The Wal-marts in several stores in SE Oklahoma are out of stock or nearly out of all .22 Mag ammo in particular. My friend bought the last two boxes at one store for $14.00 per box (normally they run around $7.50 per box). Two other Wal-marts said they didn't know when they were going to get more in. They also were running low on many brands of 22LR ammo. What is going on? Is there a real shortage on ammo and reloading supplies, or are people just hording, motivated by some irrational fear? I'm resisting the urge to buy ammo and reloading supplies at twice the normal costs, but I'm beginning to wonder if I need to get in on the stockpiling? How is it like where you are and what do you think is really going on?

I guess the facts are the demand for anything associated with our rifle shooting hobby is sky high. Stuff is selling faster than the manufacturers can make it. I see no other reason for the shortages. Coupled to the high demand is our current economy, where manufacturers wouldn't dream of adding machinery to up production to meet damands. So, they try to keep up by working overtime and adding multiple shifts, which gets very old with the folks who have to work those long hours.
The only area I see where there isn't a big backlog is with most bullets. I've been able to buy most any bullets I need. But, brass, primers especially, and to some degree powder are all in short supply. Full up ammo, like you're having trouble finding, is the same across the country.

Red, you may have to make a drive to Tulsa or down to Dallas to get rigged up. I'm in OK too but have not seen shortages yet. 22LR ammo was being sold by the case at the Tulsa Gun Show last weekend.
Most likely, shooters are afraid and are hoarding bricks at home. Just like primers, powder and bullets of center fire rifles/pistols.

In about 6 months....a lot of people are going to feel pretty stupid! No, it won't be the ones sitting back watching all of these people spend their hard earned money on inflated goods. These same people that would not even consider buying their kids a $100 pair of Nike sneakers won't even batt an eye at $100 box of primers that were $25 a month ago. Go figure!

I sure hope you're wrong but I'm afraid you are right...
As I told a guy at the Tulsa Gun Show, "don't worry about what it costs today, think about what it might cost, if you can still get it, in a couple of years."

federal primers ARE in short supply, due to Alliant making government bullets.

otherwise, ALL of the "shortage" is due to speculation and hoarding.

I too have been caught up in it and bought primers way too dear.


but i GOT THEM, which is important to me

Yes, Some are hoarding. I might be guilty. I bought enough to last me an estimated 4 years. then we'll re-evaluate. I got mine before the election since I saw the writing on the wall. since then I watched the supplies of everything I purchased, double in price and disappear. 22mag and 22 LR are gone around here too. The only stock on shelves is becuase they've over priced it so much that even the hoarders won't touch it. 22 mag for $20/50 and 22 lr for $4/50 Now I just shake my head and move on. really I've just stopped looking.

I think all the powder, primer, and ammo shortages can be attributed to one word: Obama

I also was at the Tulsa Gunshow this year. First time I have set up a table in a few years. I started out with a 178 boxes of diffrent bullets of diffrent kinds , cal., and brands and priced them reasonable. Sold all but 6 boxes by 1 oclock the first day.
Most were buying 3 or 4 boxes at a time, and the primmers lasted about a half hour! I had fun...

I checked over at RimfireCentral and many of those guys report .22 WMR shortages too.

We are out of most pistol ammo, .22 LR, .22 WMR and .17 HMR throughout Oregon. Same goes for rifle and pistol primers, powder and other loading components.
I blame hoarding.

Was in Bi Mart today.. they usually have been pretty deluxed out on 17 HMR at least...

well even those shelves were bare today....

This is getting just plain ridiculous....

We have too many paranoid people in our society anymore...

My local store had 22LR, 22 mag ,17 hmr bullets, no primers or powder, had some bullets. This was a week ago.

Been watching what's going on up here in Northern Michigan, and all I can say is, it's not getting better, it's getting WORSE.
I was at a very large sporting goods store in the town just north of me here in Grayling last Friday. One woman was there buying ammo. She was carrying all she could carry (20 boxes), and a salesman was following her with all he could carry for her to the check out counter. That's just one person. Multiply that by the thousands of other customers like her, and you get the drift. The primer shelf was empty. They had some primers on the shelf about a month ago, but none I could use. But, that small amount is now gone. Lots of powder however, and bullets were on the bullet shelf.
We have two loose cannons in the White House who would DESTROY our sport in one second if they could get away with it, and everyone sees that as a very real possibility. So the gun buyers are stocking up... I personally see no way of changing the buying patterns, and wouldn't do so even if I could. Lots of folks are screaming "The Hoarders" are buying what others need. Probably right, but I ain't gonna be standing by any check out counters across America telling women they can't buy as much ammo as they want..

Don

It bad in my area of Elko nv. and Cda Idaho also, NO primers limited powders and very little rimfire ammo. And any pistol ammo in .32 9mm .38 357 mag 40 smith or .45acp does not exist on the shelves in these parts.

Cal30