mljdeckard
Member
It's not .22's fault.
Anyone else soured on .22lr?
- Thread starter Jim NE
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I've not had any real trouble picking up thousands of rounds of .22 at places like WalMart and Academy.
Every time I go in Academy they have it, although with a 2 box limit per day. Walmart is hit or miss, mostly miss.
So if one wanted the hit Academy every day you could grab 700 rounds per week, and if you take (make?) the wife go, 1400.
I usually shoot maybe 50 centerfire handgun rounds when I go to the range then finish up with a 100+ .22 just for fun.
Yep- I pretty much buy .22 whenever I see it as I reload everything else I shoot, 9 handgun calibers, and 3 rifle calibers.
Every time I go in Academy they have it, although with a 2 box limit per day. Walmart is hit or miss, mostly miss.
So if one wanted the hit Academy every day you could grab 700 rounds per week, and if you take (make?) the wife go, 1400.
I usually shoot maybe 50 centerfire handgun rounds when I go to the range then finish up with a 100+ .22 just for fun.
Yep- I pretty much buy .22 whenever I see it as I reload everything else I shoot, 9 handgun calibers, and 3 rifle calibers.
bannockburn
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- 26,304
No, I still love the little .22LR. Have always had plenty of rimfire ammo on hand as I stocked up on certain brands (like CCI, Wolf, and Federal), when I found that they worked best in the guns that I had. Every trip I made to the LGS or WalMart I would typically pick up a brick or two, more so if it was on sale.
I'm just getting back into 22 LR, and rediscovering how nice it is to spend a day at the range without having to pick up brass to reload 
I went the last 4 years maybe shooting 200 rounds of 22 LR total, compared to likely 10k center fire rounds. Market for 22 had little to do with it, I reload, and got into USPSA, which explains most of it.
I'd suggest buying 22 ammo like stocks in "Dollar cost averaging". Don't go nuts or pay silly prices. If you see a decent deal (and yes $10.99 per brick days are over) pick up a box to shoot, and a box to put back. You will get a good stock up in no time and be able to be even more picky on when you buy,
I went the last 4 years maybe shooting 200 rounds of 22 LR total, compared to likely 10k center fire rounds. Market for 22 had little to do with it, I reload, and got into USPSA, which explains most of it.
I'd suggest buying 22 ammo like stocks in "Dollar cost averaging". Don't go nuts or pay silly prices. If you see a decent deal (and yes $10.99 per brick days are over) pick up a box to shoot, and a box to put back. You will get a good stock up in no time and be able to be even more picky on when you buy,
GBExpat
Member
I don't know if I am "soured" on .22RF ... but ... I will never pay the same amount per round of .22LR that I was paying per round for centerfire ammo 7-8 years ago ... s'just not going to happen.
If that means I never shoot .22 again after I use up my stock, so be it.
If that means I never shoot .22 again after I use up my stock, so be it.
OP, you don't show a location, but if you're in SC, there's lots of .22LR at Palmetto State Armory. I bought two bulk packs of 525 this last week. It's Winchester 36 grain hollow point, 1280 fps. Not my ideal ammo, but reasonably good ammo.
I prefer CCI Mini-Mag 140 grain copper plated, but haven't seen any of that stuff lately. I still have a few hundred stashed away though.
When I go to any store that sells ammo, my first question is, "Got any .22LR ammo?". So, here and there, I find some and stash it. I can still shoot a couple hundred rounds of .22LR at each range visit. Who'd have thought you'd ever have to pay $40 for 525 rounds of .22? But there you have it.
I prefer CCI Mini-Mag 140 grain copper plated, but haven't seen any of that stuff lately. I still have a few hundred stashed away though.
When I go to any store that sells ammo, my first question is, "Got any .22LR ammo?". So, here and there, I find some and stash it. I can still shoot a couple hundred rounds of .22LR at each range visit. Who'd have thought you'd ever have to pay $40 for 525 rounds of .22? But there you have it.
Thermactor
member
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- Mar 13, 2008
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- 992
Ive had to mail order almost all of my 22LR ammo.
There have been only three times I've seen 22LR for sale locally since 2012:
1) Wal-Mart sale where they brought in a bunch of CCI SV 22lr and ZQI centerfire ammo and marked it down 20 percent so the 22lr was 8.5 cents per round. I got 1500rds. They limited to 3 boxes so I had to jump around between locations to get some.
2) Bass Pro had a box of Winchester SuperX I snagged for 11 cents per round. 100 rounds
3) I showed up to Wal-Mart at the right time when a neckbeard party was cleaning them out, I got in line before the rest of their extended family made it to Sporting Goods and got 3x222rd boxes of Rem Golden Bullets before they got cleaned out.
A local gun range has some boxes of 22lr reserved for target shooters.
Other than that I, like most others, have had to order online.
I've shot up a lot of the supply listed here, and I only got into 22 after SH and the banic was in maximum swing.
You really got to look online now.
CCI Mini Mags are 10 cpr at Trop: http://www.tropgun.com/cci-ammo-22lr-mini-mag-special-edition-962/
alsaqr
Member
There are several nice .22 rifles on my gun safes. Those guns are used with great regularity. There's a Ruger 10/.22 in my truck at all times for dispatching trapped hogs. There's a .22 at the shooting range in addition to whatever muzzleloader of center fire rifle i'm shooting. It's great to take a break from shooting a loud boomer and fire 20 rounds of .22 slow fire while the big gun cools.
Tommygunn
Member
I am not soured on .22RF.
As many have observed it is scarce these days and I have found I am not exempt from that; but I have a LOT of it. I LIKE my .22 guns, my Winchester 9422, the Remington 550-1 I inherited, the Buckmark and Ruger Mk III, and my Sig Mosquito. Oh, and yup, even my cheapo Plinkerton.
I'll grant I don't shoot 'em as often. OTOH this .22 paucity has to ameliorate someday.
As many have observed it is scarce these days and I have found I am not exempt from that; but I have a LOT of it. I LIKE my .22 guns, my Winchester 9422, the Remington 550-1 I inherited, the Buckmark and Ruger Mk III, and my Sig Mosquito. Oh, and yup, even my cheapo Plinkerton.
I'll grant I don't shoot 'em as often. OTOH this .22 paucity has to ameliorate someday.
OpticsPlanet
Member
My Henry Golden Boy got me through the .22LR drought
Get yourself a manual action .22 that can shoot short, long, or long rifle....that way you won't feel the hit as hard if the market dries up again (seriously, nothing like walking into LGS and grabbing the limit on boxes of .22 short while explaining to others in the aisle that no it isn't the same as .22LR and won't work in their AR-22)
But lately, things seems to be better. Supply is up again and while price is still inflated compared to back in the day, 10 cents a round or less for quality plated .22LR is acceptable in my book. Based on the increased number of shooters, especially women, and the increased number of semi auto .22LR platforms, the price of .22LR was going to go up regardless of the political climate/supply shortage. Just need more companies to step up, make the investment, and churn out some decent grade .22LR to help drive the price back down.
-Matt S.
Get yourself a manual action .22 that can shoot short, long, or long rifle....that way you won't feel the hit as hard if the market dries up again (seriously, nothing like walking into LGS and grabbing the limit on boxes of .22 short while explaining to others in the aisle that no it isn't the same as .22LR and won't work in their AR-22)
But lately, things seems to be better. Supply is up again and while price is still inflated compared to back in the day, 10 cents a round or less for quality plated .22LR is acceptable in my book. Based on the increased number of shooters, especially women, and the increased number of semi auto .22LR platforms, the price of .22LR was going to go up regardless of the political climate/supply shortage. Just need more companies to step up, make the investment, and churn out some decent grade .22LR to help drive the price back down.
-Matt S.
HoosierQ
Member
When I bought my 10/22, recognizing that 22 autos can be ammo sensitive, I found what worked well. CCI mini-mag and CCI standard velocity. Went out and purchased 4,000 some odd rounds in bricks.
I don't shoot the thing as often as I might otherwise knowing I can't replace that very readily right now...but I get to shoot it when ever I want in reality.
I don't shoot the thing as often as I might otherwise knowing I can't replace that very readily right now...but I get to shoot it when ever I want in reality.
short barrel
Member
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- Jul 8, 2013
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- 367
I haven't owned a .22 since I was a child. I've always seen them as a child's learning device. I've no use for one whatsoever. I do have a .22M rifle I use on turkeys. The magnum will also serve me for smaller game. The price of guns and ammo is always a complaint, but I'd much rather pay for center fire cartridges than fool around with a toy gun, which is what 22s are.
When the .22 ammo got scarce and pricey, I think I must have been the only person who didn't care.
When the .22 ammo got scarce and pricey, I think I must have been the only person who didn't care.
Sav .250
Member
To bad you lost your ZEAL for one of the all time great cals.
Every time I`m out shooting tree rats I re-live the good old days as a kid!
Nothing like sitting against a tree in the fall and listening to a "rat' cutting an acorn. Hearing the bits and Pieces hit the ground.
Stoll have that" old soldier" I carried around as a kid.
Great, great memories!!
Every time I`m out shooting tree rats I re-live the good old days as a kid!
Nothing like sitting against a tree in the fall and listening to a "rat' cutting an acorn. Hearing the bits and Pieces hit the ground.
Stoll have that" old soldier" I carried around as a kid.
Great, great memories!!
illinoisburt
Member
Not so much soured as just change in shooting habits. Been a long time since I shot fast 22LR matches with reactive targets. It was not at all uncommon to shoot a few bricks each day. Things changed a while ago and today most folks around me seemed to have more interest in short range carry drills or centerfire rifle shooting, especially the former volume shooters who kind of swung over to 3-gun and cowboy action from the less formal plinking get-togethers we had before. Have plenty of 22 on hand and seems like it isn't terribly difficult to pick up locally by checking brassbadger occasionally. Personally I went to cast shooting 44's just because the indoor ranges around me are set up for paper punching at relatively short range and find it boring to shoot rifles standing at a paper target under 25 yards away.
Capybara
Member
I took out my Ruger 10/22 a few weeks ago to plink all day. I shot about 300 rounds, it was a lot of fun. One of my favorite guns is my BRNO ZKM-468, a beautiful little Czech single shot bolt that I scored from Wideners a few years ago for $169.00. I have a Ruger SR22 that I rarely shoot though, don't know why. I need to take it out for a spin.
If you are soured in .22, nothing anyone says here is going to reverse that but it is a great round for plinking, kids, newbies, recoil and blast averse wives, etc. I will always keep a few around. As far as ammo, before the last shortage, I stocked up. I have enough to shoot for at least 3-5 years. I do keep an eye out for deals though and grab a brick here and there.
If you are soured in .22, nothing anyone says here is going to reverse that but it is a great round for plinking, kids, newbies, recoil and blast averse wives, etc. I will always keep a few around. As far as ammo, before the last shortage, I stocked up. I have enough to shoot for at least 3-5 years. I do keep an eye out for deals though and grab a brick here and there.
mdauben
Member
Not soured at all. I certainly don't shoot as much .22LR as I wish I did, but I still burn through 100-200 rounds every time I go to the range, along with whichever CF gun I'm working with that day.
stonecutter2
Member
I've seen 22LR on a LGS shelf exactly once in the past 2 years.
I'm very bitter about this, it's just ridiculous.
I'm very bitter about this, it's just ridiculous.
Skylerbone
Member
A tad bit antsy at times but not soured. I have ammo enough for a year or two of healthy shooting and occasionally jump on bricks of decent quality stuff when I see it. I've used the shortage to collect a few rifles that others quit shooting so I've got something to look forward to once the crunch is over.
For me, it isn't about cost per round, I reload too, rather it's that I really enjoy fielding and shooting .22s far more than anything else.
For me, it isn't about cost per round, I reload too, rather it's that I really enjoy fielding and shooting .22s far more than anything else.
anothernewb
Member
I got a bit soured as well. however, it convinced me to try other things and now I find that when buying in bulk, 38 and 9mm can be done around .10 a round too. Since all I blast is paper and reactive targets - the big holes are more fun to make.
On the other side - I rely heavily on a local network of friends. we all check the usual suspects for them when we're out and about. there's enough of us that we nearly hit every place daily. Whoever finds it buys their 1 or 3 boxes on the spot, and then divy them up. Thanks to that I was able to procure a decent supply even in this craziness that none of us have had to buy any for months now. However, we have had to modify our usage a bit. no weekend blasting 500-1000 away at whatever tickles our fancy.
On the other side - I rely heavily on a local network of friends. we all check the usual suspects for them when we're out and about. there's enough of us that we nearly hit every place daily. Whoever finds it buys their 1 or 3 boxes on the spot, and then divy them up. Thanks to that I was able to procure a decent supply even in this craziness that none of us have had to buy any for months now. However, we have had to modify our usage a bit. no weekend blasting 500-1000 away at whatever tickles our fancy.
There wasn't any in the PSA Greenville SC store this afternoon- but I did get one box of 100 at Cabela's across the street and 2 boxes of 50 at Academy.
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