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DoctorWho
Senior MemberPosts: 9,496 Senior Member
Average cost of personal defense ammo at the LGS
DoctorWho
Senior MemberPosts: 9,496 Senior Member
I have traditionally used Federal ammo for defensive use,
Hydrashock .45 acp, picked up some today, 25 rounds for $25, $1 a round,
seems like the price has gone up.
Is this the case at most gun stores as of late ?
Hydrashock .45 acp, picked up some today, 25 rounds for $25, $1 a round,
seems like the price has gone up.
Is this the case at most gun stores as of late ?
"There is some evil in all of us, Doctor, even you, the Valeyard is an amalgamation of the darker sides of your nature, somewhere between your twelfth and final incarnation, and I may say, you do not improve with age. Founding member of the G&A forum since 1996
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"Slow is smooth, smooth is fast, and speed is the economy of motion" - Scott Jedlinski
http://www.ammunitiontogo.com/product_info.php/pName/50rds-9mm-federal-le-tactical-hst-124gr-hp-ammo/cName/9mm-hollow-point-ammo
Gun show ammo prices are very good, almost as low as mail order, so whenever I hit the gun show I'll be dragging a little cart of both SD and practice ammo, which then lasts me all year, considering that I shoot regularly but not in large volume these days.
Gunshow prices vary mostly state to state it seems. In Texas where there are gunshows nearly every weekend and the larger dealers (ammo and firearms) set up big tables, you cannot beat the prices on new stuff. Other folks in other states have different reports, and of course in some locales you can't even sell ammo at the gunshow.
It's a sort of rule of thumb that premium SD ammo costs about 2x what good factory load practice ammo does. For practice ammo (FMJ) I try to find S&B (Sellier and Belliot, Belgian, been making ammo for a couple hundred years now) which seems to be about the best price for reliable, clean FMJ practice ammo. The Wolf brand is too smoky for my tastes. And I won't touch that aluminum junk.
Sure, I find bargains here and there, but I've pretty much converted all my SD ammo to CorBon +P PowrBall, which is usually about 2x the cost of any decent "whitebox" practice FMJ ammo. I rarely shoot anything but .45acp so other caliber prices may vary and I woulnd't know.
Well, there's LGS and there's LGS. By LGS I don't mean Academy -- sporting goods stores that also have guns and ammo. What I refer to by "LGS" is a "real" gun store, place that is only a gun store (and of course hunting gear). There are a couple nearby where I buy most all my gun stuff.
I could go to a population center and get ammo, but ding ****, I'm not driving 3-4 hours to buy a box of ammo and then have to drive home.
I buy the same (in .45acp, I presume) and pay between $19 and $22; the TAPS are less than the Critical Defense. It should be noted that Hornady packages them with 20 rounds per box, not 25 like most others that I've seen from Winchester, Federal, and Remington.
Understood. I've never even looked at ammo in Walmart -- too far to drive and the Target's closer, and Academy just down the street. But I try to patronize my "real" gun store if I can, even if their ammo's a bit more expensive than the big box stores.
And yeah, speaking of population center, I'm right smack in the middle of one. Some advantages, some disadvantages, like most things.
Beyond the obnoxious pricing here, you should see the reactions you get from shop owners (if you can find a shop) when you ask, as a civilian, for hollow points. I get the same bizarre, "Look at that guy who just walked out of a space ship" reaction every time. Even more so when I actually express some kind of a preference for a specific ammo. The shop folks cannot seem to fathom why on earth anyone would not want whatever box of crap (they seem always to have only one or two boxes of 20 rounds, and never the same ammo twice in two visits) they happen to have sitting on the shelf, which is invariably 180gr somethingorother.
This has got to be the strangest, most frustrating place on earth for a gun enthusiast. I've concluded that I'm going to need to travel upstate some distance in order to get hold of a decent stock of ammo that I actually like. At the moment, getting enough of any particular ammo to actually test it/practice with it and keep some stock on hand is just about impossible. Sorry for the unrelated rant...
I hate it when shop owners tell you what you want instead of having a choice available for you.
Welcome aboard.
I lived in NYC, I used to buy all My ammo on Long Island cheaper and no requirement other than a drivers licence.
Thanks for the tip! I don't know why LI didn't occur to me. I was thinking I'd eventually have to take a trip upstate and find a Walmart or something. LI would be much easier.
also you might want to look int the WIN PDX'S they are more reasonable about $ 28.00 for 20 we can thank OBAMA FOR THAT!!
I sencierly apologize I used my prices local not at AT LGS
Huh? Please expound upon this revelation...