Holy mackeral, when did THIS happen?

S

SaxonPig

New member
I have a couple of 45/70 rifles but loading my own ammo I have never bought any factory fodder. A friend mentioned he was looking for some factory stuff so I was just looking to see what the cost was on this and nearly had a heart attack. Everything was $60-$80 per box of 20. From $3 to $4 for each cartridge.

A brick of 22s is $60...30-06 ammo is $40...45/70s are $70+...is this the new norm? Given the recent cost of primers and powder not sure if reloading saves a whole lot. Who can afford to shoot? Someday the shooting sports will be limited to the very wealthy.
 
Or those who steal the ammo along with the firearm. In other words the bad guys.

Reload ahead and be prepared for the expensive times. :)
 
Just curious Saxonpig, what planet are you from? Ammo prices have been crazy here on planet earth for some few years now.:D
 
You can find good quality .45/70 ammo for around $30 a box if you poke around. SGAMMO has a couple of brands for around that price, so does Graf & Sons although only one of the brands in that price range is in stock at the moment.
 
Ammo prices have gone back down around here. There is even a good steady flow of .22lr at a local Academy Sports and Outdoors. No bulk packs yet only 50 count and there is a 2 box limit.
 
I shoot a Marlin 1895. Hornady Leverevolution is all I shoot out of it. It runs right at $30 a box of 20 as John noted above. It is very accurate out of the 1895 and turns out to be a superb hunting round for hog.

I can't see any reason to buy anything else.
 
ratshooter- Sometimes I wonder if I am not indeed from another planet. I sure don't recognize what I see now as being anything like the country where I was born.

But as for ammo prices, like I said, I load my own for 95% of center fire shooting so I never really notice prices on factory ammo. I was shocked at current pricing.

Yeah, I get the stocking up thing. After Sandy Hook and things went to hell I checked and found that I had about 30,000 rounds on hand. Only caliber I got caught short on was 380 because I shoot it very little and never had a large supply on hand.
 
Well SP, prices really went to hell back when Obama first got elected. You would just about have to be on another planet not to notice the impact on prices for both ammo and reloading supplies. You would also have to not be online very much because complaining about pricing and shortages are very common topics over the years. Folks like you come back from Neptune and then post how surprised they are that things have changed since 2008.

There have been a bunch more changes in the gun world since then, but you have probably had enough shock to your system for now.
 
While the panic buying caused by fears of what Obama might do has played a large part in the most recent prices and shortages, don't overlook the effect of our weak dollar, and the "emerging" economies of China, India, and some others buying lead, copper and brass, driving up the price on world markets.

Also, don't overlook the fact that when ammo was "cheap" 30 years ago, fuel costs were too. When a gallon of diesel costs about a dollar, transportation costs are one thing. When that same gallon is $4 transportation costs are much higher, and ammo is heavy.
 
If you shoot the exotic stuff, it will cost you. You can still shoot 9mm, .223, 12ga and 7.62x39 cheap enough. Own guns that shoot these cartridges, or reload. It's not like I want to put hundreds of rounds through my 30-06 anyway!
 
A few years back I was really itchin' for a Marlin Guide 45/70. Like most everything else I consider buying, I did some reseachin' for it. At that time(decade or so ago) I still did not reload and even then, good quality factory ammo was almost $2 a pop. While that was not the defining moment for me not getting one, it held me off till I was able to shoot a friends. Now that I reload, I still have no real interest. That said, reloading has also made me ignorant to factory ammo prices.
 
.30-06 ammo is $40...45/70s are $70+...
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You can still find standard 30-06 ammo for $20-$25 a box just about anywhere. You can also buy premium 30-06 ammo for $40-$50 box. Handloads cost me $15-$20/ 20 rounds, but I'm getting ammo comparable to the premium stuff for less than store bought budget ammo.

Someday the shooting sports will be limited to the very wealthy.
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I don't think so. Everyone wants to make 2014 wages and still buy stuff at 1974 prices. If you look at the costs of guns/ammo today in comparison to earnings we are spending a smaller percentage of our earnings today than in the past for the same stuff.

The problem is that we are spending a lot more of our money for items that didn't exist in 1974. TV was free, of course we only got 3 channels on the antennae. No internet fees or cell phones bills either. I could buy a gun a month with the money I spend on TV, internet and cell phones.
 
Hey Saxon I was just pullin' yer chain and having fun with you. I do most of the grocery shopping and can't beleive how much food has gone up. I just went to WM and thought about getting some Owens sausage. Its nearly $4 a pound now. Just a little over a year ago you could buy two pounds for $5.

Ammo prices have stopped me from buying several guns lately. Thankfuly I stocked up really hard before 2008 and for sure after 2008 when ammo and componants became available again. I really feel for new shooters getting into guns these days. If they can find ammo they can't afford enough to just go out and blast the afternoon away.

Maybe thats the plan. Make it so expensive people stop doing it.
 
Ammo does seem to be making a rebound, cost-wise ... you can get 9mm range ammo for $15-$18 for FMJ. Got 100 rds of .22LR at Cabela's a week or so ago, cost about $6 for 100, which was all they'd sell to an individual. Tons of pistol ammo on the shelves, but prices are still high. Have not been able to find .22WMR anywhere, including Cabela's and Academy.
 
I think the weakness of the dollar and the cost of fuel and metals has the biggest effect, then on top of that we have panic demand which we seem to just now be recovering from. I was only able to get into centerfire shooting around 09 before that there was just not money for it. It seems I wasn't able to get into it all at the best of times because when I did so did everyone else and then things got real expensive. I still enjoy it when I can and I still buy the guns/ ammo I can afford nonetheless, just as everyone always has.
 
wow, wouldn't want to be wherever you live! In NH you can easily find pretty much everything you listed for less than half the price.
 
Seems to be about half the prices you quoted, around here.

When did this happen?

The day 50,000 people went into the local gun shops and bought up every box of ammo they could find, because they thought it was a good idea.
 
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