Ammo prices ... past, present, and future

[MezzanineDebt]

I'm a relatively new pistol and rifle owner so I just wanted to hear stories about how much ammo was in the past if y'all got any.

It seems like to me, 9mm for 20cpr and .223/5.56 for 40cpr is cheap.

I have heard some people mention that back in the early 2000s and 2010s, you could pick up .223 for like 20 cents a round.


Have y'all felt the financial pains of going to the range due to ammo prices recently?

 

[MezzanineDebt]

I purchased some IWI 5.56 55g today for about 40 cents a round and felt pretty happy ... and it got me thinking about ammo prices and all.

 

[S13]

Lol

Tula 1000 r. Case .223. $99 ...at gun shows

Those where the days

 

[PinnedandRecessed]

 

[TXAZ]

I quit buying cheap and now buy what works best for a particular firearm. Several vendors sell 150gr .308 at $0.70-.95 per round. That ammo shoots 2- 5 MOA out of the DD precision bolt gun.

Federal 168gr BTHP SMK shoots sub 3/4 MOA @ $1.25 a round.
Ironically, some of the high end Sig ammo that’s almost $2 / round is a 2 MOA out of this rifle.
So it really does depend on the weapon ant its particular ammo appetite.
This isn’t a big deal at 25 yards but past 200 yards it can be a significant miss instead of a hit.

We've had similar results with handguns. 124 gr Norma is great in my Atlas but my wife’s Athena prefers 115 S&B, often showing displeasure if it smell the Norma. Go figure.
YMMV.

 

[baboon]

If your going shoot lean about online sales for cases of what you shoot. And remember not all ammo is created equal. Look for sealed primers. I buy most of my ammo from SGAmmo.com & generally have it in hand in 3-4 days, don't forget to rotate your stock pile

 

[Lonesome Dove]

I load my own but I never take more than 20 rounds of rifle ammo. My plinking days with anything but a 22 are far and few between during these times. I'm boring as hell but I got ammo.

 

[WT_Foxtrot]

Prices have come back down some after the big jump of a few years ago with the combination of covid and Biden taking office. I keep hearing about an increase due to the war in Ukraine, but I haven't noticed it, at least not yet.

I usually buy during the good times and steer clear during times of panic, i.e., when the dems take control and we start hearing all the usual rhetoric about banning and/or raising taxes on this or that, which only serves to increase demand.

During the Trump admin, I would usually spend a couple hundred every other month or so on ammo even if I was already pretty well stocked, knowing that prices were fairly low and would eventually spike in the next panic and didn't want to be needing ammo in a price crunch.

Also use www.ammoseek.com as a resource to compare real time ammo prices. You can choose your caliber, grain, casing material and other criteria in your search.

 

[grumper]

In 2002 a 50rd box of winchester 9mm was $4.95

I used to shoot the crap out of that stuff.

 

[jnynetwk]

+1 for SGAmmo and their free shipping! I've bought from them going back to 2017, though you should check the competition on ammoseek or similar sites. In looking at past orders pre-pandemic purchase examples that make me sad are:
124gr 9mm Sellier and Bellott for16.4 cents per round
PMC X-TAC and PPU 55gr 5.56 was 29 cents per round.
As they say, when it's cheap, stack it deep!

 

[Riksors]

During COVID prices. Pricing was never the same after.

Even though I reload, I have to admit, I bought the craze and wanted factory ammo for the uncertainty and unknown.

Last order was canceled. Out of stock. Stores were Bone dry for months to follow.

 

[Bozz10mm]

Just talking pre-covid in 2019, name brand 9mm fmj was $9.95 per 50. Name brand .223 was about $6 for 20 rounds, 45 ACP was about $13 per 50 round box and .22 LR (CCI) was 5¢ to 6¢ per round.

 

[Bozz10mm]

It seems like to me, 9mm for 20cpr and .223/5.56 for 40cpr is cheap.

.

Yes, that would be considered cheap now. But I have not seen any name brand ammo for that price lately. It must be reman or steel case.

 

[Riksors]

Around 20-25cpr to reload 9mm these days. Used to be around 11cpr precovid.

M855 today with Bidenomics - 66cpr for comparison from 2020.

 

[striker55]

I remember buying 45 acp blazers, $10 a box of 50 at Walmart. Probably 20 years ago.

 

[@TX_1]

I load my own but I never take more than 20 rounds of rifle ammo. My plinking days with anything but a 22 are far and few between during these times. I'm boring as hell but I got ammo.

I reload too. Seldom buy factory ammo. Have lots of components and am always looking for a good deal on bullets and brass. Wide range of calibers.

 

[TXAZ]

1992 a case of Russian 7.62x 39 was $69.95 at the Phoenix Gun Show. 1440 rounds / 3 cents per round.
Thats when gun shows were actually about guns and ammo, cheap to get in and fun to attend.

 

[Lead Belly]

2.7 cents a round is what I was paying for quality .22lr precovid.
13 cents for blazer brass 9mm

Here is website

Ammo Price Charts - Historical Ammunition Pricing Data

View the price history and trend for all calibers of ammo. Know when the best time is to buy ammo in 2024. Ammunition price charts by caliber.

ammopricesnow.com

.30 super carry lulz
All-time low 0.366
All-time high 0.372
Average over time 0.37

 

[Nicholst55]

The owner of SG Ammo posted a notice during SHOT stating that ammo prices are expected to increase significantly during the coming months due to military contracts and supply chain issues. Military contracts have priority over commercial sales and production, and we have been giving away or selling all of our large caliber ammunition for several years to Ukraine and Israel. Replenishment is now required, and is expected to take years. Also, around 35% of the nitrocellulose used to manufacture powder and explosives was previously imported from China and Russia. Guess which two countries are no longer offering this product for export? Sport shooters are in next-to-last place in priority; reloaders are last. Hold onto your wallet!

 

[MTA]

past, present and future prices = low, high, higher