What have we learned over the past 10 years?

mgresh said:

Are you suggesting we are currently in a .22lr shortage?

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Not at all. But we just went through on.

I learned that trigger time is trigger time. Pellets and bb's for air rifles and pistols are cheap, and best of all, I can shoot at home- no need to travel far to embarrass myself

Picking up an extra box of ammo here and there. As far as firearms go, I'm doing what I can to stick to just a couple of guns and get extra parts for them and what not.

I have more supplies nowadays, two to three times a much. I shoot three times more than I did 5 years ago so I'm not sure I am gaining any ground. I'm not into hoarding, I only keep what I can use in a couple years.

-Jeff

Replaced most of the 7.62x39 ammo which was consumed. In order to prevent needing more than a tiny bit of my stored 12,000 rds., Academy supplies most of the replacement Russian ammo.
Also about 4,000 rds. of .22LR, 4,000 rds. of 9mm, Now having 'constant' access to somebody's (.22LR) Walther P22 handgun, I seldom use the 9mm.

Do many people out there actually believe that the timing of a possible ammo panic can be predicted, based Only on elections?
Such people seem to believe that all of the psychos/sociopaths have been institutionalized or 'cured' with drugs.

>>Several of the last mass shooters reportedly were taking such prescription drugs.<<

Buy what you can when you can.

If you're a regular shooter this is even more important.

I learned the off calibers and bore diameters are what ends up being left. At the height of the panic i could always find .44 mag, .45LC, 25-06, 8mm mauser, etc. All the common calibers went first so I keep and ample supply of calibers that I have that are common and i want to shoot, whether that be components or loaded factory ammo. As far as a change in my habits I never really experienced them. We go through phases of shooting one fire arm or another but I try not to let the political climate influence me. I have enough diversity in calibers where something is always available. I just keep shooting something every couple of weeks and enjoy.

One thing I hve learned is buy low and sell high. The panics and plenty times are like a sine wave and they will come back. Buy when there is plenty and sell when there is little.

The best centrfire handgun caliber to own is .40 S&W. I'm going to dump my .45acp and 9mm Luger in favor of it. The only exception is R9 which isn't going anywhere.

I've always bought .22s by the case (5,000 rounds.) When I find a good price, I buy another case. I had about 20,000 rounds when the shortage started, and that saw me through nicely. I also had about 5,000 primers of each size, a few 8-lb kegs of the powders I usually use and lots of brass. And a few thousand jacketed bullets along with a few hundred pounds of wheel-weights.

I started reloading, picked up 38s as an alternative to 22s, and stocked up on components. I also started casting. Just picked up a Hawken and will start playing with it. Likely to end up with a muzzleloader tag in the Fall, plus it is a hedge against stupidity.

I learned that there really is a difference in Wolf SV target, Remington Supreme, WWB, Federal match, Elly, and CCI.

My platforms are inherently more accurate than I gave them credit for (once better glass was installed).

My bolt action is just as much fun, if not more accurate than a EBR. I still get a chuckle at the guy who comes to the range and tears through 3 mags in a minute then leaves.

What have I learnt?
Politicians will always get in, prices fluctuate and the media will whip things up beyond logic or reason.
Haters will hate, the antis will always be anti and the only way we will get to keep our guns (including here in the UK) is by sticking together and challenging every bit of nonsense and falacy that is put forward by ignorant, anti-gun agitators who use other peoples' personal tragedies as a means of forwarding their own political agendas.

I got 10 years older and had some things that I'd learned in the previous 54 years confirmed...

Like the stock market, you learn to buy when everyone is selling (i.e. NOW) before there is a shortage. Kinda like evacuating from a hurricane - you want to be the first one out, not the last; here too you want to be the one already stocked up on whatever it is you need and not wait until any panic goes haywire.

Unlike stocks (the Wall Street kind, not the revolver kind ) ammo is consumable. We don't buy ammo as an investment and keep it in a vault. Well, I don't.

I learned that selling my Mini 30 when I still had a thousand rounds of 7.62x39 was not a good plan; no one wants to buy cheap Russian ammo when they reload it even cheaper. It doesn't take up much space, but it's just sitting there doing nothing, not increasing in value that I can tell. If there's another ammopocalypse, maybe I'll be glad I have it as trade fodder.

I'm adding .22LR when I can, buying one or two 100-round boxes is almost like spending pocket change.

I have learned there is no such thing as a true pro 2nd amendment supporting politician.

I have learned to buy things when they are out of season, not currently popular, or when there is a glut on the market. This applies to clothing, canned goods, vehicles, guns, ammo, components, and almost anything that doesn't have an expiration date (and some things that do).
I have learned to set priorities and pace myself.
I have learned to research more deeply into my potential purchases.
I have learned to reload, repair and recycle.
I have learned that there is almost always a way to do what is really needed.

P5 Guy said:

I have learned there is no such thing as a true pro 2nd amendment supporting politician.

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There is not enough likes in the world.

Shortages are a result of demand exceeding supply; who was creating the extreme demand? Hint: the larger non-shooting segment of our country was not grabbing and hoarding ammunition, they have no want for ammunition. We are a principled and noble group but, WE caused the shortage and we will cause the next shortage.

What I learned, or had reaffirmed?

The "news" media is just another form of entertainment.

Never would have thought the ol' 22lr could commanded a market such as it did.

It's not hoarding, it is saving for a rainy day.

P5 Guy, most politicians got where they're at by being good at telling people what they want to hear.

I learned that the last ammo panic wasn't the last ammo panic.


Ammunition is readily available and relatively cheap now so now is the time to stock it

I’ve learned that shooting the guns I have gives me more satisfaction than chasing down new guns to acquire. I need to spend more time at the range and less time at the gun store, Armslist, etc.

What have I learned?

That apparently we, yet again, have been doing things totally and irreversibly wrong for that last 100 years.......and a new caliber or scope reticle will fix it.