Federal Ammunition?

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washambala

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What ever happened to federal? I know this is probably an odd question given whats going on in this country at the moment. I have been looking for Federal ammo for close to a year now, specifically 22 and it seems to be gone, like it dropped off the earth. Even now, Im still seeing the more obscure calibers on shelves in shops but I almost never see anything from Fed. Any idea why?
 
I'm pretty sure I recall seeing Federal rimfire ammo a few months back... isn't their bulk stuff packed in a red and black box? I know their handgun ammo is still out there. They make American Eagle, which I tend to buy a lot of.

I'm in Phoenix too, and the Sportsman's Warehouse on I-17 and Yorkshire had it regularly before Sandy Hook. Pretty sure the Walmart closest to me carried it too.
 
Ive seen and bought american eagle recently but their main line stuff is not as available. The last time I saw a bulk box was probably in august. They are blue with a red stripe. I used to buy the little 50 round boxes at wally. They cost 2 bucks a piece and I would just get 10. it was a little cheaper than a brick for slightly higher quality ammo. Also it was round nose.
 
Yeah, it's definitely been a while since I've seen it. But I haven't seen any 22LR in around three months. I only look for it at that same Sportsman's and the Walmart closest to me, but still.
 
I have bought at least 5 cases of Federal .22lr in the past year from more than one vendor.

Currently, Federal Automatch is the only .22lr the Walmarts in my area are getting regularly.
 
I bought a 550-ct blue bulk-box of Federal 22LR last week. Maybe your local shops just aren't stocking it.

I'm hoping to find some more CCI AR-Tactical 22LR in the bulk box. That stuff shoots amazingly well out of my BuckMark pistol. Even being slightly off to the left (need to adjust the windage on the Millet red-dot a click or two), I put 29 of 30 rounds inside the 10-ring at 25 yards, with more than half in the bull. If I adjusted the sight, I would have easily had 26 of 30 in the bull.

I haven't shot any of the blue box Federal yet, but the cheap American Eagle stuff I picked up a couple months ago patterns like a sawed-off shotgun. I haven't tried it through my Winchester 190, but it's barely worth using for plinking from the BuckMark, and definitely not worthy of hunting bunnies or grouse. It's so bad, I'd actually leave it on the shelf if I found more at the LGS. :uhoh:
 
I can't speak for the .22 ammo, I prefer CCI and am well stocked on that, but I bought a 50 round box of 9mm fmj Sunday morning fo $15.09 out the door which includes 7% sales tax. I had been in the same store two days earlier and their shelves were bare. Hard to imagine they only got the one box in.
 
ATK, parent of Federal, is making the billions of rounds of ammo for the DHS, as well as its other product lines. 22 is most likely not in the production schedule just yet. Typically, companies like these make their ammo in one or two runs per year
 
Picked up a box of Federal .380 just before the whole crazy buying happened around election time. Haven't seen a box of Federal since.
 
They are not gone but maybe should be, at least their .22lr. I bought a box of the Federal match 22 in the 325 box, and was glad to get it....until I shot it. Tried two guns, my Sig 1911-22 and my 10/22, both would not cycle, most empties got caught in the slide, it was like firing a single shot gun. Well my brother was shooting some Remington, so I loaded up some of that for comparison. Recoil between the two was noticeably different, like the Federal had a significant less powder charge. I was most unhappy with it.
 
When ammo is available, I see Federal just as often as other brands, if not maybe MORE frequently. However, my experience has been the opposite of grassmans....Fed Bulk is about the most reliable bulk ammo I've found in my 10/22 and other guns, accurate too
 
oneounceload said:
ATK, parent of Federal, is making the billions of rounds of ammo for the DHS, as well as its other product lines. 22 is most likely not in the production schedule just yet. Typically, companies like these make their ammo in one or two runs per year
Click to expand...

Yeah, that would have been my guess too.
 
There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the random selection of ammo at stores here. One day, a Wal-Mart may be fully stocked with Federal 100-round boxes of 9mm and .223, but after it inevitably sells out within hours, the next resupply a week later will be American Eagle . . . and then UMC . . . and then Prvi Partisan. I rarely, if ever, see more than two different brands of the same caliber anymore, with the exception of the premium SD rounds.
 
Most everybody is out of 22 ammo. But it was very common until things got crazy. Was in the local Walmrt today. Their shelves are full of Federal CF hunting ammo and shotshells. No handgun, 22 RF or 223 ammo made by anybody.
 
Fella's;

A short time ago, less than two weeks, a large store here got in Federal bulk box .22 ammo. It was gone in 6 hours. The store told me that they get more ammo from Federal than any other manufacturer. But, something to take into consideration guys, it's not just the maker of the ammo, you have to consider the wholesaler connection too.
My fav LGS had six whole boxes of Winnie 235 show up yesterday morning. Nobody else in town even says the W word anymore, but he got ammo! However, I'd bet the bottom dollar that he didn't get it from the same wholesaler that the three big box stores use. Then there's Wallyworld, near as I can tell, in this town, they're useless.

900F
 
Grassman- A lot of match ammo is subsonic. many target shooters feel that the transition from supersonic to subsonic speed in flight causes a sort of resonance that is detrimental to accuracy. It makes sense to me but it means theres a lot of "match" ammo out there that has less charge than standard or hyper velocity stuff. Seems likely to have caused cycling issues.

Oneounce and CB both are probably right. Most of the places I look are big box places in Phoenix, AZ. Thats probably why I havent been seeing it. As far as Federal goes, I prefer them because Ive had the best luck with them, even with cheapo promo load shotshells. I got a box of winchester birdshot and found one of the shells with two wads crammed in. One was sideways. Ive found a good brand and Im sticking to em.
 
Federal automatch in 375 round packages on shelf at my Wallyworld. They also had 100 round boxes of 55 grain 223, Federal 100 round white box 45's and 9mm. Federal is making ammo just like always.
 
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