Economic theory supports if  demand is high they can raise prices becuase ammo is sold out (supply low) and they can ask more per box since "everybody wants it". Similar to our president asking us during Katrina not to hoard gas or the price of Plywood becuase of hurricanes..
These walmart ammo buyouts just cause the price of ammo to rise AT WALMART. Also anticapating price rises will cause the prices to rise due to a "churning" in the market. Artificailly causing the prices to rise.

EDIT: So if you owned a gun shop and everytime you got a load of ammo in it sold it out.. Wouldn't one think to themselves "I might be selling this to cheap?" Maybe I should raise the price becuase this is a really popular item and it gets asking price everyitme I get an order in.  Walmart and many other stores big and small watch such things.

Im not agaisnt your buying choices cuase I tend to stock up on items. Im just looking for others thoughts.

Buy what you want...as much as you want.....when you want it.

If our buying habits had any effect on the cost or supply we wouldn't be in the "ammo drought" that we are today with surplus ammo supplies.

So, if nobody buys any ammo at Walmart, the price will go down?

Negative.  Prices drop as places compete with eachother for your business.  I know my local LE affiliated gun shop sells ASSLOADS of XM193 (not PD) at the best deal I have been able to find.  $94 for 500 rounds.  Everywhere else is atleast 20-30 more expensive.

Officers buy them out of ammo all the time (local officers need 500 rounds to qualify to use personal owned patrol carbines on duty) and I've done my duty getting the word out about the price.  They don't raise their price because it'll just cause people to shop somewhere else.

High demand + high supply = low price.  We aren't talking about some strange low popularity/specialty ammo like .510 DTC, we're talking .223 Remington here.

Quoted: So, if nobody buys any ammo at Walmart, the price will go down?

Sure? think about clearnace items. They drop the price until the item gets to a price where people start buying. They are buying the same item only at a lower price why becuase it could not sell at the original price.
Clearance without the red tags and on a bigger scale.

Do this:

Walk into WalMart and try to get a copy of the UPC for any ammo that they carry that your local Gander Mountain carries too.  It's hard, but it's worth it.  The UPC must be of an in-stock item and it must NOT be on sale.

Take the UPC to Gander Mountain, and grab all the ammo of that SAME UPC you can.  It must be the exact same.

Gander Mountain store policy (generally, not sure if it's universal) is to match the price, and double the difference.

I ended up buying 115gr 9mm WWB 100 round value packs for $7.36 per box with this method.  Gander Mountain price was $15.99, WalMart was $11.43, figure in your local tax and you do the math.  The higher Gander Mountain's price is, the more you save.

Quoted: Negative.  Prices drop as places compete with eachother for your business.  I know my local LE affiliated gun shop sells ASSLOADS of XM193 (not PD) at the best deal I have been able to find.  $94 for 500 rounds.  Everywhere else is atleast 20-30 more expensive. Officers buy them out of ammo all the time (local officers need 500 rounds to qualify to use personal owned patrol carbines on duty) and I've done my duty getting the word out about the price.  They don't raise their price because it'll just cause people to shop somewhere else. High demand + high supply = low price.  We aren't talking about some strange low popularity/specialty ammo like .510 DTC, we're talking .223 Remington here.

Damn,$94 is a great price.XM193 is hard to find around here.One local dealer is selling XM for $5.50 a box! He is notoriously high priced on everything,but I thought that price was kinda funny,and sad.

With the scarcity of XM,I have been buying the WalMart 40 round value packs and hoarding the XM193.Everytime I got to WallyWorld I buy them out of the value packs,but the price stays the same..LOL

Quoted: Everytime I got to WallyWorld I buy them out of the value packs,but the price stays the same..LOL

Its gonna take a little longer than few weeks for the price ot rise but the effects are long term.

Quoted: Do this: Walk into WalMart and try to get a copy of the UPC for any ammo that they carry that your local Gander Mountain carries too.  It's hard, but it's worth it.  The UPC must be of an in-stock item and it must NOT be on sale. Take the UPC to Gander Mountain, and grab all the ammo of that SAME UPC you can.  It must be the exact same. Gander Mountain store policy (generally, not sure if it's universal) is to match the price, and double the difference. I ended up buying 115gr 9mm WWB 100 round value packs for $7.36 per box with this method.  Gander Mountain price was $15.99, WalMart was $11.43, figure in your local tax and you do the math.  The higher Gander Mountain's price is, the more you save.

The local Gander mountain here has a sign up saying they only have to price match the quantity they choose to.    To much to bother for 1 box of 9mm.

I only wish Walmarts in NJ sold ammo!!

Quoted: I only wish Walmarts in NJ sold ammo!!

I don't know if they sell ammo around here or not. I ventured into a Walmart only once in my life; several years ago.  

Hoarding? You think cleaning out a Wally World is hording? Buddy, you oughta go check out the Survival Forum once in a while. Ethiopia starves and Sudan has had to cut wars short because of them dudes!