I've taken what I would have spent on ammo and put it towards garden tools instead. I think I went shooting once last year.

Good point/perspective.  Always good to diversify.  For gun funds, I went from ammo for pistol and AR to bolt action rifle and loading components.  For other stuff, I wasn't in the office over a year, so what I would normally have spent on stuff like gas, or even work attire, were mostly dumped into the bolt action pot.  I did spend some $$$ on updating my tool kits, both shooting as well as overall tool kits.  I now have dedicated tool kits for my range bags, as opposed to just having the tools available at home and having to remember to pack them for specific range days. 

My biggest regret is taking ammo availability for granted.  Now with it being scarce and more expensive it has affected my decisions on when to go shooting.

Before I used to confidently go to the LGS the day before heading to the range and pick up ammo.  Now I find the ammo is always unavailable or so high priced it kills my interest to go shooting.

Not sure if Covid and the recent riots, protests, and election of a substandard POTUS had anything to do with it but it seems there are a lack of lever guns available to buy.

I've been trying to get my hands on a Marlin 1894 SBL .44 magnum for like, forever.  Of course with all this craziness happening it didn't help that Marlin went down the tubes, Remington took over, and now the Marlin brand is under Ruger.  I figure it will be a while before a "Ruglin" comes out, lol!

However, to my delight, Henry recently came out with their lever guns now featuring side loading gates.  Not having side loading gates were the sole reason I didn't want to own a Henry.  But now, with side loading gates PLUS retaining the tube loading magazine there now is a Lever Gun with the best of both worlds.

I now want a Henry "Dark Series" Big loop lever gun in .44 magnum.  AND a Marlin 1894 SBL.

My current outlook on my shooting hobby is:

1) Buy as much ammo as possible when the price looks right.

2) Shoot half, then buy 1 and 1/2 that amount on my next ammo purchase.

3) Rinse and repeat.

4) Keep looking for the Lever gun(s) of my dreams.

if Colt is hurting for sales, as I'm sure they are, make more Pythons and Anacondas.
there are plenty of people out there that would buy their overpriced revolvers, including me. 
want to make more money, make more guns.  simple.  they supposed to ramp up their production this summer.  well, summer is over.  Where's my Anaconda??? 

And the m45a1. This would also lower the scalper market ($3200 vs. $1600msrp).

Hope they dont make a keltec shotgun lookalike with colt grips.

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Good point/perspective.  Always good to diversify.  For gun funds, I went from ammo for pistol and AR to bolt action rifle and loading components.  For other stuff, I wasn't in the office over a year, so what I would normally have spent on stuff like gas, or even work attire, were mostly dumped into the bolt action pot.  I did spend some $$$ on updating my tool kits, both shooting as well as overall tool kits.  I now have dedicated tool kits for my range bags, as opposed to just having the tools available at home and having to remember to pack them for specific range days.

U should buy an EV.

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One thing I've posted before: use the "Dollar-Cost-Averaging Method" applied to stocks to also buy ammo.

Example 1:
If you buy ammo at $1000/case because your supply was low, do it, but keep an eye out for a better deal afterward.

If you can find the same ammo at $850/case, buy it.  Now you have 2 cases of ammo at an average cost of $925 each.

If you find it again at $700/case, buy it.  Now you've purchased 3 cases at an average cost of $850.

So, even though you spent $1,000 for one case, you've been able to lower the average for that case by $150.  That means 2 of 3 cases were at or cheaper than the average, so overall, you've saved money.

Example 2:
Now, if you modify this slightly, you'll make out even better.

At $1,000/case, get HALF a case.

At $850/case, get a WHOLE case.

At $700/case, get 1-1/2 cases.

You'll have purchased less ammo at the highest prices and more at the lowest prices.  You still wind up with 3 cases, but now 2-1/2 cases were at or below the average price.  Only half a case was purchased at the highest price.


In the second example, you'll have 3 cases for which you paid a total of $2,400.  In the first example, the same 3 cases cost you $2,550.  You saved another $150 by varying the amount of ammo purchased at each price point.

If the market rises again, you can divest yourself of any excess ammo at or above the average price you paid.  Or, just keep a good size stockpile to avoid having to buy at higher prices when (not if) the ammo market skyrockets again.

BTW, you don't have to buy each case/partial case all at once as long as the prices are in the same general range or lower for each purchase.

Similar for me.  I got into reloading mostly for my bolt gun, but now that I've gotten going, will be doing reloading for 9 mm now.  Maybe revolver calibers as well eventually.

I'm actually more stocked up for my Hawken 50 cal & Remington 45 cal black powder! I should actually get them out to shoot more.

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I finally scraped enough money together to buy a pre 1899 model C96 Mauser "Broom handle"
and they have all disappeared!
Ammo is available @ a $1 or more per shot.
Darn!

I haven't been into YG for over a year. I waited at the door for 10 minutes - then I left.

My biggest regret is taking ammo availability for granted.  Now with it being scarce and more expensive it has affected my decisions on when to go shooting.

Before I used to confidently go to the LGS the day before heading to the range and pick up ammo.  Now I find the ammo is always unavailable or so high priced it kills my interest to go shooting.

Not sure if Covid and the recent riots, protests, and election of a substandard POTUS had anything to do with it but it seems there are a lack of lever guns available to buy.

I've been trying to get my hands on a Marlin 1894 SBL .44 magnum for like, forever.  Of course with all this craziness happening it didn't help that Marlin went down the tubes, Remington took over, and now the Marlin brand is under Ruger.  I figure it will be a while before a "Ruglin" comes out, lol!

However, to my delight, Henry recently came out with their lever guns now featuring side loading gates.  Not having side loading gates were the sole reason I didn't want to own a Henry.  But now, with side loading gates PLUS retaining the tube loading magazine there now is a Lever Gun with the best of both worlds.

I now want a Henry "Dark Series" Big loop lever gun in .44 magnum.  AND a Marlin 1894 SBL.

My current outlook on my shooting hobby is:

1) Buy as much ammo as possible when the price looks right.

2) Shoot half, then buy 1 and 1/2 that amount on my next ammo purchase.

3) Rinse and repeat.

4) Keep looking for the Lever gun(s) of my dreams.

Yeah, I hear ya.  Like mentioned above, timing is key.  Thankfully I had gotten into a good practice of stocking up after the 2012/2013 shortage.  That sucked.  Unfortunately, I didn't stock up as much on 5.56/.223, so been having to ration a bit, but not too bad.  I mostly stocked up for bulk pricing, but can understand that that can tie up a bunch of cash that could be used elsewhere, especially those with kids. 

We've had a perfect storm of things as of late. 

I would live a Marlin lever gun.  I had looked into Henrys as well.  I've shot them here and there and they seem like good guns, but always struck me as price for cosmetics/aesthetics than function.  Which is all good, just that I'd rather play less for more focus on function.  Nice guns for sure though. 

U should buy an EV.

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I can, but would have to find place to charge.  The old fogies in my building took all the stalls with the outlets. . . 

SNIP

If the market rises again, you can divest yourself of any excess ammo at or above the average price you paid.  Or, just keep a good size stockpile to avoid having to buy at higher prices when (not if) the ammo market skyrockets again.

BTW, you don't have to buy each case/partial case all at once as long as the prices are in the same general range or lower for each purchase.

TLDR. . .

Nah, nah.  I get that.  For the longest time, and still actually, I had a "normal going rate" where I refused to buy ammo.  I bought at higher prices here and there, but rarely and typically paid premium in the 10% range, maybe 20%.  However, when I did find ammo at close to my "normal going rate" I would buy as much as I could, even sometimes spending more than I should have in times when my disposable income situation was a lot tighter. 

I finally scraped enough money together to buy a pre 1899 model C96 Mauser "Broom handle"
and they have all disappeared!
Ammo is available @ a $1 or more per shot.
Darn!

What was the going rate for those? 

I haven't been into YG for over a year. I waited at the door for 10 minutes - then I left.

Waiting for them to let you in the store? 

I haven't been to YG since the COVID shutdowns last spring.  I would shop there occasionally, but not one of the LGS that I go to regularly. 

Waiting for them to let you in the store? 

I haven't been to YG since the COVID shutdowns last spring.  I would shop there occasionally, but not one of the LGS that I go to regularly.

yes because unlike the range it isn't that far so I could spare 10 minutes but that's it

Today there was a line of 5 people waiting to get into YGs around 10:30A, the line to drive thru test for COVID by Kaiser was shorter.

I have what most people (outside of this forum) would consider a large amount of ammo and recently sold 40% of my 223 stock.
Now days I only shoot anything that burns gunpowder if I am trying to kill something or to sight in a gun. My last kill was a pig my neighbor wounded
and ran into the brush by his house. He could hear it, but was afraid to go look for it. Took a sickle and my G19 and hacked my way into some thick brush.
Saw it and killed it with 2 shots.  Those were the only shots I fired with my G19 this year. For me, ammo is too expensive to punch paper with. I need to keep
what I have to gather food and the coming Zombie Apocalypse. I don't even target shoot with my 22LR, even though I have well in excess of 10k rounds of it.

Yeah, everytime I go YG get one line to go in.  Sometimes line goes fast, depending on what the guys inside are shopping for.

If just to buy supplies and ammo, then they are in and out pretty fast.

If they shopping for guns then it can take a while.

Yeah, I hear ya.  Like mentioned above, timing is key.  Thankfully I had gotten into a good practice of stocking up after the 2012/2013 shortage.  That sucked.  Unfortunately, I didn't stock up as much on 5.56/.223, so been having to ration a bit, but not too bad.  I mostly stocked up for bulk pricing, but can understand that that can tie up a bunch of cash that could be used elsewhere, especially those with kids. 

We've had a perfect storm of things as of late. 

I would live a Marlin lever gun.  I had looked into Henrys as well.  I've shot them here and there and they seem like good guns, but always struck me as price for cosmetics/aesthetics than function.  Which is all good, just that I'd rather play less for more focus on function.  Nice guns for sure though.

if only you had "a friend" that had some spare rifle ammo...

My  philosophy during this BS has been 'they dont want you to have it' so my answer has been eat top ramen and buy even more.

Yeah, everytime I go YG get one line to go in.  Sometimes line goes fast, depending on what the guys inside are shopping for.

If just to buy supplies and ammo, then they are in and out pretty fast.

If they shopping for guns then it can take a while.

I’ve mostly been to SEC in the past year or so. They have a screening process and I’ve had to wait a little bit until those in the store came out when busy (relatively speaking), but not bad. YG is a larger shop though.