I've been tracking the price of ammo for 30 years. On an inflation adjusted basis, 9mm target ammo is the cheapest it's ever been. Yes, it's been cheaper in the past, but I'm not sure its ever been cheaper on an inflation adjusted basis.

FMJ 115 grain target ammo can be had for $9 per box of 50, or even a little less if you shop around.

I don't follow other calibers as closely, but there may be some other deals to be had. As a side note, I was tracking .38 Sp for years, but I believe it was cheaper on an inflation adjusted scale about 20 years ago. Perhaps because the LEO market dried up and made it less of commodity -- not sure.

But, For those of us who love shooting, we live in glorious times. As for me, I'm increasing my stock just a little bit.

I was just on SG Ammo's site before I logged in here. It has great prices now and 9mm is really cheap in several brands. Does my heart good. Even 38 special is cheaper than usual.

I pay ~$185 shipped for case of decent plinking 9mm stuff (Brazer Brass, GECO, Magtech, Federal). I still spend a lot on ammo though.

I used to get Blazer Aluminum at Academy (a Texas and nearby states chain) for just under $5 a box. Really. That was about 15 years ago.

Buy it cheap, stack it deep!!!

quote:

Originally posted by lkdr1989:
Buy it cheap, stack it deep!!!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
.22 Ammo is starting to come down to pre-2013 panic levels. Federal 550 bulk packs at WM for under $20. Store it properly and it has a shelf life of 30+ years

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
I used to get Blazer Aluminum at Academy (a Texas and nearby states chain) for just under $5 a box. Really. That was about 15 years ago.

That would be just under $7 in 2018 dollars.

So even with inflation adjustment, it was still a couple bucks cheaper per box back then.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
I used to get Blazer Aluminum at Academy (a Texas and nearby states chain) for just under $5 a box. Really. That was about 15 years ago.

I can affirm that. I started shooting back in 2003, which was 15 years ago, and remember clearly buying 9mm ammo for $4.99 per 50-round box. 45ACP was $9.99 per 50-round box. This was at my local Walmart.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
I used to get Blazer Aluminum at Academy (a Texas and nearby states chain) for just under $5 a box. Really. That was about 15 years ago.

Yeah, I bought some $4 stuff about that same time, plus a ton of Ultramar at $99 a case.

even cheaper if you reload it and better quality.

I just spent $0.17/round for commercial reload 115 grain practice ammo.

quote:

Originally posted by lkdr1989:
Buy it cheap, stack it deep!!!

No exaggeration, I still have a couple thousand rounds of win white box 100 packs from walmart back when it was 10 dollars a box.

I remember it being $4 a box for blazer at academy.

Back in 1999 when I started shooting IDPA and IPSC Walmart had 100 round boxes of WWB for $10.49. It was good stuff, too.

quote:

Originally posted by ArtieS:
I just spent $0.17/round for commercial reload 115 grain practice ammo.

$20 per thousand rounds and you can have new practice ammo. If you don't collect the brass then you can get Al cased new Federal for $10 more per 1,000

Brass 115 gr. PMP 9mm for $120/1000 shipped 15 years ago. I still have some.

My benchmark was, Gawd, $185 for a thousand rounds, or 20 boxes. still got most of it, and its (also Gawd) Remington. Up to that point, they made good ammo, or at least good enough for my purposes. I stacked it deep because I was just tired of reloading 9mm. If you recall, Slick was acting as prez and I wasn't all that confident of the future. It was a watershed point when I realized I had enough loaded 9mm for the near future. I turned my affection toward components. Still cheaper and maybe more viable because it doesn't need to be caliber specific. Empty cases, yes, just like bullets. but powder and primers have many uses. Now I've got enough loaded ammo till I die, and enough components for my sons if they're not too lazy to view it that way.

I hate the idea of expressing ammo prices in the 50 round box units. I'm lazy and don't like doubling the 50 round price to get price per 100 or moving the decimal point one place to get the price per 1000.

quote:

Originally posted by Clem Eastwood:
I remember it being $4 a box for blazer at academy.

It was at the Academy in Lewisville in 2004. Before I started loading we shot a ton of $79.80 per case ($3.99/50) of the aluminum stuff, but the brass was worth the $20 more. The aluminum wouldn't run at all in the CZ I was using for USPSA.

Cheapest I remember it being was around $15 for a 100 ct. box of WWB at Walmart around 2006 or so.

I also contend that 9mm was cheaper, inflation adjusted, about 15-17 years ago. The 'expensive' S&B was $4.95/50. Three events drove up the price... Iraq/Afghan war, China-India economic expansion, the Great Gun Stampede of the Krimson Kenyan.

The calculation to compare inflation to the 16 years change in price is simple if you have the logarithmic or anti-log function on your phone/calculator. I soaked up too much bourbon and corn chowder to get off of the couch...