So it seems nearly all of the ammunition suppliers have pledged to supply ammo to Ukraine. Federal announced 1 Million rounds. This begs the question where is it all coming from since we have a hard time finding ammo on store shelves. I realize this is the standard caliber for warfare, but its kinda suspicious that they can donate all these rounds when consumers cannot seem to find supply.
My guess is they will primarily be supplying 7.62×39, which for a “bulk” caliber takes a far second fiddle to 5.56 in the US. However to your point the brass, powder, and primers need to come from somewhere…
1 million is not a lot. The problem is hoarding and you are severely underestimating it. The Anoka facility is said to produce “millions of rounds of centerfire, rimfire and shotshell ammo per day” and Lake City says 1.4 billion per year which is ~3.8 million per day.
I have a hard time where you come up with thinking its suspicious that they are able to produce a million rounds for something. Thats less than a day’s production. You need to realize that they are not making all calibers every day, they tool up machines for certain calibers at various times, and if they need more of, or have an urgent need for a certain caliber that comes along, they can just take one caliber out of production for a bit and switch that production over to what they need at the moment. They are not hording components or holding back production to create a supply shortage. In fact, many have actually increased production. The shortages are caused by two things, 1st the massive increase in new gun owners in the last year in a half needing ammo for their new gun purchases, and of course what some would call hoarding. While reloading components at this time are in short supply, ammunition is somewhat available now, just at increased prices. For those that went through this in the 2010-time frame, if you are short of ammo there is only one person to blame it on. Just two years ago 9mm jacketed ammo was readily available for $160 shipped, no tax per case of a thousand rounds. There are more people now than ever before producing ammo. Just last year, here in Wis, Rusty Wallace, a former Nascar driver, and a few other investors announced plans for a new Ammo production facility to be built in Wis that would be employing apx 200 employees. Those components have to come from somewhere, and the issue at this time seems to be the production of primers.
Just a thought, but ammo suppliers spent almost two decades producing their product for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for, at times, hundreds of thousands of troops, as well as the training leading up to their deployments. I know a very small percentage of that number actually expend some of their ammo overseas, but now that those numbers are way down, maybe if production is kept up they’re already set up to supply Ukraine.
This begs the question where is it all coming from since we have a hard time finding ammo on store shelves.
Is that really a thing anymore? I was at Scheels and FF recently and looked pretty well stocked across a number of calibers.
Is that really a thing anymore? I was at Scheels and FF recently and looked pretty well stocked across a number of calibers.
Admittedly I havent looked for ammo since deer season, but at that time I couldnt find any ammo for any of the calibers that we shoot. 7mm Mag, 243, 270 and 30.06. Not one single box and I went to multiple stores in search of it. I was searching online and could find a few but by the time I placed them in my cart and tried to checkout they were gone. Perhaps its changed, I will have to look.
It is better now, although I have not looked for deer gun ammo. Just higher price. Sportsman add has 9mm for 17.99 a box for fmj.
Admittedly I havent looked for ammo since deer season, but at that time I couldnt find any ammo for any of the calibers that we shoot. 7mm Mag, 243, 270 and 30.06. Not one single box and I went to multiple stores in search of it.
I bought several boxes of 7mm mag and 30-06 in October in the metro area. I don’t own a gun that shoots either… 
Not hoarding, it was for people who couldn’t find any local to them. THEY wanted to hoard it though but I cut them off at a couple boxes each. Ordering direct from Norma had pretty good availability throughout the whole leadup to deer hunting too.
It is better now, although I have not looked for deer gun ammo. Just higher price. Sportsman add has 9mm for 17.99 a box for fmj.
^^^^ It does seem like there is more available these days. The price is really high. Most places the average is around 20.00 a box for 9mm. These days finding a box below 18.00 is a rare find. My guess is that the price is not going to come down anytime soon. Once price goes up and manufactures and retailer know the consumer will pay more for it, there is no reason for them to lower the price.
ust a thought, but ammo suppliers spent almost two decades producing their product for wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for, at times, hundreds of thousands of troops, as well as the training leading up to their deployments.
Great point. 20 years and hundreds of billions of rounds of ammo for the wars in the middle east and now the American hunter/shooter is going to be deprived of ammo because somebody is giving a few rounds to the poor Ukrainians who are hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned by Putin’s Russia?
The problem this time is just the same as the problem during the last 2 ammo panics: Hoarding. Guys that don’t shoot 2 boxes a year went out and bought 20 boxes. Then they bought 10 more in case the supply got low… Then they bought even more because Jim Bob on the interweb said it was going to be a “SHTF alternative currency” when the government deployed the mind control robots to enslave everyone in Alabama…
If you can’t find ammo now, you’re not looking very hard. You might not like the prices, but it’s out there.
I just found my son the trap loads he needs for HS Trap season. Yeah, I didn’t like the $8.49 a box price, but at least I got them.
I just found my son the trap loads he needs for HS Trap season. Yeah, I didn’t like the $8.49 a box price, but at least I got them.
Doesnt the team supply the ammo? All the schools around here do. They are not allowed to carry ammo with them. They get it at the range.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>TheFamousGrouse wrote:</div>
I just found my son the trap loads he needs for HS Trap season. Yeah, I didn’t like the $8.49 a box price, but at least I got them.Doesnt the team supply the ammo? All the schools around here do. They are not allowed to carry ammo with them. They get it at the range.
That would be a team/coach/range decision.
Nothing in the league says where the ammo has to come from.
Last year, many teams went to shooter must provide ammo as it was hard to find.
That would be a team/coach/range decision.
Nothing in the league says where the ammo has to come from.
Last year, many teams went to shooter must provide ammo as it was hard to find.
Interesting. I thought all schools required that, but good to know. I know many schools had to limit participants because they couldnt acquire enough ammo. That’s too bad because these kids love it! My son qualified for Nationals last year as a Freshman.
Certain types of ammo is still very difficult to come by.
A lot has come back in supply pretty well, albeit at a higher price as some have indicated.
Pheasant hunting ammo is still virtually non-existent in 12 gauge wherever I look though.
I have seen the increase of ammo on the shelves. But the most common centerfire caliper, the one you are supposed to be able to find anywhere, 30-06 is still hard to find. Maybe that’s changing but I haven’t seen it yet. Maybe it’s the one caliber that is most sought after?
Pheasant hunting ammo is still virtually non-existent in 12 gauge wherever I look though.
No kidding. Last Fall I needed to add a box of steel and I found 1 box!
I would think the problem now with finding deer or hunting rounds might have something to do with the fact that hunting season is not for a while yet and odds are that they just haven’t scheduled much of that in yet.
Still not seeing 243 around my area.
I would think the problem now with finding deer or hunting rounds might have something to do with the fact that hunting season is not for a while yet and odds are that they just haven’t scheduled much of that in yet.
Does anyone know for a fact when they start producing deer slugs? I need to stock up on 12 gauge sabot slugs this year and would like to know if there is a typical time they start to show up. TIA!
About the only thing I haven’t been finding (but obviously not looking too hard either) is .357 or .38 special
I try to support the local shops nearby first, but might have to branch out.
I’ve seen every one of these BUT the 30-06 on the shelves, even .44’s
Have about 15 boxes of 10 & 12 gauge not sure I’ll ever shoot
Try finding 25 cases of steel shot for a snow goose guide service.
My buddy just got his 25 case order in. Cost $3750 more than last spring. 
About the only thing I haven’t been finding (but obviously not looking too hard either) is .357 or .38 special
I try to support the local shops nearby first, but might have to branch out.
I bought the wife a pink .38 special for valentines day. Could not find ammo anywhere. Ended up buying her 2 boxes of 20 rounds each from Midway USA. $90.00 after shipping.
Was in the EP Scheels store yesterday and they had both .243 and 30-.06 ammo on the shelf. I did not look real hard at bullet weight or anything but they had some if that helps anyone.
Certain types of ammo is still very difficult to come by.
A lot has come back in supply pretty well, albeit at a higher price as some have indicated.
Pheasant hunting ammo is still virtually non-existent in 12 gauge wherever I look though.
Fleet farm was stocked yesterday with pheasant rounds and all sorts of other stuff.
Fleet farm was stocked yesterday with pheasant rounds and all sorts of other stuff.
Cool, which location?
It all depends on where you are looking but I keep looking at Fleet Farm have yet to see 270 or rarely see much for rifle rounds. I have been able to pick up some 9mm again which is good to see .
Doesnt the team supply the ammo? All the schools around here do. They are not allowed to carry ammo with them. They get it at the range.
Schools don’t supply ammo anywhere that I’m aware of. The MN HS Clay Target League gets ammo allocations directly from manufacturers through a variety of youth shooting sports programs and then the Teams order ammo that the parents can purchase from this allocation.
The problem was that this year no 20 gauge ammo that was ordered as part of the allocation actually got delivered, so the younger kids shooting 20 gauges were left scrambling.
Our gun club has many local HS teams shooting there, so there is no room to store ammo at the gun club and it would represent too big of a theft target to do so, I’d think. We have take all our ammo home and find storage.
At the first practice last night, each 20 gauge shooter got 1 case of ammo because a partial shipment arrived last week. I have found 2 cases on my own, so we should be good until the rest of the 20 gauge allocation shows up.
Schools don’t supply ammo anywhere that I’m aware of. The MN HS Clay Target League gets ammo allocations directly from manufacturers through a variety of youth shooting sports programs and then the Teams order ammo that the parents can purchase from this allocation.
I may be misrepresenting what our school is actually doing. It is probably not the school per se arranging for the ammo, but we have to pay a fee for the year’s worth of ammo and the coaches bring it to the range each day they shoot. The parents dont have to do anything.
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
