Ammo costs

[msr]

Looking at ammo today and I see good availability of all major calibers. What I also see are prices that are twice as high as just before the rise and shortage started. At the current peak I was seeing prices of the ammo I consume (223, 308, 9mm and 45 cal.) about $1.50 to $2.00 higher per single box than they are now so there has been a slight drop in prices recently. They do seem to have settled at the rate I mention of twice as much as what they were two years ago. Pretty steep rise. I was hoping they would continue to drop a bit more but if we are willing to pay the current price I don’t see that happening. I have a few friends that have given sold their 45’s and 308’s a year ago because of the costs involved in feeding them. I am not prepared to go that route but I do shoot them less.

[REL1203]

Looking at ammo today and I see good availability of all major calibers. What I also see are prices that are twice as high as just before the rise and shortage started. At the current peak I was seeing prices of the ammo I consume (223, 308, 9mm and 45 cal.) about $1.50 to $2.00 higher per single box than they are now so there has been a slight drop in prices recently. They do seem to have settled at the rate I mention of twice as much as what they were two years ago. Pretty steep rise. I was hoping they would continue to drop a bit more but if we are willing to pay the current price I don’t see that happening. I have a few friends that have given sold their 45’s and 308’s a year ago because of the costs involved in feeding them. I am not prepared to go that route but I do shoot them less.

Where are you looking online at these ammo places? I ask cause I am curious where the best place to look for ammo is online?

[Mac5.56]

Just like gasoline, as consumers we have proven to the market that we are willing to pay the higher price, therefore the price wont drop back down to where it was two years ago.

[msr]

Where are you looking online at these ammo places? I ask cause I am curious where the best place to look for ammo is online?

I get a lot of flyers from on-line dealers but I have never purchased ammo on-line. Typically bulk or practice ammo is purchased at a gun show and carry ammo is bought at local stores.

[John_Wayne777]

The ammo market still hasn't completely settled down yet. I'm still seeing bare shelves and lots of "out of stock" in places where I usually scored ammo. As for the price being higher than before the great panic, I don't think that will be going away anytime soon, at least not until the demand on factories slows down and retailers are overloaded with ammo.

That will probably take several months if not a couple of years. I'm not an expert in the ammo industry or anything, but it seems to me that the prices will stay where they are as long as the manufacturers can sell all they produce at that price. I don't think it was just a temporary spike...I think there's been a shift in the demand curve because lots of people are taking the concept of training more seriously. A good thing for gun ownership as a whole, a bad thing for those of us who want to do lots of training and do it cheap.


Where are you looking online at these ammo places? I ask cause I am curious where the best place to look for ammo is online?

I use the ammo forum on AR15.com as they keep a pretty good listing of calibers, prices, and sellers there that is constantly updated. It's a great help when you need to locate some ammo in a hurry.

[Naxet1959]

Has the idea of inflation occurred to anyone? Just go to the grocery store and look at the price of milk. Gas is at $2.69. This is only the beginning...:(

[FlyAndFight]

I've noticed where before, the shelves at different Walmarts were always empty of .223 (Remington, for example), now those unbought boxes are crowding out the other calibers on the shelves. Demand has definitely slackened on this particular caliber.

9mm and .45ACP are a whole 'nother story, though...

Supply and Demand is always key.

[msr]

I've noticed where before, the shelves at different Walmarts were always empty of .223 (Remington, for example), now those unbought boxes are crowding out the other calibers on the shelves. Demand has definitely slackened on this particular caliber.

9mm and .45ACP are a whole 'nother story, though...

Supply and Demand is always key.

One of my thoughts is that I am seeing more supply then demand but I could just be witnessing more supply and the same demand!

[sadmin]

I buy all of my ammo online from ammunitiontogo.com. Prices are pretty fair I think, and stock is usually good. I really only buy about 5 different calibers regularly so i cant comment on stock as a whole. Aimsurplus does have some British Radway Green NATO .308 147grn FMJ 75rd Bandoliers for 40.00 right now...

[msr]

I buy all of my ammo online from ammunitiontogo.com. Prices are pretty fair I think, and stock is usually good. I really only buy about 5 different calibers regularly so i cant comment on stock as a whole. Aimsurplus does have some British Radway Green NATO .308 147grn FMJ 75rd Bandoliers for 40.00 right now...

Three years ago I bought a whole battle pack of that stuff for $47.00, the good old days!

[RogerinTPA]

We need to post links on ammo deals when we collectively find them in the Ammo Links Thread in the Reloading and Ammo Forum. https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=10750

FWIW: Lots of online ammo sources there.

[Belmont31R]

A lot of the surplus people used to shoot 10 years ago no longer exists so the only option is Wolf or new brass cased stuff. The ammo companies don't have the cheap competition anymore, and they are still selling everything they make. The only places keeping ammo in stock either have a huge inventory or are priced very high.



I've definately cut down on my shooting in the last year or more (especially pistol). 35-50 cents a round is just too expensive to shoot in quantity. Even "cheap" .45ACP is around 20 dollars a box. I remember not too long ago it was 10-12.

[FromMyColdDeadHand]

Brass is what, zinc and copper? I have some really good insights into the metals market. Outside of powder, processing and G&A expenses if some one could tell me the percent metals used in a round , I can tell you, relative to the base metals markets, how rounds are priced versus historical.

In some ways I'm just appy to be able to get rounds on demand now from mail order. Being able to go Wally World and get some WWB when I want to is a dream.

[mnagant762]

The supply around here is starting to get decent except for .45 Colt which I haven't seen in a year.

[skyugo]

Just like gasoline, as consumers we have proven to the market that we are willing to pay the higher price, therefore the price wont drop back down to where it was two years ago.

gasoline dropped to 1.50 in fall 08...
just sayin.

[Freemnd]

Do any of you buy bulk ammo (500-1000rds is what I'm saying) from Gunbroker or AuctionArms?

What would your pro's and con's be?

[sadmin]

shipping from the individuals is usually much higher in my exp., I prefer to buy bulk from other online retailers.

[maximus83]

I've definately cut down on my shooting in the last year or more (especially pistol). 35-50 cents a round is just too expensive to shoot in quantity. Even "cheap" .45ACP is around 20 dollars a box. I remember not too long ago it was 10-12.

Me too. This is why I've added a number of .22 options to the fold and a large stock of .22 ammo in the last year:

* An MP15-22 so I can train for AR platfrom
* A Ciener Platinum .22 conversion so I can train with my 1911
* Already had a CZ .22 conversion so I could train with my 85 Combat
* If the M&P pistol .22 conversion comes out, I'll buy that too.

[Freemnd]

[QUOTE=maximus83;606058]Me too. This is why I've added a number of .22 options to the fold and a large stock of .22 ammo in the last year:

* An MP15-22 so I can train for AR platfrom

...

I've been wondering about this. How does a .22 Colt/Umarex or Mp15-22 mimic an Ar-15 platform so that it is helpful for training.

I'm in no way questioning that it does. I just don't know.

With the differences in ballistics, flight path, etc.; does shooting .22lr from an ar style weapon help with training? Thanks,

[maximus83]

[QUOTE=maximus83;606058]Me too. This is why I've added a number of .22 options to the fold and a large stock of .22 ammo in the last year:

* An MP15-22 so I can train for AR platfrom

...

I've been wondering about this. How does a .22 Colt/Umarex or Mp15-22 mimic an Ar-15 platform so that it is helpful for training.



Well from my experience, the MP15-22 is similar in size to an AR, enables you to attach milspec parts at many common points (stock, rear sight, has a milspec rail, etc.), and has similar controls and similar operation of those controls. Though as you implied, recoil and shooting characteristics are clearly different, it is a good training platform from the perspective of operating a weapon with similar controls.