Here's an interesting insight into why the US
may be having ammo shortage problems
http://weaponsman.com/?p=9126
Most interesting to me is the idea that there are
a lot of new shooters, and the round of choice for new shooters is 22lr. Add to that the fact that 22lr is the fall back for when you don't want to shoot your expensive stuff, and suddenly every single shooter wants wants 22lr.
I don't know how far down the prices will go back - $60 for a brick will still give a family of 4 a day's worth of shooting, and even at $60 it's still cheaper than a movie for a family of 4 at that. I think supply will come up, and prices will go down, but I don't think you will see a $20 brick of 22lr in the states ever again.