When it comes to getting ammo in 2021… it may seem like an impossible feat. Here are a few ways you can still acquire ammunition without spending hours searching or spending an arm and a leg.
Why is there an ammo shortage?
Estimates are that there are 8 million+ new gun owners in the past 12 to 14 months. These are first time gun buyers (according to the stats). If everyone of those new owners bought a box of 50 rounds with their gun purchase, that’s 400 million rounds of ammo, and I can guarantee that 50 round estimate is low.
Add in the Covid shutdowns of production globally and you can see why we are facing an ammo shortage.
Whether you’re one of the 8 million new gun owners or you’ve been in the gun game for awhile, you need ammo. So here are some ways to source this hot commodity in 2021.
Big Box Stores
Cabelas, Bass Pro Shops, Rural King, etc.
These stores have done a great job of keeping prices somewhat tolerable. They are not marking product up 100+% as many others are. The problem is they are not getting the steady supply they were. Ammo hits the shelf and is gone the next day. Get chummy with the folks at the gun counter if you can and find out when deliveries are expected, or see if you can get on a phone call list. The other down side is prepare to be purchase limited. But we all know ways around that 😉
Local Gun Stores
Local gun stores are mostly in the same boat as the big brand shops, but you may have a better shot at getting ammo. My LGS posts on Facebook as soon as they get a shipment in. So be sure and check their social media accounts and like them to get notifications.
Online Ammo Sales
Ammograb.com, Ammoseek.com, ammunition depot, freedom munitions
Ammograb and Ammoseek are ammo search engines, they gather and compile data from points of sale and display them for your perusing pleasure. You can filter by caliber, price, material, seller, etc. and find the right ammo for you. They do a good job a filtering out the problem children as well (there are a ton of ammo scammers popping up out there). The downside to online ordering is the high cost of shipping (Hazmat fees) often adding 5 to 10 cents to a per round price. Buying in higher bulk can help amortize that cost.
Be patient, the world is slowly returning to normal. Ammo manufacturers are balancing between ramping up production to meet demand and being left holding millions of dollars’ worth of inventory when the market goes back to normal. And it will go back to normal. Will we ever see .15 to .20 cents a round for 9mm or steel .223? Probably not, but once supply vs. demand omes back in line, prices will fall. That’s a simple economic equation that happens every time.
Want to see where other people are sourcing their ammo? Join our online AR community!
