.22 Rimfire Shortage

There are many rimfire rounds but the standard .22 long rifle is sometimes hardest to find.

The .22 rimfire shortage is not a new thing, the store shelves have been empty for some time.  Is this because of some secret government plan to take our guns?  Is Obama behind this devious plot? Some people believe such radical rumors and there are plenty of rumors. That could be a part of the problem!

We're all more alike than we are different.  I found myself thinking, "I don't really need it, but the next time I find some reasonably priced rimfire ammo, I'd better stock up!"   I once went through a fair amount of rimfire ammo, but now I shoot a slingshot and bow more often.

Still, it has been troubling me to see so little rimfire ammunition available. The common .22 long rifle is the starting place for new shooters, the most popular small game round, the fun round, and the most popular practice round.

I've done a little research and this is what makes sense to me:

1. The ammunition companies say they can't keep up with the demand. They say the profit margins on the rimfire sales is low.  They don't want to raise the price too much and stifle shooting. They believe the ammunition supply will eventually catch up with the demand so they don't want to invest in more machinery.  
2. Many individuals have large supplies of ammo stored and if it becomes readily available they may not buy again for years. A part of the reason for higher demand is because many are buying and hoarding large amounts of rimfire ammo. The shortage is causing some hoarding. The somewhat popular fears of extremist groups is also a cause of ammo hoarding. Some people probably have tens of thousands of rounds.  
3. The above also makes sense to me because when I look in Walmart I see fair to good supplies of most other ammo types.  Centerfire rifle and shotgun shells are available, and even the less popular or more expensive rimfire rounds are sometimes there.  It's the more common and less expensive .22 long rifle rounds in short supply.

I'm sure I don't know as much about this as some people, but I believe the .22 rimfire shortage is only a temporary thing.