.22 LR shortage explained

[gunman42782]

This is the best explanation I have seen to date on why .22LR is so hard to get:
http://sierrabullets.wordpress.com/2014/04/07/why-cant-i-find-22-lr-ammunition/

[tombogan03884]

But why only .22 not all calibers ?
One consideration is that with the number of gun owners rising more people are shooting, more families are shooting, learning, practicing , and teaching their kids with (normally ) inexpensive .22.
All the other popular calibers are center fire, this means that re loaders can to some extent lower demand for these calibers.
That option does not exist for rimfire calibers. 

[mortdooley]

 There seems to be a big parallel between the current shortage and the the gasoline shortage of the 1970's. Back then we were told to expect rationing forever because there was just not enough oil in the world and we used too much. Being young and naive I accepted these facts while the old fools said when the price of gas was where the market wanted it there would be all the gas you wanted...

  Now we hear that all the rimfire ammo is being hoarded by people with tens of thousands of rounds stored away. I feel the day will come when we pay $30 to $40 for a bulk box of 500 at Walmart or Academy for all you want and are happy to pay it. The same thing will happen with the gun powders we can't get now. When the retail price is where the market wants it the shelves will no longer be bare!

[ellis4538]

Explanation makes a lot of sense to me.  I would like to know though...how much the increase in raw materials has caused the price of .22 to rise?

Just thinkin',

Richard

[Tyler Durden]

There is a thread on AR15.com where basically Walmart was hoarding their .22LR to supply a store in Alaska that was across the street from a Cabelas that was going to have its grand opening soon.

Here in the St. Louis area we had a new Gander Mountain open up in Fenton, MO.

Their grand opening was Thursday, but I was there Tuesday night and scored some .22LR .

Here are some pics:







And here is a local TV news station report on the grand opening:

http://fox2now.com/2014/04/10/gander-mountain-opens-in-fenton/

You can see how long the line is.

[Sponsor]

[mortdooley]

That sure is a pretty sight, I just wish that was an everyday price in my area without a shortage. I bought my limit of two boxes of 22 thunderbolt at Academy for $2.29 or five cents per round after tax, that is the first I have found in about two years.