[bowlinggreen]

To respond to the OP, I doubt it is the government "rationing" ammo, but the companies. The reason being they don't want "ammo scalpers" buying it all up and then selling it elsewhere at higher prices.

I have to say, taking a look around, I am shocked at what 22 ammo costs these days. $5.00 a box? Christ. I haven't shot a gun for many years, but I remember back in the late 80s you could buy a whole BRICK of 500 for $9.99 - and that was the usual price, not the sale price.

I see there is some kind of 17 caliber "super magnum rimfire" for sale these days too - at $17.99 per box of 50. Who the hell pays that kind of money for a small game gun? If you were reloading, you could probably reload some of the centerfire 22s over and over for a fair bit less than what you pay for a dinky throw-away caliber like that.

I also don't see why anyone would hoard 22 ammo. That stuff is not tightly sealed like centerfire ammo. Unless you store it just right it will go sour over time.