Cost of .22 ammo

[LD36]

My local army surplus store is/was selling 500rd bundles of "match grade" 22lr ammo for $157.99... a brand I've never heard of.
And there was a sign saying limit one per customer... seriously??

 

[Flinttim]

I know most of you hit the shows and stores much more than I do, but seriously, what's driving the cost of .22 ? I know all ammo has gone up but nothing like .22lr. Who would hoard the stuff ? Is it people reading the prepper books about how .22s can be used like money ?. Let's face it, it's way down the list of defense rounds, and yes, it's a good small game round, but come on. Is it mostly a case of brass , lead and powder going into centerfire production due to a better profit margin and the .22s are last on the list to get made ?

 

[glockmeister]

Three of four years ago, Walmart had 550 rd bulk boxes on sale for 11 bucks. I bought 4. I guess it was a good thing that I did! Never in my wildest dreams did i ever think that .22 would go for what it is now

 

[Kirk Freeman]

but seriously, what's driving the cost of .22 ?

Mr. Supply meeting Mr. Demand.

Where Has All The Ammo Gone? Lemur For Trade

Now is not the time to buy ammo, it is the time to sell ammo.

 

[UNLOCKEM]

I was at the Elkhart show this past weekend and watched a guy walk up to a booth and bought 4 bricks (550 rounds each) of Federal 22lr for $70 each.
I looked at another guy and he agreed with me, "How will prices ever come down with people buying like this?"

 

[Miles42]

Another thread of seller vs buyer. 150 for a brick off 22 shells? It may be a cold day in H but it is not frozen over yet.

 

[tdmman]

My ammo prices (49c, 59c, 69c) were based on a sample of one store. That's all I had access to on my infrequent trips to a small town. More infrequent was money to spend. I still use my Remington 510 with a .22 short to dispatch the occasional coon, etc that becomes a pest.

 

[jgreiner]

I'm actually surprised it cost that much in the 50's. What was a coke back then, a dime? A coke in the 80's was around 30 cents but the ammo cost the same.

In the late 60's, early 70's, I would walk home after school to the farm on nice weather days, and we would stop by the local grain elevator. You could buy a bottle of soda for a dime. If you stood there and drank it, they would give you BACK a nickle for the bottle.

 

[LarryC]

In the early 70's I bought 22lr for .99 a box.... .79 when they were on sale.
I can remember when K-Mart sold rifles and handguns. They stopped in my area sometime in the mid 70's
Heck...I can remember buying 22lr for $2.19 a couple of months ago and I thought that was high!

-

Actually I think ammo has gone WAY down over the years compared to disposable income. Sure I could buy a 50 round box of Winchester Super X 22 LR for $.39 in the very early 50's.

The Co-op sold them by the box or for a penny a piece individually!

But you also have to remember the minimum wage in 1953 was $.75/hr! Most people in my area (Roselawn, In) made quite a bit less than $1.00 / hr. By that comparison it took at least a 1/2 hour of work to pay for one box of 22 LR.

Granted the taxes were far less than today, Indiana had no state sales tax, county option tax, very low income tax -state and Federal. Car licenses were all the same for all cars, and (as I recall) around $10 /year.

Food was much higher etc. So an Apples to Apples comparison today a comparable box of 22's would be over $5.00!

 

[ModernGunner]

Just for reference, a box of .22 LR's that cost $.79 in 1955 should be priced @ $6.79 in 2013 to account for inflation.

Just FYI.

Oh, and I remember this one time, in band camp...

 

[jcwit]

My local army surplus store is/was selling 500rd bundles of "match grade" 22lr ammo for $157.99... a brand I've never heard of.
And there was a sign saying limit one per customer... seriously??

Depending on what it was thet price could very well been excellant. I've paid much more than that for high quality match .22 ammo. High accuracy cost money, not only in the rifle, or scope, but also in the quality of the ammo.

No one wins a bench rest match with Remington Thunderbolts.

 

[thabombsquad]

I'm sick of the overpriced bulk .22 ammo. I can't imagine spending 50,60 plus for 500 rounds of .22. It's just crazy!

 

[Ejohnson]

I just went to Fields Outdoor Adventures in Rushville yesterday. They are the only ones in this area that even have .22 ammo. I ended up paying $53.00 for 525 rounds of Remington 36gr. hollow point. I about choked. And they're limiting customers to one brick. I hope all this craziness subsides soon so I can go back to shooting a few hundred rounds whenever I feel like it and not have to worry about where to go to restock.

 

[seabassz]

I'm 34 years old and can remember buying Federal 550 loose bricks at Wal-mart for $7.48, so it's had to have been in the last 16 years. Luckily I bought enough then that my grandkids will have extra.