Ammo prices ... past, present, and future

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[MezzanineDebt]

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

I used to shoot the crap out of that stuff.

That's 10¢ per round ... If that were the case today, I'd go to the gun range every week

 

[MezzanineDebt]

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.

Pre-covid (2019) ammo prices seem like a dream... especially the .223 at 30¢. I only ever buy Federal 22LR and those run about 8¢. Good to see that 22LR prices haven't increased too dramatically.

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.

I usually browse TGT for ammo ... a nice gentleman sold me some Israelian 5.56 (FMJ M193 55g) surplus for 40¢/round recently. I haven't shot it yet but so far I'm pretty happy. If he's on the forum, howdy!

 

[PinnedandRecessed]

It's been repeatedly said by others but I'll keep it going:

1. Buy a couple boxes of whatever here and there until you have an ammo cushion.
2. After ammo cushion achieved continue with step #1.
3. When going to the range, replace what you shoot.
4. Use ammo cushion to selectively acquire when prices are decent and to avoid panic runs.
5. Remember what ammo prices are now so in 20yrs you can bitch about what ammo used to cost back in the "good 'ol days".

Pro bonus steps:

1. Consider buying more ammo vs a new flashy firearm that you don't even have ammo for to begin with.
2. Shoot your guns.

 

[Lonesome Dove]

When I bought my first 223 PMC ammo was $2.00 per 20 and I believe it was Norinco 5.56 was under $2.00 per 20 came in a yellow box.
Then Black hills 50 rnd boxes came along and that's all I shot then. Can't remember the price but they weren't much more.

 

[Bozz10mm]

9mm 115 grain FMJ in 2001

 

[skfullgun]

Let’s Go Brandon.

FJB

Don’t get me started. I’m due for a rant!

 

[TexMex247]

I was finally heavy into shooting in the late 90s. Never did buy much premium ammo but I do remember Walmart carrying common 55gr fmj 223 for 5.99/box. Paid the same for boxes of blazer 9mm at oshmans in the early 2000s. My late 80s purchases of 22 ammo were 9.99/brick for Winchester super x oshmans. Even around 2007 blazer brass 45 auto was 9.99 at Walmart.

Most of my current inventory of 7.62x39 was bought at 22-25cpr. The later being for 125gr SP. Fairly recently I saw blazer brass 9mm for 11.99 at academy during their holiday sales. Probably as low as it will get for the foreseeable future. It seems the supply of 7.62x39 is fading a bit domestically but I refuse to pay over 30cpr for steel case. If I can find bras at 40cpr which I could about 6 years ago, I'd snap it up for reloading.

Pre COVID, 1000rd bulk packs of m193 were $250. That's another round I'd sooner reload now. If it dips to 30cpr I'd buy again. Mostly because powder has gone through the roof as well as primers. As far as current prices, I don't buy anything but buckshot or slugs on the cheap or 6.5 ammo when I can find it at a fair price. I did splurge on some 9mm subsonic at 15$/box but all 9mm heavy ammo has traditionally been a few bucks more.

The future looks bleak for those who don't reload and aren't already stocked up. I feel like I already have enough ammo and components to last a lifetime but undoubtedly I'll get a wild hair on occasion and buy something I don't need to add to the stockpile. Between inflation and shortages I think we're due for another price run with 9mm back to 18-20$/box, 223 at $12/box and 22 ammo back up over 8cpr. Probably a year before we get there but I'm not optimistic.

 

[MTA]

$75 for a pound of h4350 at academy. Insane but it will only get worse

 

[skfullgun]

It’s across the board.

In just paid $9.99 plus tax $10.81 total) for a Turkey footlong at Subway. It was $5.99 before FJB.

 

[PinnedandRecessed]

It’s across the board.

In just paid $9.99 plus tax $10.81 total) for a Turkey footlong at Subway. It was $5.99 before FJB.

I hope you used the app for their current BOGO deal. They would've been $5 again.

 

[TexMex247]

That price per pound on powder almost makes reloading obsolete. Especially if you're new to the scene. Naturally I know the collective benefits of reloading but at over 80$/lb after tax and loading approximately 160rds that's 50 cpr in powder alone. Add any decent projectile and the primer and you're at 1$/Rd. I know that's still better than buying boxes premium ammo but not by much.

 

[Lead Belly]

NatchezSS 2 Days Only, No HAZMAT Fee - Code FH240311

 

[Tnhawk]

That's 10¢ per round ... If that were the case today, I'd go to the gun range every week

When ammo was that price, I did go to the range every week.

 

[MTA]

That price per pound on powder almost makes reloading obsolete. Especially if you're new to the scene. Naturally I know the collective benefits of reloading but at over 80$/lb after tax and loading approximately 160rds that's 50 cpr in powder alone. Add any decent projectile and the primer and you're at 1$/Rd. I know that's still better than buying boxes premium ammo but not by much.

so I checked cabelas / bass pro which typically have powder that is higher than competitors and their h4350 was around $55.. thats still too high. I think this person at academy was hitting the peace pipe or something

Atleast a pound of powder lasts a hell of alot longer for 9mm

 

[Southpaw]

OP, you can go back to 2014 and click through many pages of past pricing here if you are still interested.....
https://gun-deals.com/expired.php?page=1592

 

[Grumps21]

It’s across the board.

In just paid $9.99 plus tax $10.81 total) for a Turkey footlong at Subway. It was $5.99 before FJB.

Eh, I stopped eating there when they decided Rapinoe represented their best interests. Their sandwiches seem smaller too.

 

[DestroyerTDS]

Academy in 2018 had Federal Black 9mm for 9¢ pr! That combined with a cheap monthly range pass, I was shooting every week out in Lubbock

 

[deemus]

so I checked cabelas / bass pro which typically have powder that is higher than competitors and their h4350 was around $55.. thats still too high. I think this person at academy was hitting the peace pipe or something

Atleast a pound of powder lasts a hell of alot longer for 9mm

Not that long ago I was pissed it was around $30/lb. Glad i bought a couple.

 

[alterspaces]

ammo prices have gone up, I'd compare them to scuba tank prices, in how I saw the progressive hike in prices we hobbyists pay.

I started buying ammo in 2016 and I'd go during black Friday to get some 1000 rd of Estate 9mm Luger for about $235. It was basically $11/box, California.
I never shot until this year, now in Texas, and I'd shoot 150-250 per session, so I was soon on the hunt for more ammo. Any shop I go it is about $16/box, no deals for larger purchases. Online at grabagun is $13/box, which is reasonable, I'm always looking for <$15, but there's shipping costs. So I finally decided to go check out a gun show (more on this in a future gun show review thread), and I couldn't find cheap ammo (in my opinion). The cheapest was $250/1000, but they charged tax, which would make it $280 or so. Then I found some guy who was selling his own homemade bulk ammo, also $280/1000, I was only able to get it down to $270, they are really persistent, like they don't actually want to sell their products. I bought it anyway, $13.50/box basically. Unfortunately, bulk meant no boxes, I had to fish boxes out of the discard pile at the range and arrange them myself to get a count (I got 1001 haha, at least it wasn't 999). First time I had anything jam, so I guess I won't be buying that anymore.
This price increase and inability to find reasonably affordable ammo had me consider steel-cased ammo, so I bought some from grabagun on sale at $10/box, tax and shipping come out to $12/box. Shot good, but a lot of people here don't like it so I prob won't get it anymore.

Just last night I did an inventory to see how many range visits I got left, and it looks like I have 4 visits left. Which really made me think... wow, another $300 is almost gone already. So yes, whenever I think in hindsight, I get the feeling that I have indeed been financially burdened.

I'll stick to manufacturer's ammo from now on. Try to find that $250 ($280)/1000... again. It's an extraordinarily expensive hobby. $70/range visit for me ($60 ammo + $10 range fee). Like scuba diving, renting a tank in CA was about $13/tank and then from 2016-2019, I saw it go from $16-19/tank until now it's just not even reasonable to go anymore.