Where do you buy your components?

Ghuqu2 · January 29th, 2008, 03:59 PM

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.

sui-juris · January 29th, 2008, 06:30 PM

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

fatboy97 · January 29th, 2008, 07:56 PM

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 · January 30th, 2008, 12:02 AM

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 · January 30th, 2008, 12:13 AM

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 · January 30th, 2008, 12:16 AM

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

Ram Rod · January 30th, 2008, 02:58 AM

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

ELCruisr · January 30th, 2008, 07:00 AM

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 · January 31st, 2008, 01:29 PM

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 · January 31st, 2008, 01:39 PM

So what exactly is a Boolit?

January 29th, 2008, 03:59 PM	#1
Ghuqu2 Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Missouri Posts: 228	Where do you buy your components? 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. __________________ "The millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us." Patrick Henry 1775 Vegetarian: Indian for inept hunter.

January 29th, 2008, 07:56 PM	#3
fatboy97 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Land of 10k Lakes Posts: 858	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. __________________ Be Observant and Be Safe. Current Collection: Glock G26, G19, G23C, SIG P226-40 TT, Ruger GP-100, and 22/45 MKII Former Collection: Taurus 92SS, SIG P220 TT, S&W 360, SIG P239-40

January 30th, 2008, 12:02 AM	#4
Tubby45 Distinguished Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: In the reloading room Posts: 1,988	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. __________________ Freakshow Manufacturing LLC "You can kill it. We can help." 07 FFL/ 02 SOT

January 30th, 2008, 12:13 AM	#5
sniper58 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Colorado Posts: 1,051	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! __________________ Tim BE PREPARED - Noah didn't build the Ark when it was raining! The price of freedom is eternal vigilance. Thomas Jefferson ________ NRA Life Member

January 30th, 2008, 12:16 AM	#6
Tubby45 Distinguished Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: In the reloading room Posts: 1,988	Midsouth Shooter's is also good. There is a sticky in the forum here with a bunch of vendors. Enjoy. __________________ Freakshow Manufacturing LLC "You can kill it. We can help." 07 FFL/ 02 SOT

January 29th, 2008, 06:30 PM	#2
sui-juris Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: MI Posts: 418	I like Natchez's - Rainier bullets, seem to be good value.

January 30th, 2008, 02:58 AM	#7
Ram Rod VIP Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: crawford county, arkansas Posts: 5,206	Powders and primers locally, bullets and brass through Midway usually. Most of my dies, trimmers, gauges, loadbooks, accessories come through Midway also. __________________ RamRod-----sans remords

January 30th, 2008, 07:00 AM	#8
ELCruisr Distinguished Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Central FL Posts: 1,876	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! __________________ If you stand up and be counted, from time to time you may get yourself knocked down. But remember this: A man flattened by an opponent can get up again. A man flattened by conformity stays down for good. ~ Thomas J. Watson, Jr.

January 31st, 2008, 01:29 PM	#9
xsquidgator Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Florida Posts: 268	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.

January 31st, 2008, 01:39 PM	#10
vernonator Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Iowa Posts: 347	So what exactly is a Boolit?

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