Ammo Prices?

[TheSigmaEnigma]

I have noticed that that the price of ammo keeps creeping upward at a steady pace. About a year ago when I got my .40, ammo was $12/50 rounds. Now ammo is coming up on $16/50 rounds. That's a pretty large price increase in a time span of less then a year. It looks like all calibers have gone up too, not just .40SW. Does anyone know something that I don't? Why has ammo gone up so much?

-Enigma

 

[H1500308]

Have you been keeping up with current events? Massive increases in the raw materials used to make ammunition (brass, lead, copper) coupled with and/or caused by the unlimited printing of money by our Federal Reserve are causing the purchasing power of the dollars in your wallet to be reduced every day. Look at the gas station, how much has the cost of fuel has increased? This is also related to all the printing the Fed is doing. The increased cost of the fuel used to transport ammo also factors into the price increases.

 

[oneounceload]

Shrinking value of the dollar, new taxes and costs due to things like Obamacare and broke cities and states, major wars going on, ammo components are in a fluctuating market called commodities, and on and on

 

[TheSigmaEnigma]

Good points. I was just wondering if there was a brass extinction or something. A 30% increase is pretty big. I thought it was expensive back then ...

 

[mgmorden]

Mostly the falling value of the dollar. If you'll notice EVERYTHING is a little more expensive right now. Gas and ammo, but also food/groceries too. Most condensed soups that used to cost $0.40 to $0.50 per can 5-6 years ago are now well over $1 per can - usually $1.50 per can. Inflation is always an issue, but regular old inflation doesn't cause doubling or tripling in price within 5 years.

Heck I remember very recently those little cheapo boxes of 50 rounds of .22LR were $0.50. Now the only ones you can get for under $2 are Federals.

It'll probably get worse, but for the most part ammo is an optional expenditure for me. I certainly need a certain amount for hunting, but realistically my target shooting ammo usage absolutely dwarfs my hunting ammo usage (~10,000 rounds per year vs a box or so per year, respectively). Not something I look forward to, but you do what you have to do. I think I've got enough components out in the shed to keep me set on hunting bullets for 20-30 years if I needed to.

 

[rogertc1]

I recall in the late 60's regular gas was about the same price of a pack of cigarettes.
17 Cents.

 

[Cop Bob]

It has not changed

When gas was at .17 and Cigarettes were about the same by the carton....
Today gas is at $3.50 or so, and by the carton, cigarettes are a bit higher... but so are the taxes on them...

The comex has copper priced at $4.4167 as I write this, this is up from about $3.50 6 months ago, and up about .45 cents from a year ago.. recent five year low was $1.20 from Oct of 08 to about march of 09...

Copper is the base metal for brass, as well as bullet jackets.

Lead is currently at a near all time high of $1.22, its market ups and down have paralleled copper and other metal commodities. (kitcobase.com will give you current world non-ferrous metal prices in real time as well as historical charts)

As stated, the major cause of price increases is the devaluation of the US Dollar, and world demand. China and India being the major consumers of red metals (brass and copper) And there will always be an excuse jump in for speculators to bump the market... Mine disaster in Chile, Earthquake in Japan, Strike in copper mine in Bugtoot where ever...

Bottom line... Buy it before the suppliers figure out it ain't getting better and they bump the prices. When you spot a deal on ammo or components..GET IT..

I retired as a Police Officer a few years ago, now, I am in the Scrap Metal business... I have to follow this trend hourly..

 

[oneounceload]

Another factor in the price of lead are all of the batteries needed for cars - China's exploding middle class, and India's, are now able to afford cars. Coupled with Hybrids, demand for lead has pushed prices high.

 

[Smokey Joe]

Hi prices...

Mean all the more reason to get into reloading yr own ammo.

The components still cost $$, and the prices steadily rise, but at least you can (1) recycle the brass a bunch of times, and (2) not pay for the labor involved.

I leave out any mention of satisfaction or of tailoring loads to the individual firearm, or of having loadings that simply aren't available commercially.

This is all about beating the hi cost of brass!

 

[mgmorden]

I leave out any mention of satisfaction or of tailoring loads to the individual firearm, or of having loadings that simply aren't available commercially.

This is all about beating the hi cost of brass!

Indeed. Though I know a lot of people do it for tailored loads, that's just never been thing for me. I typically buy whatever cheap bullets I can get my hands on (odd lots and/or cast bullets), and just figure out a load that works and doesn't blow the gun up - usually erring towards the low side of the scale (afterall - why punish myself with extra recoil when I can go with a milder load that's easier on me, easier on the gun, and stretches my powder farther).

Last batch I loaded up was a lot of .38 Specials. Got 500 158gr cast SWC's for $28. Most of my cases I bought used for $0.03 each (and will last multiple loadings). Only takes 3.1 grs of Bullseye for those so over 2000 rounds can be loaded out of a single 1lb bottle of powder.

Even counting the cost of the brass in, the first loading is only $6.85 per 50. Subsequent loadings at these prices are $5.35/50 and I could drive that even lower if I bought my primers in bulk or cast the bullets myself.

You can really save some money when you get down to it.

 

[PabloJ]

That is why I dumped S&W Model 13 for S&W Model 17. Fifty pack of pinkling ammo is still $1.99.

 

[oldbear]

After the initial cost of your firearm shooting used to be an affordable sport, not so today. For my .357 Magnum guns ammo is now $50.00 a box of 50 rounds. I shoot 150 rounds a month which = $150.00 a month for ammo alone. About a year ago I started augmenting my factory ammo with a friends reloads or Georgia Arms factory ammo. I have been pleased with both, so I now shoot 100 rounds of these and 50 rounds of factory ammo each month.

I have been pleased with the reloads and very pleased with the Georgia Arms ammo, but i will only carry factory ammo for self defense.

 

[Cop Bob]

Cost of reloading..

Yeah, it does make it cheaper... a lot cheaper...

Today I ordered my 3rd Dillon Press, a 650 with a pot load of accessories and a few caliber changes..

I figure that that 1st round is gonna only cost me about $2250.00 give-r-take....

but it's all good after that!!!!! Wooo Hoooo...

 

[Remllez]

I'm no economics guru but it ain't ever gonna get cheaper....many of us that shoot regularly have rediscovered the joys of the .22 caliber fun gun. One can still have a ****-load of fun and shoot till your finger hurts good time with those little cartridges.

 

[Joker19]

would not know

I reload 100% and NEVER buy a single factory load..............you are on your own here!

 

[blarby]

"Only factory rounds for self defense"

Just out of curiosity, why ?

 

[Steve C]

Actually I think ammo prices have declined somewhat from the big jump they took after Obama was elected. It hasn't gone back to the prices of 10 years ago but nothing else has either. Its all a matter of supply and demand. Referenced to inflation I'd say ammo is now as much as it was in the '70's when minimum wage was $1.30 and a box of .375 mag cost $7 at the discount store. Everyone got spoiled by the cheap imports from the former communist countries that didn't have much consumer manufacturing but had plenty of military ammunition manufacturing.

 

[ROBBY.1911]

this is why i always check AIM Surplus before i go buying anything.

 

[BrocLuno]

Check your ammo price against gold and copper? They should be tracking each other fairly well. It's the dollar doing the nose dive

 

[UpTheIrons]

If y'all have been doing any looking at ammo sites lately, you may have seen the "BUY NOW! Ammo prices are going up May 1!" banners on their websites. I've gotten emails from both CDNN and Natchez saying the same thing, too.

I'm taking them at their word. Buying one last batch of each caliber, and then getting the dies for the calibers I don't reload yet. It never hurts to have one last box of factory stuff around, but I imagine I'll be reload-only in another year or so (save for rimfire).

In fact, I haven't bought any pistol ammo (except for defense rounds) in over a year.

Yes, ammo is going up, but it still isn't where it was in November of '08 (thankfully!).