Where do you buy your components?

[Ghuqu2]

I am starting out (again) reloading and was wondering where do you by your components? Are gun shows still the cheapest place to get parts? I'm mostly looking for jacketed or plated bullets for 9mm and 38/357, and powder. If I buy only from Midway, the prices seem more than buying loaded cartridges from Wally world. Any suggestions?

Also, I'm used to using Unique for my 9mm and 38 reloads, is there a better powder for light to moderate loaded target ball rounds? What about full power ball rounds?

Thanks for the impute in advance, your advice has steered me well.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[sui-juris]

I like Natchez's - Rainier bullets, seem to be good value.

[fatboy97]

Local gun store has the best deals around here for powder and primers... I shop online for bullets and find brass on some forums. Just keep Googling until you find good deals.

[Tubby45]

Midway and Cabela's are pricey for HazMat stuff. I shop locally or order from Powder Valley. I have a dealer account at Graf's so now I order from them.

[sniper58]

Powder & primers at my local shop. Bullets at Midway or at a show. Show's are tricky because you need to factor your admission price (unless you chalk it up to entertainment) into your overall purchase. Natchez has good deals too so browse Laddy, browse!

[Tubby45]

Midsouth Shooter's is also good. There is a sticky in the forum here with a bunch of vendors. Enjoy.

[Ram Rod]

Powders and primers locally, bullets and brass through Midway usually. Most of my dies, trimmers, gauges, loadbooks, accessories come through Midway also.

[ELCruisr]

Cases are collected from local range. Bullets either from Laser Cast or Midway depending on sales and shipping. Powder and primers are from a dealer at a local gun show. Admission is cheaper than shipping!

[xsquidgator]

Cases = mostly range pickup (amazing how many people STILL don't reload, despite the cost of factory ammo isn't it)

For hard to find brass (like European rifle calibers),
BrassmanBrass.com, Superior Shooter's Supply, Cabelas, Midsouth Shooter's Supply, Midway.

Bullets: all the places above, plus I look around the internet brass places too that I listed above. For practice ammo, a bunch of places have ok prices on plain lead bullets (like BrassmanBrass had a clearance a few months ago on lead FP pistol bullets). I like the Ranier (sp?) and Berry's plated bullets also, although they are pricier than plain lead.

Powder/primers: either a gun show or the internet. Internet--> Powder Valley. Around here the gun shows only come maybe every 6-10 weeks and I was concerned about them having the primers I wanted, especially small rifle primers. It's a $20 hazmat fee and about $10 shipping on an internet order of powder/primers, but Powder Valley's prices are better than anything else I've found. If you make a big buy their low unit price makes up for the shipping/hazmat. By my calculation on my recent big order from them, including shipping and hazmat fees I got a big once-a-year stockup re-supply that would have cost me at least $340 at the gun show. If you save up for a big order, especially if you pool yours and one or two other people's orders together, you come out ahead.

Don't get me wrong, I still like to go to the gun show to get beef jerky and browse, but my days of going there to buy 50# of lead bullets and kegs of powder are probably past. I'll let the fedex guy carry all the heavy stuff.


There is also a Gander Mountain store in my area that has a limited selection of reloading components. Expensive boolits mostly intended for hunting, a pretty good selection of powders, and sometimes lead boolits for plinking. Recently the Gander Mountain was actually OUT of small rifle primers (well, they had maybe a couple of hundred total left in the whole store but I wasn't going to drive 40+ miles roundtrip for that). If you live near one it might be worth checking out, but I've kind of converted to buying in bulk over the internet and getting a wider selection of components.

[vernonator]

So what exactly is a Boolit?

[Tubby45]

Boolits are cast bullets. Bullets are normal jacketed bullets.

There is a forum for people who cast bullets. It's called castboolits.gunloads.com. Great site.

Usually people who use the term 'boolit' are also members of that forum. Sort of like a secret handshake. I don't buy bullets, I make my own boolits.

[coffeecup]

Wherever I can get the best deals. I never buy powder or primers and have them shipped because of the #$%& Hazmat charges.

[vernonator]

Boolits are cast bullets. Bullets are normal jacketed bullets.

There is a forum for people who cast bullets. It's called castboolits.gunloads.com. Great site.

Usually people who use the term 'boolit' are also members of that forum. Sort of like a secret handshake. I don't buy bullets, I make my own boolits.

LOL...You learn something new every day....


Okay to throw a question in here...I used to reload with a buddy who has since moved away with all the gear. I am trying to make a case to the wife that it will save money to buy the gear. What is a reasonable price to reload .45 ACP range rounds per 100?

[Supertac45]

Midway is where I'm gathering my stuff from.

[frankmako]

Local gun stores have the best deals around here for powder and primers. I shop online for bullets. I use Zero Bullett Company/Rose Distribution and National Bullet Company. But bullets have gone up!!! So it looks like I will get the cast lead pot out. Brass I pickup after range day at work.