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Please explain .22 hoarding to me????

A

ace of hearts

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Minuteman
Feb 1, 2013
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Ok, so I am not a competitive rimfire guy, but I do like to plink as much as the next guy. While I think that for the most part the hoarders have gone a bit overboard, I do kind of get the concept of grabbing a couple of AR 15 type rifles since they have recently been on the political chopping block. I can also grasp that by extension some folks may feel the need to stock up on .223, .300 blackout etc. since those rounds feed the "assault rifles", though to my knowledge, no one actually proposed banning any form of ammo. however...
Of all ammunition I would expect that .22 rimfire would be the last thing to banned, it is also produced in the highest quantity. So why is it when all the pistol and centerfire rifle ammo is starting to find its way back onto the shelves do the guys at Academy tell me that keeping any .22 around is impossible?

Who the heck is stockpiling .22 rimfire for the squirrel zombie apocalypse?

I don't get it, I just want to pick up a hundred round pack every now and then to plink a little with my kid...
 
I got 8000 rnds of the cci mini mag, it will stop zombies just fine and is WAY easier to carry than 7000 308 catriges.

Actually I shoot 45 but is it dang expensive so shooting 22 for practice in 22/45 pistol means I can shoot cheap. For a while there it was costing me $200 a week in ammo for the 45's. So I bought a 22. Of course I need to stock up since it is hard to find contributing tot he shortage.

I suppose Many of the ar guys got the 22 cal version and those spray thousands of rounds. It is not even fun with less than 1000 rounds which you can blow through in like 20 minutes.

Also more people have no money than the number who have a lot. So those who shoot 22 as their only gun need to stay on top of it cause guys with cash and a set of ar 15/22's will gobble them up for them and thier buddies to speak and pray in the desert while yelling F-ya... Mercia!

5000 rounds of .22 through an AR is cheaper than an AR in 223 or 308. The fun is pretty much the same with the AR's so it makes sense to me that's what is happening, that is my theory.
 
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Easy, 22 rim fire is relatively cheap and just about everyone owns at least one gun that shoots it. Trust this government not to try to ban anything and everything gun related? Don't think so.

OFG
 
DropinLead said:
I got 8000 rnds of the cci mini mag, it will stop zombies just fine and is WAY easier to carry than 7000 308 catriges.
Click to expand...

This is the retarded theory that's causing it.

Somehow people think having 10,000 rounds of 22 in a backpack while they "bugout" in order to win some sort of firefight is a good idea.
 
rrflyer said:
This is the retarded theory that's causing it.

Somehow people think having 10,000 rounds of 22 in a backpack while they "bugout" in order to win some sort of firefight is a good idea.
Click to expand...

Its called "BOOTY" for the person who comes across their backpack! ;)

"Zombies". Zombies like The Walking Dead or Zombies like I Am Legend?

.22 is a plinker or small game round. If its all I had, I would still look for a slingshot for some real "knockdown power" :D

The buying panic could be based on the thought that its not like you can reload it, so they hoard it (consumer driven demand value)

~Will
 
rrflyer said:
This is the retarded theory that's causing it.

Somehow people think having 10,000 rounds of 22 in a backpack while they "bugout" in order to win some sort of firefight is a good idea.
Click to expand...

Not it's not, good god, that segment of the population is like .0001 and I was joking, poking fun at the post which itself was in jest.

The reason is it is cheap to shoot and damn near everyone who has a gun has one.
 
The reason the prices won't come back to what they used to be is because of the "hoarders".
I have a neighbor who is hoarding 22 ammo and does not even own a 22 weapon.

Remember we live in America and the "dollar" talks, supply and demand rules and there is nothing we can do about it.

It is not all doom and gloom though. I have noticed some reloading components becoming available and my local Gandermountain
has a lot of 223/556 in 1000 round packs for $600. Still a little expensive!
 
rrflyer said:
This is the retarded theory that's causing it.

Somehow people think having 10,000 rounds of 22 in a backpack while they "bugout" in order to win some sort of firefight is a good idea.
Click to expand...

yep, that and "blowing through 1000 in like 20 minutes... " cmon idiot really. none of your explanations make ANY sense. you are the worthless human being that is waiting at walmart and my local gun store to buy what you don't need. quit wasting our oxygen and suck start your precious 22/45
is it obvious i'm mad about this???
 
I've always bought 22lr by the 5000 rd case. I just finished a case Of win dynapoints I paid $99 for & bought 3 cases then. If it's good ammo under 5 cents a round I'll buy it so I won't be crying & mad like you.:p BTW it's there you just have to work a bit harder to get it. I bought 7 new 50 cal steel ammo cans with 2100 rds of Federal 22lr hv. For $99 each plus they had free shipping but 1 can a day limit. I'm not a hoarder, I'm a shooter & to shoot I need ammo. Gander had Federal 50 ct hv. For !.99 50 rd box, 10 box limit a day. I'd quit bitching & start looking.
Forgot about the Remington golden HP in 10# pails $59 for 1400 rds. I have a great mix of subsonic to hyper velocity & everything between but I had to hunt it out & I'm glad I did. It was fun & I never go to chain stores except Gander & Cabelas. I refuse to support Wal-Mart & haven't been there in years. Good hunting!
 
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M C said:
yep, that and "blowing through 1000 in like 20 minutes... " cmon idiot really. none of your explanations make ANY sense. you are the worthless human being that is waiting at walmart and my local gun store to buy what you don't need. quit wasting our oxygen and suck start your precious 22/45
is it obvious i'm mad about this???
Click to expand...

If you have an American 180 you could dump 1000 rounds in less than 20 min. I wish I had one of these, though feeding it right now would be very difficult.

I do two full 275 round dumps in my American 180 - YouTube

I purchased my 22 ammo by the case before the ammo craziness and was so glad that I did, because I had ammo to shoot this year when there was none on the shelves. I have purchased a few cases of 22 ammo during the past year when I found it for reasonable prices.

You may have to shop a bit to find 22 ammo, but it is out there.
 
CAL ranch here in Utah was running a special on a .22 rifle & .22 ammo combo deal.

Buy a Marlin or other rifle (not a Ruger 10/22) and get 1400 rounds of .22 for free. (Its actually included with the price that is bumped up).

Some guys went in all around the state & bought up the rifle and ammo deals and sold off at a high mark-up on KSL & Gun Exchange (local classified listings to Utah)

I guess they made enough money on the deals.

Hope the BATFE doesn't get wind of the rifles being sold though, as that is 'interpretable' as circumventing the FFL process...

I can see hoarding .22 as a cheap investment diversification tactic.

I don't advocate it though. But I can see some folks doing that. Hell, a lot of folks went out & bought gold too.

At least .22 ammo has a use if society collapses. Gold though. Not much of a use, unless you have firepower to keep it.

~Will
 
I just dumped about 2 things of mini mag, 2 stingers and a box of remington bulk today. I had lots of fun obviously and now need 22 ammo :( and blew up couple pumpkins with tannerite, got em in slow-mo. Thats the reason I get a lot of it when i can (not crazy but like 2-4 boxes of bulk) when I shoot rimfire I shoot a lot
 
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my take(s) is this -

1) is anything more fun than blowing a couple hundred rounds of what used to be affordable fun at the range with the kid or buddies? so folks buy it just to have it for such reason, but don't use it because they are afraid they can't get it again...oxymoron.

2) SHTF folks - gotta get alot just in case the S does hit the F. actually .22lr rifle or a shotgun are probably the best thing for this type of scenario. yet shotgun shells are plentiful, don't understand that. idea here is NOT TO GET INTO A FIREFIGHT, but to escape it. hit and run. use the quieter .22lr and shotgun for getting critters to eat while "bugin out" so it's harder to fix on your position in a full on RED DAWN instance, only use as defensive rounds to make the zombies or whatever PC name you want to give an aggressor duck while tactically retreating - getting the hell out of there. let the regular army capture ground, citizens shouldn't worry about that but only surviving. don't forget to get your ammo blessed in case of vampires, or fill hollowpoints with a little silver in the event of werewolves.

circa 1936 germans, pollocks, czeks, etc. didn't hoard ammo - look how that turned out.

3) BANS - gotta have ammo to run 50rnds in a high cap mag in 10/22 to make dust - it still is cheaper than therapy. fear of everything being banned or restricted, so gotta stock up while you can B4 the gov shows up to look under your bed for ammo cans.

4) competition guys - it's good to have practice stock, along with rounds for the actual matches. want to make sure they are covered for at least the next upcoming competition season(s).

5) costs / availability of centerfire ammo caused a rather large migration to shooting .22lr chambered firearms, especially conversions and dedicated .22lr AR style rifles and .22lr chambered "replica pistols", so by default demand for .22lr shot up, causing the very same cost / availability of rimfire that centerfire experienced. maybe the extra overtime for ammo factory workers and carrying overhead inventory for materials caused the spike in price. but alot of it is that there was / is gouging going on out there, and as long as #1-#4 continues to pay for it, that will be the new norm.
 
The humble 22 has always been the most popular & most shot round in America. That's just a fact, and has been for many years. Add to that the rising cost of shooting center-fire (relative scarcity with the current political climate and administration) and you have the "perfect storm" of an ammo scarcity, jacked up prices, gouging & general herd behavior of running off a cliff. All I can think of is the opening scene from the movie "Tremors." STAMPEDE!

Oh, I almost forgot, the recent news of the last American lead smelter closing (with "0" effect on production) will be good for a slight uptick in prices as well.
 
People hoard .22lr so they can have enough ammo to stay on the couch during a SHTF situation. They lack the physical ability to move 100 yards without resting and eating something. This theory is what I put together after observing people I see cleaning out shelves in gun stores and walmart.

Honestly though, some are hoarding in fear that it will be banned, some are hoarding in fear of the hoarders, some are hoarding and flipping for 2X the price. The gun owning community is its worst own enemy in terms of ammo availability. I take every opportunity to call out ammo flippers on Facebook groups, trading sites, etc...
 
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And don't forget the Chinese will invade soon to get back the TRILLIONS we owe them.
The "22" is a great defensive round!! Really

TAKE NOTE OF SARCASM FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T CATCH IT!!
 
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Love this thread! 22lr is the most popular round out there that's a givin. But the mentality of 7-8000 rounds in a bug out bag is insane! As a defencive round even more insane! The smallest I would choose is 556/223 and have a rifle chamberd in 556,an AR or a bolt gun doesn't matter. If Shtf happens I want some more range than a 22lr that's for sure. Not say that a 22lr won't work,I just don't want to let them get that close.
 
The only ones that whine about us boarders are the ones that didn't think far enough ahead to have some on hand.
 
I have always kept a good supply. I like to shoot. Most people kept 1-3 50 rd boxes. With the influx of new shooters and the general thinking to have a few bricks extra, that
is going to suck the supply up. So many people I know, that are gun owners, have 5-20 firearms and 1 box or less of ammo for each gun, maybe more for their favorite. That
way of thinking has changed, whether it be from the threat of bans or the prepper shows. ;) Think of the millions of gun owners out there that had a 22 rifle with no ammo.
If the put up a couple of bricks each, that is a major change. Some have finally pulled their head out of the sand. If you have a tool, have the bits
to make it work. A rivet gun is stupid with no rivets. An impact wrench is useless without an air compressor.

The only 22 ammo I ever sold on Gunbroker was 60gr Aguila because I sold my 1 in 9 twist custom 77/22 to pay bills. It was useless to me. That's not everyone though.
Lot are buying at Walmart at 730 in the morning and flipping on gunbroker that evening. I don't agree with that practice.

Most of the people like that are not our "core" members :)
 
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Lack of places to shoot centerfire, lack of cheap ammo to shoot centerfire, new people getting into shooting, new people getting into shooting rimfire guns (replicas etc), old people getting back into to shooting rimfire due to lack of money reloading supplies, range, recoil sensitivity, simplicity etc.

Wanting to have ammo at a decent price so that when another politician opens it's trap, they don't have to pay 2x.

Aging population being retired and able to wait in line.

Aging population wanting to have enough ammo for children/grandchildren to shoot as much as they want.

Wanting to have enough ammo for the coming "whatever".

Increasing the number of rounds that you deem "enough".

Buying ammo to use as trade fodder.

Buying ammo to resale to others.

Buying ammo for family or friends that don't have the option of waiitng at "insert store name" at "designated time" to buy the little ammo that is coming in.

etc
 
(Big Grin)


1. htfu
Harden The Fuck Up

Used to tell a weak person or persons that they have become far too weak, and to prevent further embarrassment to the human race, they must Harden The Fuck Up.
1. I see that you are on the side of the road with a flat tire. What, you, a fully grown man can't change a tire yourself, and you're waiting for a tow truck? HTFU!

2. "This is Michael. He can't go on a family holiday without bringing his portable gaming console. HTFU, Michael!"

3. I ain't got no.... - I can't understand why.... - Why are people "hoarding"..... And other similar complaints from those with the grasshopper mentality who were to dense to read the writing on the wall - even after it had just been written in bold capital letters 4 years earlier.....Harden the Fuck Up...... This same shit will probably catch you again next time....Jeezzz what a bunch of dumbasses....
 
I'm gonna practice buggin out later today. I've got a 10/22 with 10 30rd mags 4000 rounds of 22 and the biggest knife kmart had.

I'm pretty much ready for the end of days. Now its time to go shoot some zombie targets
 
Lol,got to have that Kmart survival knife and the 10/22 the worlds evilest 22lr gun built. Not knocking a Ruger 10/22 but just because you have one doesn't mean your going to automaticly survive shtf! Lol.
 
In addition to whatever I shoot when I go to the gun range, (at least 2x per month) 5.56, 6.8 SPC, 45 ACP, or 9mm, it seems that on every trip I shoot at least 500 rounds of .22 lr, that puts my .22 lr use at about 2 cs. per year, or about 10000 rounds per year. If I have 4 cs., that is about 2 years worth of shooting. I don't consider that hoarding, I consider that smart planning.
 
I only shot about 8000rds this year and at last count I have 13,000 left. But its mainly for my son to shoot,got to keep the 8yr old happy.
 
.22LR is certainly harder to find than it once was, but if you put in just a little bit of effort, you'll find it readily available online at reasonable prices. I just sold 4 bricks of 22lr for about half of what I paid for it, just because I wasn't happy with the way those particular brands performed in my rifle. I used the money to buy a brick of higher quality ammo instead. You may not be able to walk into your local store and grab a box off the shelf, but it's not that difficult or expensive to buy a couple bricks online.
 
There are a lot more couch potatoes shooting today then there was not to many years ago, thanks in most part to our own government and their actions, as well as program's like the Appleseed Project making folks aware of their 2nd Amendment rights, something our government has been trying to undermine for some years now. People are scared, people aren't thinking straight. There's a whole lot of foolishness going on in our country right now, not to mention the threat of some terrorist nation obtaining nuclear weapons. Roll this in with all the other bad news we hear daily, is it any wonder there's any ammo available at all, no matter what the caliber? You can take away the hoarders and scalpers, but in today's world - right now, there are more people paying attention to the News, then IMHO, any time before in our history.
 
My uncle told me about a friend of his who lived in Bosnia when things went south. He said that having a large group of people significantly increased one's chances of survival. Those with skills, especially medical, were highly valued individuals. Rimfire ammo was being used as a form of currency because nearly everybody owns a 22. I think the panicking has almost died out, but there is still a lot of buying and reselling on the internet giving the illusion of a shortage.
 
IMHO anything you over what you normally shoot in 2 years or if you don't shoot at all. Kinda like people canning what they grow, buying a beef for the freezer,etc. If you're going to use it then it's not hoarding. Maybe we need freeze dried ammo for the preppers:rolleyes:
If I plan on building I start looking & gathering things I'll need on sale, this is no different. I'm not a prepper but I think the people bitching are used to running by Wal-Mart to pick up what they need on a daily basis. So please don't get upset with me because you don't think ahead or prepare. Maybe learn from this to think ahead.
QUOTE=BarrelHead;2782933]What number of rounds would constitute hording?[/QUOTE]
 
I still have my little supply from pre 2008. I wasn't living under a rock last year. I hate to tap into it though, buying a box at walmart sure would be nice.
 
This is simple supply an demand. Econ 101. There are many reasons .22 is hard to get. Demand picked up and supply didn't. I have no problem with flippers if someone can buy at regular price and sell at 2 times the money that's smart thinking. Its good business. In fact that's how businesses actually stay in business.

Instead of bitching and moaning about it (I am just as guilty of this), we should be learning and adjusting our spending habits so short term interruptions in the market don't affect us.
 
I have about the same amount I had prior to the shortage. My way of thinking is that no matter the #, I did not hoard it, I just stocked up on lots that shoot well in my rifles. I have no comprehension of why people shoot rapid fire and waste thousands of rounds of ammo, learning nothing about marksmanship. I shot 5 rounds yesterday and killed 5 squirrels. Ranges from 15 to 82 yards. All headshot. At that rate, I have enough for years. I do shoot a few hundred getting my sight settings for a new rifle/scope/ammo setup. Make notes and then a case last for years.
 
Instead of spending time starting threads about something you can't do anything about, why not spend that same energy surfing the net for who has .22 ammo for sale?? Or is it that some people just like to stir shit because they have nothing better to do. Here's an idea for everyone, stop and think about how you can do something to help a bad situation, and then follow through with good intentions.

There's nothing wrong with hoarding. It's just another word for being prepared. What's wrong with being prepared? Nothing. Also nothing wrong with buying something, and reselling it to make a profit. This is a capitalist country even though our current administration would like to convert it to a socialist country. Seems some of you already have that fucked up idea of wanting to control what other people do legally.
 
Honestly I love hoarding.
No one complains about any gold or silver I may have bought and ammo has appreciated similarly.
Gold, silver, brass, lead it's all the same to me except the later two are more fun to spend. :rolleyes:
 
Twisted .308 said:
#1. Seek and you shall find # 2 quit being a bitcher and crybaby about it # 3. Break out the credit card you tightasses ( oh wait ! You gotta get permission from the wifey first !!!! ) maybe that's the real reason your out of ammo ? Here > Bruno Shooters Supply: Rimfire Ammo
Click to expand...

There has been a lot of good discussion in this thread, stuff like the above quote does not qualify however. I am not just crying about it, I have spent more money and time than I should on gun related hobbies this year, gap-10, aw-ax, reloading stuff etc., and as others have pointed out, I can order .22 over the internet. I just think stockpiling .22 has gone way overboard.

If you have devoted your free time to mastering the .22 rimfire and have always used 2k rounds a week then I am not talking about you; I hope that you continue to enjoy your hobby. I think that there are a lot of fools however that have never had more that a 500 round brick in their possession who now feel compelled to accumulate 10k rounds in their basement that they will never use (most of these people are probably not hide members as we tend to actually use our ammo).

I am obviously pro gun rights and concerned about unwanted government sanctions, but the government as far as I can tell has never proposed banning ammunition of any caliber and .22 will be the last to go. Thus while the government has not taken anything away from me, my fellow shooting hobbyists have created an inconvenient, senseless and expensive ammo shortage. Our fellow shooters should be cooperative in preventing government enforced shortages rather than causing an analogous problem in which we are our own enemy and selfishly stockpiling ammo. The extent of hoarding borders on paranoid delusion (some here refer to this disorder as "prepared")

For the first 30 years of my shooting life I can never remember a time before now when there was not enough .22 ammo to go around, everyone had as much as they wanted to shoot, and there was no need to hoard. I don't believe people are shooting dramatically more, so the only alternative explanation is that they are sequestering more ammo than they need.

On top of all this is the fact that immense quantities of .22 serve no purpose (again unless you recreationally shoot large quantities). .22 is a reasonable hunting/survival round, but unless you are a terrible shot, you could hunt for a year on a brick or two. The .22 is however a terrible defensive round; if you are planning on repelling the attacking mobs with your 10k stockpile of .22 then your judgement is doubly poor.

I am not whining or crying, just stating my belief that as shooting hobbyists we have senselessly become a thorn in our own side. I find it irritating and wondered if anyone else did...
 
ace of hearts said:
There has been a lot of good discussion in this thread, stuff like the above quote does not qualify however. I am not just crying about it, I have spent more money and time than I should on gun related hobbies this year, gap-10, aw-ax, reloading stuff etc., and as others have pointed out, I can order .22 over the internet. I just think stockpiling .22 has gone way overboard.

If you have devoted your free time to mastering the .22 rimfire and have always used 2k rounds a week then I am not talking about you; I hope that you continue to enjoy your hobby. I think that there are a lot of fools however that have never had more that a 500 round brick in their possession who now feel compelled to accumulate 10k rounds in their basement that they will never use (most of these people are probably not hide members as we tend to actually use our ammo).

I am obviously pro gun rights and concerned about unwanted government sanctions, but the government as far as I can tell has never proposed banning ammunition of any caliber and .22 will be the last to go. Thus while the government has not taken anything away from me, my fellow shooting hobbyists have created an inconvenient, senseless and expensive ammo shortage. Our fellow shooters should be cooperative in preventing government enforced shortages rather than causing an analogous problem in which we are our own enemy and selfishly stockpiling ammo. The extent of hoarding borders on paranoid delusion (some here refer to this disorder as "prepared")

For the first 30 years of my shooting life I can never remember a time before now when there was not enough .22 ammo to go around, everyone had as much as they wanted to shoot, and there was no need to hoard. I don't believe people are shooting dramatically more, so the only alternative explanation is that they are sequestering more ammo than they need.

On top of all this is the fact that immense quantities of .22 serve no purpose (again unless you recreationally shoot large quantities). .22 is a reasonable hunting/survival round, but unless you are a terrible shot, you could hunt for a year on a brick or two. The .22 is however a terrible defensive round; if you are planning on repelling the attacking mobs with your 10k stockpile of .22 then your judgement is doubly poor.

I am not whining or crying, just stating my belief that as shooting hobbyists we have senselessly become a thorn in our own side. I find it irritating and wondered if anyone else did...
Click to expand...


Good lucid post, well thought out and well reasoned. One thing not mentioned is both New York and California have passed restrictive laws which prohibits all internet ammo purchases. NY's law goes into effect in Jan 2014, CA in 2015. Those two states have a total population of over 58 million which represents 20% of the total population of the US. Ammo buyers in other states might also see these laws as a harbinger of things to come in their states.

If I had the misfortune to live in NY or Cali, I'd be buying and hoarding ammo too.....Just something to think about while deriding all hoarders.
 
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