Ammo Prices: The Panic is On - Big Time

Centuriator

Centuriator

Dude...you're being very un-Dude.
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Jul 3, 2012
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Middle 'Merica!
#1
So, over the weekend, I did a complete inventory of my ammo stock. And...I had way more than I thought I did, so, that's good. Then I took a look online using AmmoSeek to get a sense of where prices are. Fairly normal. As of this morning? Holy cow...the prices have skyrocketed. I do not remember seeing them spike so quickly even during previous "panic" moments. The only source for steel case 9mm Luger, for example, is still *that* for .49 a round. I found brass 9mm for .25 and up. 5.56? Forget it...through the roof. Here's a screenshot of what AmmoSeek put up for 5.56..no steel case, interestingly, just brass. Starts at .40 a round, plus shipping and goes up.

In better news...gas prices. I am keeping my truck topped off and paid $1.89 per gallon yesterday for regular.

Screenshot 2020-03-19 at 6.44.00 AM.png
 
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#2
Think midway and a few others have the barrels of 5.56 for sale at about 4.2-4.5k. Price comes out to around .30$ per round. This is the cheapest I have found 5.56 ammo in the past few days.

If PSA would only run another federal sale with rebates. Last summer I was able to get cases of 1,000 5.56 for $239 each. 9mm was $139 per thousand.
 
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#3
If the S does really HTF, do I want 1000 rds of FMJ junk, or do I want a couple hundred rounds of the best stuff I can get?

The big drums of ammo really make me laugh. Or maybe there are just way more M249s in circulation that I realize.
 
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#4
55gr FMJ through a 16" barrel at close range should be fairly impressive considering we're talking about a 22 cal bullet. Not so much in a 'pistol'.
 
#5
SkyScrapin said:
Think midway and a few others have the barrels of 5.56 for sale at about 4.2-4.5k. Price comes out to around .30$ per round. This is the cheapest I have found 5.56 ammo in the past few days.

If PSA would only run another federal sale with rebates. Last summer I was able to get cases of 1,000 5.56 for $239 each. 9mm was $139 per thousand.
Click to expand...


Yup, I was going to pick up a few of those barrels holding 12,500 round each, when they were only $3,500, but ... oh well. :)
 
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#6
MtnCreek said:
55gr FMJ through a 16" barrel at close range should be fairly impressive considering we're talking about a 22 cal bullet. Not so much in a 'pistol'.
Click to expand...

I laugh at the people scoffing at the 5.56 round. Lots of dead bad guys out there from this "worthless" round.
 
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#8
MtnCreek said:
55gr FMJ through a 16" barrel at close range should be fairly impressive considering we're talking about a 22 cal bullet. Not so much in a 'pistol'.
Click to expand...

If you're going to get through only a mag or two during an engagement, do you want to use 55gr M193, or do you want something from your favorite manufacturer's LE line?

And no, I don't want to stand in front of either one.
 
#10
E. Bryant said:
If you're going to get through only a mag or two during an engagement, do you want to use 55gr M193, or do you want something from your favorite manufacturer's LE line?

And no, I don't want to stand in front of either one.
Click to expand...
I'd rather have a good bonded bullet, but most of my put up ammo is 55 gr FMJ and 75/77 gr bthp.
 
#13
E. Bryant said:
If the S does really HTF, do I want 1000 rds of FMJ junk, or do I want a couple hundred rounds of the best stuff I can get?

The big drums of ammo really make me laugh. Or maybe there are just way more M249s in circulation that I realize.
Click to expand...


I've been buying for many years now under the assumption ammo will never be cheaper and more available then it is now (pre Chinese Flu panic) with the end goal having enough ammo to last my lifetime. So if S don't HTF I'm good and if S do HTF I'm good.

You're right-but that FMJ stuff is good for taking classes and general plinking.
 
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#14
I don't see much of price increases other than with PRIME
  1. Bought a case of PRIME 6.5 for $250 but now it is $300 due to an increase from their manufacturer. Should have bought more. 2 weeks to ship which is getting me concerned. Never saw this before with PRIME.
  2. Bought a few hundred rounds of 6.5 Creedmoor (American Gunner 140gr HPBT). $0.82 per round including tax and delivery. This stuff is solid to 600 yards. As good as the ELD-M 140 which sells for $1.20
  3. Bought 100 rounds of Sellier and Bellot 338 LM for $2.4/round. Stuff is solid to 1,000 yards.
Items 2 and 3 were shipped immediately
 
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#15
I was able to get 800 rounds of 6.5 Creedmoor ( American Gunner) for $128 per 200. It has went up now. Ammo is the new 401K and it's time to sell at a inflated price!!lol
 
#17
I have been doing some reloading other than rifle. I have been spending all my time reloading for rifle 6.5 CM and 6 CM for awhile now. I pulled out the rock chucker and started putting together stuff I have had sitting around. Been loading 9mm, .44 mag .357, and 5.56. I have plenty of brass , primers, and powders for these rounds. I figure now would be the time to put some of it together. I found 300 60GN v-max bullets I had sitting around and got them loaded. 300 9mm bullets. Most of the stuff has been sitting around for awhile because I didn't have time for it. I quickly remembered why I hate loading 5.56 ( fat fingers tiny bullets) but got it done. I was at a local gun shop yesterday and there is definitely a shortage of ammo and even reloading supplies for these common rounds.
 
#18
LoL,

Well, I might be in the minority here but I sure as fk dont want to take a 55gr FMJ to the torso. I mean, are there better "self-defense" rounds? Sure, but id say much like anything it highly depends on the situation. Like SP, BT, BTHP, etc for "soft" targets and the like. But I doubt many will stop and ask what they are hit with.

The best ammo right now is the ammo you hopefully have.

 
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#19
E. Bryant said:
If the S does really HTF, do I want 1000 rds of FMJ junk, or do I want a couple hundred rounds of the best stuff I can get?

The big drums of ammo really make me laugh. Or maybe there are just way more M249s in circulation that I realize.
Click to expand...
55gr FMJ "junk" has been killing people all over the world since the M16 was put into service.
 
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#21
I’m pretty prepared so not worried about it short term but long term it’s still making me uneasy.

went to bass pro today to grab some turkey shells and turkey duck and dove/targetloads is all they have left for shotguns. Saw the last pump in the store get bought, and spoke with another guy who ended up buying a 1k dollar semi, I told him the academy down the street still had maverick 88s but I think he was worried they wouldn’t when he got there. Quite possible.

People are now turning to buying BB and turkey loads for self defense. Granted I can tell you I don’t want to be 5 yards from a 12 gauge with BB hypersonics...

its not the usual scare, there’s still plenty of 22 and plenty of target ammo(other than 9mm and 223) hunting cartridges are still plentiful. It’s all about defending their life, not necessarily their rights.
 
#26
My simple man thoughts

The best ammo to have is #1 a lot ;) and #2 ammo that your weapons like to shoot (meaning accuracy and reliability) and I would even go #3 and say the type you normally shoot so you know what to expect

Most looters trying to break into your house don't really care if FMJ bulk ammo is flying at them or if is the best hollow point ever made, they are going to run (if they can) as soon as the first shot goes off. You are most likely not fending off someone that is professionally trained military
 
#29
2aBaCa said:
Lol, ammo snobs...

My steel case Tula kills just the same as your expensive shit.

Do you load you mags with your pinky up?
Click to expand...
You mean cheap non-bonded, non-hunting, non-"barrier blind", non whatever bullets can work for self defense against soft, weak, thin skinned targets?

You are a blasphemous heathen!!

unnamed.png
 
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#34
Centuriator said:
So, over the weekend, I did a complete inventory of my ammo stock. And...I had way more than I thought I did, so, that's good. Then I took a look online using AmmoSeek to get a sense of where prices are. Fairly normal. As of this morning? Holy cow...the prices have skyrocketed. I do not remember seeing them spike so quickly even during previous "panic" moments. The only source for steel case 9mm Luger, for example, is still *that* for .49 a round. I found brass 9mm for .25 and up. 5.56? Forget it...through the roof. Here's a screenshot of what AmmoSeek put up for 5.56..no steel case, interestingly, just brass. Starts at .40 a round, plus shipping and goes up.

In better news...gas prices. I am keeping my truck topped off and paid $1.89 per gallon yesterday for regular.

View attachment 7276493
Click to expand...

Didn't you just whack someone's peeper for fomenting panic?

Smfh
 
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#36
I feel bad for folks who haven't got enough ammo...things might get tough for a while. luckily I laid in like 8 pounds of powder for handguns and have at least 1000 bullets each for every caliber I shoot - .32, 380, 9mm, 38/.357, 5.56 and 6.5 CM.

Plenty of brass and primers. I'll load a 100 rounds of 9mm this weekend just to ...well, just because I can. Better to have extra and not need than to need and have not enough.

VooDoo
 
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#37
Vodoun daVinci said:
I feel bad for folks who haven't got enough ammo...things might get tough for a while. luckily I laid in like 8 pounds of powder for handguns and have at least 1000 bullets each for every caliber I shoot - .32, 380, 9mm, 38/.357, 5.56 and 6.5 CM.

Plenty of brass and primers. I'll load a 100 rounds of 9mm this weekend just to ...well, just because I can. Better to have extra and not need than to need and have not enough.

VooDoo
Click to expand...


Wow, I'm surprised it took this long for a reloader to virtue signal on reloading. Some of us are able to stock up on as much ammo as we want without needing to reload. I'm glad you enjoy reloading and have plenty of reloading supplies. Take care.
 
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#38
Centuriator said:
Wow, I'm surprised it took this long for a reloader to virtue signal on reloading. Some of us are able to stock up on as much ammo as we want without needing to reload. I'm glad you enjoy reloading and have plenty of reloading supplies. Take care.
Click to expand...
Is this what butt-hurt sounds like? Very un-dude of you.


I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you over the sound of my reloading press.
 
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#39
clcustom1911 said:
5 yards away with #8 or 7 is absolutely devastating.
Click to expand...
I was shot with #7 from a range of about 20 feet.
I had on Carhartt bibs & a Carhartt Artic jacket, they were shredded.
If it wasn't for those two heavy layers I'd be dead.
As it was 19 pellets broke skin and had to be removed, believe me it incapacitated me by putting me on the ground.

It was my freinds teenage son and was an accident, he definitely understands what identifying what you are shooting at.
 
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#40
Centuriator said:
So, you are comparing this post about the FACT of ammo price increase and the guy who was repeating gossip and rumor? Got it. Try harder.
Click to expand...
To answer your question, here's a post from yesterday that I posted


Here is what totally pisses me off.
Someone you've dealt with for 20 years decides he's jumping on the "Cheaper Than Dirt" bandwagon.

When I buy, I usually buy 5k to 10k at a time and over the years I have sent a lot of people his way.
Not anymore because out of curiosity I looked at his site today, he jacked up Wolf Gold to $459 a thousand.

I won't post up his info.
He does a pretty high volume that is comparable to Target sports.
All his steady locals have already voiced their concerns and called him a traitorous greedy bastard.

We've been fortunate the last 3 years where we've enjoyed low prices.
If you were foolish and didn't start stocking some ammo these last few years you've already lost half the battle.

This time last year I was buying 1st rate Federal & Lake City 5.56 for $225 a thousand.
For almost 11 months Target sports had their 22LR offerings on a rotating schedule and I was getting everything for almost $0.03 a round
 
#41
clcustom1911 said:
1-3 to the central hydraulic pump or CPU stops the threat. Neither pump or CPU really distinguish between $1 rounds or $0.20 rounds.

If you dont have spark or gas, the engine ain't gonna work.
Click to expand...

What happens when those soft targets start hiding behind hard things when you start shooting at them?

This is why it might be wise to look at what police departments use for those moments when you might only have the opportunity to make one shot count. And that applies to both rifles and pistols.
 
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#42
E. Bryant said:
What happens when those soft targets start hiding behind hard things when you start shooting at them?

This is why it might be wise to look at what police departments use for those moments when you might only have the opportunity to make one shot count. And that applies to both rifles and pistols.
Click to expand...
You mean like Gold Dot 62's my department uses?

I assume you have shot at paper targets through dry wall, interior doors and through vehicles all from different directions to see how the bullet gets deflected in different directions?

Pro tip: After the bullet passes through the 1st layer of dry wall, if it is not at a perpendicular 90ﾟ angle and through some fiberglass insulation and one more piece of drywall, that bullet is going to go in an unpredictable direction.

The only predictable path of a bullet is through the air generally
 
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#44
clcustom1911 said:
You mean like Gold Dot 62's my department uses?

I assume you have shot at paper targets through dry wall, interior doors and through vehicles all from different directions to see how the bullet gets deflected in different directions?

Pro tip: After the bullet passes through the 1st layer of dry wall, if it is not at a perpendicular 90ﾟ angle and through some fiberglass insulation and one more piece of drywall, that bullet is going to go in an unpredictable direction.

The only predictable path of a bullet is through the air generally
Click to expand...

Does all that deflection get more predictable if the bullet partially fails on its way through the barrier?
 
#46
Odd coincidence. I actually had a full pallet ordered of 223. I paid for it and got confirmation. 2 days later email saying my order had been canceled because it shouldn't have been for sale. This was before the panic by a few days. I have always bought in bulk. It wasnt a panic buy! It was a buy planned for more than a month.
Luckily I had a backup in mind.
Oh well still have plentyyyyyyy. I just always buy for years on the main stuff I buy.
 
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#47
Whatever floats your boat, but if you have seven mags for your AR I believe it’s plenty unless we collapse and never go back to civilization.

mad-max-road-warrior-blu-ray.jpg

Hopefully you never have to shoot one single person, but if you need 2000 cartridges you‘re probably fucked without artillery and close air support. Just sayin’....
 
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#48
Interesting comment from a VISTA OUTDOORS spokesman (Vista is the parent company of Federal, CCI, etc.), published today by American Rifleman:


A source at Vista Outdoor—parent company famed cartridge and component manufacturer Federal, Speer and CCI—told American Rifleman on March 18, “We have many hard-working Americans giving it their all in our factories. We are operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

The staff member, who requested anonymity, also confirmed the company sent a letter to retailers on March 17 indicating investments were underway to increase production capacity. To help underwrite the expansion, a modest increase in wholesale prices will go into effect April 1. “Promotional Centerfire Pistol—5 percent to 8 percent,” according to the note, and “Promotional Centerfire Small Rifle—6 percent to 10 percent.”
 
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#49
5.56 rounds slice through the typical vehicle like a hot knife through butter, and those that do not make it through create quite a mess to the interior, not to mention any human occupants.

Oh, and no matter what Hollwood would you believe, bullets never "spark" and bounce off car sheet metal.
 
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