Ammo prices. Wow!

[918collector]

Went to a gun show over in Columbus, GA today. First one in a while. My first surprise was the huge number of people lined up outside to get in. Never seen that before. My next surprise was what ammo costs nowadays. I haven't been able to do a lot of shooting so I haven't been buying. The first vendor I checked had lots of 9x18 on hand and that was a pleasant surprise, but the prices! Eleven bucks for the cheapest (Brown Bear FMJ) and went up to 23 bucks for Winchester Metric, which, if I recall, is actually made by Prvi Partisan. The only HPs were Silver Bear. Couldn't find any Hornady or Speer HPs.

Heck, the same vendor had those 5.7x28 rounds @ $20 per 50 rounds. Surely there's more 9x18s around than FNs.
I can break out the turret press but didn't see any jacketed bullets in 9Mak diameter. Anybody know what's the best source for some sort of jacketed or plated bullet suitable for the CZ's polygonal bore?

As to guns, saw 2 Maks, both Russian with the adjustable sights and one was a double-stack, one P64 and several CZs. All the guns ran in the $250- $300 range.

[cubsfan]

Ammo prices are still higher than I like, but some guys at gunshows are unbelievable. I have seen dealers selling boxes of ammo for nearly twice the price that you could order it for, even with shipping, and the ammo on their table is way more expensive than all the other guys in the building. Problem is people still buy it.

[eagle71]

Try buying the 9x18 Makarov ammo thru outlets like Sportsman's Guide. If you're a member and you have a discount coupon, a case of 500 rounds of FMJ Silver Bear ammo will cost you appx $120, incl shipping. Silver Bear is good ammo.
Generally, I've seen ammo prices for all calibers of ammo decrease since this time last year.

[918collector]

I think there's still a lot of panic buying going on. Mostly with the military calibers but met a friend there and he was complaining about what 357s cost. I seem to remember during the drought that 380s were nonexistent which was a non-issue with me since I shoot 9x18. Already have to keep them separated from my 9x19s. Don't need another similar size to confuse things further.
I get Sportmans Guide but seem to find better prices in Cheaper Than Dirt. Will have to look again.

[paddywonka]

Silver Bear is more accurate in my P64 and 4)Makarovs,than Fiocchi,Federal,or Hornady.Try AIM Surplus,they are $9.95 a box.Ten boxes with fast shipping,runs under $120.

[juniustaylor]

I like to go through www.ammoengine.com and select what caliber I'm looking for. It does most of the homework for me finding prices. I still browse though Sportsman's Guide, sometimes Cheaper Than Dirt. You can find stuff cheap, just takes a lot of looking. Gunshows around KS are the same, everyone thinks they're selling gold and the gullable buy it without question and the desperate tuck their tails and buy it. I simply wait...

918collector, Winchester Metric is Sellier & Bellot. You can often find headstamps in those boxes with both Winchester and S&B on them in the same box.

[rottenrick]

I order so much on line from Sport's Man's, and CTD, cabela's the 'Brown' driver say's he's lost weight lugging it around. Some times I'll buy just on speculation, or if someone I know is looking for some thing. It's very funny, people get a weird look when you tell them to order off the internet. Some of these gun show kooks. Carry around a J&G flyer in your back pocket at a Gun show. Watch the crook's go pale when you whip that out. It's a neat game. The guys selling hardware, they're just out to make a buck and that's ok'. I don't have to buy. But, the AMMO guys get me. There's only one I do business with, he reloads, does special orders on no notice. A good guy, sure you pay for the convience, but not too much. He's advised me on some 'specialty' ammo that I'll load myself.

[rottenrick]

918, Try Georgia Arms for 9x18 Gold Dot, it's worth the wait. They are just outside ATL.

[cichlid]

I end up buying most of my ammo at Walmart. Kind of funny though, I buy Whinchester white box 9mm there for $10 or $12 per 50 and the gun show ammo dealers are selling it for $20. At my local show, I have one guy that sells me S&B Makarov for $14 per 50, everyone else sells it for $20.

[918collector]

918collector, Winchester Metric is Sellier & Bellot. You can often find headstamps in those boxes with both Winchester and S&B on them in the same box.

Oh, yeah, S&B. I knew it was foreign. I seem to recall buying some Metric 7.62x25 that stated it was from the Czech Republic but didn't see any such marking on the 9x18.

918, Try Georgia Arms for 9x18 Gold Dot, it's worth the wait. They are just outside ATL.

Georgia Arms had a stand at this show but I didn't see any Mak ammo. ATL is less than 2 hrs away. I should just show up there some time and see what they have available in the shop. I assume they have a retail store.

I end up buying most of my ammo at Walmart. You got a Walmart that stocks 9x18? Heck, they ones around here don't even carry 45 Colt. Years ago, I asked a guy behind a Walmart counter if they had 7.62x39 and he told me there was no such thing!

[juniustaylor]

Years ago, I asked a guy behind a Walmart counter if they had 7.62x39 and he told me there was no such thing!

That's crazy. I guess it must all be regional. In the NW states you can find a lot of .25-06 relatively cheap. In the midwest it is not a common caliber, so it comes with a hefty price. The Wal-Marts around Wichita have decent selections of common calibers. As cichlid said, the Federal 9mm costs $9.47 which is an excellent deal. I wish Federal would make 9x18 and market it real cheap to Wally-Mart. I'd buy several boxes if they offered them at $9.47 each. There's a gun show coming up at the end of the week, I think I'll try to find some decent priced ammo, but I'm sure that'll be impossible. At the last one I went to, some guy was selling 7.62x25mm for $14/72 round packs. That's kind of a scam when I can buy that from Sportsman's Guide for about $7.50/72. I know folks have to make a living somehow, but highway robbery is not the answer. However, that's what makes America great I guess, I can say "No thanks" and walk away. I really do recommend that website I listed, the AmmoEngine one. However, use that and do some researching on other places as well, sometimes I think they miss a couple websites.


-Junius

EDIT: I was just doing some looking on GunBroker and WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE? Some clown on there was trying to sell a partial box of CCI Blazer (aluminum case) for $12 $15 shipping for 19 rounds. $27 for 19 rounds (9x18mm). I kind of wish there was an option on GunBroker to report outrageous prices. You can't take that seller seriously so why should they be allowed to sell on GunBroker.

[rottenrick]

918, Go to Georgia arms web site. They didn't have anything on hand, it was special order waited about 9 weeks to get it. I don't know about now. Speer GOLDDOTS

[blackblade]

This week I just got a case of 7.62x25 (silver tin) from Sportsmans Guide and a case of 9x18 (Silver Bear) from Ammunitiontogo.com. Prices are very slightly higher but I think more and more people are starting to figure out the better deals on the cheaper C&R and Eastern Euro guns and ammo. Thankfully I have stocked up on ammo over the years but I may have to add a few more cases if I see a trend. Still adding 9x18, 7.62x25, 7.92x57 and 7,62x54R.

[Arik]

About $15-20 here near Philly Pa

[Foo Bird]

I like to go through www.ammoengine.com and select what caliber I'm looking for. It does most of the homework for me finding prices. I still browse though Sportsman's Guide, sometimes Cheaper Than Dirt. You can find stuff cheap, just takes a lot of looking. Gunshows around KS are the same, everyone thinks they're selling gold and the gullable buy it without question and the desperate tuck their tails and buy it. I simply wait...

918collector, Winchester Metric is Sellier & Bellot. You can often find headstamps in those boxes with both Winchester and S&B on them in the same box.

That's pretty handy, but it misses my favorite place. Ammo to Go.
I remember during the shortage that certain people were causing local shortages to profit from it.
They would buy up all the ammo at Wal-Mart then sell it for at least double what they paid on gunbroker. I laughed when the supply caught up for a bit and they had a bunch of ammo they couldn't move, but needed to.

EDIT: I see the ammo buying has picked up again. Some of my favorite picks are gone-everywhere.