Ammo shopping etiquette in this day in age

Jack Ryan said:

If facts make someone's feet hurt, it is their problem. Something they should have learned by the time they are old enough to own a gun.

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Yes, I’m sure you had life all figured out at 18/21.

And no ones “feet are hurt” by an old guy complaining about young people. It’s not new or creative, not helpful and, like most broad generalizations, often incorrect.

Of course this too is something that you should have learned by the time you’re old enough to own a gun.

"I do wonder though...for the "I've got mine, screw everyone else" crowd, how'd you get so prepared? How'd you know you needed to? Someone tell you? Did you get caught uprepared previously?"

That's exactly what happened,,,
I got caught unprepared.

For most of my 68 years if I wanted to go to the range,,,
I stopped off at my preferred ammo place on the way there and bought what I needed for that day.

Then Obama got elected,,,
And whether he was the direct cause or not,,,
Ammo supplies dried up and you could not expect to find it when you wanted it.

That's when I started "buying the limit" every time I saw some on the shelves,,,
I never gave one thought to the next guy because their situations weren't my responsibility.

In my defense I was always very generous in reselling at the exact same cost,,,
To friends who couldn't, for whatever reason, do the same.

A local 4-H program didn't have to shut down their youth shooting program,,,
Because I was able to supply them with a minimal amount of Wal Mart bulk packs to stay viable.

Aarond

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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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Take what you are likely to shoot before you next ammo shopping excursion if supply is limited.

JMNSHO.

The places I shop for ammunition and reloading supplies are most all LGS. They have something for sale, if I want it, I buy it. It is how commerce among free American adults works.

Rationing, allotments, and hurt feelings are for bread lines and soup kitchens. They hand you what they will allow you to have based on what they think you need.

I generally buy what I can afford. I generally keep a certain amount put back. If I get below that amount I stop shooting untill I can replace it. As soon as I can, I buy what I can afford. If that empties the shelf, So be it because I can't afford that much.

Was at a Walmart today and saw a lone can of Titegroup on the shelf. I grabbed it. I was at the other local Walmart a few days ago and they had a lone can of Titegroup on the shelf and 6 packages of CCI Large Rifle primers left. I grabbed the Titegroup and 4 of the 6 packs of primers since I suspected I was fine on those.

I will do an accurate inventory soon of all of my components and figure out if I have enough to last me at least five years. I know I'm short on small and large pistol primers, and .40/10mm bullets.

Yes.
Having bought ammo quite often over the last several years, in order to store most of it, I -Now-leave about half of what is there.

Another guy walked over to see the single box of Academy’s only remaining box of 9mm, so I let him take it.

Living 12 min. from the best shooting club in the Mid South, being retired can cause lots of ammo consumption.

Every place around here has a limit of 2 boxes of handgun ammo, right next to a sign saying they are out of handgun ammo. One store has had 2 boxes of Big4 shotshells in 9mm as the only 9mm in stock for 2 weeks. I stocked up long ago on components and replenish what I use yearly so I don’t get into my back stock. Haven’t bought factory ammo in probably 20 years except .22 and 12ga, and I’m good in those for years. You learn as time goes by that this will happen again and again, so when it is plentiful and on sale, “buy it cheap, and stock it deep”.

bullseye308 said:

You learn as time goes by that this will happen again and again, so when it is plentiful and on sale, “buy it cheap, and stock it deep”.

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Word.

Trey Veston said:

Was at a Walmart today and saw a lone can of Titegroup on the shelf. I grabbed it. I was at the other local Walmart a few days ago and they had a lone can of Titegroup on the shelf and 6 packages of CCI Large Rifle primers left. I grabbed the Titegroup and 4 of the 6 packs of primers since I suspected I was fine on those.

I will do an accurate inventory soon of all of my components and figure out if I have enough to last me at least five years. I know I'm short on small and large pistol primers, and .40/10mm bullets.

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Did my component inventory and found out I do indeed have plenty large rifle primers and plenty of pistol powder. Likely enough to load around 19k rounds of 9mm.

Definitely low on .401 sized bullets, though. And low on small rifle primers. Only 600 of those.

One thing I keep noticing is that it seems as though some of our members who are dedicated re-loaders kind of look down their noses at those who only buy their ammo.

I've done my share of re-loading, in the past, invested a lot of money in it, but eventually concluded that my time was worth more than what I might be saving by re-loading. I once calculated that if I was earning, say, $45 an hour, I was actually losing money re-loading instead of buying the same amount of rounds at a good retail price. Now, I get that re-loading can be very satisfying; it's a fun (and sometimes challenging) hobby for many, plus one can typically develop more accurate loads than are commercially available, especially if one is into precision rifle shooting. But for those of us who only go out for one white-tail and one elk a year and whose main focus is on preparing for a defensive shooting encounter, there comes a point of diminishing returns. Frankly, my time off is worth more to me than the money I spend replenishing the ammo I use at the range, for hunting or for general plinking.

I am, however, really getting a kick out of the explanations of the generational differences.
Signed,
A boomer

I agree, reloading isn't about money. The illusion of savings attracts some folks, but they usually either change why they reload or they quit reloading. Either choice is valid, as far as I'm concerned. If the other reasons to reload don't interest you and "savings" is the only reason you reload, I agree with you, you're better off buying commercial ammo.

Jammersix said:

I agree, reloading isn't about money. The illusion of savings attracts some folks, but they usually either change why they reload or they quit reloading. Either choice is valid, as far as I'm concerned. If the other reasons to reload don't interest you and "savings" is the only reason you reload, I agree with you, you're better off buying commercial ammo.

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I'm not bashing reloading. If it tickles your fancy, go at it. But I've never had any store bought ammo that did not do what I needed it to do. I've never had a misfire or underpowered except a few cheap 22s. But, I do know some that reload and some that buy's reloads that have had problems. I have thought about reloading but never could justify the cost.

tws3b2 said:

... I have thought about reloading but never could justify the cost.

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Reloading just does not fit in with everyone's situation and/or needs.

Early-on my Dad taught me what I have always thought of as Reloading Math. You figure out the cost per round, taking into consideration the amortization of the equipment at various levels, and then compare that to the OTD cost of factory ammo so that you can make an informed decision.

O'course, that was reeeeeeeally easy to do with only $6.95 "Whack-a-Mole" Lee Loaders.

I think its important to note that with re-loading it does mitigate the risk of not being able to find ammo.

Even when components are in short supply, you can usually find some sort of combination to make a run of 9mm or 45's.

I do both, re-load and buy factory ammo. There are upsides and benefits to both.

You walk into a store to get some 9mm. There are two boxes on the shelf. Your are a nice guy so you only get one . You leave the other for the next guy. Thirty minutes later another takes that box of ammo. That night you find that that's the one guy in town that you wish did not have any ammo. Would that not be a Kicker?

tws3b2 said:

You walk into a store to get some 9mm. There are two boxes on the shelf. Your are a nice guy so you only get one . You leave the other for the next guy. Thirty minutes later another takes that box of ammo. That night you find that that's the one guy in town that you wish did not have any ammo. Would that not be a Kicker?

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The funnier thing is if that guy showed up an hour before you did and shared the same low opinion of you.

In this day and age I take what I need. Primarily that is 9mm.

Mostly I shop online but I still peruse LGS's weekly.

A couple weeks ago I was in a LGS picking up a few boxes of 22WMR, .308 and 12g buckshot. When I got to the counter I saw they had a few boxes of S&B 115g 9mm (my preferred brand for general use) on a shelf by just by the counter. I asked if they had a limit (most stores do now) and to my surprise the woman told me no. I grabbed every box on the shelf, didnt even bother to count.

Ended up with 800rds and dont feel bad in the least .

Get it while/when you can....

Let's say there is five boxes of whatever. I'll buy two or four. Not because I'm a nice guy. I only buy even numbers. I' know I'm weird. If there were 10 I'd buy five. Yeah. I know. I drove my ex crazy.

Well somebody is going to clean the shelf off, might as well be me.

Howard P Denison said:

Let's say there is five boxes of whatever. I'll buy two or four. Not because I'm a nice guy. I only buy even numbers. I' know I'm weird. If there were 10 I'd buy five. Yeah. I know. I drove my ex crazy.

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What do you do when there’s only one box?

Howard P Denison said:

I only buy even numbers. I' know I'm weird. If there were 10 I'd buy five.

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I don't think you're all that weird - I try to do things in "sevens" myself.
On the other hand, you're math skills might need a little brushing up - 5 is not an "even" number.

Buy what you want. It's entirely possible that the shelf just needs restocking, and it isn't your fault you got there first.