So I'm noticing that there is very little ammo available in the stores I go into. I also hear often that the prices are high. So it's in demand, but I'm wondering what prices I should be looking out for, when buying .22 LR or .22 WMR. In your opinion, what is too high, and what is too low (that you would actually purchase)? What have the trends been, in the last, say, 20 years?
What are the prices supposed to be, for ammo?
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BattleRife
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10 years ago I was buying 525 bulk packs of Federal high-velocity, copper-plated hollow points for $22.
3 years ago they just getting over $30.
Now, if I ever saw one I would expect it would be $70. Which is gross.
3 years ago they just getting over $30.
Now, if I ever saw one I would expect it would be $70. Which is gross.
The price of .22LR is a HUGE spectrum. On the bottom end you have junk like the Winchester 333 bulk packs or Remington golden bullets. I wouldn't pay anything for it, but it has always been under 10 cents a round (Maybe not so much anymore). On the top end is stuff like Eley Tenex, which is 50 cents or more. There's ammo priced just about everywhere in between.
I've been buying and shooting almost exclusively CCI Mini Mags for the last few years, and 10 cents a round used to be a decent price. Now 13 cents is a little more realistic, and anything under that is a good deal. It depends what you want to shoot. Pick something, and start paying attention to prices at different retailers.
I've been buying and shooting almost exclusively CCI Mini Mags for the last few years, and 10 cents a round used to be a decent price. Now 13 cents is a little more realistic, and anything under that is a good deal. It depends what you want to shoot. Pick something, and start paying attention to prices at different retailers.
When you get into the more common bigger calibers is where you see the big price jump, the illusive 303 British can be found from 2$ a round to upwards of 4$ per. A lot depends on the store and what's the main ammo they sell. 9mm and 556 have seen a big jump and 7.62x39 also with the ban on Russian ammo in the states cause less supply so higher demand/price.
This is something I wondered about, actually.
Ive been lucky enough to not have to pay more than $2/round for .303 British. Recently got 100@$1/ea on the EE from a nice fellow here in Calgary. I refused to sell ammo at the prices the stores sell it these days. I also don’t like selling ammo tho haha
FatCatsDad
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Mail order ammo is the way to go.
It sounds strange but CABELAS has been excellent for me.
Free shipping on orders over $149, and if you sign up for their emails, once a month or so they send a code to you where shipping is free for orders over $49.
The ammo is usually priced a bit higher but the free shipping not only evens it out, it actually comes up cheaper.
Try it out, open up a window, for example, Canadas Gun Store, Bullseye North, SFRC, or store of your choice and Cabelas, fill the shopping carts with the same items and see what the total is for all 3 including tax and shipping.
I was surprised
It sounds strange but CABELAS has been excellent for me.
Free shipping on orders over $149, and if you sign up for their emails, once a month or so they send a code to you where shipping is free for orders over $49.
The ammo is usually priced a bit higher but the free shipping not only evens it out, it actually comes up cheaper.
Try it out, open up a window, for example, Canadas Gun Store, Bullseye North, SFRC, or store of your choice and Cabelas, fill the shopping carts with the same items and see what the total is for all 3 including tax and shipping.
I was surprised
The .22LR rounds have IN GENERAL not gone up by the same trajectory as many other calibers. They are not cheap by any means, but there is still some value that can be found. It is probably going to be an exercise in discouragement to compare the prices to even a few years ago, and one person's cheap is another person's not cheap, and since there is so much variation in both quality and performance, it is hard to get a consistent answer across the board.
For me, I took advantage of a Cabela's sale last year on a 525 pack of Remington Golden bullets .22LR - I know they are fairly junky, but less so than my old Thunderbolts - got the box for $34.99 each at this time last year. For plinking, CCI Standard Velocities are decent and some retailers are still selling them for a reasonable price (compared to everywhere else). Mini Mags are always good but they are out of stock at most places. I did manage to pickup a 9 boxes of them yesterday from a private sale from someone who sold his .22s and I got a wicked deal on the ammo. Then if you want to get decent stuff, you are looking at SK/Eley (both of which have a huge variation between their "entry" line and their premium lines.
For anything else, I have found retail prices to really be beyond what I am comfortable in paying and right now I scour private ads here and elsewhere for ammo that is reasonably priced. I have bought a number of bricks and boxes of stuff off people who have just decided to sell off their guns and move on, and typically they have the ammo for very reasonable prices. I think retail, it's going to be a slog - lots of brands/makes/lines are out of stock...for someone just getting into target shooting or hunting, the current prices would likely incur sticker shock.
I remember in 2008, buying a box of 100 rounds of Winchester white box 9mm 115gr, it was $8.95 at LeBaron. For 100 rounds. I just saw last month or so at Tenda (which generally have decent prices overall, all things considered) was selling 9mm boxes of 50 FMJ for $36.99. WWB are like bottom feeder rounds. I got double the amount for 75% less of the price less than 15 years ago. But we will never see those prices again, so for those who are looking for ammo, shop around, compare prices and based on your needs and budget, buy what fits your wallet and your interests.
For me, I took advantage of a Cabela's sale last year on a 525 pack of Remington Golden bullets .22LR - I know they are fairly junky, but less so than my old Thunderbolts - got the box for $34.99 each at this time last year. For plinking, CCI Standard Velocities are decent and some retailers are still selling them for a reasonable price (compared to everywhere else). Mini Mags are always good but they are out of stock at most places. I did manage to pickup a 9 boxes of them yesterday from a private sale from someone who sold his .22s and I got a wicked deal on the ammo. Then if you want to get decent stuff, you are looking at SK/Eley (both of which have a huge variation between their "entry" line and their premium lines.
For anything else, I have found retail prices to really be beyond what I am comfortable in paying and right now I scour private ads here and elsewhere for ammo that is reasonably priced. I have bought a number of bricks and boxes of stuff off people who have just decided to sell off their guns and move on, and typically they have the ammo for very reasonable prices. I think retail, it's going to be a slog - lots of brands/makes/lines are out of stock...for someone just getting into target shooting or hunting, the current prices would likely incur sticker shock.
I remember in 2008, buying a box of 100 rounds of Winchester white box 9mm 115gr, it was $8.95 at LeBaron. For 100 rounds. I just saw last month or so at Tenda (which generally have decent prices overall, all things considered) was selling 9mm boxes of 50 FMJ for $36.99. WWB are like bottom feeder rounds. I got double the amount for 75% less of the price less than 15 years ago. But we will never see those prices again, so for those who are looking for ammo, shop around, compare prices and based on your needs and budget, buy what fits your wallet and your interests.
BattleRife
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
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$8.95 for 100 rounds?! That was either a crazy sale price or a mistake. I haven't seen a price like that on 9mm ammo in 20+ years. Even then, that was in the USA.
Just back into shooting and since spring yes ammo has been going up. If you had invested in ammo 10 years ago instead of Apple stock, you would be wayyyyy ahead of the game right now.
Pistol ammo will only go higher as the hundred thousand or so guns sold since May 30 get transfers approved and come on line.
For my 9mm I have been using $.50 cents per round as a base line (bought a box of 100 Winchester today at CTC for $46).
For .22 shells, I have been using $.10 cents per as a base line. If I can get any of them for that price or below I buy a bunch. As an example of the increase in price, I have seen .22 shells I paid $146 for 1400 rounds in August have gone up to $166 now.
Long for the good old days for sure. I have some old CIL .22 shells in my ammo box in the plastic slider case of 50 shells that have a .99 cent sticker on them so they were around 2 cents a shell.
Yup, red "Special" sticker which I still have on the box, just for posterity. Also got a wicked price on Winchester AA 20ga loads. A flat of 7.5 or 8 size - 250 shells - $54.99. Again the red "Special" sticker. Circa 2009.
I was buying stuff then that I didn't even have the gun to shoot...it SEEMED like a good price then and in retrospect, it was.
I get your point about Apple stock, but it has split a few times as well and I am way ahead on Apple stock that I got in 2010.
I remember a coworker telling me about him getting an SKS for $175 (also at LeBaron). I thought it was a rip off considering it was like a 60 year old rifle. I am sure he had the last laugh if he knew what I recently paid for mine...
Goes to show with guns and ammo, waiting for a better price later invariably results in either the item no longer available or available but at greatly inflated prices. I have unfortunately been on the wrong side of that equation more than a few times.
Disgustingly accurate.
