Price of .223 Ammo

[nelson96]

Similar to the .22lr thread, I thought we could let others know when there is a sale on .223 ammo.

At my local Cabela's.....  Starting Thursday (2/26) they are offering 300 rounds of PMC 55gr FMJ in a dry-storage box (plastic) at a price of $99.99 with no said limits.  This is a pretty good price considering is has been a couple of years since I have been able to find it under $7/box, locally and without shipping charges.

[Beetle]

Bi-mart today had American Eagle for 6.99 box.

[nelson96]

Bi-mart today had American Eagle for 6.99 box.

My find is a little better ($6.67 equals a $16 savings on a thousand rounds), but that's nothing to snear at.  Did they have a limit?  Two years ago I was buying the cheap Federal for $5.99/box and if I purchased a thousand rounds I got a free 50mm ammo can.

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[David in MN]

I can on rare days find 5.56 Federal on sale at my local Fleet Farm for $5.99-6.99. That said, I could practically throw a rock and hit the ATK production building in Anoka (city just north of me). It seems like Federal passes the shipping savings on (just a guess) because Winchester white never goes below $7.99-8.99. You'd think the shipping savings would be better for sending hunks of lead around the country. Or maybe Fleet Farm handles local shipping?

The Federal retirees lament the days when they'd let employees take as much as they could shoot home.

If you have a local ammo producer, it might be a way to save. Just a thought.

[nelson96]

I can on rare days find 5.56 Federal on sale at my local Fleet Farm for $5.99-6.99. That said, I could practically throw a rock and hit the ATK production building in Anoka (city just north of me). It seems like Federal passes the shipping savings on (just a guess) because Winchester white never goes below $7.99-8.99. You'd think the shipping savings would be better for sending hunks of lead around the country. Or maybe Fleet Farm handles local shipping?

The Federal retirees lament the days when they'd let employees take as much as they could shoot home.

If you have a local ammo producer, it might be a way to save. Just a thought.

No local producer here.  I don't really even need the ammo right now, but am all about stocking up when prices hit a certain point.  I'm not going to be like my father and tell stories to my children and grandchildren that start out like "before you were born I could have bought X for X and now I can't afford to buy it".

[bdhutier]

SA,TX area:

Just bought Monarch (Serbian) 55gn .223 for about $5.50 (20rd box, steel) a couple of days ago at Academy.  Tulammo is priced about $.50 cheaper a box at Wally World, but it's rarely in stock.  The next cheapest is around $7 for AE.

The Monarch isn't awesome, but I'm all in about 4" at 40m offhand through a 1/8" bbl.

[Beetle]

4 box limit at Bi-Mart. I just buy a few boxes here and there to build up stock. I have a buddy who is a sponsored shooter so every now and then I score something from him.

[d3nni5]

PMC .223 from Bulk Ammo.   I paid $372 (including shipping) for 1000 rnds.  With my MSB discount.

http://www.bulkammo.com/1000-rounds-of-223-ammo-by-pmc-55gr-fmjbt

It was on sale, not anymore

[nelson96]

PMC .223 from Bulk Ammo.   I paid $372 (including shipping) for 1000 rnds.  With my MSB discount.

http://www.bulkammo.com/1000-rounds-of-223-ammo-by-pmc-55gr-fmjbt

It was on sale, not anymore

So my OP post at $300.00/900 was good then, especially with 3 free dry-storage boxes. . . . .  Comes out to $333.33/1000

[d3nni5]

So my OP post at $300.00/900 was good then, especially with 3 free dry-storage boxes. . . . .  Comes out to $333.33/1000

Yeah,   free dry boxes and no limit?   I may have to drive up to wheeling this weekend

[nelson96]

Yeah,   free dry boxes and no limit?   I may have to drive up to wheeling this weekend

The dry boxes are junk, for use with ammo, but handy for other things.
The add didn't list a limit.
I didn't notice earlier that the sale didn't start until Thursday.
Went down yesterday evening and they turned me away. 

[nelson96]

Obama is giving up on banning our guns and is now going after ammo, since ammo is not protected under our constitution.  Even though the ammo he is currently going after is "mil-spec green tip", that doesn't mean he won't go after others if he is successful with this one.  Even if this plan doesn't work for him, I predict that it will start another frenzy causing shortage, that will start before the last one ends.  And because ALL .223/5.56 ammo will be targeted by low information buyers, ANY .223/5.56 ammo will be the first that is hard to find.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/article/2560750

For that reason, I went to Cabela's today and bought 1800 rounds of the ammo I mentioned in my OP.  If you're interested in some, you better hurry, it was going fast.

When I got home, I was able to fit 78 boxes (1560 rounds) of ammo in to one dry-storage box, which are better quality than I anticipated.  I'll use the other five, now empty, storage boxes for something else.

.

[Smurf Hunter]

When I'm either in OR or anywhere near the Columbia River, I make a point to head to the nearest Bi-Mart on the Oregon side and get whatever I can't get at home.
Avoiding sales tax is worth almost 10% to me.

The majority of my .223 is bulk hand loading.  I buy the $10.99 bag of 55gr hornady soft tips (shooting steel is more interesting than paper IMHO).
(Here's the FMJ link if interested: http://www.natchezss.com/product.cfm?contentID=productDetail&prodID=HO2267BAG&src=tpCtg)
.223 isn't the easiest or most fun cartridge to reload, but until I can buy retail @ $0.22/round it's cheaper if I'm willing to do it.

I've also recently got into the steel cased Tula .223, as that's available locally $4.99/20rnds before tax.
It's a little rougher on the gun, but the replacement cost for my barrel is < $200.  It functions ok, but I'm convinced it is loaded hotter or something about it hits high at 50 yards.

[nelson96]

.223 isn't the easiest or most fun cartridge to reload, but until I can buy retail @ $0.22/round it's cheaper if I'm willing to do it.

My problem is that I'm not willing to reload it for the reasons you mentioned. 
$203.94 is what I would have saved on my recent purchase (1800 rounds), using your $0.22/round cost to reload, how long would that take you to load that many?

Pricing may dictate a change very soon.

[d3nni5]

The same deal started today at my Cabelas.   I got the day off tomorrow.  I just bought 1000 last week.    I think I may take the morning and go get some more.    It is a good price.

[Smurf Hunter]

My problem is that I'm not willing to reload it for the reasons you mentioned. 
$203.94 is what I would have saved on my recent purchase (1800 rounds), using your $0.22/round cost to reload, how long would that take you to load that many?

Pricing may dictate a change very soon.

Brass prep is the most time consuming step.  I got some nifty tools as Christmas gifts that help with neck trimming.
What I do when I am bored, or want to escape my house of screaming children, is retreat to the garage and do things in batches.

When I have fired range brass, I dump into the tumbler.  I do this to clean off debris and protect my dies more than to make it pretty.  I let it run 30 minutes while I do something else.
Then I spray with case lube in batches of 50.
Next I full length size and deprime.  I haven't timed this, but how quickly can I set a case into the shell holder and pull the press arm?
OPTIONAL (do this for first time fired military brass) neck trim, and swage primer pockets
When I've accumulated 100 or the desired quantity in this state I stop.

I use an RCBS hand primer, which works fantastic sitting on the couch.  This allows me to tolerate TV my wife insists on watching.
I prefer a hand primer for 5.56 since I can FEEL if a primer pocket is tight and requires reaming.  I just set aside any stubborn cases.

At this point I probably have a couple hundred cases all ready for charging and seating.  I sent maybe an hour resizing 200 if you count all the above steps.
Then another hour priming - but that was time I would have wasted on the couch any how.

Another benefit of this process, is I can then wait to loadfor the occasion.  Maybe I want soft points for steel.  Maybe a distant cousin invites me to go varmiting.  While I have my pet loads, I have a variety of bullets and powders.  No reason to commit hundreds to a certain load recipe before you know what the circumstances are.

I do all this with a single stage - and frankly given the additional brass prep needed for NATO cases, a progressive wouldn't work well with varied neck lengths and primer pocket thicknesses.

[nelson96]

So what you are saying is that 1800 rounds would require a shit load of time that could be better spent doing more important ammo where reloads are easier to do and the time/cost/benefit makes more sense? 

[jerseyboy]

PMC .223 from Bulk Ammo.   I paid $372 (including shipping) for 1000 rnds.  With my MSB discount.

http://www.bulkammo.com/1000-rounds-of-223-ammo-by-pmc-55gr-fmjbt

It was on sale, not anymore

Wow, the prices really went up. I got 1000 rounds of 5.56 PMC FMJ 55gr for $320 plus shipping back in January. That same item now costs $475.

Jerseyboy

[nelson96]

Wow, the prices really went up. I got 1000 rounds of 5.56 PMC FMJ 55gr for $320 plus shipping back in January.

I realize shipping charges are based on zones, but if you don't mind me asking, what was the shipping charge?

[jerseyboy]

I realize shipping charges are based on zones, but if you don't mind me asking, what was the shipping charge?

$16.55 plus $0.38 for over boxing

[nelson96]

So it was?

$320
$16.55
$0.38
$336.93/1000

[jerseyboy]

So it was?

$320
$16.55
$0.38
$336.93/1000

Yes. Except for my typo. $325, not $320.  So $341.93 with shipping. I just checked my order again.  I also accidentally hit the reorder button and a message popped up that they are being swamped with orders right now and to expect delays in shipping.  I wonder why...?

Jerseyboy

[Beetle]

What's a good number in your guys mind to have on the shelf of .556? I'm not in panic mode. I'm slow and steady at building up stock for now. I like the 420 round cans of M855 when they go on sale at Bi-Mart for $169. I also read an article today that the NRA is getting backup from the politicians in D.C. so that is some good news.

[Smurf Hunter]

So what you are saying is that 1800 rounds would require a shit load of time that could be better spent doing more important ammo where reloads are easier to do and the time/cost/benefit makes more sense? 

Perhaps, but I fear the day may come that having my .223 reloading squared away is the difference maker.

As info, in half the time I can cast the lead bullets AND reload as many .38spl - and they cost half the price of .223 components.

I really want a lever gun in .357mag...

[nelson96]

I really want a lever gun in .357mag...

My wife really likes her GP100 and having it is going to be my excuse for a lever gun at some point.

[Smurf Hunter]

My wife really likes her GP100 and having it is going to be my excuse for a lever gun at some point.

Your wife has excellent taste (in guns at least).

[Beetle]

Perhaps, but I fear the day may come that having my .223 reloading squared away is the difference maker.

As info, in half the time I can cast the lead bullets AND reload as many .38spl - and they cost half the price of .223 components.

I really want a lever gun in .357mag...

   Browning used to have a sweet .357 lever gun along with it's big brother in .44 Magnum, not sure if they still make them or not, You might want to research it and find out. Smurf if your ever near Portland again let me know I have a lot of used .223 brass you can have.

[nelson96]

   Browning used to have a sweet .357 lever gun along with it's big brother in .44 Magnum, not sure if they still make them or not, You might want to research it and find out.

I'm guessing you're talking about the BLR?  My wife has one of those too (I won it in an Elk Banquet raffle and gave it to her).  Browning doesn't offer that in .357 anymore, not sure they ever did.  The BLR is a fine rifle.

[Smurf Hunter]

   Browning used to have a sweet .357 lever gun along with it's big brother in .44 Magnum, not sure if they still make them or not, You might want to research it and find out. Smurf if your ever near Portland again let me know I have a lot of used .223 brass you can have.

Thanks for the offer.  I will keep that in mind.

Usually a good source for free brass is to visit my range soon after LEO teams train.  Especially when its wet out, the cops rarely pickup their brass.  Usually this happens during the week so I have to plan ahead and get a bit lucky at the same time.

[David in MN]

Obama is giving up on banning our guns and is now going after ammo, since ammo is not protected under our constitution.  Even though the ammo he is currently going after is "mil-spec green tip", that doesn't mean he won't go after others if he is successful with this one.  Even if this plan doesn't work for him, I predict that it will start another frenzy causing shortage, that will start before the last one ends.  And because ALL .223/5.56 ammo will be targeted by low information buyers, ANY .223/5.56 ammo will be the first that is hard to find.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/article/2560750

For that reason, I went to Cabela's today and bought 1800 rounds of the ammo I mentioned in my OP.  If you're interested in some, you better hurry, it was going fast.

I was in Cabelas yesterday. Similar phenomenon here. I was a little surprised as I don't see a ton of "green tip" in MN. Most shooters I see are content with cheap 55 grain stuff. Who knows?

When I got home, I was able to fit 78 boxes (1560 rounds) of ammo in to one dry-storage box, which are better quality than I anticipated.  I'll use the other five, now empty, storage boxes for something else.

.