Midway has factory second bullets on sale

Big Chief

You might be able to find something you need/want there.

I've never had any trouble using factory seconds or blemished bullets before.

Spk

Good selection 👍.

Thx Chief.

https://www.midwayusa.com/s?userSearchQuery=Blemished+bullets&uac=true&userItemsPerPage=24

knitepoet

Looks like sierra seconds this go round.
the 30cal 125gr hp/fp is the giveaway

Zee

There are some good ones there. 

Bigslug

Geez!  $27 per 100 as a SALE PRICE on a factory second blemished .308 Match King????

Are they smoking crack, or have I just been casting my own too long?

knitepoet

Bigslug said:

Geez!  $27 per 100 as a SALE PRICE on a factory second blemished .308 Match King????

Are they smoking crack, or have I just been casting my own too long?

Well, the 175gr match HP are $27.29
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/988280/factory-second-match-bullets-30-caliber-308-diameter-175-grain-hollow-point-boat-tail-box-of-100-bulk-packaged

Sierra 175 Matchkings are $36.04
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1482335572/sierra-matchking-bullets-30-caliber-308-diameter-175-grain-hollow-point-boat-tail

That's nearly a 25% discount

Bigslug

Soooo. . .smoked crack at the regular price, and drank bong water at the sale price?

mitdr774

You dont price shop bullets often do you?  The "smoke crack" price is right in the ball park for match bullets.  

If you want "cheap" then you have to stick to .224" bullets or maybe some Speer bullets.  Sierra, Nosler, Hornady, and a few others are all priced in the same general area as each other.  Given the cost of materials, machinery, environmental, and operations Im kinda shocked they dont cost more than they do and are still made here.

Big Chief

When the price of copper (shortage?) went up a few years ago, jacketed bullets took quite a jump. What used to used cost under $20 per 100 jumped to $25-30 and up.

As usual, everyone along the chain added a little cost.

Yep, you can still find .224 bullets (FMJs) in bulk for decent price. Calibers above that start getting real expensive.

Gotta shop around and look for sales/specials at every Internet joint you frequent and be prepared to buy 250- 500 or 1000 ct to save the most.   

breamfisher

Not a bad price on bullets, if not for shipping. 

I can get 168 gr. AMax for $27 locally, so I'd rather pay about as much (when you figure shipping) and support an actual local reloading shop.

mitdr774

I have yet to find a good local source for reloading supplies.  If I go to the West side of the state to visit a buddy we usually hit up the places out there.  

earlyagain

They had a good price on Sierra 300gr jsp .429s. Both clearance and $1.00 cheaper for factory seconds. I been researching data and my notes. Data calls for coal of 1.735.. My notes say my Ruger SBH cylinder is 1.703.. Was gonna load hot H110 loads with a heavy crimp. I think I'll pass and get Hornady xtps.

gmerkt

Look at those factory second bullets at Midway again.  Right now and for the past few days, the seconds are the same price as boxed first line bullets.  The little green 30% off is gone.  Huh?  Somebody may truly be smoking crack there with this bit of pricing wisdom.  Or maybe it's just a mistake waiting to get corrected, but I can't imagine any customer buying seconds for full price. 

When offered, I've been buying Midway's factory seconds for many years.  This time around, not such a good deal even before the 30% discount over boxed regulars disappeared.   Much as I've enjoyed buying these in the past, Midway has eliminated much of the incentive for doing it now.  In any case, the factory seconds are not flying out the door as they've done in the past; I can tell by how long they have been in stock.  

Well,  maybe this is a way for Midway to recoup some of the free shipping money they have been giving up more and more frequently to get people to buy.   Now that so many online sales outfits offer free shipping, it's become a disease that most customers expect to get as a matter of routine.  Larry Potterfield, if you're listening, I'm one of those guys who holds stuff in his cart until the latest free shipping pops up on the home page, then I push the order button.  

Oh, and that big jump in copper prices that occurred 2010-11 which was used as an excuse for bullet manufacturers to bump prices.  That's gone away.  Copper was $4.50 in late 2010;  now it's under $3.00.  

gmerkt

This evening, I returned to the Midway site.  Low and behold, most of the factory second bullets are reduced in price again.  Mostly 30%, some 40% and two or three 50%.  .338's are in the 50% category, for example.  Several items, strangely enough, even though blems, are still carrying the full retail price same as boxed regulars.  I can only guess why Midway put the factory seconds at full price, but maybe they finally caught on.  Or maybe Larry P. has someone who reads these comments on the internet.  

snake284

breamfisher said:

Not a bad price on bullets, if not for shipping. 

I can get 168 gr. AMax for $27 locally, so I'd rather pay about as much (when you figure shipping) and support an actual local reloading shop.

Me too. If I'm not saving at least 20%-25% I'd rather support local interest. By the time you add in shipping you haven't saved caca.

shootbrownelk

Midsouth shooters supply has much better deals than Midway for bullets & brass.

Teach

I had a big order made up the last time they offered "blem" bullets, and cancelled it when they added the outrageous shipping charges at the checkout page.  Somebody at Midway actually emailed me to ask why I cancelled the order.  I told them if somebody wants to rob me he needs to do it up close and personal, and use a gun!

  

1961LC

Update 1-24-2020.  I've been watching the Midway site and the pricing and availability of their factory seconds for the past few months.  They seem to have this product in batches.  I've been buying the factory seconds for many years.  Their pricing lately is erratic and incomprehensible.  Generally in recent times, they discount 30%.  But they take that discount off for periods of time, offering the factory seconds for as much as first line bullets.  You can look through the items, a small fraction less than first line, or on select items, priced even a bit higher than first line.  Not a good deal.  This very day, they are in one of those periods where they lifted the discounts.  I can't figure out this marketing strategy. 

In recent times, they have started with higher initial pricing on factory seconds, so even when the 30% kicks in, it's not that great a deal.  I know I'm not the only one following these trends and noticing the lack of discount.  Because when these are truly a good deal, they sell quickly.  At present, inventory is lingering.  Larry Potterfield, if you are listening, remember that you can't make money on merch. that sits on the shelf.  

Used to be, Midway factory second bullets started with a baseline price that was less than full price first line product.  Then they applied their p/c discount and under those circumstances these were often a very good deal.  There are reasons these are factory seconds and there must be a true price incentive to cause customers to buy them.  

Six-Gun

You definitely need to do the math when buying these (at least check the price per bullet listed), but I got a smoking deal on a 250 count box of 250 gr. Hornady FTX...I mean "unknown manufacturer"...factory seconds.  They had a good discount *and* were running the free shipping on $49 deal at the same time.  Tossed in a PMAG for my AR-15 to meet the shipping threshold and was good to go.

I said it recently, but Midway has gotten my business again by offering these $49 shipping deals, especially when they offer them on top of existing sales.

knitepoet

@1961LC, yep, I just looked and "Blemished" 30 cal 165 HP (Look AMAZINGLY like a Sierra Gameking)  are $32.99/100.
Factory first Sierra GameKing 165gr HP are on sale for $29.69/100

Who in their right mind would pay more for blems, than first quality???