Will cheap brick when I need it ever happen again? Switching from 22?

[mrvaudo]

I'm a new shooter so I've never experienced the old days when you could buy a brick when you needed one at walmart. Wondering if that will ever be the case got me thinking about future gun purchases.

I was planning on eventually getting a trio of 22s. 22 bolt (remington), 22 lever(henry) and 22 semi auto(marlin) but the ammo shortage has got me thinking maybe I should consider something with ammo I can get a bit easier 17hmr, 22 mag? Although looking at cost of ammo even overpriced 22 (15-20 cents) seems to be the cheapest way to go.

Whats a shooter to do? Thoughts?

[Fifty226]

22lr is the more popular 22 cailber. Its gonna take a while for the 22 ammo to show up more. There are a lot of horders, flippers and new shooters out there causing the shortage.
You can always check the rimfire ammo finds thread...i was able to order 1400 rounds last week. Hope this helped

[SB1964]

I've been shooting .22lr for years, never slowed me down. I go almost weekly with work being the exception. Sometimes I may shoot a bit less, like 1.5 years ago when I was "low" on stock. I'm 49 & remember the 15-20$ bricks. I don't get caught up with the price anymore, not the "old days" pricing anyway. If it cost me a bit more to shoot, I'll shoot a bit less, but still go.

[junior40er]

While 22lr is hard to find, it's easier to obtain 1000 rounds of 22lr than 1000 rounds of 17HMR or magnum.

[DTom75]

I went to the Shot Show in Vegas a couple of weeks ago and the manufacturers, when I asked them, all pretty much told me the same thing.....

It is not the manufacturing of the 22LR that's the problem nor is it the availability of components to make them. It is because of a mess load of new shooters, young, old, female, relatively inexpensive cost of shooting for the seasoned shooters (bad economy) and the renewed interest in the "plinker" rimfire calibers that's causing the shortage. Rimfire guns are being sold in record numbers nowadays. It doesn't help when there are the Hoarders of .22 ammo snapping up everything they can to either stockpile or flip.
They said that they are manufacturing the rimfire ammo running 2-3 shifts in a 24 hour day. They are at capacity and it will take 2-3 years to get more manufacturing online to help ease the demand which they are in process of doing.

Sux don't it? I went out last week and in 30 minutes or so and I had already gone thru almost 300 rounds "breaking in" my new Buck Mark!

Soooooo..... it's a "hurry up and wait" scenario.

[DTom75]

While 22lr is hard to find, it's easier to obtain 1000 rounds of 22lr than 1000 rounds of 17HMR or magnum.

Actually the only real problem I have getting .17HMR is that I ran out of money! I do have plenty of stock of the caliber for a couple of good varmint hunting weekends tho. (prairie dogs)

I found a poop load of .17 WSM also @ WalMart a few weeks ago and yesterday it was still sitting on the shelf there. I don't have a .17WSM gun so I didn't buy any.

[mrvaudo]

Thanks

Thanks for the input. Thanks to the ammo finds thread I was able to score some tonight for decent prices. I guess I have to just camp out in front of the computer once a month or so. I don't see myself shooting too often so I don't need huge amounts probably. If I can get my hands on a bucket every now and again I'd be okay.

[anthem]

You can still find .22. It just takes a little work.

[AR22]

Last bulk pack of Winchester 555 I bought was right at 25.00 at Walmart a few weeks back.

The price of everything as you know has been effected by inflation..Ammo is not magically exonerated from the effects of inflation.

I do believe that it will not be long and you will see a massive supply of .22 ammo hitting the shelves. My Walmart has massive amounts of .223 and other calibers on the shelves now. More .22 has been showing up also in the last month. Not everyday, but often enough if you want some and make the effort to be there..You can get a brick or two a week

It is only logical that manufacturers also know this and will be concentrating on the production of .22 ammo. I believe there will also be a small price drop back as soon as it is plentiful again..

[99sparks]

I used to buy a box of something every trip to walmart. I stopped about a 3 years ago. Just started shooting again. Mostly 30-30 because that is what I have the most of. Stock of .22 is only 4 bricks.

[G21Shooter]

I think the days of going into a big box sporting good store and picking up a 500 round bulk pack of .22 lr anytime you want are over, but availability should get a little better.

.17 HMR is much more readily available than .22 lr, mainly because these was never much of a shortage of it and people never really went crazy over it. Not too many people have .17 hmrs are those that do generally do not feel compelled to hoard thousands of rounds.

.22 mag is just as hard to find if not harder than .22 lr.

[navin r]

Isn't 17hmr ammo running even more expensive than 22lr?

[REH]

Isn't 17hmr ammo running even more expensive than 22lr?

Maybe twice the price

[navin r]

Thanks that's about what I thought. To me right now 22lr is my bargain ammo, if I'm going to pay twice the 22lr price I'll just shoot 223, I don't need to buy any more guns or dedicated uppers for that.

[Jimi Jah]

The lack of .22LR is just the reason you need to shoot more .223. I did manage to get two bricks of Federal Champion .22LR for $24 each from Cabella's last week.