Why is .308 Win gone?

Other folks purchased it.

Because it is currently cheaper to buy 308 ammo than 223.

I've been buying it by the case when I find it 15 bucks or less a box... just plinking with the factory load and then setting up my reload afterwards...

you would be surprised how big the ar10 crowd is

and is not expensive i have thousands of 308

and yes is my plinking gun

There is a big following for the AR-10 and many a good tactical scout rifles and carbines too. Lots of M1A configurations were sold during the panic buying, with the scout snipers, and tactical rifles, and then lastly the good ole deer rifle is also well suited in .308 win. It is more expensive to shoot than .223 but it didn't stop anyone from buying it all. It's not just cabela's and wal mart thats out either, lots of places, actually quite a few places are still out, and will remain so if they do not enforce a purchase limit per customer.
The same few guys keep lining the counters with thier buggys and carts just waiting for the same trucks to arrive. When it gets there each time, those same guy's just buy every box that comes off the truck, and it never is what amount you would think either. One guy with one shopping cart can clean out the whole thing in one transaction. Then lots of pissed of customers yell and argue about it with him, the store manager, the corporate office, the owner, etc... but that's how its been lately around here, the same guys buying it all each time the truck comes in. Heck you can even try to beat the guy in there, but he seems to be glued to that counter before you can even run back there.
Good luck with finding some you don't have to fight over. I hope all that crap settles down soon. This is getting old, boring, and it's non productive for all the people that still can't seem to find ammo they really want. Seem's to keep coming up for sale on line though, despite not finding any in town....

They are not all gone, you can find SSA at Midway.............

I think this time may not be like those in the past and more people than me may be realizing that fact. Fortunately I stocked up long ago.....

It is gone and 9mm isn't, because they started out with a warehouse full of 9mm and not nearly as much .308.

You might ask why all the Aguila .22 Colibri CB cap ammo is gone too.

Same reason.

People are crazy hording stuff they will never live long enough to use right now!

rc

All kinds of reason for ammo flying off the shelf, but for 308 - I'm thinking. . .

Some folks who believe that there will be high ammunition taxes coming. The larger the caliber the higher the tax.

You also got some who are thinking that they need to prep themselves for whatever else might be coming down the pipe. That's why it is literally impossible to find 9mm, 45ACP, 7.62x39, 5.56, 308 in the stores. Not trying to fear monger but a lot of folks are freaked at the current events.

People are buying EVERYTHING right now. The local Wal-mart was out of 12 ga shotgun shells when I checked today (still have a few value-packs of 20ga though). Only rifle ammo I saw was one box of .243.

For pistol they had two boxes of Federal Hydra-Shoks in .45ACP, one box of Remington .25ACP, one Remington .32ACP, and ironically enough, 3 boxes of Federal 9mm Luger (I didn't buy those as I've got enough reloading components from 9mm to keep me shooting for plenty long enough).

All I wanted was a box of .40S&W (which was actually plentiful during the 2008 shortage) but alas, there was none to be found. Just bought a S&W SD40VE yesterday and I can't even shoot the thing for lack of ammo .

almost makes me glad I never purchased anything in 308. plenty of surplus out there in 8mm and 54R along with good commercial ammo would I feel the need to kill some critter.

It is gone and 9mm isn't, because they started out with a warehouse full of 9mm and not nearly as much .308.

You might ask why all the Aguila .22 Colibri CB cap ammo is gone too.

Same reason.

People are crazy hording stuff they will never live long enough to use right now!

Click to expand...

Maybe, but the other issue is that 4 years later it is about semi auto rifles. 4 years ago, you couldn't find 380 or 9mm because that was the panic buy back then, this time is is all about so called assault weapons.


Which brings up a good point. I would like to see one of the talking heads that are being interviewed by the media actually correct someone talking about a 308 rifle...." I'm sorry sir, this isn't an assault rifle, those use intermediate cartridges. This here is a battle rifle."

I'm going to gag if I hear another news story about high powered assault rifle cartridges.

I was thinking of taking the Saiga 308 to the range this weekend. I think I'll take one of the 22s instead. I'd hate to be left ammoless

As a little test of my own, I've been tracking how rapidly boxes of 9x18 Makarov have been disappearing from the shelf @ my local gun shop.

Short answer: they haven't been disappearing. Seems like I'm the only one buying it. I bought up the last of the $12.99 boxes *before* all this started, after which only the $15.99 boxes for 50 rounds were left. Each time I go to the shop, there are fewer and fewer guns and ammo of all sorts, but those 50 round boxes of 9x18 Makarov are still there.

I'm curious to see if the days of $11/box 9x18 Makarov prices will ever return. In the meantime, I'll just keep slowly buying the more expensive $15.99 stuff one box at a time until it's gone.

Get a FAL or M1A chambered in .243 win and you'll be able to get ammo at Walmart anytime you want. Every Walmart I went to around my area (5) the shelves are nearly empty but all have a good supply of .243 and .270 win.

I am considering getting a bolt or auto .243 just because. I am not a hunter either I just like to knock down bowling pins. Not that .243 is exactly cheap though besides.

My lgs was cleaned out of a lot of stuff, but plenty of 308, no powder or cheap bullits, plenty of primers though. Lots of bolt .22 but no ammo to shoot except the $10/box match stuff. All AR stuff bare shelves. Probably wont restock much till after the annual inventory, if anything becomes available.

4 years ago, pretty well all the standard calibers(9MM, 40, 45, .223/5.56, 308) were cleared out, and resupply hard to come by because the manufacturers really weren't ready for it. I think the big difference between then and now, is that back then it was mostly gun people buying up supplies; while this time around it's literally EVERYBODY gun people, and new gun buyers alike. And again the manufacturers were not ready for it.

Lots of people think "I'll buy the most popular calibers, because they'll always be available anywhere." Then when there's a run on ammo, those are the calibers that vanish first.

Four years ago, when the shelves were bare of "popular" calibers, boxes of .30-30, .35 Remington, and .22-250 were still sitting there waiting for buyers.