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I'm not sure the .22lr shortage will ever end... doesn't appear to, although I've kept myself shooting rifle silhouette, position rifle, and indoor NRA conventional pistol (.22) by buying odd lots, from acquaintances, from internet sales, etc. I now shoot stuff I would've scorned a few years ago, although I've learned through doing so that Rem Golden Bullet shoots well in my 22/45 (with only an occasional failure to ignite), and Auto-Max shoots very well in both my pistol and Anschutz rifle Models 54 and 1712...... in fact, if "normal" ever comes again, Auto-Max will be my main indoor ammo....

Another dance around the tulips was to shoot way, way more air gun... $8-$12 per 500 for match pellets... I've got an old RWS Model 75, a Crosman Mar 177 for my match grade AR-15, and a Baikal 46M pistol. Nearly all my practice is now on my home air gun range, although I do shoot the Crosman Mar 177 during our "Sport Rifle night" at our local range. Shooting .177 airgun at 50' ain't for sissies.... but a hole is a hole, and a well-placed shot is a well-placed shot.....

Man, this shortage is really getting tiring, sigh. I imagine there are so many more
shooters then a few years ago that they are all trying to get the same 22lr we want.
I wonder if there will ever be plentiful like it used to be? What gets me is that there
is actually a problem getting a 'product' in the American economy. It seems that
our society has always accommodated the consumer with enough stock? In other
words, if you have the money, you'll have the product.

Going into a third year, I'm not believing that the ammo manufacturers still haven't added capacity to keep store shelves full. I've read over and over how they see it as temporary, so can't invest in the machinery that would end up sitting idle later. Three years is "temporary" ????

I saw this coming, and stocked up as best I could through 2009-10. I then tried to replace what I shot, which has been less than I would have liked. I only go to the range once a month in good weather as it is. I've got about 26k of .22LR. Most of it is Wally World red Value Packs that were $11.47-$13.97. Saved me a lot of green over the long run.

Local stores still get just a case or two over a month, and it's gone in 15 minutes each time. I have managed to get 6 Value Packs in the past year, when Dick's got some half pallets by some miracle.

If the stores don't get much, gougers and hoarders can't get much, either. Where is it going? If the supply ever seems normal, I'll still never trust it.

cousin jack wrote:I'm not sure the .22lr shortage will ever end.......Another dance around the tulips was to shoot way, way more air gun... .....

I'm surprised I haven't seen Internet claims of a conspiracy by the air gun makers to keep .22 in short supply..........

The story I get is that the same thing happened to .22lr as has happened to the incandescent light bulb.

The profit margin on the manufacture of 22's and other rimfires has shrunk to the point where something had to give.

It would not surprise me to see the most abundant supply of rimfires increasingly to start coming from foreign sources.

They had some CCI sv for sale today at the club, limit 500rds. They were selling it
for $5.50/50rd box. I couldn't believe they got it in. I passed on it, I already have enough at home.

The law of supply and demand is driving the .22 market. As long as there's a shortage in the supply end the price end is elevated. Since many of the companies who manufactured ammo have been consolidated under mostly one corporate entity (ATK) the market is fairly easily controlled to maximize profits. Until other corporations decide to wade into the ammo manufacturing business, there is little motivation for the current market conditions to change. Rimfire ammo is the one type that is not easily reloaded by individuals and therefore must be purchased from corporate manufacturers.

R,
Bullseye

I haven't seen the profit levels on rimfire versus centerfire, but I'd guess that making centerfire for big government purchases has to outweigh rimfire profits. When rimfre has been available from places like Walmart, I haven't noticed that much of an increase in price. I've seen some claims by manufacturers that they are making it as fast as they can and pretty much near capacity. If so, where is it going?

It is probably an "economy of scale" function, since so there's many more .22 rimfire weapons sold, people buy a lot of that caliber of ammo.

R,
Bullseye