Ammo Component price gouging with bullets, primers and powders has been painful over the past three years. If you shoot competition or enjoy shooting long range with the best ammo, you have seen the prices sky rocket. One of the learning lessons for myself at least was where the best places are to shop and where to stay far away from. Another big issue that everyone has felt is merely sourcing components for reloading. This coupled with being unsure of the legitimacy of smaller venders or first time purchases with a company can make this painful. I can say that many nights have been spent scouring the internet looking for Berger 6mm projectiles. This article we will be covering the different vendors and show the prices of the same bullet across 10 different vendors.
Now one of the issues I have been approached by people over is where I am finding bullets. This can be difficult if you do not know where to look. On Berger’s website it has a vendors page with links. That is where I was able to find a few vendors that do not usually pop up immediately on Google. With that out of the way, I decided to get a screen shot of all 10 vendors and speak briefly about experiences with them. I also want to add that there is zero affiliation with any of them. All these screenshots are current as of today 2/8/22. I chose the Berger 105 grain VLD Target. This bullet is very popular and so the price is usually slowly going up constantly. HOW TO MAKE DENSITY ALTITUDE DATA CARDS
First thing that pops up…
If you see this screenshot and the price below, try not to cry. This is MIDWAYUSA.COM with their current insane price of $56.99 for a 100 pack. Midway generally has good customer service and the shipping has always been realistic. With the market changing due to the past two years and COVID, companies like this have decided to raise their prices to a point where I refuse to do business with them until they lower their price back down. There is no excuse for being $8.50 higher than the average price across 10 vendors. This leads me to the next point, the highest price found was $56.99, and the lowest $40.00. So there is hope, but it is still crazy. $48.49 was the median cost for these bullets.
SECOND BEST, OR BEST FOR SECOND?
I have been using Brunoshooters.com for the past two years. They are based out of Arizona and have always kept a wide selection of products including Lapua brass and Berger bullets. This company also generally sends you matching lot number boxes of bullets when you purchase them in bundle packs. Bruno came in at the lowest price for these bullets at $40.00. This is reasonable right now but reminds me of the good ol’ days not too long ago of sub $40.00 Bergers. Bruno has fast shipping and the customer service is awesome. I highly recommend them. Check them out at BRUNOSHOOTERS.COM
BLUECOLLARRELOADING.COM
Blue collar reloading has been a life saver this past 2 years. Every time I am in a pinch, they have the bullets I need. They came in at $43.95 for the 105VLD and are still under the median price of 48.49. Not bad for pricing but when you cannot find bullets, sometimes you have to pay a few extra bucks to get what you need. I love this company and so far since I have been using them have had nothing but great service from them. They are listed on Berger’s website as a vendor. Definitely bookmark this company because they run sales that will beat everyone else. When they run sales, I purchase at a minimum of 500 packs. Bluecollarreloading.com
NOTORIOUS PRICE GOUGER…
BROWNELLS.COM is a very reputable company. The only issue I have with them is the ammo component price gouging. As soon as this ammo crisis flared up, they capitalized by crushing the consumers wallets. Another example of a good company that I refuse to do business with until they meet the median prices at a minimum. $50.99 is where they came in. Not the craziest number so far but if you search for some other fan favorite projectiles, your mouth will drop at the crazy prices.
SCHEELS
I have used this company numerous times and they have a very wide selection of reloading supplies. Their customer service is good and their shipping is fast. My issue with them over the past few years is that they sometimes have things in stock on their site, but show that they are unavailable for shipment. That is super frustrating when you finally find something you have been scouring the internet for and finally find something, just to see that they won’t ship. They came in under the median price barely with $45.99. With that being said, they have really good deals sometimes depending on the bullet you’re shopping for, in particular, the Hornady or Sierra brand bullets. Check them out at SCHEELS.COM
BULLETCENTRAL.COM
I want to start by saying that I love this company and they always run deals. They came in just under the median price at $47.99. A little pricey for this bullet but they have a wide selection and usually have bullets in stock. They have “members only” setup where you have to make an account that is free, but something to be aware of. Check them out at BULLETCENTRAL.COM
GRAF THE GOUGERS AND INSANE WAIT TIMES…
This company is legit and used to have reasonable prices, but yet again, joined in on the “crazy price train.” I also want to add that I experienced an almost 1 year wait for an 8lb of powder on back order. Not sure if it was their fault or not, but something to consider. They came in second place for the highest price at $53.99 a box. That’s a complete gouge price. I refuse to do business with them until they get closer to the median price again for the market. Also they charge for shipping on top of HAZMAT for powders. It is safe to assume you are going to pay almost $40.00 more bucks for any purchase of powder. grafs.com
Ammo Component Price Gouging
MIDSOUTHSHOOTERSUPPLY.COM
Not to be confused with MIDWAYUSA.COM, MIDSOUTHSHOOTERSUPPLY.COM is a legitimate business and has been a real go-to for us with sourcing primers here at WILDESIDEPRECISION.COM. They came in just over the median price at $49.29 per box. With that being said, they have in the past had competitive prices so something to consider. I will order from them, but will shop around first. Check them out at midsouthshootersupply.com
PRECISIONRELOADING.COM
At just over the median price with $49.63, this company is a legit business and they can be trusted. They are on Berger’s website as a vendor. We have used them in the past when they run deals or on bulk orders and the prices are reasonable. Hopefully they don’t jump on the “gouge train.” Check them out at Precisionreloading.com
LAST BUT NOT LEAST….
At just under the median, they came in at $46.49 a box. NATCHEZSS.COM is an awesome company and can be trusted with fast shipping and great customer service. They have a wide selection of outdoor equipment along with any ammunition or reloading supplies. They are definitely a business to keep an eye on for in stock supplies. Check them out at Natchezss.com Applied Ballistics
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