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UGH... the battle to find ammo at a "reasonable" price

Jrebb

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2013
Messages
13
Location
Harnett, NC
Just something that has been bugging me a bit. i understand there isnt "mass amounts" of ammo growing on trees or vines on the farms out here, but damn. walmart, IMO, is the best place to buy, but thats if it even makes it to the shelf before its gone. (referring to .40 S&W for all of this by the way.)

and it doesnt help that some people who do get the ammo turn around and sell it on sites such as armslist for a nice profit.

where have you all been getting your ammo? what kind of prices have you been seeing? and d0 you think they are fair, even given the state of high demand?

i am just looking for some FMJ's to blow through on the weekends, and its painful on the eyes (prices people are asking) and on the wallet (no explaining needed).

what have your RECENT experiences been?
 

dmatting

Regular Member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
445
Location
Durham, NC
My LGS is not marking up any of his prices beyond his usual markup from his wholesale prices. This is true for guns, ammo, and accessories (I just recently purchased an AR15 from him for a great price, IMO. He told us he was getting it and held it for me until I could get there after work that day). My wife just recently bought a box of .45 ACP from him and they were right around his normal price. He doesn't have a huge supply and he is having a problem getting certain calibers in. Last time I was there he said he hasn't had 9mm in months. I have no idea what his supply of .40 looked like. I drive by there every day and it always seems to be busy, too.
 

Jrebb

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2013
Messages
13
Location
Harnett, NC
My LGS is not marking up any of his prices beyond his usual markup from his wholesale prices. This is true for guns, ammo, and accessories (I just recently purchased an AR15 from him for a great price, IMO. He told us he was getting it and held it for me until I could get there after work that day). My wife just recently bought a box of .45 ACP from him and they were right around his normal price. He doesn't have a huge supply and he is having a problem getting certain calibers in. Last time I was there he said he hasn't had 9mm in months. I have no idea what his supply of .40 looked like. I drive by there every day and it always seems to be busy, too.




If you don't mind my asking, what is the shop and a phone number. I would like to call an honest buisness and refer the shop to a few friends who are in the same boat as me.

Its worth a little drive to me to get ammo at a fair price and keep good buisiness to that particular shop
 

USMC1911-MilSpec

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2012
Messages
22
Location
Clayton
Reload! It's not an easy fix, componants are pretty hard to find but you can still find them. I just loaded 300 rounds of .45 ACP for a cost of about $45.00. Not only is it cheap but it is the most accurate ammo I've ever shot! Give it a look.
 

JABEACHFAN

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2012
Messages
22
Location
North Carolina
Ammo Source

Guys,
I've found out that the local Gander Mountain (Winston-Salem) gets their deliveries on Wed. and Sat. mornings before they open. They open at 9 and I will usually show up around 8 or so. There is usually a line about 20-30 people long when they open and their ammo usually runs out before the end of the line (.22, 9mm, .223, .40, and a few others). Lots of the people in line are there to buy and resell or buy and stockpile. Can't wait for all this political stuff to blow over and ammo demand to stabilize.:lol:
 

USMC1911-MilSpec

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2012
Messages
22
Location
Clayton
Guys,
I've found out that the local Gander Mountain (Winston-Salem) gets their deliveries on Wed. and Sat. mornings before they open. They open at 9 and I will usually show up around 8 or so. There is usually a line about 20-30 people long when they open and their ammo usually runs out before the end of the line (.22, 9mm, .223, .40, and a few others). Lots of the people in line are there to buy and resell or buy and stockpile. Can't wait for all this political stuff to blow over and ammo demand to stabilize.:lol:

Are they astronomically overpriced like the one in Raleigh? Raleigh GM has Winchester White box .45 at 34.95 a box......No Thanks!
 

JABEACHFAN

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2012
Messages
22
Location
North Carolina
Well. I have bought a couple of there bulk UMC 250 rnd boxs of 9mm for $80 each and I bought 2 Bucket O' Bullets (remington hollowpoints 1400 rds each) for $75 each. So they arn't the best priced but its not gauged like on armslist. You can't find 9mm FMJ's or any .22's online unless they are home defense or shotshells. To be honest I caved and bought it just so I had some ammo to go to the range with my wife and shoot targets. They had UMC 250 rnd boxes of .40 a couple weeks ago and had plenty of it, however I didn't price it since I don't own a .40.
 

rotorhead

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2010
Messages
862
Location
FL
I swear my next gun will be a SA revolver in .45Colt. It's the only handgun ammo I'm seeing these days lol.
 

WTFOVER

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2011
Messages
111
Location
WNC
Expect prices of ammo to be high through out the rest of the year and into 2014. When i was at SHOT this year I tried to place orders from every maker out there and none of them were excepting orders, Federal told me they were backlogged through 2013 into 2014. Even the companies outside of the US were backlogged through 2013.
 

WalkingWolf

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
11,930
Location
North Carolina
Reload! It's not an easy fix, componants are pretty hard to find but you can still find them. I just loaded 300 rounds of .45 ACP for a cost of about $45.00. Not only is it cheap but it is the most accurate ammo I've ever shot! Give it a look.

Take the above advice, not only will you find it saves you money, but it is relaxing. I have been reloading most of my life.

If you get into it including casting your biggest problem will be primers, and I have still been able to get them at Ed's in Vass. Email ahead to see if he has them. Usually large pistol primers are available more than small pistol. But last time I was there he had a lot of both, guess I should have hoarded instead of just buying what I thought I needed.

The initial cost of reloading will scare you, but it will pay you back in time. You can look at spending at least $200 for one caliber, but you do not need a very expensive setup for handguns. Lee products work just fine. Actually reloading equipment is harder to get than the primers.

Brass you should be able to get from ranges or sites that sell range ammo, it usually is not that expensive if you shop around. Lead check the junk yards and tire shops, or ebay. I am going to start a thread in the social lounge for reloading sometime today as to not hijack this thread, it is needed, IMO. That way us reloaders can answer questions for those interested. Sorry but do to liabilities I will not give out load data, those are easy to find on the powder manufacturers sites.
 

JABEACHFAN

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2012
Messages
22
Location
North Carolina
Or you could go with the AK pistol......its a pistolized version of the AK-47 and is considered a handgun. Shoots the same 7.62x39 Soviet cartridge as the AK-47 and SKS. You can find that ammo all day long for cheap (about $8 per box of 20) Would be very interesting for a CCW lol.
 

mpguy

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 25, 2012
Messages
689
Location
Suffolk Virginia
Take the above advice, not only will you find it saves you money, but it is relaxing. I have been reloading most of my life.

If you get into it including casting your biggest problem will be primers, and I have still been able to get them at Ed's in Vass. Email ahead to see if he has them. Usually large pistol primers are available more than small pistol. But last time I was there he had a lot of both, guess I should have hoarded instead of just buying what I thought I needed.

The initial cost of reloading will scare you, but it will pay you back in time. You can look at spending at least $200 for one caliber, but you do not need a very expensive setup for handguns. Lee products work just fine. Actually reloading equipment is harder to get than the primers.

Brass you should be able to get from ranges or sites that sell range ammo, it usually is not that expensive if you shop around. Lead check the junk yards and tire shops, or ebay. I am going to start a thread in the social lounge for reloading sometime today as to not hijack this thread, it is needed, IMO. That way us reloaders can answer questions for those interested. Sorry but do to liabilities I will not give out load data, those are easy to find on the powder manufacturers sites.

Starting the thread will be awesome. I haven't gotten my casting tools yet, but I did find a old iron pot I plan on cleaning up for smelting.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2
 

rotorhead

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2010
Messages
862
Location
FL
A schofield would be a good choice, a tad more expensive then most clones but it ejects the rounds quickly and is much easier to reload.

I might hit you up privately for some SA and cap & ball advice if you don't mind. It's my next adventure as I move further away from the more modern "combat" guns due to pricing/ availability. I'm comfortable with SA brands and have an idea of what I want, but cap & ball stuff is kind of new to me.

Thanks.
 

carolina guy

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2012
Messages
1,737
Location
Concord, NC
Starting the thread will be awesome. I haven't gotten my casting tools yet, but I did find a old iron pot I plan on cleaning up for smelting.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2


+1 Been meaning to get into reloading and not really quite sure where to start. We use 12a, 9mm, .40 and 7.62.
 

WTFOVER

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 8, 2011
Messages
111
Location
WNC
+1 Been meaning to get into reloading and not really quite sure where to start. We use 12a, 9mm, .40 and 7.62.

Everything is hard to get right now. I've been lucky to pickup 10lbs of Varget, large rifle primers, 155gr, 168gr and 185gr bullets to reload for my long range 308 competition rifle. Course it does help to be a FFL to :)
 

Jrebb

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2013
Messages
13
Location
Harnett, NC
Hmmm. I honestly don't know AANYTHING about reloading right now and don't have the spare change to get started in it either. The closest gander mountain to me is fayetville.

JABEACHFAN, did the people at GM openly tell you when they get their deliveries? I get off work at 0630 would work out good -to get in line at GM

I think that's the route for me right now. If anybody runs accross good buys. Please post. Here. Thanks in advance
 

Jrebb

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2013
Messages
13
Location
Harnett, NC
If anyone in the fayettville area needs ammo......rhudys pawn shop has reasonable prices and PLENTY of aammo in all calibers
 

Jamesm760

Regular Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2013
Messages
429
Location
Salisbury, NC
Best time to find ammo at walmart

7-8AM (if you are lucky, you might find it up until 12PM)

13th-17th of each month
1st-5th of each month

Everytime I go to 3 walmarts I am sure to find ammo atleast 2 of them.
I go through about 3-5 hundred rounds a month and I am always able to get ammo at my walmarts.

Good luck though, I know it hard to find sometimes.
 
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