This week I went to buy a box of 30-30 bullets Sportmans whse, the bullet, powder, primer, shelves are empty, ammunition was nothing but empty shelves, nothing was available, I went to Reds Spting gds, same deal, then to every store in town and nothing...I got on the internet and no bullets or ammo to be had?? Ive been around for 86 years and never in my life have I seen this, Ive seen shortages of bullets and brass from time to time but never empty shelves or all gun stores such as this....Its scary my friends, and not normal at all..were being disarmed it would appear and Im not a pernoid kind of guy, but something is amiss and things are not right..Anybody got any answer that make since, none of the stores do, just calling it shortages and/or well its hunting season, Ive been through enough hunting seasons to know stores stock up on bullets and ammo for hunting season..

Its time for some answers Im thinking, I mean bullets for a 30-30 not available at all, ammo for a 30-30 not available, c'mon?? but then hardly any other calibers are available, and its nation wide apparantly...

If you can't take away our guns, then ?????? takek the ammo and components????or a scam to jack prices up by arms manufacturers???

Gimme some input, put my mind at rest??

Ray, It's the same thing as all the panic buying of 22lr ammo a few years back. And the infamous TP buying a couple months ago.
Politics seems to be good for business.

20+ years ago I made the decision to never walk out of a gun store without at least one box of ammo.

It has paid off big time during these crazy times...

The ammo shortage has been going strong since March. I've had luck purchasing handgun ammo online, but you have to be ready to purchase at a moments notice because even the big suppliers sell out within 5 to 30 minutes depending.

Some places will let you backorder so that you have a pretty good shot at getting your order... eventually. But you can wait two to three months for inventory.

Try and purchase a low to mid priced handgun or tactical shotgun - Forgetaboutit.

After the last big hoarding episode and things became available again, I made it a point to stock up on primers, bullets and powder. I didn't buy anything I don't use. Last time the main problem for me was the lack of primers and bullets. I have always cast bullets and round ball for muzzleloading, I started buying bullet molds for all the calibers I use. Now I cast bullets for every caliber I own except 20 and 17. Bullets are no longer a problem.

it was the same during Obama's late first and a good part of his second terms

There was a time when you got a “Shot” of whiskey per piece of ammo. Maybe you could buy a roll of TP with a round of ammo.
I’ll have a shot of TP please.

Ray: Hurry and check Graf and Sons. they had a few boxes of Nosler 150 gr. ballsilvertip bullets for the .30-30, and also some Privi-Partisan .30-30 brass.

quote:

Originally posted by jeffeosso:
it was the same during Obama's late first and a good part of his second terms

I remember that and since then I have laid in a good supply of components for all my guns. We are not being disarmed. It is the lunatic fringe on the right stocking up for their perceived state of civil unrest and/or impending confiscation. Anyway you explain it it’s a pain in the ass!

Ive seen this before, with the 22 shortage, the lack of brass for certain calibers and shortage of primers, but this is different in that ",meanng everything" is gone gone, 30-30s, 270s, 308s, 243s, 30-06s, 7 rem mag., 300 Win. all the most popular sellers, not to mention "all" the brass, all the powder, all the primers, from every store in Twin Falls, everything, nothing but empty shelves, at least in Idaho..

And no, Graffs and Midway show nothing much, but lots of "not in stock" notifications..Ive gone to every place I can think off and no 30-30 or 30-30 bullets..As for Speer I ordered direct from Speer a month and a half ago for some 7mm 130 gr. flat base bullets, they sent a referral to Outdoor and still no availability..

Too often we fall asleep at the wheel..I don't know whats going on, but it just doesn't make since and who knows what the democrats are up to these days?? Biden is nothing more than a pawn for Nancy P and Obama and definatly anti gun. Its happened in Africa, Australia and CAnada, are we next...I guess we'll see..But we better start asking questions, we need answers..

The pandemic, combined with the current political situation has combined for the perfect storm. I've been stocking up for years and I'm so glad that I did. My wakeup call started with Bill Clinton and has continued right on through Trump.

Tweekers getting ready to jump into their backyard bunkers come January.

I feel bad for guys who shoot all the competitive pistol disciplines. They go thru a lot ammo and it’s mainly factory ammo.

Few people stockpile 10-20k rounds of 9mm. Many now wish they did.

22lr rim fire is 12c these days. Makes little sense. A few years back academy had federal match ammo in 22 lr on clearance for 1.2c a round.

I have numerous 12 gallon flex storage bins full of 22 ammo. Wish I had bought 9mm. Everything else I have a few years worth assuming i shoot 3-5k rifle rounds a year.

I expect this to go on for 2021.

Mike

quote:

I expect this to go on for 2021.

If Joe get's sworn in it will last longer.

Add another couple million new gun owners who all need ammo.

People who have not prepared or got short are hurting.

Multifactorial.

Supply side adversely impacted (raw materials through shipping and retail sale) by Covid and responses to Covid.

Demand side impacted by political unrest and uncertainty. Compared to other recent shortages, higher proportion of first-time buyers.

Business decisions by manufacturers to divert resources toward demand. Sorry to say, more demand for .223 and 9mm vs .30-40 Krag and 20 ga #6.

Pretty good read (primers, but applies generally): Powder Valley blog

At our shop a lot of ammo was bought up as soon as the riots started. It's been low ever since. I will say that we get small shipments every day or so but they are pre-sold or sell out within hours. A good bit I suspect are speculators who buy it up and travel to the gun shows to re-sell it at big markups. A local ACE Hdwre store was selling 9mm ball for $1 a round.

Funny this.

About 5-6 years ago the price of copper was very high.

And I kept buying just what I needed.

When we got into lockdown in March, I called a couple of dealers.

They had stocks, and no one was buying.

These are used in buildings for electrical earthing.

I bought several hundred meters of the sizes I use, at about 35% of the price I was paying before.

What is more, they even offered to cut them to size for me at no charge.

8, 10 and 12mm are the most we use.

Sadly, they don’t make them in odd numbers.

8mm is great for making 0.308 bullets.

I also make 0.243 bullets out of that, but as you can imagine, a lot of waste.

Very sorry to hear of all my friends problems in getting bullets.

30/30 ammunition is available on Gun Broker at premium prices.

I have more ammo than I could shoot in my lifetime, and I have enough 30-30 to get me thru several hunting seasons for sure..but I have about 500 primed and ready cases that need loading..My new AR Savage 99 in 30-30 will shoot 150 gr. Bal. tips and I have some 150 gr. spitzer 308, but I still prefer flat or RN 30-30 bullets and the gun loves the 150 gr Sierras and Barnes X flat noses..

I would just like to get some answers as to why the shelves are empty and nobodys talking, the salesmen in all their wisdom don't have a clue, they say there is a shortage, well duh!!

Oh well, bottom line is it is what it is!!

quote:

I would just like to get some answers as to why the shelves are empty and nobodys talking, the salesmen in all their wisdom don't have a clue, they say there is a shortage, well duh!!

Ray: See all of the above for your answers. Pandemic, political changes, political uncertainty, riots, lockdowns, new firearms and ammo buyers, panic buying of everything to hoard or to re-sell, ammunition companies trying to keep up production of ammunition in light of shortages of supplies of lead, copper, etc. etc. etc. etc.

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:

quote:

I would just like to get some answers as to why the shelves are empty and nobodys talking, the salesmen in all their wisdom don't have a clue, they say there is a shortage, well duh!!

Ray: See all of the above for your answers. Pandemic, political changes, political uncertainty, riots, lockdowns, new firearms and ammo buyers, panic buying of everything to hoard or to re-sell, ammunition companies trying to keep up production of ammunition in light of shortages of supplies of lead, copper, etc. etc. etc. etc.

There is no shortage of commodity inputs.

No one is adding new capacity either.

You have pull forward in demand by consumers worried about irrelevant political issues.

All you have is every hunter instead of buying 1-2 boxes bought 4-6 boxes. Why hunting ammo disappeared - other than 7mm mag which no one wants.

Us ammo consumption has become highly cyclical. Not good for ammo makers either in the long term. Big back logs in 2020-2021 but eventual declines as consumers hold instead of shoot ammo.

Mike

.30-30 is selling in some places for upwards of $50 per box.

Crazy.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Robinson:
.30-30 is selling in some places for upwards of $50 per box.

Crazy.

Yup

And I have been buying 300 Norma mag for $50 a box - it’s Msrp is $120.

I also bought custom loaded 8x57 for $36 a box - 40 % off.

Pricing will be driven by batches of ammo produced and demand for that ammo.

First gun control will drive impulsive desire to buy all ammo. Everything on shelves will be bare.

I have decided to purchase 17 hmr. I can buy that around .30 a round. Previously around .24.

I will try and buy 5-10k round. Add a few timney triggers to my cz452 and shoot it for a year or two till I run out.

This will be a tight year for ammo. Maybe only 7mm rem mag survives on shelves.

Mike

No shortage of anything at the gun show two weeks ago in Palmer AK.

The small-bore and common stuff is not so scarce here
as in the Obama runs on guns.
The dying safari rifle amongst the black rifle boom is worrisome.
Hence, the importance of THE MISSION,
to resurrect the CHAMP, the .458 Winchester Magnum.

I rescued the last two boxes of factory .458 WinM
from the local emporium, Barnes VOR-TX 450-gr TSX,
mainly because it is made with Winchester-brand brass,
impossible to find as component.
Must be older stuff from before Remington took over Barnes.
Will do the same for Hornady Superformance.
That brass is unobtainium now too.
On my recent drive across state I found one box of Federal .458 WinM
at each of two stops: HYDRO and Fusion 500-grainers.
That is the beginnings of a Federal-brand brass batch.
Never would have thought I would consider paying for Norma .458 WinM brass,
but it might come to that if I can still find it ...

Maybe I ought to be selling not buying..I have a ton of loaded .308 ammo and no .308, sold my 88 yesterday..Also some off beat double rifle Woodleigh calibers..Maybe some .458 WW brass, I need to inventory..

One of the bigger causes of the shortage was the Bankruptcy of Remington.
The court ordered a division of the business into seven sections or divisions. Each sold by sealed bid to a different buyer. Ruger got Marlin for $30 Million and no liabilities.
During this bankruptcy proceeding, production stopped on most all of the Remington ammo and components.
Since Remington, and its devisions, made more ammunition than the inventory in the shelves, The removal of Remington caused the shortage.
And there was that thing called an election which sold the idea of fear based on lies.
Sincerely,

I bought like hell during the early Trump years. I am sitting on 20k 22 LR's and all the brass, powder and primers I will ever use from now at age 59 onward.. That said, I just bought up on a few supplies for my three son's stocking stuffers.

To be clear on my comment above, there is no shortage that I can see. Ammunition is available. But the prices for some of it have skyrocketed.

I just went through 6 PAGES on Midway USA for 45 ACP ammo,as an example. ALL of it was either marked TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE or OUT OF STOCK NO BACKORDER. I then went through 5 PAGES of 45 ACP ammo on Sportsman's Warehouse and it was ALL marked temporarily sold out, with the exception of ONE type of ammo and that was limited to 2 boxes per order. The Sportsman's store shelves here in Vegas are EMPTY for the most part.

Stopped at Sportsman's the other day and the clerk told me that the shortage is from the manufacturers shutting down or reducing production during the COVID.
That sounds plausible to me.
Meantime, prices for primers are way, way up - I can't believe people are willing to pay $400 or more for 1K Federal GM215M rifle primers.
Just look on GunBroker - INSANE!!

quote:

Originally posted by Huvius:
I can't believe people are willing to pay $400 or more for 1K Federal GM215M rifle primers.
Just look on GunBroker - INSANE!!

Did I say $400?
OOPS!
Meant $1500!!! And it aint over yet...

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/884499457

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:
I just went through 6 PAGES on Midway USA for 45 ACP ammo,as an example. ALL of it was either marked TEMPORARILY UNAVAILABLE or OUT OF STOCK NO BACKORDER. I then went through 5 PAGES of 45 ACP ammo on Sportsman's Warehouse and it was ALL marked temporarily sold out, with the exception of ONE type of ammo and that was limited to 2 boxes per order. The Sportsman's store shelves here in Vegas are EMPTY for the most part.

Go to AmmoSeek. Plenty of it’s out there, if you’re willing to pay for it.

Ammo seek is pretty lean my friend, have you checked lately..make and order and see what happens, but thanks for the try..

You can get all the .30-30 you want on AmmoSeek, Ray. Just look.

But now the prices from all sources listed have gone up to $100 per box of 20.

That’s right, $5 per round.

Like I said, crazy.

Ray
From one old cowboy to another.
Try reloadingeverything.com

In the interim Ive scrounged up a decent supply of bullets for my 30-30s and I have plenty for other calibers, so Im reloading the 30-30s something I never bothered to do as ammo was $9.00 up to $13.00 per box on sale from time to time...no more..soo time to reload..I have gobs of brass.

I don’t buy much factory ammo, especially centerfire. I cast and reload for every firearm I have. Didn’t realize how bad it is until last weekend a buddy called me and asked if I had any 30-30 ammo. He had gone to a LGS and found a few boxes of 30-30 ammo for $65 a box. The big box stores didn’t have any.

Never seen the like...

Some of the guys don't think it will get better in the next 4 years.

The price is down to $40 per box of 20. $2 per round. Better, but still twice what it should be.