Where is all of the rifle ammo?

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  • mauser58

    My home is a sports store
    Dec 2, 2020
    1,755
    Baltimore County, near the Bay
    I have collected my rifle caliber ammo over the years before this mess. I have also bought quite a bit of rifle ammo reasonable from Walmart stores in my travels the past year. I have found stacks of 30/30, 3006, 308, 270 and more. I just saw more 308 last week at a Walmart. You have to pop in at various times and stores in your travels. I also came across 45/70 and others lately. Thing is I get most rifle ammo at $17 to $18 a box and if you find it inline they rape you on the prices. I would not pay these prices online lately.
     
    Jun 17, 2014
    64
    I was looking for 270 Win and 45-70. I have plenty on hand, currently.

    I was looking to replenish what I will be using in the near future. I was stunned upon seeing the bare shelves at all the stores.

    Probably a bit far for you, but we have Federal .270 in stock for $29/box.
     

    Virgil Co.C

    Active Member
    Aug 10, 2018
    615
    Like to find some 35 Remington at a reasonable price . Before I was still paying 30/35 a box . Last time I seen it was 70. To much money
     

    Wheaton Hills Sportsman

    Active Member
    Jan 27, 2012
    422
    I was going to stop reloading and sell all my reloading gear, but its actually saving me a lot right now. Compare the current prices of components to factory prices. I am saving on 45-70 and 5.7x28. Even ordinary .357 and .44.
     

    Uncle Duke

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Feb 2, 2013
    11,662
    Not Far Enough from the City
    I was going to stop reloading and sell all my reloading gear, but its actually saving me a lot right now. Compare the current prices of components to factory prices. I am saving on 45-70 and 5.7x28. Even ordinary .357 and .44.

    With 2 of those cartridges especially, and arguably with all four?

    Most people would probably want to reload, if they intend to shoot any significant quantity at all.
     

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,876
    Yup , not to mention the capability tailor your .44 loads to your exact preferences . It's for the (normal times) inexpensive very common loads ( ie generic 9mm and generic .223 in fmj) where the buy cheap stack deep is viable alternative .
     

    gtodave

    Member
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 14, 2007
    14,156
    Mt Airy
    I was stunned upon seeing the bare shelves at all the stores.

    It amazes me how many people are oblivious to the current goings on in the gun community. Whether it be proposed bills, current laws, or availability issues....I always run across many people who are completely unaware.

    Inigoes I'd probably be less aware of the situation if I hadn't been looking for 12ga so much recently.
     

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,876
    Being unaware of legal and legislative is a seperate topic.

    But supply chain issues is understandable . People temporarily get busy with life , have to catch up on bills and obligations, or had a supply already and only shoot on private ranges , and be in for a surprise to walk into a LGS .
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,673
    Being unaware of legal and legislative is a seperate topic.

    But supply chain issues is understandable . People temporarily get busy with life , have to catch up on bills and obligations, or had a supply already and only shoot on private ranges , and be in for a surprise to walk into a LGS .

    I think it is the level of complete obliviousness. I get that the OP hasn't had to go ammo shopping in a few years (good for him). But you'd have to be incredibly sheltered not to have heard that was a massive run on guns and ammo. Hell, my BIL who knows nothing about them as read some news stories about it and mentioned it to me.

    Let alone "being in the gun community" and seemingly having zero clue about it.

    I get not seeing the reality. Last time I stepped in to a physical place that carried ammo in any real quantity (or should have) was BPS in Hanover about a year ago and scored some SPM primers (and they were empty of basically all ammo except some shotgun ammo and a few obscure calibers).

    I haven't been in a place since other than my LGS who normally doesn't carry much ammo (but did have a reasonable amount at ouch prices).

    But honestly even if I hadn't been in either of those places, I'd still have some at least intellectual grasp of it. Even CNN has had a couple of dozen articles over the last 16 months about how the public, including tons of new gun owners, are buying up all the guns and all the ammo and how there are shortages of both.

    So I guess it would have been less "what planet have you been living on" if it the OP's post was something like "jezz, I'd heard it was bad, but there was nothing there. Any help in finding 45/70?" or whatever.

    Not "what happened to all of the ammo?"
     

    Inigoes

    Head'n for the hills
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 21, 2008
    49,353
    SoMD / West PA
    So I guess it would have been less "what planet have you been living on" if it the OP's post was something like "jezz, I'd heard it was bad, but there was nothing there. Any help in finding 45/70?" or whatever.

    Not "what happened to all of the ammo?"

    Actually, all over this planet. COVID has really been really good for business.

    I've heard people here belly aching about ammo, and prices. Here is where we need to be honest. Gun owners always belly ache because they are the chintziest group of people wanting everything for practically nothing.

    With the above said. I figured the current situation was like the Obama rush, where ammo was still to be found here and there. Experiencing the reality of nothingness is quite the different experience. Practically, no rifle ammunition can be found anywhere in the present.

    While plying through a couple of walmarts and big box stores this weekend, i spied a couple of boxes of 350 Legend.
     

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,876
    Joe personally , plus Zombie Apocalypse , plus blantifa , et al riots , for the trifecta .
     

    Inigoes

    Head'n for the hills
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 21, 2008
    49,353
    SoMD / West PA
    I was looking at the prices on the boxes of ammo in the stash. Even during the Obama rush, nothing was over $20 a box for 45-70, 270 Winchester ammo.

    The crazy prices no-always are from some nightmare, if it can be found at all.
     

    Harrys

    Short Round
    Jul 12, 2014
    3,361
    SOMD
    When I was in Georgia last week Bass Pro and Cabalas shelves were almost bear. What was there was 3 times the price before the bottom fell out. The only good thing is I started casting my own 30/30, 45/70 and 50 S&W mags. I have always thought about it but took the leap. Dies took 3 months to arrive, lead was easy to find, the crucible for smelting took about a month and I have both store bought lube and home made lube. Have plenty of cases, powder and primers before the great ammo shortage.

    Some thing really chapped my ass was a friend of a friend who is a hunter and a real hard core liberal. He shoots black powder only has a 45 caliber and a shot gun. He and his family believe hunting is OK but, having pistols and assault style weapons should be banned. The real kicker is went target shooting and now only has enough black powder for about 2 shots. He thought he had an extra pound but he found it was empty. He asked around if any one could spare some black powder. I told him I had 2 pounds as I do load some for the 45/70 as another option. I replied I hope you are a good shot as he does not have internet, only a land line with a flip phone and has a tv antenna.

    Carma is a bitch.
     

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,673
    I was looking at the prices on the boxes of ammo in the stash. Even during the Obama rush, nothing was over $20 a box for 45-70, 270 Winchester ammo.

    The crazy prices no-always are from some nightmare, if it can be found at all.

    The first one? I didn’t own guns then. Sandy though, I don’t think I saw rifle ammo for less than $1 a round. Okay, .223 when it could be found was a bit less than that. Prices sure sky rocketed more than Sandy. But it sure was fairly expensive after Sandy for a couple of years. I remember getting a mossberg plinkster not long after and it ran me 18 cents a round and took me 5 months to track down 6 boxes of ammo and shot most of it in that time. I felt lucky for finding a 300 round box of minimags after that for $50 at Dicks of all places in State College. Limit 1 box. I couldn’t find it at all online for >6months.

    22lr sure went higher this time, but you can find it online now at less than that with a bit of looking.

    Ammo availability of everything seemed and still seems to be worse than lost Sandy. But at least 22lr was almost unobtanium after Sandy and at hugely inflated prices for a good 2 years before it started showing up online and in stores again as a trickle.

    22lr only sort of disappeared for a year this time. Still not easy to find and finding what you want (I’ve been waiting on anyone having CCI suppressor hollow point) can be impossible. Plus prices were inflated way higher there and still are a few places (I still see a few places selling, or trying to sell, 22lr for more than 20cpr for cheap stuff and 40cpr for more premium 22lr. Plenty of places have it for 12-18cpr though).
     

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