Is it worth the risk on waiting to buy ammo? Anybody see these prices going down soon?

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Hello guys & gals.

So I've been hesitant to buy ammo lately with how insane prices are, with all this Corona Virus stuff.

I'm debating if it's worth the risk to wait for prices to go down. Anybody think there's a decent chance on prices not going down/not being able to buy decent amounts of ammo by the time the "Corona prices" go down? Maybe due to Joe Biden getting elected & "Hitlering" our weapons/ammo or something like that?

Whatdo you guys think?

Thank you in advance for all your responses,

Bull.
 
I'd be surprised if prices don't continue to rise the rest of the year. We are headed into a presidential election with both houses of congress up for grabs in the midst of widespread unrest, calls to abolish/neuter police departments, and a global pandemic/recession. If the wrong side wins, expect things to go completely berserk.
 
Prices are not that high right now. Use "dollar cost averaging" -- buy some now but don't buy a huge stockpile. You should have acquired a huge stockpile last fall, but if you didn't then plan on buying smaller quantities through the uncertainty ahead. The political climate could very easily cause increases in demand, but not likely a decrease in supply. I do believe prices will come down again, but I can't predict when. They could come down by the end of this year, even if the political environment creates spikes in demand there are a lot of deflationary forces that are being held back only temporarily by the full power and might of the US Treasury and the Federal Reserve. But prices could also persist at higher levels for several years, and by then the inflation the Fed is desparately seeking could certainly come into effect.
 
Agreed that prices are not all bad. Five and six cent 22 LR is still on the counter at my LGS, and centerfire rifle rounds are reasonable with the exception of 5.56/223. I do not expect prices to drop quickly, but in a year or so they may decline a bit.
 
I’ve read that vendors are claiming that the prices went up due to an increase in their cost again due to an increase in the cost of raw materials.

I don’t know. I think it’s hog wash. The prices will keep going up as long as they can sell what they can get. As long as people keep buying at these ridiculous prices, I think they’re gonna stay high.

Academy hasn’t raised their prices. In fact, I get about 75% of my ammo there. Or did, until all of this civil unrest sent everyone into a frenzy.

I wouldn’t go nuts buying ammo. I guess it depends on how much you shoot. I’d suggest getting 500 rounds each if you main rifle and pistol calibers and a case of .22 if you’re just going to sit on it.
 
Just buy what you want, if anyone knows the future, they're sure aren't goofing around on here giving advice. Live to the best of your ability & have arms and ammunition to sustain your needs. If you're not going to the range, a few hundred rds of each cartridge will be fine, I like a minimum of 500 per chambering in reserve , the rest I shoot and replenish or put into rotation. There's no use in hoarding , the sun will still rise tomorrow and manufacturers will produce more.
Or spend your money on reloading supplies and make your own, couple lbs of powder and several lbs of lead make a whole lot of cartridges - just something to consider.
 
Prices have gone up some in the last month. But not to the point that I consider it gouging. Prices do fluctuate occasionally, but long term never go back down. What you may think is overpriced today may seem like a bargain this time next year.
 
Ammo stocks around here are pretty low. Especially shotgun. Saturday I processed 62 pounds of lead. Ordered a shotgun reloading press, hulls, wads, 00 mold, and anything else needed to reload them. If I can't buy them, then I guess I am going to have to make them.
 
Ammo stocks around here are pretty low. Especially shotgun. Saturday I processed 62 pounds of lead. Ordered a shotgun reloading press, hulls, wads, 00 mold, and anything else needed to reload them. If I can't buy them, then I guess I am going to have to make them.

I did similar as things eased up in the last crunch. Get a copy of the lyman shotshell manual as well. If you don't reload metallic it is even easier than shotshell. And if you are going to start casting buckshot, bullets are a logical extension.
 
Prices have gone up some in the last month. But not to the point that I consider it gouging. Prices do fluctuate occasionally, but long term never go back down. What you may think is overpriced today may seem like a bargain this time next year.

I can remember not long ago that $50 a brick was a good price for 22lr. We are a long way from that. So buy what you need if you can find it.
 
Hello guys & gals.

So I've been hesitant to buy ammo lately with how insane prices are, with all this Corona Virus stuff.

I'm debating if it's worth the risk to wait for prices to go down. Anybody think there's a decent chance on prices not going down/not being able to buy decent amounts of ammo by the time the "Corona prices" go down? Maybe due to Joe Biden getting elected & "Hitlering" our weapons/ammo or something like that?

Whatdo you guys think?

Thank you in advance for all your responses,

Bull.

It depends on how much you have and how much you shoot. Like others have said, prices are not that bad if you can find anything in stock.

I would continue to buy because things can only get a little better but could get WAY worse.
 
Hello guys & gals.

So I've been hesitant to buy ammo lately with how insane prices are, with all this Corona Virus stuff.

I'm debating if it's worth the risk to wait for prices to go down. Anybody think there's a decent chance on prices not going down/not being able to buy decent amounts of ammo by the time the "Corona prices" go down? Maybe due to Joe Biden getting elected & "Hitlering" our weapons/ammo or something like that?

Whatdo you guys think?

Thank you in advance for all your responses,

Bull.
well, i have a lot of 9 MM ammo. got a lot of it online, or at the LGS's.

but now, i am buying up .45 ACP, for the new .45 i will be getting this week.

i was buying a couple of boxes ( S&B .45 ACP) at a time, cost $18.99

went there today, minutes ago in fact, price now is $21.79 per 50 rds.

so shop around online and locally, i'd say grab what you need now, before any spikes in upcoming panic buying.

and i too, come late summer/early fall, will be buying a reloading set up.
 
OP ,
If you feel that your ammo inventory is insufficient - and you probably do or you would not have started this thread - I advise buying in modest amounts and on a gradual and regular basis during this time of reduced supply and elevated prices. (Note - prices aren't that bad , not yet anyway...) Buy at a rate that at least maintains your inventory , preferably builds it. Then , the next time prices and supply improve - stock up in such a way that you are not caught short again!

As others have stated , we have had several unmistakable warning shots across the bow prior to this , and plenty of opportunity to stock up since those shots and before the current crunch. Learn and prepare.

Prices - a week back I was in a major chain store in western Wisconsin. The handgun ammo aisle was about 2/3 empty , no 9mm at all. EXCEPT - a promo at the end cap , Federal 9mm 115 gr brass cased "whitebread" ammunition , , at just $10.99 per box of 50. Limit 5 per customer. Hard to figure an attractive price like that amidst empty shelves. I didn't want to be a hog , given the fact that my supply is pretty good , but an opportunity is an opportunity , so I bought 3.
 
If you need ammo, and have the money to spare, buy it if you can find it. Living through the Obama scare, I vowed never again. I was stored up, but was not prepared to not being able to find 22LR, primers, powder, etc., for that long.
 
FWIW, I've been a shooter for a very long time, but have bought relatively little ammo lately. I do not expect prices to come down anytime soon. The virus, social and political unrest, elections coming up, etc. do not bode well for deals on ammo. Everybody wants a "deal" on whatever they're buying, but I've always figured that if I have to worry about paying more for ammo, I should get a cheaper, more PC hobby.....YMMV
 
In normal times I would typically keep stock on hand and buy more when I find a really good deal.

In times like these, IMO “Best Practice” is to keep buying any time you find anything at a price you can live with, until you reach a point where you can’t store more without waste.

That applies to more than ammo. Pretty much any consumable. Yeah, you may end up paying $0.33 a round for ammo that a month ago was $0.25 per round, but it’ll also take longer to reach the point of choosing between paying $2 per round or not having ammo at all.
 
If money is burning a hole in your pocket buy a press, set of dies, a scale, loading blocks, powder measure and a dial caliper ---you don't have to spend a lot of money---- and components.
Alliant and Hodgdon have free reloading data on line.
Worse case scenario and you're covered.
Consider it insurance.
 
You know, when all of this ammo & components scarcity started I was expecting it to be mostly confined to the usual calibers in defensive weaponry - handgun and rifle - but was surprised over the these last few months at the way virtually everything was gone.

An example of this was a trip to my local Bass Pro about two weeks ago. Their entire handgun caliber section consisted of a few boxes of 5.7fn and shot loads in several calibers. Nothing else.

Locally I haven't even been able to find hardly anything in the way of 30-30 ammo. Just had to mail order some Remington Core-Lokt 150gr loads. If it weren't for AmmoSeek I'd have been a while finding any too as the first twelve hits in a Google search were out of stock. This has historically been a load you could count on finding in the most rural bait & tackle and hardware stores.

May get crazier before it gets better I'm afraid.
 
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