Why are we getting so ripped off on 22LR ammo now?
- Thread starter kokapelli
- Start date
- Status
Oldschool shooter
Member
Went to a LGS, guy bought when prices were really high. He won't drop his price and has 30 CASES of 22lr. Won't sell much asking $100 for a brick.
Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
.22 LR Ammo = discretionary purchase
Dealer: ".22 LR is $50 per brick"
You: "I don't want it that bad, no thanks."
=No Sale -- Nobody Ripped Off=
Dealer: ".22 LR is $50 per brick"
You: "I really want to shoot .22, here's $50."
=Sale Transacted -- Nobody Ripped Off=
Any time you are offered a product honestly, at a price that is clearly disclosed, and you make the CHOICE to pay that price for that product, you are NOT being ripped off.
Supply and demand. If there are people who will pay $50 a brick, and there are more of them than there are bricks of ammo to go around, then $50 is the fair market price.
And besides, there's plenty of foreign-made .22 LR around. So that, in itself, is not why the market price is higher than a few years ago.
Dealer: ".22 LR is $50 per brick"
You: "I don't want it that bad, no thanks."
=No Sale -- Nobody Ripped Off=
Dealer: ".22 LR is $50 per brick"
You: "I really want to shoot .22, here's $50."
=Sale Transacted -- Nobody Ripped Off=
Any time you are offered a product honestly, at a price that is clearly disclosed, and you make the CHOICE to pay that price for that product, you are NOT being ripped off.
Supply and demand. If there are people who will pay $50 a brick, and there are more of them than there are bricks of ammo to go around, then $50 is the fair market price.
And besides, there's plenty of foreign-made .22 LR around. So that, in itself, is not why the market price is higher than a few years ago.
jad0110
Member
Actually, I'm not seeing any .22 ammo, foreign or domestic. When I do see it, it is in very short supply and runs $.11 to .20 per round. If anything, given the scarcity of .22 LR in my area, it is probably underpriced. For years, the only place I can find .22 LR in any quantity is online.
I haven't tried either of those, are they any good and how much per round are they going for?
GarySTL
Member
We just held the American Rimfire Association nationals at my club and they were all shooting Eley ammo. Must be good stuff. My first time seeing $3000 single shot 22 rifles.
Sam1911
Moderator Emeritus
Eley makes arguably the very best target rimfire ammo available anywhere. When I shot smallbore 3-position competition we saved our precious Eley "Texex" for big match days.
sigarms228
Member
Yeah Ely is top notch stuff but as an imported product it certainly would have zero impact in reducing retail prices of .22 LR ammo here in the US. Usually when I see Ely .22LR it is more than 9MM.
Note sure why .22 LR has stayed so high and availability has been sporadic to say the least but IMO it may be a long time before we see .22LR highly available again for under 8 cents a round.
It may have to do with ammunition companies not wanting to invest in expensive capitalization of new equipment unless they feel confident that they will get a ongoing return on investment in such rather than their new equipment being idle in a year or so.
Note sure why .22 LR has stayed so high and availability has been sporadic to say the least but IMO it may be a long time before we see .22LR highly available again for under 8 cents a round.
It may have to do with ammunition companies not wanting to invest in expensive capitalization of new equipment unless they feel confident that they will get a ongoing return on investment in such rather than their new equipment being idle in a year or so.
I'm not sure where you're looking for ammo, but where I live you can find .22 bricks for $20-$25 pretty regular at sporting goods stores like Academy or even Walmart. The ammo manufacturers are not "ripping us off", its the local gun stores that mark it up, or individuals who buy from Academy and sell online for $50-$100.
.22 magnum is a lot scarcer than .22 LR, but just like .22 LR, the price hasn't really changed much.
dogtown tom
Member
I hit three WalMarts at lunchtime today
six boxes of Winchester SuperX 100's at $6.97ea
three boxes of Winchester 333 @ $14.97ea
Normal prices and there was plenty left on the shelf.
six boxes of Winchester SuperX 100's at $6.97ea
three boxes of Winchester 333 @ $14.97ea
Normal prices and there was plenty left on the shelf.
sigarms228
Member
Oh I know and thanks for clarifying that. I bought some years ago to shoot in my Remington 541T. Luckily my 541T is crazy accurate with even most cheap .22 LR like Federal bulk packs.
sigarms228
Member
Wamarts around here never have any .22 LR ammo and many others have expressed the same. Even if they did it costs too much in time and gas to drive around to them to find out if they have any. I am wondering if Walmart has a contractual arrangement with some of the ammo companies and they are shipping them just the minimum, as a chain, that the contract calls for.
Was in a gun shop Tuesday. They had several pallets of CCI Mini-mags priced at $9.99/100. About the same amount of Norma match ammo at $4.99/50 rounds. Seems like a fair price to me all things considered. I've seen 22 just about everywhere but Walmart all summer. None of the cheap stuff, but I stopped buying it years ago, would rather hit my target than just hear the gun go bang and come close.
The shortage ended many months ago. I've been finding it easily for $20/325 round boxes and $30/525 round boxes at places like Dicks and Gander Mountain. Because Walmart has the cheapest prices there is still enough price differential to attract the scalpers so Walmart will be the last to return to normal supply levels.
AStone
Member
I'm about to buy another .22 rifle: Remington 597 HB.
I just sold a Marlin 39A to allow that to happen,
and because I was not happy with that rifle ... for various reasons. (See link above.)
Yet, I'm concerned about the poor availability of .22 ammo, so reading this thread with interest.
Wondering if anyone has any opinions about or insights into when ... or if -- availability will improve.
I just sold a Marlin 39A to allow that to happen,
and because I was not happy with that rifle ... for various reasons. (See link above.)
Yet, I'm concerned about the poor availability of .22 ammo, so reading this thread with interest.
Wondering if anyone has any opinions about or insights into when ... or if -- availability will improve.
GarySTL
Member
I bought a brick of eley target for $70 and 4 boxes of eley club for $20. I thought that wasn't too bad at all for top grade ammo.
Now when I don't shoot well I can't blame the ammo.
Now when I don't shoot well I can't blame the ammo.
USAF_Vet
Member
It sells for what the market supports. Either buy it at market price, or don't. Personally, I don't. I was never into shooting .22 anyway. If enough people end up with that mentality, the market will regulate and prices may fall. Or some people will end up with a barn full of .22lr bulk packs. Either way, I'll still be shooting what I shoot, with no concerns.
Onward Allusion
Member
I'm not getting why folks are still shooting 22LR at $50 a brick. I shoot 9mm these days. Even at twice the per unit cost for new, I still have the brass for reloading.
Bama Drifter
Member
Not another "Where's the .22LR?" thread 
Hey, I subscribe to the time tested truism that all gun enthusiasts should: Buy it cheap & stack it deep! Still sitting on 5 bricks of Federal blue box, 2 bricks of Rem Thunderbolt and about 6 packs of CCI Stingers... Did I clear the shelves after Sandy Hook? Nope. Did I pay a scalper? Heck naw. Just a matter of buying two bricks for each time I consumed one and then telling myself to STOP after acquiring 3,500rds of rimfire. Now I also have 6 cases of #8 shot Remington Gun Club that I picked up @ $50 apiece and hope to not need any more this decade When you see a deal, snap it up. When one knows prices on ammo are rising (like w/ Obummer getting re-elected) it behooves you to take preparatory measures.
FWIW, everyone just plz do us a favor and STOP buying .22LR from scalpers, and once you've got "enough" on hand... enough should be 3-5 bricks @ most! Thanks, YMMV.
Hey, I subscribe to the time tested truism that all gun enthusiasts should: Buy it cheap & stack it deep! Still sitting on 5 bricks of Federal blue box, 2 bricks of Rem Thunderbolt and about 6 packs of CCI Stingers... Did I clear the shelves after Sandy Hook? Nope. Did I pay a scalper? Heck naw. Just a matter of buying two bricks for each time I consumed one and then telling myself to STOP after acquiring 3,500rds of rimfire. Now I also have 6 cases of #8 shot Remington Gun Club that I picked up @ $50 apiece and hope to not need any more this decade
When you see a deal, snap it up. When one knows prices on ammo are rising (like w/ Obummer getting re-elected) it behooves you to take preparatory measures. FWIW, everyone just plz do us a favor and STOP buying .22LR from scalpers, and once you've got "enough" on hand... enough should be 3-5 bricks @ most! Thanks, YMMV.
Bama Drifter
Member
I shoot 5X as much 9mm and about twice as much .45ACP and .223 than I do rimfire... More boom = more fun
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
