While availability of .22 has risen I don't think the retail prices will drop by much, availability has not come back because demand dropped but because manufacturers dropped a lot of money into expansion, money they will want to recoup and make a profit off of. The equipment to make .22 long rifle can only be used to make it, unlike the machinery making center fire cartridges that they can just put new dies in, in fact that is how the run them put one set in and make x thousands of rounds then change them out and make the next batch.