What's going on with this ammo shortage????????

[Fido]

Been trying tooo get some 17Mach2 ammo,seems like every dealer is out. Been told that they only run it at one factory and that's for all brands that sell it!!

[Big Skyz]

This won't solve your problem, but I've been watching the whole rimfire market closely for the last 3 years. The only rimfire worth owning and you can consistently get ammo for is a the 17HMR. Everything else is an effort in frustration.

[Booger]

I cannot speak for everywhere else, but I have been bitching at the guys I work with every time they prove my point. I have been telling them THEY are creating the ammo shortage! Basspro gets in 2 cases of .22 ammo. (lets say 20 boxes to the case) First guy in the door sees .22 and trys to buy it all, cause hey, theres an ammo shortage. They let him have 10 boxes. And so on for the next 3 guys. Ammo gone. (in like, 15 minutes) If he had bought the one fucking box he needed, and the next 39 guys had bought the one FUCKING BOX they needed, by the time that ran out off the shelves they would have gotten some more in.........

[BarryBobPosthole]

I was thinking the same thing, Booger. You put it in much better words than me!

So I'll just say AMEN!

BKB

[DeputyDog]

Well put. I've only bought ammo like that once. Someone I worked with found a deal on 9mm and I bought a case. This was over 20 years ago and I think I've still got a box or two of it left.

[HideHunter]

Didn't know you were a MachII man, Fido.

I absolutely love mine.. Arguably the best squirrel caliber ever invented. I got a couple bricks of Ely - *before* this whole "shortage" thing - because it was the most accurate I could find and because they quit making it.. Then I picked up a few scraps of Hornadys.. Unfortunately, I'm half scared to shoot it. Because its made by necking down .22 cartridges.. and they have to retool to do it.. and they are selling .22s as fast as they can make them.. no one knows when we may see it again. A lot of the "shortage" is exactly as Booger describes.. I know a couple guys who brag about having as much as 40,000 rounds. The other thing that is happening (finally caught them at it red-handed) as some stores get ammo, the employees are either buying it up before it hits the shelves and reselling it - or selling it to their buddies.. Manufacturers claim they are making more .22 ammo than ever in history. It's real pain in the ass for a guy who just wants to shoot a box, or two, occasionally.. This, too, shall pass... maybe.

[Captain]

Well I work at Bass Pro and I know first hand what is going on. We get a full pallet of .22 ammo in. And put it out for sale. We limit everyone to 500 rounds unless it comes packaged more than 500 rounds per box and in that case we limit everyone to one box.
Right now the 500 count we sell (depending on manufacture) is about 24 bucks. Currently that same 500 count sells for $75.00 bucks at the flee markets. And that is where the problem begins. So we put the ammo out and folks see it. They will come and get their 500 rounds and then hide 500 rounds in the duck call room, and another 500 in the camo area and another in the archery department, etc,etc. they will check out with their first bunch and put them in the car, then come back in and get another 500 and go to a different register and repeat this process over and over.
We have one little Chinese or Vietnamese dude that comes in EVERY morning (he must work in the mall somewhere) he checks and if we have .22's in stock he calls his family and everyone from Grandma and grandpa to sisters and brothers comes in and buys 500 rounds. No doubt they are reselling them at the flea market.
The survival folks with the bunkers want the .22's because they can store many thousands of rounds in a very limited space. Whereas 1,000 of rounds of shotgun or large caliber ammo takes up a lot of room in their limited spaces. As long as people at flea markets are willing to pay 75 or 100 bucks for 500 rounds of .22 ammo it ain't gonna get any better.

[HideHunter]

Yep.. I have a friend who runs a small lgs. I asked him if they ever get .22s ( used to buy a brick or two a year from him). He said one guy comes in - sees they have ammo.. buys his "limit" then gets on the phone. Says they very seldom have it for two days.