Seeing some ammo in stores here and there.

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Howland937

Howland937

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Just got back from running around shopping in the Columbus OH area. Stopped in a couple places I'd never been in and was pleasantly surprised to see some ammo on the shelves. One smaller place (mostly fishing and archery, no guns) had a pretty full ammo section. None of the .380/9mm/.40/.45 or .223/5.56 but did have .25acp/.32/.38spl/ .38Super and rifle ammo in several not as popular calibers. 17H, 218 bee, 22H, .222, 220 swift, 25-06, etc. Some 6mm, 6.5mm and 7mm stuff too.

The Walmart up there even had some 00 and #1 12ga buckshot. Considering 2 weeks ago I was in the same general area if not the same stores, and there was nothing besides 28ga or 6mm CM, It would appear there may be some hope yet.
 
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Yeppers, I saw some 9mm (don't remember the brand) and a few "value packs" of Federal 22LR ammo on the shelves in Sportsman's Warehouse the day before yesterday. It was encouraging to see it, even though I didn't even look at the prices.;)
 
Hope I'm not duping this too many times. Son trundles around some local places around Denver/Broomfield.
Jax, Sportsman's Warehouse, Cabelas, Murdocks, plus a couple of smaller, LGS' and has no problem finding 9mm, 38Special, 223, 556, 357mag, 22lr..even some 380 at one place.

Not all at one place but certainly more available than 3-4 weeks ago..seems to me.
 
A local gun shop has moderate quantities of .22LR, .223/5.56mm, .380, and 9mm, but they are (rightly) priced with replacement cost in mind, so they are expensive. .223 and .380 are $1/round; .22LR is about $0.28/round. My other gun shop doesn’t even have any .22LR to speak of, but does have .22 shorts and longs.

Walmart has nothing but a couple boxes of .17 HMR, a couple boxes of .350 Legend, and shotgun target loads and light birdshot.
 
Double Naught Spy said:
I don't think it is an issue of more ammo being made available. I think the ammo companies are still making as much as they can. I believe the issue is less frenzied shopping.
Click to expand...

Agree. And guvners less restrictive “lock down” measures are likely allowing manufacturers to get back to work. I’m seeing some restocking locally as well, and I just picked up some 45ACP online. So maybe things are improving.
 
Double Naught Spy said:
I don't think it is an issue of more ammo being made available. I think the ammo companies are still making as much as they can. I believe the issue is less frenzied shopping.
Click to expand...
I just thought it really odd that, according to the guy at the counter, all the obscure ammo had only recently come in. Hard to believe Hornady is actively making .17 Hornet and .218 Bee. Or that the Blazer Brass in .25 auto and .32 auto is "new" even if it just came in. Just from the component standpoint, why would they make up .38 Super ammo instead of 9mm when they probably sell 1000:1 ?

It's nice there's some stuff available though, so hopefully people can find at least something to shoot.
 
Howland937 said:
Just got back from running around shopping in the Columbus OH area. Stopped in a couple places I'd never been in and was pleasantly surprised to see some ammo on the shelves. One smaller place (mostly fishing and archery, no guns) had a pretty full ammo section. None of the .380/9mm/.40/.45 or .223/5.56 but did have .25acp/.32/.38spl/ .38Super and rifle ammo in several not as popular calibers. 17H, 218 bee, 22H, .222, 220 swift, 25-06, etc. Some 6mm, 6.5mm and 7mm stuff too.

The Walmart up there even had some 00 and #1 12ga buckshot. Considering 2 weeks ago I was in the same general area if not the same stores, and there was nothing besides 28ga or 6mm CM, It would appear there may be some hope yet.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've come across the same thing here northeast of the Columbus area with the .223/5.56, but you gotta be quick or it's gone in no time.
 
Howland937 said:
I just thought it really odd that, according to the guy at the counter, all the obscure ammo had only recently come in. Hard to believe Hornady is actively making .17 Hornet and .218 Bee. Or that the Blazer Brass in .25 auto and .32 auto is "new" even if it just came in. Just from the component standpoint, why would they make up .38 Super ammo instead of 9mm when they probably sell 1000:1 ?
Click to expand...

So the ammo isn't coming from secret stashes middlemen have been holding onto for several months. It is being produced.

Why would they make up .38 Super instead of 9mm when they probably sell 1000:1? Good question. Let's go back before to 2019, before it was an election year and before Covid and ask the same question. The answer is going to be the same. It all sells. They have customers that have a demand for calibers that are not exceptionally high volume (in production or sales). They want to meet customer needs and customers don't just shoot a couple of popular calibers. If the ammo companies only produced what sold the most, then we would have access to what? .223, 9mm & 7.62x39?
 
The Academy website last night told me they had a small amount of .22lr, .380 and 9mm at my store in west central Indiana. Went by at opening this morning to see if I could get my 3 box limit. Was going to grab .380 if they had it, as that's what I'm lightest on. Otherwise, I'd have taken 9mm or .22, in that order.
Nope. Nada. Zip. Zilch.
Nothing available and zero in the store, says the lady.
Two new developments:
(1) Handgun and rimfire, when they have it, is now being kept up front in customer service.
(2) The sole long gun ammo they had out in the gun section was some Winchester AA 28 gauge.
Still strange days here.
 
Mark1964 said:
The Academy website last night told me they had a small amount of .22lr, .380 and 9mm at my store in west central Indiana. Went by at opening this morning to see if I could get my 3 box limit. Was going to grab .380 if they had it, as that's what I'm lightest on. Otherwise, I'd have taken 9mm or .22, in that order.
Nope. Nada. Zip. Zilch.
Nothing available and zero in the store, says the lady.
Two new developments:
(1) Handgun and rimfire, when they have it, is now being kept up front in customer service.
(2) The sole long gun ammo they had out in the gun section was some Winchester AA 28 gauge.
Still strange days here.
Click to expand...
Same happened to me last week. Website said limited stock. Rode up, empty shelves. Only a single box of 22 rat shot. That was it.
 
Meeks36 said:
Same happened to me last week. Website said limited stock. Rode up, empty shelves. Only a single box of 22 rat shot. That was it.
Click to expand...

Yep. Either the website is not keeping up, or the staff is putting it out when they choose to put it out, and inquiring before they've done so is pointless.
Shrug.
Either way, not a heck of a lot to be done about it.
 
Mark1964 said:
Yep. Either the website is not keeping up, or the staff is putting it out when they choose to put it out, and inquiring before they've done so is pointless.
Shrug.
Either way, not a heck of a lot to be done about it.
Click to expand...
Yeah um thinking they call friends and family. Tell them to be here at certain time. Actually seen it. Gentleman that worked for them went on his day off and picked up the last box of 223. This was a month or two ago.
 
Stopped by Brownells yesterday afternoon, had plenty of 9mm in the retail store. Twenty round boxes of a weird off brand for $24 a box. Not many people buying it that I could see. Had some 40 cal and a few odd calibers. 22 rimfire, 50 rounds for about $10.

Bass Pro's shelves....

108DE1E8-82AB-4F4E-90E9-F9A4612EE328.JPG

AD631DEE-FF86-4C36-A65C-7635665C8725.JPG
 
Around here, Scheels is the ONLY place getting desirable calibers---might be 9mm, .308, .223, .22 short, .22mag or 12ga slugs(not together--large shipment of only one selection at a time)------its very random and you basically have to go in everyday and look. Not too bad on the gun selection.

Cabela's is a ghost town with no ammo and virtually no guns ---there's also no one in there, literally

GU still has a decent selection of guns and the only ammo they have is what they have held back for when you buy a gun.
 
Trey Veston said:
Still nothing but odd hunting rifle rounds out here. Literally.

View attachment 967595

I'm more concerned with components than I am with ammo. I had a couple of years worth of components for pistol ammo, but would have liked at least 5 years worth. If I ever find components available again, I will be maxing out a credit card to make sure I am set.
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Good point.
 
Was in the local Runnings, home, farm & outdoor store today to pick up a shirt and walked through the sporting goods dept. like always. Could have picked up a couple boxes of 6mm ARC ammo. Which was about the only ammo in there. Didn't stop to check the price; I have yet to even see a gun chambered for that round. Obviously not a common chambering. About the only reloading components left was a box of .380 bullets. Slim picking, indeed.
 
Double Naught Spy said:
So the ammo isn't coming from secret stashes middlemen have been holding onto for several months. It is being produced.

Why would they make up .38 Super instead of 9mm when they probably sell 1000:1? Good question. Let's go back before to 2019, before it was an election year and before Covid and ask the same question. The answer is going to be the same. It all sells. They have customers that have a demand for calibers that are not exceptionally high volume (in production or sales). They want to meet customer needs and customers don't just shoot a couple of popular calibers. If the ammo companies only produced what sold the most, then we would have access to what? .223, 9mm & 7.62x39?
Click to expand...
I didn't mean to say they weren't making new ammo in the not-as-popular calibers, just that it wouldn't make sense. If Ford knew 60,000 people were waiting for new F-150's to hit the dealership, I wouldn't think they're gonna tie up production capability to make a bunch of Escorts.

I do realize a lot of people shoot other calibers. I don't shoot 9mm very often and don't shoot .223 at all. I reload all my .38 Super. Just from a financial perspective, it would seem more sensible to get the best selling stuff to market quickest.
 
Eventually I figure ammunition will catch up with supply and demand. Kind of like toilet paper. The last drought took longer than I expected but finally there was an abundance of ammo and loading components. Being well stocked I haven't given it much thought this time around. My only real shortage concern now is politics. That can get ugly and prolong things.

Ron
 
Howland937 said:
Just got back from running around shopping in the Columbus OH area. Stopped in a couple places I'd never been in and was pleasantly surprised to see some ammo on the shelves. One smaller place (mostly fishing and archery, no guns) had a pretty full ammo section. None of the .380/9mm/.40/.45 or .223/5.56 but did have .25acp/.32/.38spl/ .38Super and rifle ammo in several not as popular calibers. 17H, 218 bee, 22H, .222, 220 swift, 25-06, etc. Some 6mm, 6.5mm and 7mm stuff too.

The Walmart up there even had some 00 and #1 12ga buckshot. Considering 2 weeks ago I was in the same general area if not the same stores, and there was nothing besides 28ga or 6mm CM, It would appear there may be some hope yet.
Click to expand...
Dec 23rd on our way to Columbus we stopped at the Cabela's just north of Worthington. Just out of curiosity. Nothing there to speak of. The Gun Library was closed with those few guns moved to the outer display cases. Slim pickings on guns and ammo.

Ron
 
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