Don’t let the continued lack of availability of pistol ammunition in stores stop you from practicing to keep your skills sharp and the enjoyment of target shooting. 9mm is the most popular pistol caliber in the United States, and along with .380 it is still really hard to come across on most of the large store shelves. Many times you can still find it at the smaller gun shops, but you will pay a premium of around $35 per box of 50 compared to $18-20 per box at a larger store such as Sportsman’s or BiMart. Many people are unaware however that you can order it online and have it shipped to your home with no special license required. In order to get the price per box comparable to the large in store price you will typically need to order in increments of either 500 or 1,000 rounds, but since it’s typically unavailable and you are limited to 2 50 round boxes in stores when it’s in stock for many people this makes sense. Another great idea to keep up your practice at home when ammo is expensive/unavailable is to buy a laser training system. My favorite is the ITarget Pro system, and it only costs $100 and comes with a laser cartridge bullet and 8.5″ x 11″ target with a sled that holds your cell phone which utilizes the camera to track your hits. This is much more fun than the typical dry-fire technique, and actually gives you feedback on where your shots have landed. Keep practicing and keep having fun, don’t let this lack of ammunition in stores stop you!
Patrick DFT
