Cheap Ammo Brands - Any of it good enough?

GarandTd
I shoot federal, wwb, and Remington green box 9mm all for less than $10/50 rounds picked up locally at big box stores. How much does shipping offset the savings when ordering online? Honest question since I've never ordered ammo online.
Good question,- but are you including tax in your purchase prices? Because unless you're buying online from a place in your own state, the price you see listed is the price, not price vs tax.

Savings tend to beat the store prices for me. As an example right now, Selway Armory ran a deal on Yavex 9mm (a Turkish brand that pops up from time to time, brass case, sealed primers, loaded hot, runs well) that I got at $8.50 a box, if you bought in bulk. That was total price, to door. I had used it before and like it, so I bought the required amount to qualify for free shipping.
SGammo has Sellier & Bellot white box 124 gr ammo for 173.80 a case, + 16 shipped, for a total of $190, or basically $9.50 a box. That's also very good stuff, and if I hadn't got the Yavex, I'd look at this.
Targetsportsusa has Magtech 115 gr FMJ for $190 a case, free shipping, so again $9.50.
Sportsman's Guide, if you join their buyer's club (I think it's around $30 a year) has Sellier and Bellot 115 gr 9mm (in the commercial boxes) for $9.49, with free shipping codes available for over $75.

Where you really start saving is in figuring in rifle ammo, or calibers other than 9mm. I can find PPU brass ammo for 7.65 Argentine for $14 a box of 20, something I can't find at all except in one big LGS, and it's closer to $30 there. I can find Fiocchi .32 acp for under $13 a box of 50, that caliber in anything runs around $20 in stores nearby. Can usually find Blazer Brass .45 acp for around $13-14 a box of 50, again I can't find that caliber under $20 in stores.

If you can get free shipping and bundle up enough to stock up for a year, you usually save quite a bit in the process.
 
Others have mentioned it but Sellier & Bellot is my "go to" range ammo for my handguns. Reasonably cheap, reliable, and shoots as well as I am able. As noted also by others by in bulk, get free shipping, and you are good to go. Their packaging, which takes up less space then traditional packaging at least in 9MM, does not hurt anything.
 
Ive had problems with MAXX TECH .380 ammo in the 100 rd value can

hard primers and misfires, the brass shows very light primer strikes, I heard it's unreliable in striker fired pistols

worked OK in my Browning BDA .380 with regular hammer design, but the primers seem to be extra thick or hard? I dont plan on buying anymore MAXX TECH made in BOSNIA.

only $26 for a 100 round value pack at BASS PRO

now I know why it's a little cheaper, it's no good, poor quality control, unreliable

:o
 
Brandcasterr, do you reload? If so, you will need to stay with brands that are available to you and feature boxer-primed brass cases. If you don't reload, then do you care whether it was made in the USA (to keep American workers employed)? If not, then start with the cheapest stuff you can find. If it works for you, good. If it doesn't, then go to the next cheapest and try it. Repeat until you get function and satisfaction at the lowest price.
 
Brandcasterr
I have a few older handguns that I really only want to use the best for
What guns, calibers?

We've went off on a parade of comments, but the truth is, some of these are much better options in certain chamberings.

It sounds silly, but I find that the European rds (S&B, Fiocchi, Geco etc) are the better ammo in .9mm and .32, guns that have European heritage. Often cheaper, and loaded to correct strength. The US loads are often a little weak, and some older guns don't cycle them that well.
I particularly recommend S&B in 9, Fiocchi in .32.

In US calibers like .45 acp, the US brands work fine and Blazer Brass seems to be the consistently cheapest I've seen. Works great. I've seen S&B ammo at good prices but haven't tried it.

Haven't heard much in revolver, other than stay away from Tula steel- it often jams in the cylinder.
 
I generally buy AMERICAN ammo because the quality is higher than the overseas foreigner brands but you have to admit they are cheaper and if they go bang and make a hole who cares right ? ?
 
I had a lot of light strike trouble with 9mm WWB in my Ruger SR9.

Also my Kahr CT380 won't run the .380 at all.

Both guns shoot everything else without a problem.
 
I generally buy AMERICAN ammo because the quality is higher than the overseas foreigner brands but you have to admit they are cheaper and if they go bang and make a hole who cares right ? ?

I thought the same way but then I figured it like this. I go shoot my pistols, come home, clean my pistols and get ready for the next trip. So either way if I use American ammo or cheap Russian that is dirtier I still thoroughly clean my guns the same anyway. I also like to save where I can...:)
 
I have shot all of the brands that you mentioned and they are all good to go, from my experience. Some run hotter and some are dirtier, but all are functional. Stay away from TULAMMO, that would be my advice.
 
Model12Win: said:
I generally buy AMERICAN ammo because the quality is higher than the overseas foreigner brands but you have to admit they are cheaper and if they go bang and make a hole who cares right ? ?

Win White Box and that Win USAForged steel cased ammo are two of the dirtiest American-made factory ammo brands I've encountered. All of the foreign brands I've used are cleaner than those Winchester brands. But again, clean your hands before & after you clean the gun then go buy lunch with the $ you saved buying the cheaper ammo.
 
Most of the ones you've listed I've shot. Actually they all work pretty well and never been a problem in any of my guns.
 
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