Quoted:
If you really want to find out, go find out when ammo is delivered to your local Wal-Mart, then show up an hour before they'll release it for sale. Watch the family show up and buy everything on the shelf, and then trail them to the local flea market where they will sell 500 rd bricks of .22 lr for $80.00 each. As long as there are idiots out there who will spend money like that, there will be "people" who will take advantage of them. It's called free enterprise, and right now, it's completely out of control.
There's still something wrong with this picture.
I've been looking hard for .22 for two months. Went by two different places this morning, LGS and a farm supply store that stocks ammo. Of course, neither one had either .22LR or .223. Chatting with the proprietors, both said they were not receiving regular shipments, and when they do, it contains a fraction of their normal order.
I can see demand being the reason for ammo flying off the shelf as soon as it's delivered. But that doesn't explain why dealers cannot re-stock at at least their normal, pre-panic stocking rate. Sure, some of the big retailers undoubtedly increased their orders to try and meet demand, but manufacturers also ramped up production at the same time. I can't believe Cabela's, Bass Pro and a few other big boys are sucking up virtually every round being produced, leaving the rest of the supply chain bone dry. Particularly when you can't seem to be able to buy from them, either.
It's hard to pin the blame for the shortage on massively increased sales when nobody seems to be able to buy any.