It shouldn’t come as a surprise that throughout the year, I go through a lot of ammo. During the warmer months, between testing and shooting with friends, it’s easy to burn through 1,000 rounds or more on a weekend. When bulk .22LR was under 5 cents per round, that was hardly an expense worth worrying about. Even the better ammo was only about 7 cents in boxes of 100. At my local shops, the best ammo they offered was still under $5 for a box of 50. Fast forward to today, and people have lost their minds. I see private party ads for 10, 15, and even 20 cents per round. For rimfire? And it’s not even good stuff. That’s 15 cents for Remington Golden Bullets, or Thunderbolts. I have 9mm range ammo that cost less.
To be clear, I’m not suggesting that people shouldn’t be allowed to ask what they want for their ammo. No matter how crappy it might be. But there are some sellers that I take issue with. They’re not likely to read this, but those that do read it will recognize some of them. And I hope they are able to avoid giving them any money, instead finding honest sellers at fair prices.
First, despite the meme, many of these sellers do not know what they’ve got. I suspect that the see some boxed CCI selling for more than ten cents, and figure their cheap bulk is worth the same. And it’s not. Not even close. Ammo sold by the plastic bucket is not the same as ammo sold in tidy little boxes or containers. They might both go boom (or pew), but they are not equals in terms of quality, consistency, or accuracy. Stop offering lite beer-grade ammo at champagne prices.
Far worse is the fact that some of these sellers are actual enthusiasts. And that’s unforgivable. The shooting community should stick together, not stick it to each other. If you have so much ammo that you can afford to sell some, don’t price gouge. Help out your friends that just want to go shooting. It’s not wrong to make a little profit for your time, but double or even triple your cost is just greedy. Remember, rimfire allows many of us the luxury of keeping our skills sharp, even in these uncertain times. We should be supportive of that, not throwing up barriers in the name of profit. Now is not the time.
Finally, there’s the guy who buys it at the store and throws it online at twice the price that same day. I hope no one is buying from him. In fact, I have seen his ad up for the same pathetic, overpriced ammo, and it appears no one has taken the bait. If I can get ammo at 6 cents per round from a retail store (with limits), and 8 cents from local private parties, I do not need his bulk ammo at 15 cents. No one does.
I have a good stash of ammo. Enough to continue doing reviews, and taking new shooters on their first range trip. I won’t be shooting match grade at all, which is unfortunate. Then again, it may be wasted on my skills. So I’ll keep buying my limit at the store, and buying/trading on the secondary market, when it’s fair to both parties. And if someone I know needs some ammo, they’ll get it at my cost. It may not be a lot, but it will be fair. Because now is not the time to take advantage of fellow enthusiasts. That’s just madness. Rant over.