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Ammo costs

msrtex

Private
Full Member
Minuteman
Jun 14, 2006
62
5
Central, Missouri
Looking at ammo today and I see good availability of all major calibers. What I also see are prices that are twice as high as just before the rise and shortage started. At the current peak I was seeing prices of the ammo I consume (223, 308, 9mm and 45 cal.) about $1.50 to $2.00 higher per single box than they are now so there has been a slight drop in prices recently. They do seem to have settled at the rate I mention of twice as much as what they were two years ago. Pretty steep rise. I was hoping they would continue to drop a bit more but if we are willing to pay the current price I don’t see that happening. I have a few friends that have given sold their 45’s and 308’s a year ago because of the costs involved in feeding them. I am not prepared to go that route but I do shoot them less.
 
Re: Ammo costs

Seriously, if you can't afford the ammo-you have no business shooting. Compared to other hobbies, cars,motorcycles,boats etc.,etc-all have ways to suck money.

Its 2010,5 years ago an HD TV cost 4K-now you can by them at Wal-mart.But, if you think ammo is going to get cheaper-all I can say is wish in one hand and shit in the other and see which one fills up faster.

ANYBODY, can get into reloading reasonably cheap. All components are available online. Roll your own and go to the range.

If 1 or 2 bucks a box impacts your budget that much-you simply can't afford it. People ARE hoarding ammo. It is what it is. Reload-and hoard components. That is the choice.

Retailers are hurting. If they can raise cash by marking up a box of 9mm blaser $2 a box and STILL sell it-they will.

Reload.-the more you shoot the cheaper it gets.
 
Re: Ammo costs

1 or 2 bucks a box! Where are you shopping? .223, 308, 9mm, and 45 is all more than twice what it was before this last rise. It hasn't stopped me I am just curious as to what others think.
 
Re: Ammo costs

Buy reloading tools. What you would have spent on 1000 rounds of commercial 308 will PAY for the bullets, powder, primers, AND reloading equipment.

Google - reloading cost calculator
 
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I'm a hoarder from way back, I'm shooting SA 308 that I paid 25 bucks a battle pack of 140! LOL. I didn't buy ammo when I needed it, I bought ammo when I wanted it. I still have 223 from when it was 129.00 a thousand from Dallas Reloader. My priorities are in order though so I digress.....LOL
 
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If you are buying ammo, you are doing it wrong FAIL! In all seriousness I have only bought 1 box of ammo for my 300wsm, and 3 boxes of fmj and 500 rds of self defense ammo for my 45 acp, other than the self defense I roll everything, its the only way to fly.
 
Re: Ammo costs

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: queequeg</div><div class="ubbcode-body">$1 or $2 additional per box is what LT. Arclight means. </div></div>

I understood him but it is not 1 or 2 bucks a box more than before this started, it is more than twice. My comments are directed towards seeing supply increased to where it is available everywhere I look but the prices have not changed to reflect this. And I do "roll my own" accept when attending classes that require factory ammo.
 
Re: Ammo costs

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: msr</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: queequeg</div><div class="ubbcode-body">$1 or $2 additional per box is what LT. Arclight means. </div></div>

I understood him but it is not 1 or 2 bucks a box more than before this started, it is more than twice. My comments are directed towards seeing supply increased to where it is available everywhere I look but the prices have not changed to reflect this. And I do "roll my own" accept when attending classes that require factory ammo. </div></div>

Please,pry your wallet open or give it a rest. You go to that many classes that don't allow reloads-then the enrollment fee, transportation,room and board might better be spent at your local range.

I've shot 500 rounds of 338LM,100 of 50BMG and 200 or so 308 since the 15th of November.I might be crippled-but I'm retired and shoot every chance I can get. PS: All that ammo was reloaded.All as good as what Lapua can provide.
laugh.gif


The laws of supply and demand-generally result in HIGHER prices. They have responded. There was a time ammo sat on the shelf-now they can't even unload it and its sold. If you owned a sporting goods store would you sell ammo cheaper?

I couldn't care less how much it costs. If you have a passion to shoot-you'll find a way.If you think the prices of ammo are going to return to 2005 prices-I take it you don't follow any of this countries economic indicators. Get over it.

When I went to classes-the ammo is free when you ARE the instructor.
cool.gif
Thank God we can still SHOOT.
 
Re: Ammo costs

You mean like gasoline being over a dollar a gallon cheaper than it was two years ago? My wallet is just fine and I shoot all I wish to, the question was do people think the demand is still there. Why are you making the wrong assumption that I am not shooting because of current ammo prices.
 
Re: Ammo costs

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: queequeg</div><div class="ubbcode-body">WalMart's prices seem only marginally higher than before. Other retailers are a different story. </div></div>

If you can find what you need at Walmart. I never can.
 
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Its all about supply and demand. If the ammo starts to hang around longer look for prices to continue to drop.
 
Re: Ammo costs

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Lt. Arclight</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Please,pry your wallet open or give it a rest. You go to that many classes that don't allow reloads-then the enrollment fee, transportation,room and board might better be spent at your local range.

I've shot 500 rounds of 338LM,100 of 50BMG and 200 or so 308 since the 15th of November.I might be crippled-but I'm retired and shoot every chance I can get. PS: All that ammo was reloaded.All as good as what Lapua can provide.
laugh.gif


The laws of supply and demand-generally result in HIGHER prices. They have responded. There was a time ammo sat on the shelf-now they can't even unload it and its sold. If you owned a sporting goods store would you sell ammo cheaper?

I couldn't care less how much it costs. If you have a passion to shoot-you'll find a way.If you think the prices of ammo are going to return to 2005 prices-I take it you don't follow any of this countries economic indicators. Get over it.

When I went to classes-the ammo is free when you ARE the instructor.
cool.gif
Thank God we can still SHOOT. </div></div>

Lighten up Francis. Who pissed in your cornflakes? He makes a simple post asking about the price of ammo and he gets a lecture on the virtues of reloading and if he doesn't want to pay the price he should give up shooting? Who here wouldn't like to be paying less and shooting more? I wish I had the time to load and shoot 800rnds of Lapua quality ammo since mid-Nov, but I havent had that opportunity. But don't jump down his throat for asking a reasonable question.

I have noticed the availability of ammunition in my area has improved quite a bit. Reloading components are, for the most part, available again. Some things are harder to come by. .380 is still hard to find, large rifle primers and large rifle magnum primers are sometimes available, but match primers are few and far between.

That being said, prices have only dropped slightly. I wouldn't expect see them go back to pre-election levels, but I think I would agree with msr that I would have expected them to go lower than where they seem to have settled.

Let's just hope there isnt a provision in the Health Care Bill taxing ammunition because bullets pose a heatlth risk through lead poisoning or some other nonsense.

- Loud
 
Re: Ammo costs

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Go_Loud</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Let's just hope there isnt a provision in the Health Care Bill taxing ammunition because bullets pose a heatlth risk through lead poisoning or some other nonsense.

- Loud </div></div>

Don't even bring that shit up! They don't need any more brilliant ideas.
 
Re: Ammo costs

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Lt. Arclight</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
ANYBODY, can get into reloading reasonably cheap. All components are available online. Roll your own and go to the range.

Reload-and hoard components. That is the choice.

Retailers are hurting. If they can raise cash by marking up a box of 9mm blaser $2 a box and STILL sell it-they will.

Reload.-the more you shoot the cheaper it gets. </div></div>

+1
 
Re: Ammo costs

Here in NC, I used to be able to get 45 ball for about $16-18 per box of 50, and $22-ish for the Federal match 168gr 308s back around March, 2009. Now, one year later it's always $25+ per box of 45 and close to $30 per box of match 308 if I could find it. So....

I bought a Forster Co-Ax, dies, and have been shooting every weekend ever since without worrying about finding the cheap price. Since this part of NC is very military heavy, there's MANY shooters, but per capita few reloaders. Thus, factory ammo is hard to find and expensive (very high demand) while reloading supplies are fairly easy to come by (low demand). I don't think I spend less on ammo, but for the same amount of money, I'm shooting way more AND shooting better quality ammo. Just my 2 cents.
 
Re: Ammo costs

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: msr</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Been reloading since 1982 but that is not the point of this thread.</div></div>

You should've got your friends into reloading too. Maybe they wouldn't have had to sell their guns.