9mm ammo pricing

[wtburnette]

Starting this thread as someone mentioned in another thread being able to easily find 50 round boxes of 9mm ammo in the $10 - $12 range. I thought it might be beneficial to pull the discussion out of that thread and into a new one for a wider discussion. Keep in mind this doesn't involve reloads, I'm only talking about retail ammo. Part of the discussion is what qualifies as retail ammo?

Typically, picking up from a local shop (Gander, WM, LGS's), I'm seeing $.28 - $.32 per round as the norm from brass cased 115gr 9mm ammo (including tax). Steel case Tula I've seen at WM for ~$10.50 for a box of 50 rounds. Online, I've seen prices as low as $.22 a round (only counting brass cased ammo, no reloads), almost always with shipping driving it closer to the in store pricing, unless there are coupon codes or something. The best deal I've personally been able to take advantage of in the last year was $224 for 1000 rounds of CCI Blazer Brass 115gr 9mm ammo. That price includes shipping, but I was only able to get that with a coupon code. This was from MidwayUSA and the coupon code being able to be used for ammo is atypical of the site, from my experience. Looking right now, the best deal that I would take advantage of is ~$220 for 1000 rounds of S&B 115gr 9mm ammo from PSA, with $22.50 added in for shipping, bringing the total to ~$242.50.

I guess my point is, the above examples are good and fall within the $10 - $12 for 50 rounds, but I find that to not be average pricing in my experience. Normally online pricing that I see is closer to $.24 - .25 per round with shipping making it closer to $.28 per round. This is not including ammo from sites like Freedom Munitions, which I don't feel is the same as retail ammo. I see Freedom pricing is closer to $.22 per round after shipping, which seems really nice, but I don't know if the quality is the same as retail or better.

Anyway, just rambling. Thoughts?

 

[Birds Away]

Lately I have been buying bulk at between $.29-$.31 per round. There is some cheaper but the quality is questionable and I don't want to go there.

 

[wtburnette]

Lately I have been buying bulk at between $.29-$.31 per round. There is some cheaper but the quality is questionable and I don't want to go there.

That's another interesting topic, ammo quality. What manufacturers do you avoid and who are you more likely to stick with? For me, I shoot a lot of different ammo and have plenty that I like: Federal American Eagle, Fiocchi, Perfecta, Speer Lawman and S&B. To a lesser degree I'm fine with WWB, Federal Champion or Tula BrassMaxx. I tend to avoid Armscor, Tula steel cased and a few others I've heard bad reviews about. I've only been shooting for about a year, so I'd be interested in other INGO members opinions.

 

[FishnHunt]

This is not including ammo from sites like Freedom Munitions, which I don't feel is the same as retail ammo. I see Freedom pricing is closer to $.22 per round after shipping, which seems really nice, but I don't know if the quality is the same as retail or better.

I've run through about 350 rounds of Freedom's 124 Grain re-manufactured ammo with no issues, paid about $0.23 per round. I've been happy enough with it I ordered 1000 more rounds this week. They do sell new ammo as well. 9mm & .40 is 5% off this week, if you've been thinking about trying it.

Other than that, cheapest brass 9mm I've found lately has been Federal 115g at Walmart for $13-14 per 50. No problems with it either.

 

[throttletony]

I've run through about 350 rounds of Freedom's 124 Grain re-manufactured ammo with no issues, paid about $0.23 per round. I've been happy enough with it I ordered 1000 more rounds this week. They do sell new ammo as well. 9mm & .40 is 5% off this week, if you've been thinking about trying it.

Other than that, cheapest brass 9mm I've found lately has been Federal 115g at Walmart for $13-14 per 50. No problems with it either.

If you can find that same federal in 100 rd packs it's a bit less (I think $23 at WM). I prefer the Federal to the WWB, although they are both a bit underpowered. The ONLY ammo that gave me problems on a Glock 34 was remington UMC 9mm. My Shield has devoured the ones you mention in the OP without issue.

 

[FishnHunt]

although they are both a bit underpowered.

I had issues consistently knocking down steel at the first 2 multigun matches this year and during some training with 3 different kinds of 115g (Federal, Blazer, & PMC Bronze). Some of that comes from using a 4.25" M&P, but I still found 115g to be an issue so I've started shooting 124g. I haven't noticed it since changing, but haven't shot that much either.

 

[wtburnette]

I had issues consistently knocking down steel at the first 2 multigun matches this year and during some training with 3 different kinds of 115g (Federal, Blazer, & PMC Bronze). Some of that comes from using a 4.25" M&P, but I still found 115g to be an issue so I've started shooting 124g. I haven't noticed it since changing, but haven't shot that much either.

Yeah, I'm thinking of 124gr only or above for IDPA matches, saving 115gr for plinking...

 

[FishnHunt]

Yeah, I'm thinking of 124gr only or above for IDPA matches, saving 115gr for plinking...

Yep. I did try 147g, didn't seem like it shot as well as the 124g on paper. Not sure I would notice the difference in a match though. 124g & 115g grouped about the same for me, IIRC.

 

[MCgrease08]

I have no qualms about running Tula steel cased at the range, if I can find it. Overall I think anything around 24-25 cents a round is a deal these days if we're strictly talking factory made.

I've found that my personal cut off seems to be 28 cents a round. I've got enough right now that anything higher than that and I won't buy it. Then again, that might change in the next 6 months as I start running through what I've got left.

 

[Jeremy1066]

I've been buying WWB at Wallyworld for the last 5 years at ~.23 per round (even during the scare).

 

[wtburnette]

I've been buying WWB at Wallyworld for the last 5 years at ~.23 per round (even during the scare).

Must be different pricing in different areas. Around here the WWB is ~$26/box of 50 at WM before tax, or around $27 after taxes. That's why I usually try to stick to under $.28 per round when I'm ordering online, with shipping, so that I'm not paying more than I would at WM.

 

[clayshooter99]

Fairmount Hardware has been selling a lot of CCI Blazer Brass in 9mm for 259.00 out the door cash price, this morning he was down to one case. Had Sellier and Bellot a couple of weeks ago for 244.00 out the door.

 

[Jeremy1066]

Must be different pricing in different areas. Around here the WWB is ~$26/box of 50 at WM before tax, or around $27 after taxes. That's why I usually try to stick to under $.28 per round when I'm ordering online, with shipping, so that I'm not paying more than I would at WM.

$26 for a box of 50?? Holy cat poop, Batman! Once in awhile they have the Federal for about $19/100, but not very often.

 

[wtburnette]

$26 for a box of 50?? Holy cat poop, Batman! Once in awhile they have the Federal for about $19/100, but not very often.

My bad, I should proof what I read, WWB are 100 round boxes, so the difference is a couple of bucks, not almost double like I had posted. DOH!

 

[Jeremy1066]

My bad, I should proof what I read, WWB are 100 round boxes, so the difference is a couple of bucks, not almost double like I had posted. DOH!

I just thought it was another Wallyworld employee conspiracy LOL

 

[Who Dares Wins]

When I bought some of the 100 round WWB boxes at Wally World it had the bullet jacket color being the same as the actual case. Other brands are a darker color on the actual bullet jacket than the casing. I wondered if they were saving money on some of the FMJ casing composition (bronze/brass, whatever) and using casing material for the FMJ instead of the traditional FMJ material. Did anyone else notice this? Is it harder and could it cause more barrel wear? I only shoot mine in an older less expensive gun for plinking because of this, but I wondered what everyone else thinks of this color change?

 

[rjthebassman]

Heck, that's when you can even find good 9mm in the big box stores. I bought the 9mm over the .40 partially because the ammo is cheaper and easier to find but at the moment I bought it the guy handed me a box of fiochi hollow points. A box of 50 for 12 bucks which seemed to be a good deal. Then he realized that whole shelf was stocked full of .40 sw and that the nine was on the shelf above which only had a few fmj and those drt "airweight" hollowpoints. Then at WM they only were carrying the ridiculously overpriced federal generic "self defense" blue box ammo. But was stocked with hydrashock, pdx1, and a fair selection of plinking ammo in .40... what to do?! I have a gun loaded with 1 and the chamber and 6 in the mag of these little 85 grain anemic leadless frangible hollowpoints backed by 10 115 american eagle fmj. On a side note the guy behing the RK gun counter was a navy vet and gave me the fmj as good self defense ammo.