We all know about the shortages. But?

Alex Clayton said:

<shrug> this the sky is falling gets shouted every time this happens. Now if gun owners keep refusing to help and let anti gun people get power we will lose more and more gun rights. That has zero to do with the ammo. When enough people have more than they can keep and stop buying the shelves will fill again. Again many will ignore it, see weekly sales and ignore them. Something will set off another panic and the same people will start screaming the sky is falling. This panic will end, just like they all have. Now if we allow anti gun law makers to take over? That is a whole different story and stocking up does nothing. As if they are allowed the power they will just take the stuff stocked up. So other than not ignoring the next time the shelves are full make sure you vote to keep the rights you have left.

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I agree with most of your post except the sky is falling part. Being in awe of how screwed up things are in 2020 is not saying the sky is falling. I sometimes find myself astounded at how screwed up things have gotten but I don’t think the sky is falling. The trajectory doesn’t look good so it seems like many of us are inclined to repeat and talk about how screwed up things are. Hopefully our votes count and we can pull out of this mess.

daniel craig said:

Another post about the scarcity and about politics too. Both of these topics are getting so old.

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THANK YOU!!! Politics, BLM, Chinese, corona virus... I thought this was a gun forum...

Here's the problem. There are a LOT of people who see the world around them, and they DON'T think it's screwed up. They think it's wonderful. They have an ENTIRELY different perspective than the few people left like me have. No amount of explaining will convince them that bad things are bad, when they think those things are good.

This is not just about the "panic buying". There's a reason for the panic buying. I have never went in for the panic buying before (I'm not now, really), but before, things were not what they are now. I knew previous panics would pass. This is different. There are very real and present threats that some of us have seen coming for some time, and now they are truly upon us. There is an election looming, which carries with it monumental importance. It's not just another election. But, if you don't see the way that the country is headed (and already is) as being bad, then naturally, none of this will cause you concern, and you will wonder why people are going around saying the sky is falling...

I'm not trying to weep, what's here is what we have to deal with. But I really would like to know why the .22 ammunition drought did last so long> Does anyone really know? I've heard so many reasons and theory's but I've never nailed it down. Didn't the ammunition companies lose millions maybe billions in revenue?

Terry G said:

I'm not trying to weep, what's here is what we have to deal with. But I really would like to know why the .22 ammunition drought did last so long> Does anyone really know? I've heard so many reasons and theory's but I've never nailed it down. Didn't the ammunition companies lose millions maybe billions in revenue?

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I've seen all kinds of explanations.. usually, they claim it was all because of the "scalpers", who would buy up ammo the instant it became available in stores, and then try to sell it at jacked up prices. But I never saw it in stores. Even briefly. I never even saw any of these scalpers selling high-priced ammo. So I never really bought that idea.

I just know that for years, it simply wasn't there. Then one day, I went to a gunshow, and bam. There was ammo. Plenty to choose from. And not jacked up super high in price. It was a bit higher than it was before, but not outrageously so. From that point on, I had no problem finding .22 ammo in gun shops (though not at Walmart around here. for years after, still, nothing at walmart). Just all of a sudden, it was back. So I have no idea what really caused it.. or what suddenly ended it.

As much as I hate to say it because they complicated things for me in a major way in terms of shooting, but Walmart is a pretty big factor as to why I have a tidy sum of ammo packed away. As they were phasing ammunition out I was buying weekly because it was significantly cheaper than any other source and I needed to take advantage of that even though it challenged my principles. I'm kind of glad I did.

I definitely dont have as much as I need for an extremely prolonged period and wont be shooting every weekend as I would like to, I will have to carefully calibrate my shooting volume until I can get or afford more.

I can definitely relate to the anxiety people have, not knowing if they need to treat bullets like manhole covers or if this will just pass as soon as X, Y, Z happens. It's the people who dont have any ammo stored away that are running around the countryside and refreshing the page every 5 minutes looking that I feel for. That was me during the Obama era, I wised up and decided not to let that happen again.

If or when things calm down I will be buying again, I get a kick out of people on this forum who chastise others for their "hoarding" or "stockpiling". Wth. Seriously, we all like to shoot last time I checked, we all need ammo to pursue this interest/hobby unless you're just a safe queen collector or some such thing. Our rights are constantly under fire, why wouldnt one have a healthy supply of gun feed?

The same stuff and rhetoric i heard during all 8 years of Obama. People are watching 24/7 around the clock media coverage of a small handful of people, and that becomes their reality. A bunch of fear mongering going on. The media, the left, the right, the NRA, the antigun organization, etc are playing people like useful idiots for their personal gain.

Before the Great .22 Shortage, and during, I had heavy stuff going on. I wasn't paying attention to everything that was going on, I had real pressing concerns right in front of my face. So no, I wasn't stocked up with zillions of rounds of .22 ammo. Why would I be? I have never seen an ammo shortage before (you know, really, I haven't. Just these two times, then, and now... so now that I think about it, I don't know about all the "others" that people say have happened...) But then, I decide to go get some ammo, and what? no .22lr ammo? You're kidding me!

When it FINALLY became available again, I decided it was my turn to hoard, and I did my best, with my meager funds to buy what I could, when I could.

I can certainly understand how someone could be caught without, looking at it from that perspective. Life gets in the way. Finances (or lack of them) gets in the way. Now, if you're just simply not paying attention at all, well then, I don't know what to tell ya.

One concern I wonder about is that--if the Donald wins the election-- how fierce the reaction could be as professional 'subversives' see that as another excuse for repeated looting or large demonstrations.

If that lasted only a week or two then possibly anxiety over personal security--driven mostly by the Constant propaganda of tv images--would settle down a bit.

But the recent increased anxiety linked to the perception that suddenly Owning a Gun is the Single solution for personal security might Then cool off--IF the "defund the police" subversives lose support among most city councils, lose "steam" and publicity on tv.

The perception of that could easily reduce demand for ammo—and the guns which need it.

One positive from this, is I think we're safe from any widespread anti gun stuff for awhile. You have a sizable chunk of voters who just spent money on something, they're not going to be receptive to turning it in right away. They might sell it later on, but I think they will reserve the right to keep/get another if the need arises.

daniel craig said:

Another post about the scarcity and about politics too. Both of these topics are getting so old.

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Styx said:

THANK YOU!!! Politics, BLM, Chinese, corona virus... I thought this was a gun forum...

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If you guys dislike these discussions, you're free not to participate in them. The truth is, wether or not you agree, that there is an intersection between current political events, civil unrest, and the virus with our ability to exercise our gun rights, and those three phenomenon are negatively impacting those rights in very real ways. If you fail, or refuse, to see that, or you simply disagree, that's fine, but that's no reason to deny those with a differing point a view the opportunity to express that point of view.

The proper outlook on panics is this:

1. My purchases are objectively reasonable given my needs and resources.

2. Everyone else is a crazy fear mongerer who just wants to horde.

But seriously. Whatever you were buying in 2017-2019 with your excess income, go out and enjoy it. A new car, home remodeling, a divorce, etc. I bought ridiculous amounts of reloading components and that's certainly my plan.

Stuff will come back. For a while it will come back in the smallest quantities imaginable and for higher prices, but it will come back.

NWcityguy2 said:

The proper outlook on panics is this:

1. My purchases are objectively reasonable given my needs and resources.

2. Everyone else is a crazy fear mongerer who just wants to horde.

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Touché. This is not unlike the "proper" outlook on driving. Everyone who is driving slower than you is a moron. Everyone who is driving faster than you is an idiot.

Sometimes education is expensive.
If your old enough, you've seen these kind of shortages before and should be in fair shape as far as ammo and components go....
If this is your first shortage circus....be prepared to experience it again.
And know that shortages are occuring in other commodities as well.
Canning seals, aluminum cans, etc.

I went to the range twice this week; I had it all to myself - very quiet and peaceful. I never have burned a lot of ammo - I always thought volume was unnecessary - my intention is always accuracy over volume. In turn you have all experienced it - the more you shoot in a session, the more fatigued you get, the sloppier you get, your additional ammo becomes just an exercise in frustration.
Future may hold one shot range visits - the discipline of only one round that must always count, must be accurate, must be the best first round you ever sent down range. That discipline produces a marksman.
It is a mindset; we have been spoiled by plenty so we substitute volume for discipline and skill. The first round is the one that counts, make it count for everything and your marksmanship will improve dramatically.
There is positive in everything; now the ranges are peaceful and every round counts. You have been spoiled, now you can rethink marksmanship and develop shooting discipline - there is nothing to worry about, just reset your perspective and your shooting will be just fine - relax and enjoy the discipline of the first (and sometimes), only round you get.