Disposable Heart
Grandmaster
And MY point is that $30 IS the new "normal". I keep seeing post after post, thread after thread, of people who say "I'd never pay $100 for a brick of .22!", but two years ago they said THE EXACT SAME THING about the $30 bricks. Once people get used to paying the price for it, there is absolutely no incentive to lower it.
Huge +1 either alot of these people weren't into shooting in 2008 or they were in a cave on Mars with their fingers in their ears... I wonder if these are the same people screaming, beating their chest and spear clashing on their shields over Cheaper Than Dirt (and associated ruckuss) but will be buying from them in 6 more months. The average gun owner tends to have the same attention span as the average American voter: You have their attention until the next sound byte or funny bumper sticker.
Everytime there is a rush, panic or tidal change, ammo pricing increases. $30 is going to be the new normal. I've been in the biz long enough to have seen this a few times already. When things "settle" down, it's going to be worse than before.
I hope everyone remembers the halcyon days of 350$ per 1k of M855, 150$ for 500 7.62x39 or 28$ plus tax for 550 ct .22 bricks, b/c those days are numbered.