cheap place to buy bullets, primers, and brass

[matt d]

Going to be reloading a bunch over the winter.  I was wondering where a good, cheap place to find bullets, primers, and some brass.  I also feel like I am being robbed by the price of powder so if anyone has any wisdom about purchasing these things, I would love to hear from you.

If it matters I am looking for
Nosler 130 gr. Ballistic tips
IMR 48-31
Winchester brass
Federal primers

[John Traveler]

Hi, Matt!

Where are you located in Central California?

I've found that gun shows are good places to find bargain brass, either once-fired and cleaned, or new stuff.  Ditto for bullets and primers too.  Even the dealers that follow the shows around give discounted prices for buying in bulk at the gun shows.

Maybe you can get together with some reloading friends and buy your supplies all at once.  That reduces the costs too.

As for powder, some locales (fire department regulations) don't allow the sale of gun powder.

You can reduce costs by purchasing military surplus powders and bullets, if your caliber is suitable for that.  What do you reload for?

I find that shooting extensively with surplus components "keeps my hand in", and saving premium hunting ammunition for sighting-in and the "real thing" is cost effective.

HTH
John

[Blackhawk44]

For brass and reloading equipment, Cabela's, Natchez Shooters Supply, Midway or Midsouth.  For bullets, usually gun shows are best, mailorder is tough due to freight charges.  Powder, sometimes gun shows, usually just shop the local shops.  Powder by mail is too high due to HAZMAT charges unless you buy cases of it.

[matt d]

Thanks for responding.  The bullets and primers are the main things I am looking for.  When I have them I will be able to get to work.  I have places to buy powder but wanted to know if there was anything I could do besides be at the mercy of the local gun store.  I have worked very hard to find the right combination for my rifle and now that I have it I will stick with it until my rifle changes.  Your right, just shooting the premium stuff when sighting in or the real thing is cost affective.  Which brings up another question, when is it niether sighting in or the real thing?  To answer your question, I am loading for a .270.

[matt d]

Blackhawk44,
Thanks for the advise, I have never heard of Natchez or midsouth.  I will do a little prise comparison.

[Hcliff]

Graf's is another place to look.  

Hcliff

[Blackhawk44]

That's (http://www.natchezss.com) and (http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com).  Catalogs are easier to use than the internet for browsing, and they have a lot.

[Duffy]

Might check with www.scharch.com. They have once fired and sometimes new brass and reasonable prices. Did get some factory WW brass that was primed for less than what most places wanted for unprimed.

Ryan

[Crayfish]

I agree with most of the others.  I've had good luck with MidSouth Shooter's Supply and Grafs and Sons.  Look them up in a Web browser.  I don't buy too much stuff at gunshows because I've been taken a couple of times.  Brass that was marked as "once fired" was stretched beyond belief or oversized and would not return to normal size.  Some showed bright rings above the web, etc, etc.  I just buy factory ammo and have fun shooting it to get my own once-fired, or I buy new brass.

Bulk bullets from the shows would be OK for plinking, though, and they can be a good place to buy primers and powder since you won't have any shipping charges.

Hope this helps ... Crayfish

[Mikey]

matt d:  With all due respect to the other posters who have given you good advice, please let me advise you not to sell yourself short with poor quality or cheap shooting supplies.

Please let me advocate for new brass over once fired.  In the first place, you don't know if it has been fired only once or more often.  I recentlypurchased 100 empty 444 Marlin cases by Remington, advertised as once fired.  Since trying to reload them for 3 different Winchester 444s I have broken 3 different shell holders and had to pound numerous cases out of my dies.  Once fired - maybe yes but, I sort of doubt it.  When I feel different pressure in priming a case, even if I knocked out a 'factory' Remington primer, I know I am using brass fired more than once.  

Primers - there is little difference in cost between catalog and gun shop prices, especially if you know the dealer you purchase from.  

Bullets will be less expensive from a supplier or catalog such as Natchez or Mid-Way or Shooter's Supply.

Powder is definately less expensive from a catalog.  As much as I like some of my local dealers the mark-up is really there.  From a catalog supplier they sell much more and can sell it at a more favorable price.  

Check those catalogs and web-sites and save yourself some $.  Hope this helps.  Mikey.

[HammerMan/LongbowMan]

:grin:  I use Graf & Sons for just about everything.  Cabelas has some good prices also.  For powder or primers, Widener's Reloading has great prices, even with the hazmat added in.  You have to buy bulk from Wideners though.

[redial]

Since I load comparatively few calibers and only a few loads in each, my shopping is simplified somewhat. The big HOWEVER is that I'm a serious target shooter and consume lots and lots of those few types of components.

Since most are pretty standard items, I try hard to get them from the local dealers, the Mom & Pops who usually cut me a good deal on bulk lots. Everybody's happy that way.

Redial