Sick of hearing it! Another .22 rant.

[ws98ta]

Sure you can. The ammo is out there, it's just going to cost more. Even at inflated prices though, .22lr is STILL cheap. In the last six months I've not paid way more than normal retail price for .22lr, nor did I wait in line at crapmart. I've bought 12k rounds over that time to start replacing my stores which took a hit in a year and a half of not buying. That aside, there are alternatives. Really good air rifles pack as much wallop as a .22lr and cost way, way less to shoot and you can make your own pellets. Muzzleloaders are also cheap to shoot and ditto re: making your own bullets.

It may be fun to burn up ammo like the zombie hoard is upon you, but if you can't afford 1500 rounds at today's prices, consider investing in a single shot rifle and slowing down and having family concentrate on shooting very accurately. Once you get into it, precision shooting is way, way more enjoyable over a longer time than blasting through because there is a whole lot more skill involved. I average 10-20 rounds a day of all the calibers I shoot (pistol and rifle), almost every day and get several months of enjoyment out of what some people blast through in a weekend.

Point in fact, from March 2013 until April of this year I was not employed and other than the fact I didn't buy new toys or much of anything not immediately necessary, I was able to lead an otherwise normal life, including shooting daily, because I had that tanker load of gasoline stored, some money in the bank, food in the pantry, and enough ammo for me to shoot at my normal rate for several years. Further point in fact, I've done all of that in spite of the fact that I have never made above the poverty line.

Meanwhile, I am going to continue to beat the drum of being prepared for shortages and sometimes that's going to involve rubbing people's face in their lack of preparations in the hope that the NEXT time this rolls around they won't be one of the complainers. You have a choice for next time, which will you choose?

Now I do appreciate this post as it gives alternatives other than just "should have been prepared".
I have explored other options I have available. .40 7.62x54 and 12ga are other cailber s I have tried out. But unfortunately every body loves the .22.
I currently am looking into a .17 hmr to help slow down ammo consumption.

 

[teddy12b]

Like others have mentioned I'll be happy when the topic of 22lr is about what shoots best in your gun or how well you like your new (fill in the blank) rifle. I look at 22lr ammo the same way I do paper towels or anything else. If I see a good deal on it I buy more than I need for the days when the deal isn't in my favor. For whatever reason people DON'T get mad when others buy something on sale and stock up, but when it's 22LR everything changes and you become an evil monster.

I'd agree with Shibumi that there's other shooting options. BB guns and Pellet rifles are not toys and some of them are probably better than any 22lr out there. The ammo is beyond dirt cheap and you could shoot all day for less without hearing protection. It just requires a little thinking outside of the box.

Life is a series of lessons we're supposed to learn from. Once ammo hits the shelves in abundance again at reasonable prices just the same way AR-15 rifles and magazines have you'll have your chance to stock up on ammo and there'll still be plenty left on the shelf that you didn't buy. Personally I started this round of panic buying with about a 12 bricks of 22lr. Right now I'm down to my last one. I'm not worried about it because if I wanted it I could buy more, I just don't want to pay the higher prices for it.

The biggest point of all this is to learn from it. I got caught after the '08 elections without ammo and I stockpiled after that. At some point with something in our lives we've all paid a premium for something that we knew we could have gotten a little better deal on. Those premiums are meant to teach us a lesson. Hopefully we've all learned our lessons by the day we retire so that some of us aren't standing around complaining about how or why someone has money to spend in their retirement and others don't.

 

[Fishersjohn48]

I keep enough powder, bullets and primers for at least 100,000 rounds of each caliber that I reload for. Currently that's 9mm, 38 Short Colt, 38 Special, 357 Magnum, 44 Special, 44 Magnum and 45 ACP. I continually buy to keep the 100,000 as a minimum floor.

As for 22 LR, I don't shoot it that often, but I do have around 15,000 rounds of CCI Mini Mags and for rifle, I don't reload 5.56 as I don't shoot it that often. So I use factory ammo for that. Currently around 4,500 rounds of factory M855.

Because you never know when you will need 100,000 rounds of .38 short Colt....

Most of us don't have the means to stockpile over $140,000.00 worth of ammo components.

 

[teddy12b]

Because you never know when you will need 100,000 rounds of .38 short Colt....

Most of us don't have the means to stockpile over $140,000.00 worth of ammo components.

Call it a hunch, but I doubt he's got $140,000 in all his reloading supplies. Buying in bulk/volume does have some cost saving advantages. Where did you get that # from anyway?

 

[Fishersjohn48]

700,000 bullets, 700,000 pieces of brass, 700,000 primers, powder for 700,000 rounds, 15,000 rounds of 22 not considering any loaded rounds. Maybe a little high of a guess but easily over $100,000.00

 

[sparky32]

I keep enough powder, bullets and primers for at least 100,000 rounds of each caliber that I reload for. Currently that's 9mm, 38 Short Colt, 38 Special, 357 Magnum, 44 Special, 44 Magnum and 45 ACP. I continually buy to keep the 100,000 as a minimum floor.

As for 22 LR, I don't shoot it that often, but I do have around 15,000 rounds of CCI Mini Mags and for rifle, I don't reload 5.56 as I don't shoot it that often. So I use factory ammo for that. Currently around 4,500 rounds of factory M855.

I thought I had a good amount stocked up holy crap!!

 

[Co Th G]

Because you never know when you will need 100,000 rounds of .38 short Colt....

Most of us don't have the means to stockpile over $140,000.00 worth of ammo components.

You do if you shoot USPSA with a 627 revolver. I'm fortunate that my level of income allows me to have such inventory.

 

[phatgemi]

I keep enough powder, bullets and primers for at least 100,000 rounds of each caliber that I reload for. Currently that's 9mm, 38 Short Colt, 38 Special, 357 Magnum, 44 Special, 44 Magnum and 45 ACP. I continually buy to keep the 100,000 as a minimum floor.

As for 22 LR, I don't shoot it that often, but I do have around 15,000 rounds of CCI Mini Mags and for rifle, I don't reload 5.56 as I don't shoot it that often. So I use factory ammo for that. Currently around 4,500 rounds of factory M855.

I certainly envy you. I doubt too many of us are well heeled enough to afford that. Just figuring you loading 7 different loads. 7 times 100,000 is 700,000 rounds of possibles on hand. Figuring approx .10 cents per round, that works out to $70,000 in reloading supplies. Man thats a lot of supplies!!!

 

[DocHoliday]

All of the 22 must be at Gander or in INdy. It's getting scarce where I live. 2 boxes that contained about 9 bricks in the last 3 months at a Walmart is way down compared to last year. I was offered a tub of loose federal (500+) in a tub for $70. I won't contribute to his retirement plan. MidwayUSA isn't even getting any in. I don't see it getting better unless Gander has warehouses of it.

 

[Expat]

700,000 bullets, 700,000 pieces of brass, 700,000 primers, powder for 700,000 rounds, 15,000 rounds of 22 not considering any loaded rounds. Maybe a little high of a guess but easily over $100,000.00

I would guess that he casts the bullets (I have learned that is where the real money savings comes in), plans on reloading brass, so you are really only talking about stockpiling powder and primers and having plenty of lead. Now you aren't really talking about the kind of money you are.

 

[fundy87]

Just find another caliber to shoot, I decided not to play the game when I saw how ridiculous the .22 market was getting. I sold my .22 rifle because I didn't need a gun when I couldn't justify the ammo price/scarcity. Now I teach my kids with a .223 and a .410 and it works out just fine.

 

[Hardscrable]

I have been shooting for almost 60 years. I never used to "stockpile" ammo but I also never ran entirely out...always had at least some of each caliber/gauge I shot on hand. A few years back I joined a gun club & started shooting some competition and thus went thru a lot more ammo. Thru the shortages after the 2008 election I never ran out or even extremely low of anything but I vowed to NEVER risk it again. Whenever I saw a sale or good price on powder, primers, or factory ammo ( need t he brass eventually ) I bought double what I normally would have ( or triple if great price ). Thru this shortage I have continued buying at least some of everything I use/shoot whenever available. I don't pay "flipper" prices but have bought some at prices higher than I would like. I figure it is "cost averaging" - just like buying stocks, mutual funds, etc. You do not know what the future holds. The next election, another Sandy Hook tomorrow, etc. can all change things at a moments notice. Today's prices may look like a bargain tomorrow. Today' availability may be gone tomorrow. I have years worth of everything right now but will continue to buy. My wife recently ask me when I will have enough. I said when I am sure the supply will outlast me. I am a retired senior citizen so that could be any time but... The cost is not an issue for me so I am blessed in that respect. It may or may not be an investment ( remember $100 Pmags ? ). I have 2 sons totally uninterested in firearms, etc. neither is married & probably never will be so no grandchildren either. The ammo is cash in the bank & with my firearms will make my wife or the charities in my will happy upon my passing ( the funeral is at 10AM & the auction is at 2PM ! )In the meantime, when I decide to shoot, I am not going to stay home due to lack of ammo...and that includes .22LR !

 

[churchmouse]

I have been shooting for almost 60 years. I never used to "stockpile" ammo but I also never ran entirely out...always had at least some of each caliber/gauge I shot on hand. A few years back I joined a gun club & started shooting some competition and thus went thru a lot more ammo. Thru the shortages after the 2008 election I never ran out or even extremely low of anything but I vowed to NEVER risk it again. Whenever I saw a sale or good price on powder, primers, or factory ammo ( need t he brass eventually ) I bought double what I normally would have ( or triple if great price ). Thru this shortage I have continued buying at least some of everything I use/shoot whenever available. I don't pay "flipper" prices but have bought some at prices higher than I would like. I figure it is "cost averaging" - just like buying stocks, mutual funds, etc. You do not know what the future holds. The next election, another Sandy Hook tomorrow, etc. can all change things at a moments notice. Today's prices may look like a bargain tomorrow. Today' availability may be gone tomorrow. I have years worth of everything right now but will continue to buy. My wife recently ask me when I will have enough. I said when I am sure the supply will outlast me. I am a retired senior citizen so that could be any time but... The cost is not an issue for me so I am blessed in that respect. It may or may not be an investment ( remember $100 Pmags ? ). I have 2 sons totally uninterested in firearms, etc. neither is married & probably never will be so no grandchildren either. The ammo is cash in the bank & with my firearms will make my wife or the charities in my will happy upon my passing ( the funeral is at 10AM & the auction is at 2PM ! )In the meantime, when I decide to shoot, I am not going to stay home due to lack of ammo...and that includes .22LR !

Your reference to the 2008 election is spot on. So many people I knew grabbed up everything in site.

 

[Cynical]

I thought I had a good amount stocked up holy crap!!

Right there with ya. I guess I can rule out shooting USPSA if it requires a quarter million in supplies.

 

[shibumiseeker]

I certainly envy you. I doubt too many of us are well heeled enough to afford that. Just figuring you loading 7 different loads. 7 times 100,000 is 700,000 rounds of possibles on hand. Figuring approx .10 cents per round, that works out to $70,000 in reloading supplies. Man thats a lot of supplies!!!

A savvy reloader will be able to get the cost down to about $.03-.05 a round for pistol if they know what they are doing and took advantage of bulk deals in years past. Even today $.04-.07 a round is well within the realm of possibility.

Brass can be reused so many times it's not worth counting the cost, and much common brass can be gotten for free just picking it up. As far as lead, recycling and casting bullets can be very cheap. The biggest expense is primers and even today it's possible to get some brands of primers in large quantities for as low as $15-18/k. As an example, after the last shortage, after stuff was became available again, in 2010 I found a deal on CCI primers so I maxed out the hazmat charge and ended up paying about $16/k for them ordering about 75k of them. Sold a few to Profire since that was cheaper than his dealer cost. 2012 I ordered 100k Tula primers for $14/k shipped. I have bought pulled powder for as low as $3/lb in large surplus lots, within the last three years.


Considering I have been building my stash for the last 8 years after I got serious about stocking, and I average about $200 a month buying components minus my recent unemployment stint, I have no trouble believing a serious person can amass enough stuff for several hundred thousand rounds without really spending a lot of money at one time. I know it's hard to understand from the perspective of someone who maybe only shoots a couple of boxes a month, but there's folks out there who go through way more ammo than most of us.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

Cry me a river.

 

[ModernGunner]

...I am sooo sick of everyone saying how "they stocked up when it was cheap" and "they were smart enough to see this coming and bought all they could for $.02 a round or less"... GOOD FOR YOU! But you don't have to keep going around talking about it, and how dumb we were for not stocking up.

I "stocked up when it was cheap". AND I was "smart enough to see this coming and bought all" I could.
It's not how dumb you were, just how smart I was...
C'mon, you knew that was coming.

 

[tenring]

GI Brass usually has surplus powder, mostly from 50 cal. right now, but has had Russian 4895 for 8 bucks. Once in a while Natchez has "Data" powder available, bought 8/8lb. jugs once for 2230C to use in my .223 rifles. Opened my 4th jug this year, have 4 more after that. 9 bucks a lb. to my door. And where did "Shibumiseeker" get powder for 3 bucks? 5K CCI#450 hit my door yesterday at 3.24 cents per primer, no hazmat if 5 cartons were ordered. Special was until the 20th. Couldn't resist the offer.

 

[shibumiseeker]

And where did "Shibumiseeker" get powder for 3 bucks?

Surplus jobber who was selling it in 48lb drums. I bought 5 drums and may or may not have picked it up (no comment on the legality of transport ;-)

I had to work up my own data for it, but it's a medium burning pistol powder and I've shot up about 10lbs of it so far. These kinds of deals come around from time to time but you aren't going to find them cruising the Midway catalog, you have to dig and know people.

 

[jzwhts]

Not a bad rant and I didn't have time (or patience) to read the entire thread, but for the OP remember that God starts with a capital "G".