places, would claim they do not let their employees be involved in anybodies ammo-scalping schemes, but I saw it first hand... An employee bringing a bunch of boxes of .380 when it was unavailable, from the back room that never hit the sales shelf, go straight into a shopping basket of another off duty employee, and to the checkstand.

WAYNO.

 

[IronMonster]

I do, Just as other "shortages" resolve themselves there is almost always a overshoot where there is a glut of supply. There is no shortage. There is more .22LR held in private hands at this very moment than there has ever been, EVER. There are hundreds of billions of unfired .22 rounds in private hands. We are past the saturation point. People are not buying from resellers, the resellers are not as rabid as they once where. Most of the time you see a brick posted for $40 it simply does not sell. When it doesn't sell the reseller quits buying more. At some point the average .22 shooter thinks he as enough and lets it sit on the self rather than adding to the 5 bricks he already has at home (when before the panic he only kept a few boxes, a brick at most). We are past the worst of it, it will come back slowly at first and then all at once. Just like AR's and parts along with other ammo after Sandy Hook it will trickle back and then be a glut. I think that within a year you will see .22 everywhere and at pre panic prices.

 

[d2the3]

I hope so!

 

[Stomper]

Folks profess the rimfire shortage is nearly over, and they can cite the places they've seen ammo available recently to prove their point. I've seen it available a time or two at these places too, but there's not one of these places I could go to today and find it on the shelf. I don't see the end in sight.

(in my area)...Bi-Mart had it on the shelf more often than other places for actually quite a little spell, but they've dried up again, unless you've got inside information of when they're receiving or have received a shipment.

Bi-Mart, as other places, would claim they do not let their employees be involved in anybodies ammo-scalping schemes, but I saw it first hand... An employee bringing a bunch of boxes of .380 when it was unavailable, from the back room that never hit the sales shelf, go straight into a shopping basket of another off duty employee, and to the checkstand.

WAYNO.

Well, at LEAST they bought it. Stealing it would just cause Bi-Mart to raise their prices, yes?

 

[RVTECH]

but there's not one of these places I could go to today and find it on the shelf. I don't see the end in sight.

Pretty much the same in Central Oregon also. I did see some last week on the shelf of an independent but it was essentially 'scalper' priced - and will most likely stay on the shelf at what it was priced. I'll consider the 'end in sight' when I can walk in a common location for it - and see it on the shelf - and staying there due to re-stock.

 

[156256Hunter]

Very, very highly doubt that!! In 6 to 12 months do you really think it will be back to "normal" however you want to define that?

I'd define "normal" as Sportsman's having an entire pallet of 500 rd bricks like 3 or so years ago. I can't foresee that happening any time soon. Sometimes stores have a few to several boxes of .22, but even with a purchasing limit it's all gone in a day or two.

I'd like to attribute the "shortage" to more and more people having hi cap .22 rifles and/ or conversion kits for their ARs, glocks and 1911s (which means more .22 is consumed), and also to many people simply buying. 22 ammo just because it's on the shelf, and if they dont buy it then someone else will (which with enough people thinking that way, results in a bare shelf).

 

[Nick Burkhardt]

I don't pay scalper prices. WalMart, BiMart, Big R, Ranch & Home and Sportsmans all have decent prices. The trick is finding some in stock.

 

[wickedgoodoutdoors]

I asked if they had and bricks of .22 at walmart the other day and the clerk told me that Obama has made it all really hard to get because it is the number one type of ammo that the terrorists prefer and that the .22 is the most powerful deadly ammo and must be kept out of the hands of people because they just cant have it. Seeing that makes so much sense.

I figure that Ill just have to go git me one of those old flintlock muskets


PINKING: (plink-ing) The act of shooting 1,000 to 2,000 shots of .22 rimfire at beer cans in an hour or less.
common in the 20th century until the evil .22 rimfire was discovered to be unfit for common man.

 

[rick benjamin]

I'm gonna miss harassing the gun counter help
"How can I help you?"
"Want anti-tank, zombie killing, home defense .22 bullets"
"Not today, maybe tomorrow"

 

[Benchrest]

I don't know... 25 years ago I shot a lot of 22, and fond memories lead me to believe it was much more reliable than it is today. That old Model 60 is long gone, a so seems the fun of shooting 22.

Sitting in the safe are two rifles & two pistols - well maintained, and of good quality, but rarely are they shot.

I have about 5k, and have no interest in owning more.

9s, 10s, & .308s are more fun anyway

 

[boogerhook]

The problem? Deciding when I have "enough."

I probably have between 1500 and 3000 rds of .22 at any given time. Just comes with owning several handguns and rifles in that caliber. Despite the price hikes, they are still cheaper to shoot than anything else. I'll go at least twice a month, shoot at least 200 rds, so that's 5000 rds per year. To answer your question: it's not hoarding, just keeping 6 months worth of ammo.