Ammo shopping etiquette in this day in age

I don't have the money to buy a lot. I just get what I came in for.

I always have a year’s worth of whatever ammo (9, .556) and reloading supplies (.45 ACP) I regularly shoot, so I certainly haven’t been caught short in this situation.

Then again I didn’t need to buy any TP when the “panic buying” started, either. (Admittedly, I don’t eat many carbs, which helps in that department.)

Some people get to feeling guilty about buying up ammo. During this latest ammo shortage, I haven’t bought anything but 2000 rounds of Remington 22 lr Target, got it on sale for $0.04 a round. I have plenty of ammo, but will buy more when I find it on sale again.

I bought a Taurus G3 right before the cough"n"riots started up. I wanted something to shoot dirt cheap steel case ammo in. Didn't go as planned. Had to reload just to get range ammo.
Wish I could hoard several cases for 160.00

Mars5l said:

I know I've seen mention of it and I practice it myself, but who here when you're out ammo shopping and you see a small stack of ammo you need. Do you take it all and say "better luck next time" or leave 1 or 2 on the shelf for the next person? I for the most part leave some behind and sometimes I've been lucky to get the last box myself

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I take what I need. Mostly before shopping I am have an idea of what I need. If that means all the boxes off the shelf then thats what it is because there may be only 2 and I wanted 10 or there may be just 10. Like any other thing consumer markets Demand will dictate the supply.
Nothing I buy is to hoard. Just to keep certain numbers in stock and replenish when its below a certain number.

I have certain inventory levels I try to maintain so I'll buy what I need if it's available. No more, no less.

I generally buy what I need. I learned a strategy decades ago from an older shooter. He said, “whenever you go into a gun store or place that’s sells guns, buy a box or two of ammo here or there- when you don’t really need it. Then when you really do need it, you’ll have all the ammo you need.”

Mars5l said:

I know I've seen mention of it and I practice it myself, but who here when you're out ammo shopping and you see a small stack of ammo you need. Do you take it all and say "better luck next time" or leave 1 or 2 on the shelf for the next person? I for the most part leave some behind and sometimes I've been lucky to get the last box myself

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If I want it all, I take it all.

I can't remember the last time I bought ammunition in a store. Even with shipping I can't remember the last time ammunition was cheaper in a store than online.

I've said this before but we have an ammunition budget. We put a little back from every paycheck and when we find a good price we buy regardless of how much we already have on hand. As a result we didn't get caught short by the current panic.

Which will NOT be the last panic BTW

I can't remember the last time I saw "only a little bit" of what I needed, or needed some of what I saw "only a little bit" available.

I don't base my ammo purchasing decisions on how much will be left in stock after I leave, but then again I rarely buy ammo in physical retailers. I'm certainly not going to pat myself on the back for not buying ammo I wasn't planning on buying anyways. The only ammo I've purchased in months was 200 rounds of CCI quiet and the purchase limit was 200 rounds. I've already got a multi-year supply of .22 ammo but wanted more of the quiet stuff for suppressed shooting.

Prince Yamato said:

I generally buy what I need. I learned a strategy decades ago from an older shooter. He said, “whenever you go into a gun store or place that’s sells guns, buy a box or two of ammo here or there- when you don’t really need it. Then when you really do need it, you’ll have all the ammo you need.”

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yes to this. I buy some to shoot, some to keep, and will do a little bit of the above.

Mars5l said:

I know I've seen mention of it and I practice it myself, but who here when you're out ammo shopping and you see a small stack of ammo you need. Do you take it all and say "better luck next time" or leave 1 or 2 on the shelf for the next person? I for the most part leave some behind and sometimes I've been lucky to get the last box myself

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i only buy what a need, but if there are (say) only 4 boxes left, then i am taking 4 boxes.

recently, the stores have loaded pallets on the floor. so take as many as you want, "up to" any limits set by the store, for instance, 500 rd max, or 1,000 rd max purchases.

I might buy a box or two when I'm out shopping. Always leave some for the next person. I'm stacked up decently. Always can use more until I start reloading. Looking for 44 dies. Bought some off of Amazon they shipped 7.62×39 which I use. But I have no desire reload that caliber.

I try to keep stocked up when it is plentiful and there is no need to worry about it.
The only times I've seen major shortages around here, the stores put a limit on them anyway, so it takes that out of the equation.

Then again, rimfire stuff is all I buy at the store.
I used to buy buckshot, but now I have 2 MECs set up and a mold to cast single ought buck, so I don't even have to buy that anymore.

I buy the majority of it by the case online.

I buy as much as I can afford at the time(cash).

SD practice ammo always takes priority over plinking calibers, .22lr and shotgun ammo are so low a priority I don’t even look.

So what about the other guy, he had 3.75 golden trump slump years to buy ammo and he waited for now to buy now. Let him suffer if you can get stuff take it for yourself because no one will help you. There is no brother hood no friendship, no unspoken pact between people they are terrible and will screw you over in a heart beat if it means their own betterment. Remember $90 for 500 rds of 22 LR guy and $2000 AR15 carbines guys set up at all the gunshows I remember them, I struggled to find reloading components and 22 LR from age 18-23. Take care of yourself and no one else.

We've had several threads close to this subject recently and that's to be expected, considering the 'current' situation. I learned my the lesson during the Obama years the HARD way as I've mentioned in those threads. But, I learn quick from my mistakes. I increased my bench stock of commonly shot calibers slowly over the past 3-4 years buying (non-panic) when I could. Accordingly, the current situation doesn't impact me and won't for a couple of shooting seasons at the earliest.

This past week the wife and I decided we needed a break from teleworking and social isolating in the house...So Tuesday and Wed we slowly drove through SW Montana on some scenic by-ways and stayed overnight at a B&B in Anaconda, Montana, coming back through another scenic route via Idaho.

On the way I stopped at one of my favorite out of the way LGS's that deals in used guns. I've saved quite a bit of my allowance since Mar and was really hoping to find a .45 cal Kentucky/Pennsylvania rifle in the racks and if not that maybe a Winchester 1300 Upland or Remington 870/1100 Upland model (preferably in 20 gauge but would settle for 12). No luck on any of them.

Anyway, to the topic at hand....while l was looking through the reloading section I found a bag of gas checked .44 240 grain LSWC's and several bags of .45 Colt LSWCGC 300 grainers. I actually shoot those routinely out of the Black and Redhawks. I took the only bag of .44's because they're hard to come by locally when things aren't bad. I took one bag of the .45 Colts and left the other three for somebody else because I no longer panic-buy....being a quick learner and all...

.44's on the left....45 Colt on the right

If its the last box......oh well.

If there are several boxes, of course leave some for others.

Ive bought a couple from a shelf full, gone back and bought more another day......after a week i had bought it all. Nobody else was buying it LOL

Was not the cheapest, so they passed on it.
Good deal, not great deal.

Now with none avail......it ended up being pretty sweet

Need something, buy it- don't concern yourself with the next potential hoarder coming through.
I'll buy primers by the 1000 if its something I'll use but that's about it, I've got enough components to shoot regularly for several years but if it comes to me or them (as far as being able to buy what I want) I'll pick me every single time. I will not however buy something I don't need/want with plans to sell for an inflated price - that's just rude.

I decided a long time ago to start reloading for what I shoot, accumulate the materials when they are available, and never worry again about empty shelves in the ammo stores. Except for rimfire stuff (and that very rarely), I've never been without what I need.

I would leave or share some if the next buyer was right behind me, but otherwise I will buy it all and let the store and the supply chain restock it for the guy that comes in the next day.

I was at a big gun chain store a few years ago and was going to buy every last box of one type of .22LR because it was finally as low as $0.03 per round, but then I asked the guy at the counter if they had more and he brought out another crate of it from the back.

I load all my centerfire ammo and I won't leave components for anyone unless they ask me to do so at the time I'm purchasing (per customer limits). I am not a supplier. I support suppliers by purchasing so they can make more for the next guy.

I buy what I need. It's going to be some time before I'm in need. I learned my lesson after the 2008 election.

I take the pirate code route...