What are we going to do, what are the alternatives?

After reading tons of posts regarding the ammo and component shortages I have concluded the best answer to your question is " I don't know ". A lot of speculation regarding the problem, but no idea on when shortages will stop being the new normal, and therefor no way to tell you what to do about it other than to reduce your consumption to a level that you can afford with the high prices, pay the high prices, or take up a second hobby. If the second hobby is shooting pellet or BB guns that might keep your overall efficiency at close to your present level. Will it be as much fun ? Probably not , but taking up knitting doesn't sound thrilling either.

Ignition Override said:

My only question about whenever somebody says that they "found" a box of lower-cost 9mm ir ammo in a store---
---Was this "discovery" Soon after the store's opening time/stocking time (if different), or two-four hours later etc?

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What we ALL need to do, is to find out what the prices and brands are at Academy etc, and then KEEP it there.

You see a bunch of Federal 9mm on Gunbroker? If he's charging more than $14.99 a box, don't buy it. Make him eat it. Nobody's doing you a favor selling it to you for $30 a box, they're trying to get your money.

Once we can stop the flippers from soaking up the stock, I think things will settle down a good bit. But as long as someone can make a quick buck off someone else, it will continue.

lsudave : Ok. It’s a very good idea as a concept.

But nobody knows what fraction of ammo sales are for new shooters, versus more seasoned shooters who didn’t store enough, or want a gun in a different chambering.

Hypothetical:, even if I could find a good Swiss Sig 551 for $1,000 (totally delusional), the .223 ammo prices would make a giveaway rifle price not enough— with no idea how long we will wait for cooler heads, and less (contagious) mass paranoia among gun owners.

I keep hearing the ammo makers are running at full tilt to meet demand, prices are up due to supply and demand. The thing is, I haunt four local gun shops, and only one has any ammo, and it is spotty and near the top of the current price range. All of it is Imported ammo. A local business that did nothing but buy pallets of ammo wholesale and sell in bulk has gone out of business because they can’t get any ammo. None of the non-gun stores that used to have ammo have had any shipments in months. On line ammo has pretty much completely dried up, unless you want to pay $0.70 and up a round plus shipping, and there is still very little even at those prices.

New gun buyers around here can get ONE box of ammo with each gun purchase. After that they are SOL. Rental ranges that used to make you buy their ammo now require you to bring your own ammo.

So where is all that domestic production going? I really would like to know.

The end of the sport/hobby? No. There are alternatives for now that may not be as fun but can be a substitute in the short and long term.

I find myself shooting my bows a lot more lately. Air rifles are becoming more and more like “real” guns. Get a flintlock rifle that doesn’t need primers. Etc.

When I sniffed a panic coming I only bought a few thousand of the primers I would need. I had a large stock of factory ammo already and I may only shoot 50-100 rounds a month. Not huge or great needs.

What I also did though was buy 209 shotgun primers for my inline muzzleloader and a small stock of black powder and some pyrodex. This proved to be my best idea as black powder supplies have even gotten scarce. I should have bought more #11 caps because I am so short on those that I will not be shooting any of my percussion guns until they become more available. I was never really a real black powder or muzzleloader guy either so I think that contributed to me getting caught with my pants down there.

Anyway, welcome to the new normal. Let me know when and if normal has ever really been normal.

For me: black powder. Shooting is slow and the components are more available.

But I have looked into reloading primers. Kind of sketchy, but if done in very small batches, may be safe enough. You can call me 4 fingers McCoy!

After the last panic, I made sure I always have enough .22 to get me through several years because I shoot in a couple of target leagues and would hate to have to stop. Carry ammo can be rationed and stretched out. All you really need is a full pistol and a spare mag or speedloader. Practice is good, but if you can't, you can't.

I don't shoot centerfire rifles much, so I'm not worried about that. I have a few boxes for each caliber, except for .223, which I've got a few thousand rounds of, due to letting a buddy talk me into a group buy.

I do have some air rifles and pistols, which I used to think of as backyard guns, but now I'm contemplating taking them to the range when I go, just to make the "real" stuff last longer.

I got stuck once paying panic prices for 9mm, but I vowed never to do that again. You do what you can.

[QUOTE="wcwhitey, post: 11820779, member: 40731"I have powder, brass and bullets, but like everyone else no friggin primers. It is very frustrating, I survived and learned my lesson during the last primer shortage but this feels different.[/QUOTE]
Sounds like you didn't learn your lesson last time or you would have friggin primers now. YOUR words, not mine.

Bill

Nuclear said:

So where is all that domestic production going? I really would like to know.

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I suspect it’s going to people exactly like you. Millions of them.

Everyone just needs to relax. This too will pass.
As for me, I have rediscovered how fun busting clay pigeons can be. There seems to be no end to the supply of 12 ga target loads around my area.

What happened to Wolf primers? Suddenly stopped seeing them a while back, although Wolf ammo was still available.

Were they banned by some trade laws or....?

wcwhitey said:

Let me know when you have something intelligent to say, thanks.

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That makes no sense, economics is one thing, I get the price, availability is what I am talking about. With no wars currently, other than COVID the manufactures should be able to keep up with demand. But if they don't want to, that is a complete other issue.
What you are seeing for 3x the price is not current production, its what someone has stockpiled and now cashing in on.

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Ammo IS available, just not local and not cheap..why online resellers get the supply nod over store fronts, I don't know.

Demand is off the page..it's been in all the papers. Many ammo makers are running 24/7 but demand has outstripped supply. They want to but are not going to invest the $million$ to make a new factory that 'may' become idle in a next few years. That's a one way ticket to GOOB(Going Out Of Biz).

WHY people are continuing to hoard ammo(is 5000 rounds enough? NO!!), it makes no sense to me. I shoot a lot, keep enough so I can 'shoot a lot', I can afford $.60 per for 9mm(have often seen it locally for $.30 per also, as recently as 4 days ago) but, don't really need 10,000 rounds of 223/556 and 20 magazines...

Actually about twice..9mm 'about $.65 per, ued to be 'about $.35 per...

at this point someone would have or should have expanded operations to meet the need. That is Capitalism.

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Capitalism is also making a enough so you can keep the lights on..more black ink than red ink. Spend $million$ to make a new factory..idle same and like above..one way ticket to GOOB..

BigBL87 said:

I will add, an air rifle and a crossbow have been helpful in scratching the shooting itch without digging into the stockpile.

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I've been flirting with picking up a bow and re-learning archery (it's been two decades since I've shot much, and that was a recurve) for a few years now. Seems like the right time this spring.

What are we going to do, what are the alternatives?

Shoot less, and wait til supply catches up with demand. Am I a rocket scientist or what!!

JR24 said:

I've been flirting with picking up a bow and re-learning archery (it's been two decades since I've shot much, and that was a recurve) for a few years now. Seems like the right time this spring.

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I'd recommend it! I picked up my crossbow last year since they are now legal for deer hunting here in IL and I'd like to get into archery season since our firearm season is very limited. Me doing that actually prompted my father-in-law to dig out his compound bow and start getting it ready.

I went with a crossbow for 2 reasons, cost and ease of use. A decent crossbow was cheaper for me than a properly fitted compound bow, as I'm 6'5" with a good wingspan so it would take some fitting to get a compound bow right. With a crossbow, I just adjust the stock! Plus, aiming and pulling the trigger is a much easier skill for me to master.