Ammo Obsession?

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I know the feeling for sure! i was well stocked up but i also cant stop myself from looking at the walmart app and going in and getting some ammo!
For the most part though i just get it for several new shooting friends i have. I have been shooting all my life and most of my guns have never had a factory round through them and as a result i never had any factory ammo for them. well i have now decided its not a bad idea to have 100-200 factory rounds for all my calibers, but mostly i get 9mm and 22 for my buddies, but yes its a sickness especially when i have plenty of ammo!
 
I think I have healthy amounts of ammo, but if I pass one of these stores, I am going to stop. Do I have an obsession? I welcome your comments.
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I don't know if you are self employed or work for someone, but if you work for someone, I suspect you are wasting a lot of time that is being paid for by your employer visiting stores for ammunition.

But I know that wasn't the point of your post. With the shortage, it is hard not to buy ammunition when you see it IF it is priced within 125% of what were normal prices. This assumes you need it. We don't know when this shortage will end, but it will end.

For the most part, I prepared for this kind of shortage prior to November 2012. In fact, I have been stocking up for the last 5 years in one form or another and shooting less than I buy. It builds up to a healthy cache over time. Store it properly and the ammunition is probably good for 40-50 years.
 
If you're not financially damaging yourself I don't see a problem. Go ahead.

FWIW I've got enough ammo and components to last a while. It was purchased before the lunacy began. It's not for sale.

When I buy ammo now it's for other people like my cousin's boy. He needed some .22s for coon hunting...$3 for 50.
 
22-rimfire's last comments made it crystal clear.
People who started saving money for retirement used the same logic to save ammo for retirement.

You never wait for the sound of trumpets or a "breaking news-a psycho is about to crack!" etc to announce that there will be a shortage and sharp price spike.
The next gun/ammo panic could last one-three years. Imagine how much worse the gun regulations will become in NY, NJ, CT, MA, MD, IL, CO, CA.
 
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Everyone is different. Personally...I wouldn't stop at 3 walmarts in a day if they were giving ammo away.
 
I think at this point we are dealing with the hard wired lizard part of our brain. When you taste something sweet, eat all of it, who knows when you'll eat again! When you find something scarce buy it!

But, we are better than that, or should strive to be. I was heading to the cash register the other day with some ammo and about halfway there, I thought "what am I doing, I have enough". For those of you who say there is never enough, I'm not with you on that, at least not with my bank account.
 
I stopped off at Walmart the other day because I needed something else. I go to the sporting goods department. And sure enough, no handgun ammo and no common rifle ammo either just some 243 and 30.06.

There was a lady sitting a chair in the customer aisle.... I assume waiting for the ammo to be unloaded from the truck....which the guy behind the counter says it will be about 8:00pm (this was at 5:30pm) and if I want to wait I might have a chance to buy some. I said no thanks. I asked if the same people keep coming in to buy ammo all the time, he said not all of them are the same people...(just most of them?)

Meijers, well that hasn't changed any either since December 2012. I went there Wednesday for some food items and stopped in the sporting goods section. The ammo display cabinet (with the handgun ammo) was bare as usual. However they did have two boxes of 30.06 ...wow so I guess the panic is over now?

I was about to leave the department when I saw an employee, I asked some questions like when does Meijers get ammo or if they do. He said a couple days ago they got several boxes in and someone bought every box in the display case.

So now the panic is over and I when can I get ammo for myself?
 
Jeez

I guess the idea of taking what you need and leaving some for the next guy is a pretty dumb idea.
 
Ammo hoarding is a GOOD thing. It will satiate itself eventually, and we'll have a few tens of billions of rounds in our collective basements. Remember that they only started going after ammo because there are so many guns in circulation that it is considered a lost cause. One side effect of this panic is that the same thing will happen to ammo. The Brady Bunch will be reduced to regulating slings and cleaning rods. Ammo is consumable, but it stores well, and none of us is likely to allow ourselves to run dry again. We are now "well regulated", no? Don't begrudge the hoarders. They are causing short term pain... but long term, they are doing us all a service. Be happy that more people are joining the club.

Just like any other business, some of that money we are paying will go to lobbyists... the good kind, from our perspective - if there is such a thing.

To the OP - your ammo buying habit helps us all in the long run. The compulsion aspect is worrisome, though. Look up the symptoms of compulsive behavior/OCD/etc, and ask yourself if you are honestly displaying a problem. Just like any other compulsion or addiction. The bottom line is if it starts impacting your life in a negative way, or you find yourself hiding your purchases, or it causes genuine distreas, you might have a problem. If so, seek help (though good luck finding a psych who will focus on the compulsion rather than the AMMO...). If not... then keep shopping, and thanks for doing your part.
 
Glen said:
I guess the idea of taking what you need and leaving some for the next guy is a pretty dumb idea.
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When the shelves were being emptied in the first run...I grabbed the last 5 boxes of 556 of the shelf and another guy walked up a few seconds later and was disappointed not to see any available. I thought about it and said...screw it I have enough. Handed him the stack and he looked like a kid at Christmas. He said "are you sure?", I said "I've got enough, have it." I bought some 22LR instead I think. This was pre rationing days when guys were filling shopping carts with unopened cases of ammo. Glad that stopped but this business of lining up for hours to buy ammo, I can't do that either. Don't these guys have you know...jobs to go to?
 
3-years? That seems a bit much, but with the current situation, it seems to make a lot of sense. The shortage actually makes us who use ammunition want to buy more and more "just in case". It is a self fullfilling kind of thing.... shortage, hoarding, and more shortages.
 
I wish I could afford to fuel an ammo obsession. I'm beginning to feel that shooting is becoming a rich man's game. I can't reasonably afford to practice with just about anything centerfire at today's prices,and rimfire is hardly available or in many cases less expensive.
 
^ I can see how someone would have that perception if guns were just a hobby but the truth is owning guns in America is more about survival and feeding oneself than fun and games with toys so if you hold that perspective then no ammo is too expensive.
 
huntsman said:
^ I can see how someone would have that perception if guns were just a hobby but the truth is owning guns in America is more about survival and feeding oneself than fun and games with toys so if you hold that perspective then no ammo is too expensive.
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I think you're being a bit extreme. I'd be willing to wager that for every one shot fired for hunting/survival there are many thousands of shots fired for leisure.

I'm pretty sure these guys hoarding .22LR aren't about survival or feeding themselves...
 
my definition of survival encompasses everything from resisting ternary to personal protection, survival of the republic to survival of the individual.

It may come as a shock to the urbanites but there's still a lot of folk who rely on wild game to at least supplement their groceries.

Yes less ammo is fired in pursuit of game or survival then paper punching and shooting games but that doesn't reduce the importance of buying ammo as a hedge against future shortages by those who use their firearms in a more traditional role.
 
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Just be cognizant

I would be cognizant of your ammo supply, when you go shooting just shoot responsibly. A lot of guys go shooting and burn through all there surplus and then go damn I have to re-up. Well right now is not that time. Get it on paper, but have fun. If you are burning 300-500 rds when you go the range you might be a little excessive.


http://youtu.be/IzTTvDK_Jzc
 
I've started buying 5.56 again. The last 5 times I've been in Cabelas they have had it in stock so I'm not thinking its critically short anymore. I'm restocking to my November level and stopping. I passed on 9mm. I beefed up on that before the election and despite shooting every week I've still got a year's supply on hand. But in 5.56 my stocks were not as deep.
 
I don't know if you are self employed or work for someone, but if you work for someone, I suspect you are wasting a lot of time that is being paid for by your employer visiting stores for ammunition.
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No sir. I am self employed, but also I don't have normal hours. I work 8-14 hour days, many times going home at 1:00 am. Also, when I make these stops, I am en route to some place, meaning, I can get off the freeway, stop in the lot, look in the door, then get back in the car. Like I tell others, my employer is a crazy SOB! :)

MC
 
Update:

It seems that my "obsession", if you want to call it that, has died down. I have not stopped at a Wal-Mart lately just to look for ammo. I do still frequent Academy stores (en route to where I am going) but there is one that construction has made it difficult to get to so I don't bother. Mostly pick up some 22LRs and .223/5.56s. On the lookout, however, for 40 and 45. This is the ammo I have the least of, but probably have more guns in these calibers. I say "on the lookout" because I am only willing to pay what I consider reasonable prices for these calibers. I know of places that have these in stock, but their prices are too high.

We'll see how this goes.

MC
 
Good deal Meatcreeper.

I "know" employees who are/were trusted (and routinely drive company vehicles around like they own them) and sometimes they begin to get into a rut about their "time" and begin to take the job for granted. It often doesn't end well. Ethics are something that I particularly pay attention to and actions always speak louder than words. I'm glad to hear you aren't one of "those".

Queen, good luck with the two cases of 22LR unless you already have them. But shooting the American 180 would certainly be a thrill.
 
Hb308: our temperature and humidity, as anticipated, have stopped ammo consumption for guys I know.
It's no fun outside with hearing protectors, and even with none needed for the Romanian .22 rifles, too much sweat on shooting glasses to be productive.

Kind of ironic, having heaps of centerfire.
 
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