I wasn't really looking for rifle ammo, but I did check out pistol ammunition at both Beech Grove Firearms and the Mountain of Geese this weekend.
Rimfire: No bulk rimfire at Beech Grove, but a good selection of the more upmarket CCI stuff in the 50rd boxes. 100rd plastic boxes of Mini Mags were ~$7. Gander Mountain had pretty much a normal rimfire selection out and available. If you wanted bulk, your only choices other than some Fiocchi were unplated Winchester or plated Remington Golden Bullets. I'll usually go with the occasional dud over lead fouling, but that's just me. 525rd cartons were $24.99; I splurged and bought one so I can hold off on busting out my reserve Mohawk and Thunderbolt unplated stuff for another weekend or three.
Centerfire: There was something in every caliber at Beech Grove, but you couldn't be fussy about the brand. You want .45ACP? You're getting Sellier & Bellot. You want 9x19? CCI Blazer for you. Gander Mountain had a similar situation with somewhat better selection: Most calibers had two or three choices for range ammo, usually Blazer Brass, Fiocchi, and one or another of the Big Three's budget lines. Prices ran slightly more than Beech Grove, but it looked like the going rate was ~$14/50 for 9mm and ~$24/50 for .45. Better than early Spring, but unlikely to cause anybody to stop handloading 9mm.
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Wally World in the ATL are stocking much better these days. WWB 9mm for $19/100. Blazer for $9/50. No .45 last I looked, but .40 is to be had.
Rimfire is spotty, but the Mosquito really has a taste for Mini-mags, and they still hang at ~$6.50/100.
Haven't been up in a WallyWorld in a while; the one nearest my house is kinda skeezy and only stocks shotgun ammo anyway.
I had a very bad experience shooting the Thunderbolt .22. I was using it in my 22/45 (stainless), and noticed that my accuracy was falling off sharply. I brought in my target, and saw that the most recent group had keyholes.
I made safe, and came off the firing point. I bring an aluminum cleaning rod to the range with me, and I tried to put it down the barrel...it wouldn't go, so I stopped shooting for the day. When I got home I ended up hammering a tube of lead out of the barrel from the chamber end. I vowed I would never shoot that stuff again.
I've never had that problem with any other .22 ammo.
In terms of duds, I've had the highest rate of failure with the bulk-box Federal stuff. The Remington 525-round bulk box plated HP ammo works just fine and shoots relatively cleanly, so that's what I've been buying (when I can find it).
Need to hie me to my local WallyWorld for a look-see.
B Woodman
III
I was lucky enough to score a bunch of 9mm at just under $10/box earlier this month. I should have picked up more than 1250 rounds.
.45ACP is still hard to come by, especially defensive rounds.
The impression I get is that ammo is out there, prices may be coming down but they aren't there yet, and if you go to the mainstream retailers, the pickings are still slim.
I'll have to post of my experiences at this weekend's fun show, I was trying to clear out a co-workers stockpiles--her husband, who recently passed away, was stocking up for the zombie apocalypse--and I sold all she had in 15 minutes. Obviously underestimated the market value of 25 year old ChiCom .308...
I've had great luck buying online from Ammunition To Go (ammunitiontogo.com) and Ammo Man (ammoman.com)
Both provide quick service, free shipping and a wide range choices. Natchez Shooter's Supply also offers a lot.
I'd never have anything to do with Wally World and gun stuff. They don't like us.
I'm in WestbyGodVirginia and was able to pick up a box of UMC 9mm along with a new Glock 19 for my wife at the corner gun shop. They have a little bit of everything in stock, including .45 acp Golden Saber.
Gander Mountain had a huge selection of everything except .45 acp, which was limited to Blazer, Black Hills and Fiochi.
I believe the ammo quantity is coming up, but slowly. I visited my local dealer Saturday and he had pistol ammo in just all usual carry calibers in Federal defense ammo in .32 and .380. They also had plenty of .223 and .308 plus the more common russian stuff.
I bought a box of .38Spl for $15/50 following Tam's lead at buying at least something whenever I drop in.
I haven't been to Cabelas in a few weeks. Will go there next Saturday and see how they look.
Dick's at Castleton had centerfire rifle going for about I had to pay last year at Goose Hill in Terre Haute.
At the gunshow in San Antonio yesterday, plenty of ammo, but I didn't look at prices. Wallymart here still never has anything but .22 and shotshells.
I went to 8 different stores in the Portland Frikken Oregon area on Saturday, and only found one place that had any .22 LR ammo, and no place that had 9mm P. Which is what I was looking for, so I could take my nephew shooting today. We had to only shoot the .22's...
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