TexasCHLforum.com

Any of you buys ammo online?
can you recommend a trusted site where you personally bought in the past?
How is the ammo shipped? to your house? to a FFL?

ammotogo
http://www.ammunitiontogo.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
shipped wherever you want via ground

Cabela's is another good source for online ammo purchases. Same with Bass Pro.

Shipping must be a killer. I never calculated potential savings assuming paying to ship lead could not be a good deal.

Zee wrote:Shipping must be a killer. I never calculated potential savings assuming paying to ship lead could not be a good deal.

Not at all. Some vendors, like Graf & Sons, don't even charge shipping. When you factor in sales tax, the cost becomes pretty much a wash; the folks that doesn't apply to are online vendors like Cabella's and Ammunition to Go that have Texas locations: you end up paying shipping (if applicable) and sales tax. Not an economical combination.

My last online purchase was the second half of a backorder from Graf & Sons. Great customer service. Once the ammo was in stock again, they called me to ask whether I still wanted the second half of the shipment, and reinforced I wasn't obligated. It was 500 rounds of 9mm Federal American Eagle FMJ for 119.00 total, or 23.8 cents per round. The same purchase price with my local sales tax would have raised the cost per round to 25.9 cents per round.

I've never had anything but good results buying ammo from online vendors. And to answer TheReverend's question, it ships directly to your door. Ammo is a special category of shipment, so it has to be marked on the outside of the package, but the shipper isn't required to ask for a direct signature, though more and more are doing so.

I'm not sure I can remember every vendor I've bought ammo from online, but I know I've used Sportsman's Guide, Natchez Shooters Supplies, Able Ammo, Widener's, Graf & Sons, AIM Surplus, Georgia Arms, and probably one or two others.

TheReverend wrote:Any of you buys ammo online?
can you recommend a trusted site where you personally bought in the past?
How is the ammo shipped? to your house? to a FFL?

There is a Hazmat fee of some $20 added to any explosive/flammable shipment which is added to the price of the merchandise. If you can get someone to go in with you and minimize the shipping charges, you might do okay?

OTOH, I live in the 'Pineys' of east Texas and our local Wal-Mart (also in the Pineys) is starting to show some WWB, etc. on the shelves. You reckon the Wal-Marts in the more metropolitan areas have more WWB?

BTW, I wish I had bought some Wal-Mart stock a quarter century ago...but, I didn't. Alas.

Oldgringo wrote:

TheReverend wrote:Any of you buys ammo online?
can you recommend a trusted site where you personally bought in the past?
How is the ammo shipped? to your house? to a FFL?

There is a Hazmat fee of some $20 added to any explosive/flammable shipment which is added to the price of the merchandise. If you can get someone to go in with you and minimize the shipping charges, you might do okay?

OTOH, I live in the 'Pineys' of east Texas and our local Wal-Mart (also in the Pineys) is starting to show some WWB, etc. on the shelves. You reckon the Wal-Marts in the more metropolitan areas have more WWB?

BTW, I wish I had bought some Wal-Mart stock a quarter century ago...but, I didn't. Alas.

WWB?!

Oldgringo wrote:There is a Hazmat fee of some $20 added to any explosive/flammable shipment which is added to the price of the merchandise. If you can get someone to go in with you and minimize the shipping charges, you might do okay?

The hazmat fee applies to powder and primers. It does NOT apply to ammunition. Ammunition shipments are marked ORM-D (other regulated materials-domestic).

There is no additional fee applied to shipments of ammunition.

I've ordered from ammunitiontogo, Natchezss, and ammoman.

Shipped right to my front door via UPS.

Great way to buy a case of ammo and save money.

WWB?!

WWB = Winchester White Box, a very common range ammo. It come either in a 100 round box or a 50 round box, although I think when it's referred to here they are talking about the 100 count box.

joe817 wrote:

WWB?!

WWB = Winchester White Box, a very common range ammo. It come either in a 100 round box or a 50 round box, although I think when it's referred to here they are talking about the 100 count box.

Yes, the 100 count WWB is fairly reasonable, when you can find it at Wal-Mart, etc.

There is no hazmat fee on loaded ammo? I ass-u-me-d that the hazmat fee also appiled to ammo. Thanks for setting me straight.

I have ordered ammo on line from Ammoman.com, Ammunitioncenter (which is accessed only through Gunbroker.com as far as I know), and I think Natchezss.com. There are others that I believe reputable, as friends of mine have ordered from them, like Georgia Arms, Cascade. I think you can even order online from Academy Sports.

As noted above, it only makes sense to do so in bulk amounts (e.g. 1000 rounds) to keep the per round shipping cost down. But it is usually more cost efficient to do it this way rather than buy it off the shelf. Exceptions might be when a retailer puts out a coupon or discount for a significant amount -- sometimes this makes Cabela's competitive, and Buda is not too far away for me.

Be sure to read their shipping policies -- some require you be there to sign for the shipment when it is delivered, others do not. Ammoman and Ammunitioncenter did not when I ordered from them, don't remember about Natchezss.

ELB wrote:As noted above, it only makes sense to do so in bulk amounts (e.g. 1000 rounds) to keep the per round shipping cost down. But it is usually more cost efficient to do it this way rather than buy it off the shelf.

+1

I don't think I clarified that in my post. Companies like Graf & Sons don't charge extra for shipping if you're ordering in bulk. Obviously, it isn't cost effective to offer free shipping on a single box of 50 9mm. Ground shipping costs generally go down on a per-piece basis as the volume goes up.

I should add that I believe that's the best way--really the only way--to evaluate the cost of loaded ammunition: break it down to the final cost-per-round. I've bought several thousand rounds from my neighborhood Wal-Mart, and even though I have to pay sales tax the store is barely a mile from my house. But if you have to drive 15 miles to your closest Wally World, you should factor the cost of the drive and your own time spent into the final procurement price.

In most instances, I've found that ordering a case or more at time from online vendors gives me the best final procurement price. Too, once you order from an online ammo vendor you're (generally) placed on their mailing list. This is a good thing: I've done business with over half-a-dozen online ammo vendors, and I'm not spammed by any of them; what I do receive are occasional notices of availablility or special pricing. In this market, first come is first served. So learning firsthand about an ammo sale ain't a bad thing.

Bottom line: evaluate your final procurement price, and break it down to a cost-per-round. A deal at a local store may not be as much of a deal when you factor in sales tax, the drive, and your time spent. An online deal that comes with hefty shipping fees ain't necessarily a deal, either. IMHO, ya gotta consider all the costs involved, and break it down to a cost-per-round.

I should have gotten into reloading years ago. I never did because I felt I didn't have the available time. But if anyone wants to buy me a Dillon RL 650 for Christmas, I'll take it!

The upside is that the commercial ammo I bought in 2007 has appreciated in value by at least 50%. That's even better than gold has done in this economy.

I've bought cases of ammo now from USAammo.com, found them on Sniper Hide forum by a post made by Texas Tactical Sniper School. They load their own ammo so if it is listed it is ready to ship. They are big in case orders of range ammo. 3 of the local ranges in Houston carry their ammo now.

I like georgia-arms.com, ship ups. Look at canned heat.