Over heard at a local gun range.

[Smokin Gator]

For a lot of shooters who only make a couple of range trips a year 1000 rounds seems like a lot. For those who shoot regularly, especially those competing in action shooting matches, 1000 rounds is maybe 1 or 2 months shooting, at most.

 

[JohnKSa]

There are only two solutions to the problem.

1.) Gun owners simply shoot their guns less and buy less ammo. I think we've pretty much proven that we are, with few exceptions, not willing to do that.

2.) Ammo manufacturers increase production to meet demand. I think they've prove that they are not willing to do that.

Here are other solutions to the problem.

1. Shooters keep a good stock of ammunition on hand all the time, bought in bulk when prices are low so they won't have to scramble around and buy it during a shortage when it's hard to find and prices are high.
2. Since most shortages in recent times are demand-based shortages, specifically panics, shooters refrain from passing along rumors that might start panics and refrain from engaging in behavior that increases their duration and severity. That is, they don't engage in panic-buying large quantities of ammunition that they could have bought more easily and more cheaply and already had on hand.

There is no need to shoot less and buy less ammo, in fact one will spend less on ammo using my approach--or could buy more amount of ammo for the same amount of money, whichever is most attractive to them.

Ammo manufacturers have only so much "wiggle room" to increase demand. They can add more shifts, but that's about it. If they build more facilities at high expense to meet demand that turns out to be a panic-based temporary shortage then when the panic ends, as they inevitably do, they are left trying to pay off huge facilities loans with no way to raise the capital. Because so many ammo buyers prefer to buy only when there's a panic. So, Yes. In one sense ammo makers are only willing to do so much to meet temporary demand surges because if they over-react, it could ruin them while under-reacting actually increases their short-term revenues while preserving their long-term well-being.

That's why I recommend buying when there is not a shortage and why I recommend doing whatever possible to prevent and to shorten the duration and limit the severity of shortages buy not engaging in panic-based buying. It's good for those who take the advice and it's good for the ammo companies because it levels out demand and helps them to plan better.

 

[The Night Rider]

Did anyone else just hear the sound a record makes when you drag the needle all the way across it?

Explain please?

 

[D.B. Cooper]

Explain please?

It's a joke about letting your wife be in charge in the ammo. "I let my wife be in charge of buying ammo." is not a sentence most people expect to hear. Don't make anything out if it; it's just a little satirical comedy. No offense intended.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

Here are other solutions to the problem.

1. Shooters keep a good stock of ammunition on hand all the time, bought in bulk when prices are low so they won't have to scramble around and buy it during a shortage when it's hard to find and prices are high.

With you so far.

...shooters refrain from passing along rumors that might start panics and refrain from engaging in behavior that increases their duration and severity. That is, they don't engage in panic-buying large quantities of ammunition that they could have bought more easily and more cheaply and already had on hand.

Yeah ya lost me there.

Ammo manufacturers have only so much "wiggle room" to increase demand. They can add more shifts, but that's about it. If they build more facilities at high expense to meet demand that turns out to be a panic-based temporary shortage then when the panic ends, as they inevitably do, they are left trying to pay off huge facilities loans with no way to raise the capital. Because so many ammo buyers prefer to buy only when there's a panic. So, Yes. In one sense ammo makers are only willing to do so much to meet temporary demand surges because if they over-react, it could ruin them while under-reacting actually increases their short-term revenues while preserving their long-term well-being.

I have heard this before, and I believe it to be mostly true. However, this is a "temporary surge" only in the sense that it will slightly subside a year or so from now. It is, however, not a temporary market. This surge will subside, but it will surge again, probably within a year. As I stated earlier, we still haven't recovered from the last shortage. Indeed, my area has been in a perpetual state of ammo shortage since at least 2020, and we really weren't over the shortage caused by the 2016 election, and honestly, even in 2016-2020 we were still being impacted by the 2008-2016 years. (which were at least as bad as the 2020 episode) So this isn't temporary; this is a permanent and perpetual state of the market.

That's why I recommend buying when there is not a shortage and why I recommend doing whatever possible to prevent and to shorten the duration and limit the severity of shortages buy not engaging in panic-based buying. It's good for those who take the advice and it's good for the ammo companies because it levels out demand and helps them to plan better.

On its face, your idea has plenty of merit. In practice, I feel it just falls short. Even when I have ammo on hand, I still buy ammo whenever it's available, because I know...I just know that sometime soon it will not be available. Think of it as a vote of no confidence in the ammo manufacturers' ability to keep up with demand.

 

[Theinkman]

The news media likes to keep putting stories in front of us that make us afraid. So do many people. Been reading these gloom and doom threads for 4 years now.

 

[drobs]

I wouldn't wait till November to buy more ammo.

I shoot a lot of 9mm and picked up another 1k of brass 124gr FMJ yesterday at a local shop.

I would like get another 1k of inexpensive JHP 115gr or 124gr.

 

[badkarmamib]

I ordered another pound of powder and a brick of primers for 9mm. Thought I overpaid, then I checked loaded ammo prices. Apparently, I did alright. I won't stockpile, I don't have the room to do so. I try to keep at least 2 years of shooting components on hand at all times. Not as much as some, but it affords me the ability to look for deals or alternatives. I remember 2008, when people were lined up at Walmart gun counter at 3AM (I worked nights and got off at 2:30), waiting for it to open at 7, to buy their ration of 9mm and .22LR. I would take my turn, and smile as I cleaned them out of .40 Short & Weak. It is smart to buy when it is cheap, and it is smart to have enough on hand to last until it is available again. Going into debt to buy, buying more than you can use or need, stockpiling more than you have room for, etc., is not, IMHO.

 

[buck460XVR]

What part of the current demand for ammo and components is not real? Real people are exchanging real labor for real currency which they then exchange for real ammo. That demand seems pretty real to me.

No one here has denied the extreme demand for ammo and/or reloading components. Goes hand in hand with the extreme demand the last two decades for firearms themselves. What I am suspicious of, is the sales talk of an ammo rep and another perceived shortage, fueled by panic. I am seeing no shortage at all at my LGS/Ace Hardware store. They even have the unicorn Large Pistol Primers(@.$9.99 a hundred) in stock. Yet, I suspect with the internet rumors fed by numerous "Chicken Littles", that supply may dry up too, even if there is no other legitimate reason. In the past, I know shelves have been left almost empty for a reason, even when there was plenty of stock in the back room. makes one go , "hmmmmm".

Ghandi once said "be the change you want to see in the world." I guess you can stop buying ammo and see how that works out for you, but for you to tell others "nothing to see here, move along" is disingenuous at best.

.....I will repeat an earlier statement,

most of us have been here long enough and lived through enough of these, to know what is going on. We are far from naive about the volatile ammo market.

 

[jmorris]

But powder doesn't last forever.
I have way more powder than I am likely to shoot. I am sure a good amount will go bad before I need to replace it because i dhot it all.

Properly stored it will last longer than you will. I have lots off powder that outlasted the original owner. If I don't use it up, it will still be good when I'm gone.

 

[EIB0879]

I accumulated ammo over the years when I was working in anticipation of retiring. Figured after I retired I would have less income to buy ammo. Now that I'm retired, while I have the time, health issues have limited my range time but my intention is to shoot more this year.

 

[The Night Rider]

It's a joke about letting your wife be in charge in the ammo. "I let my wife be in charge of buying ammo." is not a sentence most people expect to hear. Don't make anything out if it; it's just a little satirical comedy. No offense intended.

I'll say this much, since I put (as in delegated that position to) my wife in charge of buying ammunition I've managed to stockpile quite a bit more than when I was doing it.

My wife has little ammo bots all over the internet and when they find a good deal they tell her.

 

[KY DAN]

This whole subject matter is stupid and the more it drags on the closer to room temperature our collective iq becomes.

What will you do with this except have it?

So a person should waste thousands upon thousands of dollars buying "insert product " because they may bit get it next year.

You can't eat guns and ammo

If you want to waste money why not pursue sustainable living, grow a garden, can food, get off the main stream flow of life.

That's reasonable but to say I need 50,000 223 when 1000 qty would do us ridiculous

 

[The Night Rider]

What will you do with this except have it?

Go to the range and shoot it?

 

[Ignition Override]

The Night Rider:
A brother lives seven hours away, so this could be complicated .
Even if my friend who lives 30 minutes away still were to remain in the area, he has no practical method to find a Non-flipper buyer in person.
The “good” days of Armslist are gone. I did over fifteen FTF deals— several years ago.

 

[BobABQ]

Reading this thread is enough to make me sell all of my firearms and take up something like playing pool as a hobby.

 

[Mk-211]

Reading this thread is enough to make me sell all of my firearms and take up something like playing pool as a hobby.

Yep, last panic was what, last year?

Everyone remember? That's right, the whole Lake City panic!

ErMahGerD!!!!

More people should take a deep breath, the next panic will be along shortly.

Let me help...

Trump loses to Biden again and we get 4 more years of the Uniparty.

 

[epags]

If I were to suddenly die or become very incapacitated- my wife would basically give away my rifles plus ‘multiple’ thousands of rounds of centerfire ammo.

No way would she even consider trying to figure out Gunbroker or haul the guns to be ripped off by a gun store.
She barely has the strength.

A friend was given a basically mint (1970’s) Remington .308 with a beautiful Vortex scope. Given by the widow of a former coworker.

My grand son who shoots will take all my ammo, firearms and reloading stuff. I started him off several years ago with my big rifles and all the related reloading equipment and supplies. So my stash will not go to waste.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

My wife has little ammo bots all over the internet and when they find a good deal they tell her.

That might be the only good thing to come out of A.I.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

You can't eat guns and ammo

If you want to talk about how Americans should be storing an emergency supply of food, I'm here for that.

If you want to waste money why not pursue sustainable living, grow a garden, can food, get off the main stream flow of life.

I'm not sure how you see that as a waste of money. So few people understand the process of getting food to their grocery shore shelves; if they did, they'd be gardening more.

What I really need is to figure out how to put cartridges in the ground, water them, and get little ammo plants to sprout up.

Huh. I see what I did there. Ammo plants. That's like...a double entendre or something.

 

[The Night Rider]

If you want to talk about how Americans should be storing an emergency supply of food, I'm here for that.

If covid didn't teach us that, nothing will.

 

[.308 Norma]

What I really need is to figure out how to put cartridges in the ground, water them, and get little ammo plants to sprout up.

LOL!
I've heard of reloaders dumping old powder in their gardens as fertilizer. Somehow I don't think growing bigger, healthier "ammo plants" is what they had in mind.

 

[CoalCrackerAl]

I bought a 200 count box of CCI 17HMR at Walmart tonight. Same price as they been for a couple of years. 64.00. They had 2. I was nice and left one for the next person.

 

[Mostly Lead]

The news media likes to keep putting stories in front of us that make us afraid. So do many people. Been reading these gloom and doom threads for 4 years now.

To quote MIB: "There's always an alien battle cruiser or a Korilian death ray or intergalactic plague that's about to wipe out life on this miserable planet."

Ignore them completely, turn off the TV/Radio, stop reading news sites and quit listening to "the sky is falling" folks. Your outlook on life will only improve.

 

[Mostly Lead]

Reading this thread is enough to make me sell all of my firearms and take up something like playing pool as a hobby.

Pool, darts, golf, etc... they are all the same as shooting/archery/slingshots.

Muscle/eye/breathing/nerve control while taking a small object from "here" and placing it very precisely over "there".

Would enjoy a game of pool very much, let's do it.