The most insane ammo price I have ever seen

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Those of you who are so quick to blame the small, independent dealers for high ammo prices need to understand they don't buy at the same volume the box stores do. There is a minimum margin (percent of the sale that is profit) needed to stay in business. That's just a fact. With the ridiculously low margins on most new guns the profit has to be made somewhere.

I think I read somewhere the average business needed margins of 35% to 40% to stay alive. When new guns get 10% (or even less considering how many sellers charge cost + 10% markup) margins on average the difference has to be made up somewhere.

Small retailers generally mark up their ammo according to what they pay from the wholesalers. If I were to order a brick of American Eagle 40gr .22LR today it would cost me just under $16. Considering shipping and store overhead what would most of you suggest I sell that brick for?

During the past year I've had to reprice ammo already on the shelves in order to be able to afford to replace it.

It's a pretty complicated formula that's a lot more involved than just a particular seller gouging customers. I know that exists but I think it's the exception rather than the rule. Also, they may have just made a bad buying decision and are just trying to recoup the cost.

I doubt many of you complain when your paycheck goes up because the company you work for was able to maintain certain profit levels in spite of increased costs of doing business and was able to pay you more.

It's a two-way street.
 
A place near me has 500rds of wolf 7.62x39 for $135! That is 26 cents per round. The same place sells individual 20rd boxes for $5.00 ($4.99 technically). That is 25 cents per round.

Why does the same stuff in bulk cost more than in small quantities?
 
I only buy ammo when it's on sale here.

22LR bulk 500rnd bricks go for 21.99 on sale here. .223 is 11.99, 9mm is 13.99 (last I was there). 100rnd WWB is like 19.99. That's all remington UMC ammo other than the WWB stuff.

Good stuff. I don't buy Herculean .454 Casull rounds to impress buddies :))) then complain about the ammo cost. That's one of the points why I don't buy bigger rounds.
 
Factoring in the *current* rates I'm paying for components, I just reloaded 1200 .223 rounds. The math came out to about 16.5 cents per round. That's up from two years ago where my cost was about 12-13 cents per round.

Brass and Bullets have gone up about 40%, and primers have doubled in price. Primers are still only about 2.5 cents per round, so it's not a huge impact. The only component that's remained relatively constant is powder.

Brass, lead, primers, all climbing fast.
 
Random thoughts, no expertise claimed (however, I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express once).

As much as many of you dislike Wal-Mart for whatever reasons, *generally* you're going to find it hard to beat their prices--apples to apples--on a regular basis. They are the largest mass retailer. Their efficiencies of scale and distribution make it possible to sell things at darn good prices everyday.

So, if W-M is selling Acme brand 9mm for $XX.xx, you'll be hard pressed to find it at Bubba's Bait and Ammo anywhere near close to that. My point is, I kinda use W-M as an indicator of current *market* ammo values. I know if I come across the same ammo for less, it's a good buy. It might be an advertised special. Or, sold as a loss leader at a big gun store to bring the customers in. Take advantage of those.

It's true that hoarding in anticipation of rising prices is a self-fulfilling prophesy. If enough people do it, it increases demand and lowers supply. That, of course, causes prices to rise. However, trying to get enough people to stop hoarding is impossible. No one wants to be the guy left without a supply of either range or SHTF ammo.

Sadly, if you are waiting for prices to come down before you buy, I think you are in for a very, very long wait.

If there is so much excess profit and gouging going on in the ammo industry, why haven't some enterprising industrialist types set up an independent domestic ammo factory to supply the civilian market with *reasonably* priced ammo?

K
 
As much as many of you dislike Wal-Mart for whatever reasons, *generally* you're going to find it hard to beat their prices--apples to apples--on a regular basis. They are the largest mass retailer. Their efficiencies of scale and distribution make it possible to sell things at darn good prices everyday.

Yep.

This thread reminded me I need to restock my .22 ammo stash. I just called the local WM and he said they have about 6 cases of the Federal bulk packs in stock at $11.97 a box.
 
Fella's;

I think that perhaps Bailey Guns was directing his comments to a post I made earlier concerning the cost of American Eagle .22 lr ammo. In that post I noted that Big R was now selling a brick at $13.90 & Scheel's down the street was at $17.99 for the same thing.

The unacceptable part of the above is that Scheel's is, if anything, a bigger chain than Big R. Not all Big R stores carry firearms, however all Scheel's stores have major firearms departments.

I didn't stay at a Holiday Inn Express last year, but I do know that Scheel's spent a ton of money putting in a large new store in last year. Could there be a correlation? Or is that one of those questions we shouldn't ask these days? You know, like is Wal-Mart just Communist China's marketing arm? How did Vince Foster really die? Or: Is it possible to O.D. on botox?

:fire: :evil: 900F
 
My point is, I kinda use W-M as an indicator of current *market* ammo values.

Wal Mart sales ammo at less than Dealers can buy it.

If you find a better deal buy it because it will not last long.

The only thing tracking Wang Mart prices are good for is guessing mark ups at your local shop.

If China Mart has X brand for 18.00 and Rods Guns has it for 21.60 than you know Rod marks it up about 20%.
 
Wal Mart sales ammo at less than Dealers can buy it.

That doesn't make any sense at all. If that's the case why wouldn't dealers just go buy walmart ammo and resell it? I know I damn sure would if they had it cheaper than I could get it direct from a wholesaler or manufacturer.

I'd have a pallet a week waiting for me at Walmart.
 
My price from one of the largest Winchester Distriubutors.

Warning!!!

This is a super secret price. If you read the rest of this post I will have to kill you.

Item Number: USA9MMVP

185.60 10/cs

Description: WIN 9MM 115 FMJ VALUE PACK29lb 100/bx 10/cs

Available: 0
 
There will be a point where folks simply stop buying ammo. At the present, I will not entertain buying any commercial centerfire rounds.

I haven't bought commercially loaded ammo in years. Don't have to.

Yep, the cost of reloading components has gone up, but they've always done that. I bought thousands upon thousands of primers back when they were cheap. In fact, I'm looking at a box of Remington Small Rifle Benchrest primers I bought a while back--price tag on the box says $7.95.

That's for a thousand primers, by the way.

By casting my own boolits, I can take the cost of shooting for handguns down to around .03¢ to .05¢ per round. I have a lot of rifle bullets stored, but don't shoot long gun nearly as often, or in number of rounds, that I do handguns.

Might wanna ask yourselves why the cost of ammo has increased way more than the cost of guns . . . That's the way the anti's are gonna get us.

Jeff
 
it has to do with two things.

Supply and demand, the metals that go into ammo is increasing in demand raising prices.

Also gas has gone WAY UP. Ammo is very heavy stuff and comes with heavy shipping costs, because of this it costs more.

Sucks, but it wont get much better anytime soon.
 
keep wishing I had not traded my old 9 mm XD for my .45 XD. Oh well, it is a lot of fun to shoot when I can afford it.

With the .45 you only need to shoot the BG once and not twice with a 9mm:neener:
 
My XD 45 is pretty hungry as well...

How's this for price gouging: There are two gun shops about 1 block from each other. The one guy is selling old surplus 7.62X54R in the 10 round twine-bound paper packs for 3 dollars for 10 rounds... the guy down the street is selling the exact same stuff for almost 10 dollars... and had the audacity to tell me it was a great deal and I wouldn't find a better deal ANYWHERE.... :scrutiny:
 
This PM, wifey needed to stop at Big-K so I trotted back to sporting goods to have a look. Winchester Dynapoint .22, 500 count, $29.95 . ouch. The last .22 I bought at Wal-Mart was $14.00...give or take a few cents. Glad I have a little extra on hand.

Mark.
 
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