So what is 'gouging'?
Just to provide a bit of perspective:
A retailer MUST charge a calculated price for the items sold. This applies to cars, clothes, appliances, firearms, screwdrivers, ammunition and even services.
The calculated price of sale includes:
1. The cost of obtaining the item sold (which probably includes shipping), and
2. The cost of 'doing business'. This cost covers paying for the store, paying employees (if any), paying for Obamacare, paying taxes on the various taxable items involved (like profits and inventory), paying for the lights, heat, air conditioning, cleaning up, bathrooms, and display items. ALSO included is the payment for the owner's time, to make it worth his or her while to do all this instead of investing in a money market account. (Putting up with customers who accuse him of being a 'gouger' all the time is part of this last bit.)
Here's a reality: There is no magic and arbitrary 'real price' for anything. Everything is subject to the underlying costs of materials, labor, supply and demand. Even if the result is more than one wants to pay.
Panic buying on the part of the shooting public doesn't help lower the costs, by the way. Nor does blaming someone else.
There are some things consumers can do to lower prices; mostly in the long run, not immediately.
Don't buy everything in sight even if not needed. That just adds to the shortages. Most shooting is done as 'practice' or informal target shooting. Normally, FMJ or RNL bullets and standard velocity ammo will more than take care of the requirements. Nor does everyone need a stockpile of 60,000 rounds of ammo for every firearm owned.
Be an aware voter. Look into the candidates and see who supports 'regulation' for the sake of regulation. Regulations to 'save the environment typically end up hurting the human race, and most assuredly working people. See who 'supports' labor unions. Typically the net result is more campaign contributions from those unions and more kickbacks for union leaders. (If you're a union worker, take a serious look at who and what causes the union supports for elections. If they are all Leftists, your union is part of the overall problem.)
Also look at various 'issues' and voter initiatives. If the net result is to give the government - any government - more power over one's life, it's a counterproductive choice.
Reload. It's a fun hobby, teaches one much about how firearms work and tends to cost less in the long run. Plus, reloading one's own ammunition will improve marksmanship skills. (When one realizes how much work is put into assembling proper ammunition, one is less likely to shoot it wildly into the blue.)