What is going on with .22LR ammo?

[BullfrogKen]

shockwave -

500 rounds in a weekend is not a lot of ammo. If I only shoot 100 rounds off .22 rimfire in a trip to the range, I feel like I wasted my time.


You need to realize there's a bigger shooting world out there than what you know. Chill with the snarky remarks about it.

 

[kimberkid]

I'm so glad I bought several thousand rounds after the 08-09 ammo panic. Once this one peters out, I'll do the same.

^^^^^^ This

 

[ID-shooting]

shockwave -

500 rounds in a weekend is not a lot of ammo. If I only shoot 100 rounds off .22 rimfire in a trip to the range, I feel like I wasted my time.


You need to realize there's a bigger shooting world out there than what you know. Chill with the snarky remarks about it.

Yup. There are 5 .22s in this house. Me, the kid, and wife might take all them to the range at any given time. If we each shoot 100-200 rounds it adds up very quickly. Keeping 4k on hand might only cover us a week.

 

[Malamute]

Just curious, but why would anybody want to shoot "500 rounds of .22" in a weekend?

For sheer enjoyment of shooting. I find its much more enjoyable when not on a formal range shooting paper targets also, tho not everyone has access to such places.

...Yeah, I get that, but it really seems crazy to me. Regular, consistent, focused training should not require thousands and thousands of rounds to get to where you need to be...

Perhaps, tho formal "training" isnt the only valid reason or way to shoot. I consider all shooting to basically be some form of training, tho most of it is for fun, and to challenge myself.

Simply firing more rounds will not make you more proficient if you can't handle the above variables.

...In short, if you're wasting that much copper and lead and cordite, you might want to check your training methodology and figure out what it is you're trying to accomplish.

I've seen a few folks that seemed to be "wasting" ammo when shooting, and perhaps some of my early shooting when a kid wasn't very focused (and it could be argued didn't need to be), but over time, you learn a bit. When you realize it isn't a big deal to hit running squirrels, bunnies, birds in the air, sticks or stones tossed in the air, cut grass stems or small sticks with your pistol bullets, and actually hit stuff consistantly when point shooting, it starts to feel like all that fun wasn't just wasted time and money. I'm not sure I could have afforded to shoot centerfire enough, even reloading, to be able to get to that point.

Once, when shooting with a friend of my dads that was a fine action shooter/gunsmith, he commented about "my misspent youth" after I cleaned the table of bowling pins with a 45 Colt SA in very short order (sub 3 seconds, admittedly a good round for me). It's just fun to me.

But do you understand why some people might be laughing at your lack of expertise?

Interesting point.

 

[itsa pain]

greed gluttony and hoarding is why there is little 22 ammo. the guy that said some guys are into numbers is probably right. some guys love to post gigantic numbers of rounds they shot or animals they killed. like a guy I overheard in a GS bragging they killed over 1000 prarie dogs in one weekend.

 

[gspn]

You say you've met very few, but just in this thread alone there are several.

Estimates of how many gun owners there are in the US run anywhere from 30 million to 200 million.

So far about 10 people on an internet board populated with serious gun users have offered up that they shoot a lot of .22. As a percentage it is a meaningless number. If everyone on this board claimed to shoot that much it would still be a meaningless percentage.

When we get 10 million people to post saying they use that much .22 it will begin to take on statistical significance.

The High Road is home to people who love guns, do a lot of shooting, and have tremendous firearms knowledge...this is not a group that I would describe as "average gun owners". I believe a better description for us would be "hardcore enthusiasts". If we were to talk about how much ammo hardcore enthusiasts use I would have a different opinion.

Take my own habits for example...I might go to the farm on any given weekend and put 400 to 1,000 rounds downrange in .223, 44 mag, .41 mag, .45 acp. I know others who do the same...but I would never try to kid myself into believing that "most" gun owners do the same because experience tells me otherwise.

 

[itsa pain]

I bought a .22 conversion kit for my 1911, a Ruger Mark I, a Colt .22 revolver, and a S&W 15-22 after the last crisis so I could have something to shoot, practice, and train with.


And it seems everyone else did, too.

that is why there is no 22 ammo

 

[JohnBT]

"I've been shooting for 20 years"

Welcome. The shooting sports needs newcomers.

I started shooting in the early '50s and I'm still a relative youngster to some here.

 

[husbandofaromanian]

If things really did ever go south.. I would rather have my stockpile over 22lr any day of the week. I would rather be able to shoot further than 100 yards.

I shoot my 22lr out to 300-yards...

 

[jrdolall]

500 rounds? On any given Saturday my group can easily go through 2,500 rounds of .22LR. It requires more than a brick just to load up the magazines for all MY .22s. 10-22, AR conversions, AK 22, AR 22s, revolvers, Buckmark, MKII, Phoenix HP22, and the list goes on.
We spend time seeing how fast we can empty a magazine and we also spend time ringing the bell at 50 yards. Kids like to think they can shoot good so we shoot paper at 20 yards with bolt actions from a rest and let them take the target home with them.
Prior to this panic I had around 20k rounds bought over time when I saw some on sale. Now I have around 10k and will shoot it all down to maybe one brick before I stop.
Hopefully I can reload my stockpile before too long.

 

[rduchateau2954]

Because I can.

Because it's fun.

 

[rduchateau2954]

Estimates of how many gun owners there are in the US run anywhere from 30 million to 200 million.

So far about 10 people on an internet board populated with serious gun users have offered up that they shoot a lot of .22. As a percentage it is a meaningless number. If everyone on this board claimed to shoot that much it would still be a meaningless percentage.

When we get 10 million people to post saying they use that much .22 it will begin to take on statistical significance.

The High Road is home to people who love guns, do a lot of shooting, and have tremendous firearms knowledge...this is not a group that I would describe as "average gun owners". I believe a better description for us would be "hardcore enthusiasts". If we were to talk about how much ammo hardcore enthusiasts use I would have a different opinion.

Take my own habits for example...I might go to the farm on any given weekend and put 400 to 1,000 rounds downrange in .223, 44 mag, .41 mag, .45 acp. I know others who do the same...but I would never try to kid myself into believing that "most" gun owners do the same because experience tells me otherwise.

Okay fine, I personally work with two guys who burn through twice the ammo that I do. Not that it really matters because you seem to have it stuck in your head that anyone who shoots more than you do is some sort of crazy gun guy.

 

[gspn]

you seem to have it stuck in your head that anyone who shoots more than you do is some sort of crazy gun guy.

No rational person who has read my statements could come to your conclusion.

 

[Potatohead]

Estimates of how many gun owners there are in the US run anywhere from 30 million to 200 million.

So far about 10 people on an internet board populated with serious gun users have offered up that they shoot a lot of .22. As a percentage it is a meaningless number. If everyone on this board claimed to shoot that much it would still be a meaningless percentage.

When we get 10 million people to post saying they use that much .22 it will begin to take on statistical significance.

The High Road is home to people who love guns, do a lot of shooting, and have tremendous firearms knowledge...this is not a group that I would describe as "average gun owners". I believe a better description for us would be "hardcore enthusiasts". If we were to talk about how much ammo hardcore enthusiasts use I would have a different opinion.

Take my own habits for example...I might go to the farm on any given weekend and put 400 to 1,000 rounds downrange in .223, 44 mag, .41 mag, .45 acp. I know others who do the same...but I would never try to kid myself into believing that "most" gun owners do the same because experience tells me otherwise.

He's got a point here.

 

[huntsman]

If you want to shoot well you have to practice a lot.

So how did all the old-timers get by with just 50 rounds a year or so, a few old hunters I new could kill a squirrel or rabbit per round or two and only hunted between farm and homestead duties.

We have more disposable income, cheaper ammo and gun owners who play video games, seems to be a recipe for higher demand even before panic buying, speculators and survivalists.

 

[Cee Zee]

In short, if you're wasting that much copper and lead and cordite, you might want to check your training methodology and figure out what it is you're trying to accomplish.

You clearly have no concept of what it takes to be the best you can be. Practice makes perfect. There are so many variables to work out that it's easy to shoot a brick just working on one. Ask a world class shooter how much ammo they go through. They buy ammo by the pallet, not by the case. I know a guy who does that.

This theory of yours that people aren't practicing right is just bunk. It's true that you have to practice doing things right. But you have to practice until it's ingrained in your brain how to do it especially if you're shooting moving targets that aren't moving predictably.

You seem so sure that it's a waste of time to shoot so much let's see some of the results of your theory. You post your targets and I'll post mine. Then we'll talk about the fact that the difference between shooting well and shooting great amounts to about 1/8th of an inch at 50 yards for a .22 shooter. Care to calculate how much of an angle it takes to be off 1/8th inch at 50 yards? I tried to do it but I can't find a calculator that will compute tangents that low. In short, every breath you take, every time your heart beats, every time your nerves shake your hand you have affected your shot. Learning to overcome all of those things is a matter of practice and a whole lot of it. Maybe you were born to shoot like a god but I have my doubts about that. People who want to be really good get that way by practicing. If you can't learn from your practice then you probably are wasting your time. But if you think you can shoot as well as people who can learn from practice I'd have to strongly disagree with you.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

We have a BINGO folks !!!

I had a good supply before the madness , and I will not start using it until I see prices/stock return to near-normal, besides this panic has made me WAY more proficient at reloading for my centerfire rifles, and I have become as good as shot as I am gonna with my pistols,,so in the long run , it was a good thing,, and those who run to the store to get their daily limit,just to turn around and sell it to someone who actually has better things to do (like a career or family) I hope will get stuck with a bunch of ammo they paid WAY too much for !!!!

Just make sure those are head shots on the squirrels this season...

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

Just curious, but why would anybody want to shoot "500 rounds of .22" in a weekend?

Well, personally I didn't the last time I went target shooting a couple weeks ago.

However, my youngest daughter (11) did. Went through an entire box of 525 Federal on her first trip to the range using Mommy's Savage bolt action. Turns out she's a quick study and a darned good shot, all things considered.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

It is getting mading here in DFW.Everywhere I go I find it Out then some horder gets on the Radio and offers 20 dollar bricks for 40 to 60 Bucks!!!!!! !

 

[Rick McC.]

I wonder what the shelf life of all that rimfire ammo is....I realize that storage conditions (temperature, etc.) will have an effect, but at some point down the road there will be an awful lot of dud rounds. I have some from the 1960's, and it seems to shoot OK. I have also seen some brands that had numerous duds after only a couple of years in ideal storage. Eventually this hoarding will settle down, at which point there will be tons of ammo sitting around in hot garages that will eventually gentrify and be part of someone's estate, ending up in either the trash, a yard sale, or given to someone else.

I'm still shooting bulk pack .22LR that I bought for my boys when they were little (over 20 years ago).

It's been "stored" in a humid, non A/C area for many years, and I've only run across five or six duds so far, in shooting over 1500 rounds, with more to go.

Rick

 

[mr.trooper]

I've said it in other.22 threads and I'll say it here - Just because .22LR is "the most produced round in the world" does NOT by default make it easy to find, or common.

It is also the most consumed round in the world, and the cheapest to buy. That makes it the FIRST to go in a crisis, because EVERYONE has a .22LR weapon to feed.

You know what IS on the store shelves right now? 25acp, 32acp, 10mm auto, 41Rem, 460 S&W, ect.

My No.5 Jungle Carbine & S&W 310 Night Guard are having absolutely NO difficulty with this ammo shortage. The joke is on all you 9mm and 5.56 guys.

 

[22-rimfire]

Gspn, since nobody else seems to want to give it a guess I will. My guess is that less than 2% of gun owners who will shoot a gun this year and own a 22lr will shoot 6000 rounds of 22 in any given year. We here at the high road are very good at believing we are the norm when in reality we are more often the exception.

That would be my guess as well and that is a reasonable guess. But 2% are not buying up all new production as fast as it hits the shelves.

I think this shortage has caused many to re-think their ammunition supplies as to what is a "reasonable" amount to keep on hand. We're 6 months+ into the shortage and it appears to be slowly changing. But many have simply given up looking and many have given up shooting or consuming 22 ammunition at much of a rate beyond a few 100 rounds on a given day at the range for the time being. This pent up demand will probably keep 22 ammunition in short supply through the end of the calendar year the way I see it now. I wouldn't have believed this in April as I figured by June/July things would be back to normal.

500 rounds a weekend is not a lot of shooting with 22's. That is especially true if you take kids shooting and they certainly like to rattle out the 22's. 500 rounds average per weekend is a lot for me now. But I am generally shooting by myself and punching paper. I simply don't shoot every weekend anymore or sometimes don't shoot for a month.

My life does not revolve around how much I shoot. I like to shoot, but I don't loose a lot of sleep over not shooting. I have lots of 22LR on hand and it would take me years at 6000 rounds a year to use it up. I haven't bought any 22 ammuntion at all since before the Nov. elections. I lie... I bought 100 rounds that was sort of shoved into my face at Sportsman Warehouse when I asked it they had any. I figured I couldn't just say no.

 

[GEM]

BTW, I could easily shoot about 300 a month just in two matches - steel and carbine - both in the 22 divisions.

 

[gspn]

I figured I couldn't just say no.

I love it. I used the same reasoning one time and came home with 20 pistols!

 

[BullfrogKen]

I guess it all depends on what your goals at the range are. For someone who just plinks to have fun and nothing more, 500 rounds might be excessive for having fun.

For someone who has a goal of becoming a better shooter and maintaining that skill level the old adage applies -

"An amatuer practices until he gets it right. A professional practices until he can't get it wrong."