GUNS/RLTD Recommendations For the Best Place to Buy Ammo?

JMG91

JMG91

Veteran Member
Hey all! I was hoping to get some recommendations from you gun lovers out there on where is the best/most budget friendly place to buy ammo. I've always just purchased from whatever store was in the near vicinity, but I'd really like to be able to purchase from somewhere with good customer service that won't break the bank. Online or otherwise is fine. I'm just a little nervous about buying from a new place without a recommendation from someone who's purchased there before--I've heard a lot of complaints about several companies on this forum before, and want to avoid the hassle of a company that will string me along with regards to any orders I place.

Appreciate your input! :)
 
Turret Buster

Turret Buster

Gruntpa
I'm not trying to be a smart ass, or derail the thread here, but, myself and others have saved thousands of dollars "rolling" my/our own.

If I can teach myself how to safely reload my own, literally anyone can. No kidding.
Looking at it from the Survivalist / Prepper side of things, I have enough supplies to keep me and my family in stock for years and decades to come.

I started by reading the Lee's Reloading Manual and buying supplies as much as I could afford over 2 or 3 years before I loaded my first round. There isn't a much better feeling than knowing you have the skills to keep your favorite gun running with the best stuff out there.

It keeps me busy during the long winter months, and I literally get Match Grade ammo for my results.
 

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M

Murt

Veteran Member
I have had very good results with Georgia Arms products
their prices on the "canned heat" are usually competitive
They are in Villa Rica but they will also ship
They used to hit most of the major gun shows in GA
 
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Illini Warrior

Illini Warrior

Illini Warrior
just keep in mind about the delivery when going for an internet buy - you start letting people into your personal inner circle >>>> something to be said for buying retail and spreading it around ....
 
J

Jeep

Veteran Member
Natchez Shooting Supplies is who I use. They are in TN and most times if I order on a Monday, it's delivered by Wednesday.
 
JMG91

JMG91

Veteran Member
Thanks so much for the recommendations, everyone! I will be perusing these for the next couple of hours.

Turret Buster, I actually have considered reloading my own ammo, but I think my DH is too nervous we'll do it wrong and kill ourselves. :lol:

I am probably opening a can of worms with this, but what are everyone's favorite ammo brands? Which ones do you think work best? I have heard good things about Magtech, but have never purchased them before. As with the store thing, I have always simply purchased whatever was in stock, but don't know much overall about ammunition.
 
nebb

nebb

Veteran Member
Just ordered some Federal HST 45acp from SGAmmo, used gunbot and ammoseek to find it.
 
Raggedyman

Raggedyman

Res ipsa loquitur
Jeff B. said:
Another SG Ammo guy here...

Jeff B.
Click to expand...

and another here Jeff - Sam is my GO TO SOURCE for essentially all things that go bang - great prices - speedy service - excellent packaging. they're in OK - I'm in Western NC . . . if I order after noon on a monday most generally I'll have it here by thursday, mid day - what's not to like? sign up for their weekly news letter and stay abreast of the specials.
 
C

Capt. Senile

Contributing Member
While buying loaded ammo is a very good way to begin to build a reserve, reloading can ensure continued security.

You can store 500 .308 cases and 500 projectiles in a 3 gallon bucket, with desiccant added. That same bucket will hold 1000 223 and 1000 projectiles. Plus, they're stackable. These assets can be enhanced if the stored cases are sized, trimmed, and primed beforehand. Then it's just a matter of dropping powder for live ammo.

It also beats any "ammo taxes" the powers that be want to put on loaded, purchased ammo.

And bullet casting just adds another dimension of security.
 
biere

biere

Veteran Member
ammoseek and gunbot are search engines that look around for the cheapest price on what you want. They are not always going to find the cheapest price cause of sales or rebates or special deals.

I always search the store they tell me has the best price, I want a place with a lot of good reviews.

SGammo is interesting because there is no phone number to call and bother them at. They are net based and answer emails well and I have bought from them for years.

What brand I buy somewhat varies.

For 22lr most of my stuff loves minimags. And while more expensive than a lot of other 22lr, the fact I can buy a 5k round case of one ammo and use it in almost anything is nice. It may not always be the most accurate for a specific gun, but overall the ammo is good enough if I do my job.

Other than that, I have a mess of ammo from a mess of manufacturers.

Some is expensive hollow point ccw ammo and some is cheap steel case I got back during the last presidential election when I felt quantity was more important than quality.

Right now there are a lot of rebates currently running so if you don't mind doing rebate paperwork you might save a few bucks. Depends on if it applies to what you want.

I have bought ammo from midway cause they had some specific stuff on an awesome sale. Not a place I normally check for ammo.

Targetsports is another one but they have a membership you can buy to save more money and it takes several orders to make up for that. I have them on the backburner and will hopefully have time to put together a big order when I become a member.

Palmetto state armory was already mentioned and now and then they have amazing deals on ammo. Some of their everyday ammo prices are more "meh" at times.

I shop by "to the door" price.

So make sure you know what you are going to pay for the ammo, the shipping, and any sales tax on that ammo.

Some places will have a great ammo price, but shipping might seem a tad high and when you compare prices with other places you can see where maybe they just plan to make up the money with shipping cost vs. ammo cost.

Most gun boards have an ammo forum, but if you use the ammo search engines and poke around a bit and stick to well respected stores you will do just fine.
 
G

Garryowen

Deceased
If you load your own, you can usually tweak the accuracy of your rifle. If you are shooting an M-1 rifle, factory ammunition may eventually bend the operating rod, and this is not considered a good thing. You can load match grade ammo for about half the OTC cost of standard loads.

Reloading is not dangerous if you stick to established practices and don't try to cook up your own "outside the mainstream" loads, by which I mean exceeding the maximum loads in your manual, or guessing that company's powder is the equivalent of another. For example: for .270 Win 150 gr., max load for IMR4831 is 54.5 gr., for H4831 it is 56.2 gr. Getting them mixed up might well cause excessive pressure, which in turn can ruin a rifle and a shooter.

Maybe a bit scary, but so is driving. If you are careful, and follow the instructions, you shouldn't have any problems. Powder is not an explosive; it is a propellant. In order to burn fast it must be under pressure, so unless you ignite it in a sealed container, it will just flare up and go out. gasoline is much more explosive.

So I think you should give it a bit more consideration. I'm sure you know someone who reloads who would be glad to show you how it's done and suggest some good manuals.
 
Dennis Olson

Dennis Olson

Chief Curmudgeon
_______________
You can load match grade ammo for about half the OTC cost of standard loads.


Well, once you buy $600 worth of reloading equipment.
 
Macgyver

Macgyver

Has No Life - Lives on TB
I roll my own but did buy some pre 2016.
LAX ammo had some good deals with free shipping.
I did keep all the 223 but sold the 9mm for what I paid for it to a co worker. It was a little spicy for plinking. I like my powder puff reloads.
 
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Thunderbird

Thunderbird

Veteran Member
It is cheaper to buy complete ammo first. If you buy all, brass, projectile, etc. the cost per round is greater than buying ready to shoot.
$600 is really bare bones reloading.
 
Creedmoor

Creedmoor

Tempus Fugit
Thunderbird said:
It is cheaper to buy complete ammo first. If you buy all, brass, projectile, etc. the cost per round is greater than buying ready to shoot.
$600 is really bare bones reloading.
Click to expand...

That’s entirely dependent on the caliber. I can reload 458 Socom for under $1 / round (including new case). New is north of $2 / round. You also can get by for far, far less than $600 in equipment.
 
Thunderbird

Thunderbird

Veteran Member
Creedmoor said:
That’s entirely dependent on the caliber. I can reload 458 Socom for under $1 / round (including new case). New is north of $2 / round. You also can get by for far, far less than $600 in equipment.
Click to expand...

There may be exceptions and you need to do the research. If you skip the case prep, and use uncalibrated powder measurement, you can "reload".
Precision reloading requires a significant investment in equipment, far more than I am or was willing to invest in in either time or $. For instance I do not do finished round concentricity nor do I vary loadings based on individual case capacity. In some reloading circles this is regarded as half assed. I do now measure all powder charges individually, reweigh every tenth round against calibrated standards. I do not use powder measures on extruded powders. I measure every tenth round dimensionally. Buying used equipment requires a significant investment in time to round up desired equipment. Maybe I am an equipment diva but I really like good equipment so as to produce a good product.

Case prep:
Size and deprime, press and dies
Clean
Correct overall case length. Requires measurement and trimming device.
Deburr, deburring tool
Prime, press or hand primer
Powder charge, scales, powder measure/dispenser, means of verification
Assembling round to correct dimensions Die, calipers press.
Lots of holes in this very rough procedure.
Back when I was reloading large quantity's I had a Dillon 650, Mr. bullet feeder, ultrasonic cleaner, all the neat stuff. For all center fire rifles that used extruded powder I had a RCBS charge dispenser and Bonanza Co Ax press along with all of the prerequisite peripherals. All gone now due to a house fire.

Starting over and doing minimal reloading, I purchased a Co Ax and a Lee press to minimize handling, New dies, RCBS Charge Master, Lyman case prep center, Weight standards, hand primer, and other pricey bits. The only rifle I intend to handload for are my .308's.
These are far from minimalist or survival reloading requirements, but this equipment will allow me to prepare ammunition better than the best available commercial ammunition if I do my part.
 
Jackpine Savage

Jackpine Savage

Veteran Member
Jackpine Savage

Jackpine Savage

Veteran Member
Federal's rebate ends tomorrow. Natchez has a sale on some of the good stuff. Use promo code P190329 for 10% off. Free shipping.

The XM193 ends up being 23 cents a round. They have some 9MM for 16 cents a round.

https://www.natchezss.com/email/2019/flash-sale.html?contact_eid=2c54349f-98f3-4dbb-89c4-d5b1644a917e&utm_source=bronto&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Map&utm_content=2+Days+Only+-+Flash+Sale+Free+Shipping+on+Select+Bulk+Ammo+&utm_campaign=20190330_FlashSale_16233&_bta_tid=16404358921401961584715884459820335497680853939491064187976740089814885302550791621570000765445292721930241&PageSpeed=noscript
 
twobarkingdogs

twobarkingdogs

Veteran Member
GammaRat

GammaRat

Veteran Member
Where to buy ammo online

Hey guys,

I looked for the previous thread on online ammo suppliers, but didn't find it.

Where would you suggest I purchase ammo online.

Thanks
 
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