I still wonder how the crowd shows up right when they stock the shelves? I’ve been in several times and get different answers as to when they get their shipments. Then again I am not going into WalMart everyday. I’d be happy with one 525 brick to be honest.
My girl and I started teaching concealed pistol courses around the time the prices started to skyrocket. It was up to us to obtain 50 rounds per student for their range exercises. The range we usually used stopped selling any ammo at all except with the purchase of a firearm.
So my girl’s job was to call store after store and ask when their shipments were expected, and then to be there to purchase the maximum allowable quantities of 9mm and .38 rounds. It was time-consuming but we were able to keep ammunition in stock for shooters.
We got a break when we found Firearm Exchange shooting range in Livonia, Michigan (yes, I’ll give them a plug, but not my old range). They sold their own re-loads, any quantity you wanted, for a reasonable price (I forgot exactly, but well within our budget). You had to agree to use it all on the range that day, and not take any out (though they took your word for it) and they were quality reloads - no misfires.
But that’s how it’s done. Calling ahead to each store and then camping out there until the shipment arrives.
Our local Cabels’s (not really local, more like 40 miles away) were good about letting us know when to expect shipments. But you had to be in line early, because lots of others knew too.