I hate paying more than pre-panic prices for ammo, but until it is showing up where I shop and staying in stock for more than half an hour, I've accepted that I might have to "strike while the iron is hot" and pay a little more. Two weeks ago, I went to a gun show and was thrilled to find a guy charging $.50/round for .223 FMJ, but when all was said and done, I came away with a whopping 84 rounds, picking through partial boxes and plastic bags to get that far. Most sellers wanted $.75/round even when buying in quantity.
Last week, I paid $16/box (50 rounds) of Blazer Brass 9mm FMJ and wished I'd bought one of the 350-round boxes when they were available a month ago, but it's more important to me to get in as much practice as I can, and a 5-box limit meant that I barely replaced what I'd used up on my last couple of range visits. It's still reloadable brass and still runs reliably in my guns, plus it allows me to keep my better defensive rounds tucked away that much longer.
Today, I found a good amount of Lake City .223 FMJ and SP for $.60/round, which was more than I would have paid a month or two ago, but as with the 9mm last week, it allows me to replenish what I used up, make another trip to the range, and even set some aside. Ammo is slowly but surely turning up locally, but I'm not counting on it to be in stock for long. The lower-priced ammo that's never in stock is of zero use to me, while the overpriced in-stock ammo is useful right now.
