I pick up a box of Blazer CCI 44 spl the other day. It didn't have the price available, but I needed something other than HD ammo to practice with. I nearly stroked when at the register I was told the total was $37! I mean this is Blazer. I know it is not a popular caliber, but it is not a wildcat either. Is there anywhere to get cheaper 44 spl ammo without reloading?
Ammo prices still stink
- Thread starter Cleet
- Start date
Lost Sheep
New member
Bulk reloaders will sometimes do special orders
Ask around at your local specialty stores (actual gun stores, shooting ranges, sporting goods stores or security shops that sell police equipment) to see it there are any local businesses that sell ammunition. While 44 Special is not that popular a caliber, a local business might do a special run for you if you are willing to buy a minimal amount. I imagine you will wind up buying a year's supply, but once you've got it, you've got it.
You should ask, also, where the local law enforcement folks get their ammunition, especially their training ammunition.
You should note that for the cost of 5 or 6 boxes of ammunition you can get a decent reloading setup (a press, scale, dies and a few accessories). My first setup all fit in a small footlocker with everything. It would have fit in a suitcase, but I kept the loading manuals, mounting board, gun, gunpowder, bullets and primers in there, too. (I mounted the press on an end table using a board, belt and towel for padding; no modification or damage to the end table at all.)
There are hand-held presses that cost even less, do not require mounting on anything and are more compact.
Then there is the Lee Precision's Load-All tool. It uses a mallet (not a hammer!) to load with. $30 to $40, add a board (to absorb the impact), a mallet and a scale (Lee says you don't need a scale, but I recommend it). It will take you some time to load up 50 rounds, but the whole kit will fit in a shoebox and by the time you (don't) buy your third box of ammo, you have paid for the kit with the savings.
Warning: All this talk of savings is illusory. Nobody (except maybe the Lee Load-All users) saves money by reloading. They just shoot mor for the same money. Maybe 2 to 5 times more for.
Good Luck.
Lost Sheep
Ask around at your local specialty stores (actual gun stores, shooting ranges, sporting goods stores or security shops that sell police equipment) to see it there are any local businesses that sell ammunition. While 44 Special is not that popular a caliber, a local business might do a special run for you if you are willing to buy a minimal amount. I imagine you will wind up buying a year's supply, but once you've got it, you've got it.
You should ask, also, where the local law enforcement folks get their ammunition, especially their training ammunition.
You should note that for the cost of 5 or 6 boxes of ammunition you can get a decent reloading setup (a press, scale, dies and a few accessories). My first setup all fit in a small footlocker with everything. It would have fit in a suitcase, but I kept the loading manuals, mounting board, gun, gunpowder, bullets and primers in there, too. (I mounted the press on an end table using a board, belt and towel for padding; no modification or damage to the end table at all.)
There are hand-held presses that cost even less, do not require mounting on anything and are more compact.
Then there is the Lee Precision's Load-All tool. It uses a mallet (not a hammer!) to load with. $30 to $40, add a board (to absorb the impact), a mallet and a scale (Lee says you don't need a scale, but I recommend it). It will take you some time to load up 50 rounds, but the whole kit will fit in a shoebox and by the time you (don't) buy your third box of ammo, you have paid for the kit with the savings.
Warning: All this talk of savings is illusory. Nobody (except maybe the Lee Load-All users) saves money by reloading. They just shoot mor for the same money. Maybe 2 to 5 times more for.
Good Luck.
Lost Sheep
bluetopper
New member
Why are many against reloading. It's crazy in my opinion, not to.
But then again I shoot enough to justify in doing so.
But I shoot enough to justify reloading because I DO reload.
I reload cast lead bullets which brings the cost waaay down.
But then again I shoot enough to justify in doing so.
But I shoot enough to justify reloading because I DO reload.
I reload cast lead bullets which brings the cost waaay down.
Lots of reasons, I'd guess.
Lack of room, intimidated by lack of know-how, and the fact that some folks have made some serious mistakes with it can cause many to not take it up.
If a person is going to be a serious shooter without being independently wealthy, they really should consider it.
Especially if they shoot anything that's chambered for a less-then-mainstream cartridge.
.17 Remington is limited in quantity and choice, but I love shooting the cartridge. My rifle shoots the only factory ammo I've found (Remington) into 3" groups at 100 yards, and it costs a little over a buck a shot. My handloads shoot tiny little bug-hole groups at the same distance, and with premium bullets they cost me around $0.25 per shot.
Some folks don't want to mess with it for lack of time, but I don't find it time consuming at all; in fact, it's a relaxing hobby. I put 500 or so empty .40 S&W brass into the tumbler about noon yesterday to clean them, and spent a few hours this morning sizing, belling, and priming the cases. They're ready for powder and bullets now, which is not that big of a deal. After 34 years, I still use the same single stage RCBS Rockchucker press. I've no idea how many thousands of cartridges I've loaded on that old press, and it still does things as good as it ever did. I clean it up once in a while, and keep a tiny bit of lube on it. I have 17 sets of dies in my loading room, and all are well used.
I can't imagine having to rely on factory loads for my ammo needs.
Daryl
You've got to start reloading. You can start out pretty cheap. The Lee Handpress works pretty good. Slow, but works.
Loading can be dangerous but if you have a good scale and pay attention to what your doing and keep your loads where they're supposed to be the danger is minimal.
Loading can be dangerous but if you have a good scale and pay attention to what your doing and keep your loads where they're supposed to be the danger is minimal.
orionengnr
New member
Dang, that's pricey ammo...
Back about four years ago I owned three .44 Spls and bought those same Blazer Gold Dot 200 gr for $12.96 per box. Remember it well. Bought a bunch, shot it all.
Did a major caliber/pistol re-evaluation and consolidation at about the right time, I guess.
Haven't owned a .44 of any description for a while, and have no intention to change that. If I did, I'd buy a set of dies for .44 and go to it.
Fact is, for many chamberings, handloading is the only way to go (unless you are independently wealthy). Some of these include .41Mag, .45LC, 10mm (all of which I am set up to handload for).
Back about four years ago I owned three .44 Spls and bought those same Blazer Gold Dot 200 gr for $12.96 per box. Remember it well. Bought a bunch, shot it all.
Did a major caliber/pistol re-evaluation and consolidation at about the right time, I guess.
Haven't owned a .44 of any description for a while, and have no intention to change that. If I did, I'd buy a set of dies for .44 and go to it.
Fact is, for many chamberings, handloading is the only way to go (unless you are independently wealthy). Some of these include .41Mag, .45LC, 10mm (all of which I am set up to handload for).
Mastercast's prices for 'remanufactured' are reasonable if you send them some brass - http://mastercast.net/amo.htm
Glenn Bartley
New member
And there I was, just a couple of days ago, writing in my blog that I thought ammo prices were starting to come down. I guess it depends on what type of ammo you are buying.
I see you can get a much better deal for the ammo at SportsmansGuide.com but then you have to pay shipping. Of course, if you buy enough of it, you may be able to still do somewhat better than you would at your local store even with the shipping charges.
If you are in the market for the types of things sold by SportsmansGuide.com, you may want to pay for a membership in their Buyer's Club, and get their reduced pricing - 10% off most things, 5% off ammo. When I joined I also got free shipping on my first order (also got the same deal when I renewed) but I do not see that mentoned on their website now. That alone is worth checking into by contacting them though because if they still offer the free shipping on your first order, it can make the $29.99 for the membership worth every penny if you buy enough stuff. They also offer a money back guarantee on almost all items so long as you keep your invoice or maybe it is the receipt. I had a few disappointments with them over the years but for the great majority of my orders I have been extremely satisfied and keep buying from them. I order a bunch of things from them in the course of a year and paying for the membership works out to my advantage in the long run.
All the best,
Glenn B
I see you can get a much better deal for the ammo at SportsmansGuide.com but then you have to pay shipping. Of course, if you buy enough of it, you may be able to still do somewhat better than you would at your local store even with the shipping charges.
If you are in the market for the types of things sold by SportsmansGuide.com, you may want to pay for a membership in their Buyer's Club, and get their reduced pricing - 10% off most things, 5% off ammo. When I joined I also got free shipping on my first order (also got the same deal when I renewed) but I do not see that mentoned on their website now. That alone is worth checking into by contacting them though because if they still offer the free shipping on your first order, it can make the $29.99 for the membership worth every penny if you buy enough stuff. They also offer a money back guarantee on almost all items so long as you keep your invoice or maybe it is the receipt. I had a few disappointments with them over the years but for the great majority of my orders I have been extremely satisfied and keep buying from them. I order a bunch of things from them in the course of a year and paying for the membership works out to my advantage in the long run.
All the best,
Glenn B
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22-rimfire
New member
Give these folks a try. http://georgia-arms.com/44special.aspx
Call for availability as they have been having troube getting components.
Call for availability as they have been having troube getting components.
Fishslayer
New member
If yer in The People's Republik you ain't seen NUTHIN' yet. When AB962 stops mail order ammo & the paperwork PITA makes Walmart stop selling it....
I have to reload 44spcl. Factory is mostly non existant. Always Expensive. I stick mostly w/200gr loads. Thats what Blazers are and hits right on in my fixed site 44. 200gr cowboy bullets for practice. Blazers for carry. Cost about 2 dimes apeice to reload. Just got a bunch of free 180gr XTP 44 bullets from Hornady. I plan on trying some of those in the Charter f/s 4''. I think they may shoot pretty good. I have one gripe about Blazer ammo. Those alum cases are sometimes hard to eject because of their roughness. The problem seems more noticeable in 44/45 cal ammo. 44spcl is a great cartridge. My fav is a 3'' Mod 24-3.
I was reading a distributor catalog and although the ammo is high in it, the dealers are doubling the prices on the retail market.
I also get my hands on Shooting industry magazine. This of course is a magazine for dealers. In there they discuss how to get your money...of course. From my impressions though, they are like sharks in a feeding frenzy. It is like they think this increase in sales will last forever. I can feel a disconnect between dealers and the consumer. Believe me, they are out for the almighty buck and they look at us as sheep to be fleeced.
I hate to think that as I always thought there was a loyalty between them and us. They will keep the prices up as long as we spend our money there.
I also get my hands on Shooting industry magazine. This of course is a magazine for dealers. In there they discuss how to get your money...of course. From my impressions though, they are like sharks in a feeding frenzy. It is like they think this increase in sales will last forever. I can feel a disconnect between dealers and the consumer. Believe me, they are out for the almighty buck and they look at us as sheep to be fleeced.
I hate to think that as I always thought there was a loyalty between them and us. They will keep the prices up as long as we spend our money there.
Well, so far they aren't making much from me. I haven't bought a single round of loaded centerfire ammo in over 2 years. I've bought maybe 10 boxes of various rimfire ammo (.22 LR, .22 mag, and .17 HMR) when I found a good deal on it.
The price of loading components is up too, but not as bad as loaded ammo. I've bought a few lbs of powder here and there to keep supplies up, but I'm getting to the point now where I'm going to have to buy some bullets.
Maybe a lead pot and some moulds...
Daryl
about a year or so ago, a person whom I can only charitably refer to as just plain stupid argued with me that due to the fact that the prices of metals had come down off of their century high, ammo prices should be dropping precipitously.
Good God almighty, the price of metals in a box of premium rifle ammo such as 300 winchester doesn't even aproach 5% of the total cost, (IIRC...) and a $40 box of premium 9mm loads at $2 apiece has such a minimal cost of materials that you can barely count the cost of raw materials. Even the raw material cost of generic .22 RF is negligible in 1,000 round boxes.
His only goal was to start an argument, in any case, but that didn't justify passing off such a ridiculous assertion.
My point is, at this juncture, there are still no good reasons to reduce the price of quality ammunition. Demand will always be high, and people will buy, no matter what. The only things that will be sold at discount commodity type pricing are the commodity rounds, like standard .22 lr, 9mm fmj, police contract rounds, and the sort.
They have the best of all scenarios that way. they get volume out of bulk sales of commodity, and the company is made slightly more profitable based on the high margin items.
Nahh, prices won't drop significantly on anything as far as I can see in the near future, if at all, for any reason. The market and industry are not in position for it to happen.
Good God almighty, the price of metals in a box of premium rifle ammo such as 300 winchester doesn't even aproach 5% of the total cost, (IIRC...) and a $40 box of premium 9mm loads at $2 apiece has such a minimal cost of materials that you can barely count the cost of raw materials. Even the raw material cost of generic .22 RF is negligible in 1,000 round boxes.
His only goal was to start an argument, in any case, but that didn't justify passing off such a ridiculous assertion.
My point is, at this juncture, there are still no good reasons to reduce the price of quality ammunition. Demand will always be high, and people will buy, no matter what. The only things that will be sold at discount commodity type pricing are the commodity rounds, like standard .22 lr, 9mm fmj, police contract rounds, and the sort.
They have the best of all scenarios that way. they get volume out of bulk sales of commodity, and the company is made slightly more profitable based on the high margin items.
Nahh, prices won't drop significantly on anything as far as I can see in the near future, if at all, for any reason. The market and industry are not in position for it to happen.
Tonight I shot my Ruger Single Six. Not as much fun but a whole lot cheaper. I guess I will just stare at the box of .44 spl for a while. One of my friends has a reloading set. When I have enough brass saved up I'll buy a die and give reloading a try under supervision. I'm just afraid that I might enjoy it and go on a reloading supply rampage.