@Magnumwheel: I have exactly the same feelings that you have. However, I sort of agree with Mr. "Eatman" and "surveyor". This ammunition shortage can't last forever, and so if there is a rimfire model that pops up, I go ahead and get it. You can't always predict or rely on the availability of particular rimfire models in the future. Plus rimfires usually aren't as expensive as centerfires or shotguns. Although, as you said, you do have to prioritize. All barrels have a bottom.
... & people keep buying 22's
- Thread starter Magnum Wheel Man
- Start date
CharlieDeltaJuliet
New member
I still have enough .22's to do for a year and a half at normal shooting amounts. I helped a buddy buy 5000 from Midway USA (he was on the road). I bought him 5000 for just over $250. I still think it will be a while before they are plentiful, and they will most likely never be $20 a brick again. If the companies aren't lying, the manufacturing cost went up between 35-45%.
My advice is be on Midways waiting list. I have seen many be very lucky with .22's from there.
My advice is be on Midways waiting list. I have seen many be very lucky with .22's from there.
22 Long Rifle prices / Whats reasonable per round
So we all talk the same kind of ammo lets just take 22 LR either HP or std point copper plated. I think 10 cents a round is a fair price. Some will agree some will not but here's some old fart logic.
1966 milk was 30 cents a gallon today $3.89
Gas 27 cents a gallon today $3.59 plus or minus
loaf of bread was about 30 Cents now it's $2.00 plus
22 LR brick of 500 was $4.50 to $5.00 (Rem or Win).
I guess my logic is this milk has gone up 13 times/ gas about the same, so is it unreasonable to expect to pay 10 cents a round
So we all talk the same kind of ammo lets just take 22 LR either HP or std point copper plated. I think 10 cents a round is a fair price. Some will agree some will not but here's some old fart logic.
1966 milk was 30 cents a gallon today $3.89
Gas 27 cents a gallon today $3.59 plus or minus
loaf of bread was about 30 Cents now it's $2.00 plus
22 LR brick of 500 was $4.50 to $5.00 (Rem or Win).
I guess my logic is this milk has gone up 13 times/ gas about the same, so is it unreasonable to expect to pay 10 cents a round
FrankenMauser
New member
There you go, trying to bring reason into the conversation. That has no bearing on the subject. .22 LR is such a wimpy cartridge that it should be free!
I think the availability of rimfire ammo is highly dependent upon where you live, and how much demand there is.
A month ago (maybe a little more), I did a loop around the valley I live in, hitting 5 shops to see what they had. Overall, I figured there was about 175,000 rounds of rimfire ammo on the shelves. (I won't pay what they're asking for it, but most people would consider it reasonable.)
Over the last two weeks, I've been into 4 of those stores again, and their .22 LR stock has only increased. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a quarter of a million rounds sitting here now - and no one seems to be buying any.
Yet, if I head a couple hours south into Logan or Salt Lake City, Utah, the only .22 LR you'll find is sitting there because the price is insane. My family members that live in the Salt Lake area have had a hard time finding .22 LR, at all, for quite a while.
Sure Shot Mc Gee
New member
Has anyone seen prices go down on anything lately.
As far as 22 lr shooters. I found that crew of fellows wanting to shoot allot but not willing to reload such quantities to ease their addiction. As for me I don't care to shoot one shot only ammo and discard its brass. That tweaks me a little bit. That's why I have a small fortune invested in reloading equipment to resolve such situations and a personal need to shoot reloadable brass whenever possible. Oh I happen to have a rifle or two that uses 223. But these days my interest is in something not quite as loud or the need to be quieted by a supressor. Something I can use that won't wake the baby or make Grandpa jump out of his rocking chair when snoozing. A caliber having reasonably good accuracy that pleases me out at that 100 yard mark. 1-1/2" grouping benchrest would be just dandy. Of course a caliber I can reload till its brass is old and stretched to its limits like myself. Yup. 22 Hornet in a light weight lever w/clip or blind magazine would garner my attention in a heat beat. Might even buy two of them. One for weekdays the other for Sundays.
"Hey Remington Ruger or Savage. You fellows listening out there!!"
As far as 22 lr shooters. I found that crew of fellows wanting to shoot allot but not willing to reload such quantities to ease their addiction. As for me I don't care to shoot one shot only ammo and discard its brass. That tweaks me a little bit. That's why I have a small fortune invested in reloading equipment to resolve such situations and a personal need to shoot reloadable brass whenever possible. Oh I happen to have a rifle or two that uses 223. But these days my interest is in something not quite as loud or the need to be quieted by a supressor. Something I can use that won't wake the baby or make Grandpa jump out of his rocking chair when snoozing. A caliber having reasonably good accuracy that pleases me out at that 100 yard mark. 1-1/2" grouping benchrest would be just dandy. Of course a caliber I can reload till its brass is old and stretched to its limits like myself. Yup. 22 Hornet in a light weight lever w/clip or blind magazine would garner my attention in a heat beat. Might even buy two of them. One for weekdays the other for Sundays.
"Hey Remington Ruger or Savage. You fellows listening out there!!"
FrankenMauser
New member
Keep blaming the "hoarders"..... 
Current .22 LR production maxes out at 81 million rounds per week (4.2 billion rounds per year).
That entire weekly supply vanishes with just 162,000 people buying 500 rounds apiece. That sounds like a lot, but it isn't.
If you figure 30% of buyers are taking 1,000 rounds, that number drops measurably:
Just 113,400 people can buy out the entire U.S. supply of .22 LR for each week of the year. (40% going to people buying 500 rounds each, and 60% going to people buying 1,000 rounds each)
If figure there are 20 million gun owners trying to get .22 LR, that works out to just 1 person in 176 buying ammo per week. So, just to make sure each person has a chance to get 'their share', the last guy in line will have to wait in line for 3 years, 4 months, 20 days, 9 hours, and 36 minutes.
Over three YEARS, for each person to get either 500 rounds or 1,000 rounds ... without "hoarders" even being in the picture.
Here's a different approach, from a previous thread:
Current .22 LR production maxes out at 81 million rounds per week (4.2 billion rounds per year).
That entire weekly supply vanishes with just 162,000 people buying 500 rounds apiece. That sounds like a lot, but it isn't.
If you figure 30% of buyers are taking 1,000 rounds, that number drops measurably:
Just 113,400 people can buy out the entire U.S. supply of .22 LR for each week of the year. (40% going to people buying 500 rounds each, and 60% going to people buying 1,000 rounds each)
If figure there are 20 million gun owners trying to get .22 LR, that works out to just 1 person in 176 buying ammo per week. So, just to make sure each person has a chance to get 'their share', the last guy in line will have to wait in line for 3 years, 4 months, 20 days, 9 hours, and 36 minutes.
Over three YEARS, for each person to get either 500 rounds or 1,000 rounds ... without "hoarders" even being in the picture.
Here's a different approach, from a previous thread:
FrankenMauser said:
Last edited:
@Franken: Thanks for the interesting analysis. That's what I like about math: It has definite answers and the politicians can't have opinions about it.
The previous posters also brought up the effects of inflation and they may have hit on an important perspective about pricing. I realize that inflationary pressures are not uniform across all commodities, but for the sake of simplification, let's assume they are. In 1966 the consumer price index was 32. It is now 234. I paid about 6$/brick then or 1.2 cents per round. If you adjust that for inflation, you get about 9 cents per round at today's prices. So 40$ per brick for non-bulk, quality .22 LR may be the new normal.
The previous posters also brought up the effects of inflation and they may have hit on an important perspective about pricing. I realize that inflationary pressures are not uniform across all commodities, but for the sake of simplification, let's assume they are. In 1966 the consumer price index was 32. It is now 234. I paid about 6$/brick then or 1.2 cents per round. If you adjust that for inflation, you get about 9 cents per round at today's prices. So 40$ per brick for non-bulk, quality .22 LR may be the new normal.
I've only recently (about a year and a half ago) got back in to shooting from an extended break and even back then I didn't shoot .22. I now have a .22lr pistol and a Ruger 10/22 and to me, $40 for 500 rounds of shooting fun is great! I don't care about your excuses for not buying it. I know it's "just" rimfire and was cheaper back in the day but it is plenty doable for me. If you don't want to or can't spend the extra money then fine, sit this shortage out. More for us. For any of my other guns I may spend around $200 for 500 rounds so $40 is a downright bargain and I've spent as much as $50 a brick when it first got scarce. In the past year, I've been able to stock about 3000 rounds at a pretty reasonable (to me) price and that doesn't count what I've shot so don't tell me it's not out there. You just don't want to pay the price for it.
Franken/hammie I have found 525/550 packets for as low as $45.00 most are $50 and a few at $60 and $65. My main store here is Walley World and the Mgr. there says the same few guys show up every time they get a shipment in. They have this email wish list that is sent out from Walmart on all products being sent to given stores.
Franken I'd have to lean in your direction I think the general population is still sucking up the production.
Franken I'd have to lean in your direction I think the general population is still sucking up the production.
Txhillbilly
New member
I'm glad I used to buy a lot of 22lr and 22wmr ammo for many years. I haven't bought a brick of ammo in 5-6 years,and that was when it was still cheap. I have around 15k rounds of rimfire ammo setting in ammo boxes,and don't feel sorry for those that don't think ahead.
In today's market,you have to pay to play if you weren't smart enough to stock up when you had the chance to.
Don't go blaming other people for your bad timing,a free market is just that,a free market!
In today's market,you have to pay to play if you weren't smart enough to stock up when you had the chance to.
Don't go blaming other people for your bad timing,a free market is just that,a free market!
With all due respect, thats a load of hogwash and I don't think this group is all about naner naner. Places like Afghanistan come to mind as the ultimate free market (everyone for themselves). Not the kind of place I want to live in.
No one should have to stock up 15k of 22. I hope all of yours gets wet and you have a pile of green gunk that is worthless.
No one should have to stock up 15k of 22. I hope all of yours gets wet and you have a pile of green gunk that is worthless.
RC20,
I know folks who specifically buy as much of a single lot of ammunition as possible because their competition rifle likes that particular lot. 15k is about when they start getting nervous about finding another lot of ammo to buy in bulk.
So unless you want rimfire competitors to have to buy MORE ammunition to do MORE testing to find good lots for their rifles, you'll stop with the communist BS about "no one needs" claptrap.
Cause I've been to Afghanistan. It ain't a free market. It is a tribal system mixed with government corruption, religious prohibitions, all on the back end of a long supply chain.
And if you want to stock up to 15k in rimfire, once the market gets back to normal, just buy an extra 500 round pack every two weeks. 15 months or less you'll have 15k rounds of your very own to feel comfortable about. I was pulling 500 round bricks out with "9.99" price tags and wishing I'd bought a lot more of them...
Jimro
I know folks who specifically buy as much of a single lot of ammunition as possible because their competition rifle likes that particular lot. 15k is about when they start getting nervous about finding another lot of ammo to buy in bulk.
So unless you want rimfire competitors to have to buy MORE ammunition to do MORE testing to find good lots for their rifles, you'll stop with the communist BS about "no one needs" claptrap.
Cause I've been to Afghanistan. It ain't a free market. It is a tribal system mixed with government corruption, religious prohibitions, all on the back end of a long supply chain.
And if you want to stock up to 15k in rimfire, once the market gets back to normal, just buy an extra 500 round pack every two weeks. 15 months or less you'll have 15k rounds of your very own to feel comfortable about. I was pulling 500 round bricks out with "9.99" price tags and wishing I'd bought a lot more of them...
Jimro
Jimro,
Good post.
The bulk of my .22 ammo is Federal 550s which I bought from the local WM for $15 each. When BO first took office .22 got scarce for a few months... when it came back, I made a point of buying one or two boxes every time I went to WM. So when the current drought began I had a pretty good pile.
I also had a half dozen each of the Win 555s and 333s, which turned out to be very poor in my guns so I traded those 12 off to a local dealer for a GP100.
Current prices at WM (they get about 10 boxes once a week) are $23.97 for the Federals (I've bought three to replace those I shoot) and $15.97 for the Win 333 (I passed).
My other supply doesn't stop me buying new, but it does make it easier to wait for WM instead of the $10 per hundred prices at the local gun store.
Good post.
The bulk of my .22 ammo is Federal 550s which I bought from the local WM for $15 each. When BO first took office .22 got scarce for a few months... when it came back, I made a point of buying one or two boxes every time I went to WM. So when the current drought began I had a pretty good pile.
I also had a half dozen each of the Win 555s and 333s, which turned out to be very poor in my guns so I traded those 12 off to a local dealer for a GP100.
Current prices at WM (they get about 10 boxes once a week) are $23.97 for the Federals (I've bought three to replace those I shoot) and $15.97 for the Win 333 (I passed).
My other supply doesn't stop me buying new, but it does make it easier to wait for WM instead of the $10 per hundred prices at the local gun store.
CharlieDeltaJuliet
New member
RC20, my wife and I normally go through 12,000 to 15,000 .22's a year. Saying someone should not have that many stocked up and that you hope they get wet is really bitter. Before it got crazy I had almost 40,000. I paid hard earned money for them when they were cheaper. I never took .22's that someone else wanted or needed. All were ordered in bulk or bought in bulk from a LGS. They were in great abundance when I bought the majority of mine. At between 10,000- 15,000 I am getting nervous. I give 5,000 a year to 4-H and Boyscouts. I have 12,000 5.56 (mil-surp) , a few thousand 9mm, etc.
ammo.crafter
New member
no .22's
My brother in law lives in Canada and tells me 22's are readily available in large numbers.
My brother in law lives in Canada and tells me 22's are readily available in large numbers.
kawasakifreak77
New member
Glad I got a single shot!
Too bad someone doesn't bring out an affordable bolt gun in a cast friendly .22 caliber. Something you could load from 1000 to 2000 fps. That'd cover lr to mag performance for what? About 6 cents a pop if you made your own boolits?
I'd be all over that like stink on poo. Not sure how many others would be though.
Funnily enough, I've always been fascinated by wimpy loads in center fire rifles with cast boolits. I thought one day .22 might be hard to come by... I'm just getting started on casting my own & am tickled pink by the possibilities I'm now afforded.
I had a 30-30 M94 once upon a time, some left over 32 S&W lead SWC grandpa gave me & about half a pound of green dot... about 3gr barely makes a 'pop' & will kill the snot out of bunnies & beer cans. Just sayin'
Too bad someone doesn't bring out an affordable bolt gun in a cast friendly .22 caliber. Something you could load from 1000 to 2000 fps. That'd cover lr to mag performance for what? About 6 cents a pop if you made your own boolits?
I'd be all over that like stink on poo. Not sure how many others would be though.
Funnily enough, I've always been fascinated by wimpy loads in center fire rifles with cast boolits. I thought one day .22 might be hard to come by... I'm just getting started on casting my own & am tickled pink by the possibilities I'm now afforded.
I had a 30-30 M94 once upon a time, some left over 32 S&W lead SWC grandpa gave me & about half a pound of green dot... about 3gr barely makes a 'pop' & will kill the snot out of bunnies & beer cans. Just sayin'
Magnum Wheel Man
New member
KAWI... I've always been fascinated by wimpy loads as well ( I've got plenty of big bore magnums, so lets keep the limp wristed jokes to a minimum 
)
I have a custom converted 8 shot Taurus 22 Magnum revolver, that's been converted to centerfire, & 200 lathe turned steel cases I shoot cast bullets in that gun, that is equivalent about half way between 22LR & 22 Magnum...
I've always wanted to do a 25 acp but always get tripped up by the .251" barrel blank needed... always though that would make an interesting little squirrel hunting round in a good revolver with decent sights...
I actually have been going through my ammo, & yesterday I found a 50 round box of 22 Shorts that had a 44 cent price tag on, from Holiday gas wish I would have bought more of those...
the rimfire I've been shooting the most the last couple years, is my 17 Mach 2, it's an awesome rifle for varmints from red pine squirrels, to treed coons... I see I'm down to 1,500 rounds... hope I can pick up another brick or two reasonably soon ???
)I have a custom converted 8 shot Taurus 22 Magnum revolver, that's been converted to centerfire, & 200 lathe turned steel cases I shoot cast bullets in that gun, that is equivalent about half way between 22LR & 22 Magnum...
I've always wanted to do a 25 acp but always get tripped up by the .251" barrel blank needed... always though that would make an interesting little squirrel hunting round in a good revolver with decent sights...
I actually have been going through my ammo, & yesterday I found a 50 round box of 22 Shorts that had a 44 cent price tag on, from Holiday gas
wish I would have bought more of those...the rimfire I've been shooting the most the last couple years, is my 17 Mach 2, it's an awesome rifle for varmints from red pine squirrels, to treed coons... I see I'm down to 1,500 rounds... hope I can pick up another brick or two reasonably soon ???
