Most common ammo in US

[andrewdl007]

I am looking to ditch some of my guns in calibers I don't use any more. I want to replace them with more common and available (I know nothings available right now) calibers. I'm not thinking full prepper, but as ammo gets scarce what might I have an easier time finding at stores or in private hands?

I assume .22, .223/5.56, 9mm, and 12 gauge are some of the most plentiful ammo out there, but what about 30-30, 30-06, and .308. Out of those three, which one would you theoretically have the easiest time finding out in the wild? Any other common calibers I'm missing?

 

[mcb]

Life is too short to shoot common calibers. The funkier the better cause variety and strangeness is the spice of life.

 

[.455_Hunter]

Walmart doesn't stock items that don't sell.

Walmart usually stocks at least three brands of 30-30, 30-06, and .308, with multiple load variations of each brand.

 

[Trey Veston]

I've been lurking the LGS and Walmart this week taking stock of what is available.

Walmart had the super accurate Federal 150gr core-lokt .308 on the shelf for $17.95. Same in .30-06.

LGS has plenty of .30-06 and some .308. They even had Blazer Aluminum and Remington Range in 9mm. Hadn't seen that in probably 6 months. Pretty sure it was gone within a couple of hours of me buying my two boxes.

 

[Pat Riot]

In my area right now the only ammo that is plentiful is 12 gauge ammunition. Typically .223 & .308 are most plentiful. A lot of hunting loads popular elsewhere in the US are not popular selling cartridges in Southern California.

 

[.308 Norma]

Any other common calibers I'm missing?

Disregarding the current situation, 270 Win and 7mm Rem Mag are both almost as common as 30-06 for big game hunting around here. Or at least they used to be - I'm old, and quit paying attention to the "latest and greatest super deer killer" ammo a long time ago.
BTW, how ironic is this - I was in a small-town (Inkom, Idaho) grocery store a few days ago, and I noticed they had a few boxes of .303 British, along with the usual boxes of 30-06 and 7mm Rem Mag in their display case.

 

[andrewdl007]

Life is too short to shoot common calibers. The funkier the better cause variety and strangeness is the spice of life.

Don't get me wrong, I'll buy any gun I find that's chambered in 7.65 French Long, but I don't need a .17HMR.

 

[Skeptic13]

When I started out buying guns I did the same thing and stuck to the basics. 9mm, .223, 22lr, 12 ga and .308. In my opinion the NATO spec ammo or it's civilian equivalent are the most plentiful and have a wider selection of bullet weights and types in good times. Now we are obviously not the only ones that think that because these are the calibers that seem to be the hardest to find right now.

 

[billtool]

Of the 3 choices - I'd say 30-30 would be the one most likely to be found in the back room of a 1/2 burned out country store after the SHTF. Everybody either has had, has, or will have, a lever action 30-30.

 

[DocRock]

I don't agree with your strategy, chiefly because that which is most popular is fastest to sell out, but your target cartridges are correct.

 

[entropy]

The most common ammo in the US today is undoubtedly 5.56mm, since it is the issue rifle and SAW round. The various arsenals and ammo manufacturers make many millions of them every year for Govt. use, and millions more for commercial sale. Try buying some now. Your logic is now defeated.

Of the 3 choices - I'd say 30-30 would be the one most likely to be found in the back room of a 1/2 burned out country store after the SHTF. Everybody either has had, has, or will have, a lever action 30-30.

Those four letters have closed many threads on this forum; I will agree with your second sentence-I don't even own a .30-30 anymore, and have some ammo, and components. (I load it for my son.)

 

[WestKentucky]

The better question is what is available NOW. Here that’s 44 mag, 357 sig and that newfangled creedmore mess in a couple varieties. Shotgun shells are available in all varieties, just not the cheap stuff.

 

[BigBL87]

If we're going by sheer number of cartridges, I imagine 22lr would be the winner by a long shot. After that 9mm and .223 I imagine, followed by .30-06 and .308 as well as .45 ACP and .40 S&W even though the latter has fallen out of favor compared to what it used to be. The next tier down would probably include your common non-.30-06 deer cartridges like 30-30, .243, and .270. I imagine 6.5 Creedmoor is up there if we're talking retail, but if we are talking in stores plus in people's basements/safes/etc., the others have a big head start on the Creedmoor as far as private stockpiles.

I will say, lately I still see .243 and .270 on the shelf as well as 30-30, can't say that for most of the others outside of 22lr. 30-06 and 308 are hit or miss but more likely to be seen than the others.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

I am looking to ditch some of my guns in calibers I don't use any more. I want to replace them with more common and available (I know nothings available right now) calibers. I'm not thinking full prepper, but as ammo gets scarce what might I have an easier time finding at stores or in private hands?

I assume .22, .223/5.56, 9mm, and 12 gauge are some of the most plentiful ammo out there, but what about 30-30, 30-06, and .308. Out of those three, which one would you theoretically have the easiest time finding out in the wild? Any other common calibers I'm missing?

I don't agree with your strategy, chiefly because that which is most popular is fastest to sell out, but your target cartridges are correct.

I'm going to go with @DocRock on this one; your choice of caliber is correct, but your strategy is misguided. By diversifying your calibers, you give yourself more options, and options are good when times are tough. In my city, Bill Gates doesn't have enough money to buy any of the calibers you just mentioned; they simply do not exist. At any price. But if you want to shoot 6.5 Creedmoor, there are buckets of it at the local camo box store. Same for 10mm. I saw 32-20 there as well. 224 Valkrye still on the shelf. 22-250, lots of 243, etc. Pretty much anything hand gun caliber, other than 10, is gone. Certainly, some of that is regional, but you get the idea.

By the way the same is true for reloading components. You can forget about buying SP or SR primers or any powder that you would use for 223 or 9mm. (Actually, just about all of the powder is all gone now. Remarkably, there are still tons of projectiles out there. Are people handloading a lot of blank ammunition for New Year's Eve?)

 

[Trey Veston]

By the way the same is true for reloading components. You can forget about buying SP or SR primers or any powder that you would use for 223 or 9mm. (Actually, just about all of the powder is all gone now. Remarkably, there are still tons of projectiles out there. Are people handloading a lot of blank ammunition for New Year's Eve?)

Different here. No 9mm or .40 S&W bullets locally for months. But, there are still a couple of different pistol powders available. Was at the LGS yesterday and found Win 231 and Titegroup. And about 600 Small Rifle Magnum primers on the shelf. Of course, Small Pistol has been gone for months. But, I bought a can of 4350 and 4895 last week for .308 and .30-06 AI loads, so it is still around here.

Plenty of 10mm and there was actually some .40 S&W and 9mm loaded ammo available at normal prices. Hadn't seen 9mm for 6 months. I was so shocked I bought two boxes of it. $11.99 each. I should sell it and triple my money.

 

[CDW4ME]

I am looking to ditch some of my guns in calibers I don't use any more. I want to replace them with more common and available (I know nothings available right now) calibers. I'm not thinking full prepper, but as ammo gets scarce what might I have an easier time finding at stores or in private hands?

9mm is more common than 40 S&W, 357 Sig and 10mm but as ammo got scarce guess which was easier and cheaper to obtain .... 40, 357 Sig and 10mm.
When 9mm had disappeared or was significantly higher, I got those calibers for .38 - .40 a round delivered.
More popular disappears first.

 

[magyars4]

I have always believed 30-30 is available in virtually any backwoods general store.

 

[Jack B.]

22LR & 30-06. Most 12 @ 20 guage shotgun ammo

 

[Mars5l]

In my area 30-30 is actually not easy to get. Its rare that any of the 4 LGS I frequent will have any. One finally, but it's technically older factory that was traded in and they want $20 a box. I haven't been to Wal-Mart in a while but last time they were slim. I will say that 30-30 and 30-06 seem to have been less affected by price increases this year

 

[dodo bird]

The only caliber you will ever want or need is 45 GAP!

 

[FROGO207]

Most popular around here would be 30-30, 3006, and .22 LR. For handgun 38 SPL then 44 MAG.
I do agree that first a wide variety and then the ability to reload for them is of importance. I have single shot rifles in 22 Hornet and 223. With a .224 mold and gas checks I can load anywhere from .22 range to full blown 223 if needed.

 

[Robbins290]

I would say 30-06, 22 lr and 12 gauge. And 20 and 308 not far behind them.

 

[shootstraight57]

In the past I have owned and shot many calibers but recently I have been sticking with the Nato cartridges only because of cheap ammo availability! Recently the cheap ammo availability has become pricy but still available! Calibers like 7.62x51, .556 and others have been my go to choice.

 

[rust collector]

My take is that the popular cartridges are first to sell out, but more production is devoted to fast movers so they will be back quickly and volume will overrun at some point in the future. My recommendation would be 308.

 

[MechAg94]

I went by my local Academy yesterday. They had 224 Valkrie, 350 Legend, 450 Bushmaster, and 5.45x39. Probably not the most popular, but they were available.

Normally, I would say 30-30, 308, 3006, 223, and 270 ought to be pretty common for rifle calibers. However, I would say to pick your poison and collect up enough of it that you won't be short.