Where are there 22LR ammo for sale? Under $30 for 500 rounds

bds said:

Cabela's is selling Federal 36 gr CPHP (1260 fps) 325 round boxes for $17.99 with free shipping on $99+ orders til 8/13/17 (comes out to $27.67 for 500) - http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/prod...edium=AFF&utm_source=35987&rid=12&WT.tsrc=AFF

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I actually find this stuff to be very good. I don't know if the hollowpoint is any more than marketing, but it makes great range ammo.

Field and Stream had Federal AutoMatch 325 for $19.99 last week. That's $30.77/500 or $61.54 per 1000. After bolt lightening this was the go-to for my son's 10/22TD. I know it surpasses the $30 mark but a number of my rimfires really like this stuff as well and that was the last price I paid for it locally before the panic.

Skylerbone said:

Field and Stream had Federal AutoMatch 325 for $19.99 last week. That's $30.77/500 or $61.54 per 1000. After bolt lightening this was the go-to for my son's 10/22TD. I know it surpasses the $30 mark but a number of my rimfires really like this stuff as well and that was the last price I paid for it locally before the panic.

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Some Walmarts have it for $17-18 a box. I got one box locally for I think $17.44. With tax it was about $19.

I have gotten it for less online the last few months after free shipping and tax is considered. Just have to watch the deals.

AIM surplus had Aguila 40gr plated for $250/5000 a while back. I got 5000 of it.

Walkalong said:

I wonder how it compares to the Fed Auto Match.

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I have gone thru a bunch of the automatch without a single issue. and it shoots better than I do.

4 of my bolt actions now shoot Aguila subsonic exclusively. For the price I could find nothing better till I stepped up to Lapua at nearly 3X the cost. The autoloaders sometimes choked though and AutoMatch did the trick. For me it's about having fewer types of ammo than absolute accuracy.

I'll need to put eyeballs on PSA more often I guess, they do run some great specials.

Just picked up a 500 rd carton of Federal copper plated hollowpoint at walmart for $22 and change.

I was at my local Walmart yesterday. They add the bucket of bullets for $73. HV lead HP.

bds said:

I agree. I tested various 22LR ammo in my Ruger 10/22 TakeDown and Federal 36/40 gr ammo have consistently produced smaller shot groups and reliably cycled the bolt among value/bulk packs.

I haven't shot the Winchester M-22 yet. Any comments, especially shot from Ruger 10/22?

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It (22LR Value Pack) is supposedly the bottom of the Federal barrel. They have a dizzying array of 22LR bulk pack load numbers, and this one differs from the more common varieties like Federal Champion or American Eagle. But with the luck of the draw factor, you never know. The bullet of the American Eagle 36gr. HP expands better (makes a good Mini-Mag substitute), but the Value Pack is the only thing I have that never mis-fires in my Buckmark. The two cases of Value Pack I bought also have nice shiny brass and are consistent.

I have not tried M-22. My understanding is it's very similar, if not identical, to the Browning-branded black-oxide coated bullet ammo. It's all Olin.

ilbob said:

I was at my local Walmart yesterday. They add the bucket of bullets for $73. HV lead HP.

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Yessir, spotted 3 at my local Wallyworld. It does look like the shortage is finally ending.

Walkalong said:

I wonder how it compares to the Fed Auto Match.

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I also have some AutoMatch; I strongly prefer the .22 Value Pack from Cabelas, even at 19.99. At 17.99 shipped it's a no-brainer. I paid 17.44 at Wallyworld for the Automatch, and 9-point-ridiculous sales tax on top.

Automatch works well enough in most guns, but is a bare LRN as opposed to the copper plated HP of the Value Pack. Both run good in my guns, but Value Pack is more reliable for me from an ignition standpoint, less smokey and the copper plating prevents black fingers syndrome. My blood lead level was too high when I recently had it checked, strengthening my already considerable preference for Value Pack.

Malamute said:

Just picked up a 500 rd carton of Federal copper plated hollowpoint at walmart for $22 and change.

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Bingo! Federal bulk in 500+ round boxes is hard to beat when Wallyworld has them. What variety did you get? 500 rounds or 550? Have the load number? (it's on the box, should be three digits starting with 7)

bds said:

My sneaking suspicion is that 36 gr CPHP rounds packaged in different boxes are actually the same exact ammunition using the same bullet and powder.

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That conclusion is consistent with my view of the world, but has proven false nonetheless. The bullet on the 36gr. HP Value Pack (load #725) has a pointier profile than does 36gr. HP Champion (745). And American Eagle has a 38gr. HP that expands much better. There are also differences driven by which line the stuff came off of - Federal's or CCI's (yes, some Federal-branded ammo is manufactured by CCI).

I'm sure there a couple of load numbers that would prove the exact same round, but there's a lot more variety here than common sense would dictate.This happens when Federal knocks up a 525 or 550 round version of the existing 500 pack for specific retailers (745 vs 750, same thing). I can say for sure I've bought two cases of the .22 Value Pack #725 in 325-round boxes from Cabela's and it works a treat. I like it as much as my Stingers - it's just for a different purpose.

I used to use the Aguila standard velocity stuff for Bullseye League back when I could get it. I think it was $169 shipped for a case of 5000. I used to get a case shipped once or twice a year. It was another ammo that shot better in my target pistols then I can shoot. it was just a little underpowered though. I had to put a drop of oil on the nose of the first round in the magazine to get it to cycle reliably. Otherwise every once in awhile I would get one that would fail to go into battery. But it was a very accurate round for me anyway. I did some of my best shooting with it.

Then when the drought started it just dried up completely. I heard they stopped making it entirely. I'm not even sure that the new stuff is the same stuff. I heard from some shooters that it isn't as good as it used to be. But that just might be some basic whining because we all know that everything was always better in the past than it is today. You know like smallpox malaria the Black Plague.

I got a brick of Thunderbolt at Walmart for $25. I know it's not well loved, but it's the best price I've seen since 2012.

Wow, I haven't checked out Walmart in about 2 months because they were the ONLY place around that never had .22 ammo. Maybe I need to stop in there again.

Academy has lots of .22 ammo on their website. The only thing I checked was Remington Golden HPs because my 10-22 loves them. A 525 round box is $28 and change plus free shipping on a $25 order. 3-5 business days delivery. Get 1 1/2% back through Ebates. I had a Pay Pal credit of $11 and change. I spent $19 on the brick + 25 rounds.
It does my soul good to buy .22s at a decent price again.