Suggestions for good priced components?

Snowdog25 · January 28, 2012, 02:09 PM

I will be picking up my first 1911 in a few days and am forward thinking to how I'm going to affordably keep it well fed. It's obviously time for me to get back into reloading! Any good deals to be had on components? What kind of prices are y'all paying per round? Ideas for keeping costs down?

Brian Pfleuger · January 28, 2012, 02:15 PM

One of the consistently best places to buy actual components is Powder Valley. They very often have the lowest prices on powder, primers, cases and bullets. They don't sell presses and dies though. The best place to get those will somewhat depend on which brands you might buy.

zxcvbob · January 28, 2012, 02:50 PM

Powder Valley for powder and primers (although sometimes Graf's has a special price on primers and is a little lower)

For bullets, I like mastercastbullets.com, although when I sent an email a month ago asking for a quote I never got an answer. I assume Mike is still in business and just unorganized. I've never ordered from Missouri Bullets, but I've heard good things about them and they have great prices too.

For small quantities of primers or powders, check you with local gun store, especially a small dealer/gunsmith. Gotta keep those guys in business, and the shipping charges will eat you alive if ordering just a pound or two of powder or a thousand primers.

Snowdog25 · January 28, 2012, 03:22 PM

I will be visiting the local gun shows as always, good times to be had there, and I want to be equipped with some good bartering knowledge. Prices are quite different from when I was reloading in the '90s

. I am anxious to get back into it, having the knowledge and experience to produce decent product, I am going in with a budget conscious mindset. I am sure I am not unique in this regard considering the the current economy and the ridiculous price of shooting these days. I figured there would be plenty of good info on this subject in this forum. So far, so good. Thanks for the input guys!

zxcvbob · January 28, 2012, 04:07 PM

If you want to keep costs down, check out Alliant Promo powder. It's only available in 8# kegs, but they only cost about $80 and a little of it goes a long way. Use Red Dot load data, by weight. Be aware that it's a large flake powder, about like Unique. Promo consistently gives me the best accuracy in every cartridge I've tried -- but it tops-out way too fast in "magnum" cartridges for high performance (the accuracy will still be there)

Also Wolf and Tula large pistol primers are a bargain. Some guns don't like their small pistol primers since they switched from brass-colored to nickel, but I've never had a misfire with the LP's.

Hoosier70 · January 28, 2012, 05:23 PM

I buy primers and powder local and let the store spread the haz-mat fee over there entire order and buy bullets, brass ect on line to save a couple of buck.

GroovyMike · January 28, 2012, 06:04 PM

cast your projectiles for pennies

hooligan1 · January 29, 2012, 05:43 PM

When I need powder or bullets, I search all the local sales prices in the region on the computer then I print out the sale data and take it to Bass-Pro here in my town.. 1. because they allow me too. and 2. sometimes there is some real savings involved.

BigJimP · January 29, 2012, 07:49 PM

Buy in case lots ....( 230gr RN FMJ are 2,000 per case ....from sources like Montana Gold ) ....and if you buy more than 3 cases, you get a little price break ....and they pay the freight ..its a high quality product / at a good price. Berry's plated bullets are also a good product ...

Most of the cost of your reloads ...is in the price of the bullet. My current price for a 50 rd box of 230gr in .45 acp is around $ 8.50 per box.

I buy all of my primers thru my local gunshows ( and when I buy, I ask for their best price on qty's of 5,000 or so ... / I buy all of my powder in 8lb kegs thru one of my local gunclubs...a powder like Hodgdon Universal is a good powder for a lot of calibers ....so buying 8 lbs makes sense at least to me.

m&p45acp10+1 · January 29, 2012, 07:58 PM

I fully agree with groovymike.

I cast my own for hand gun projectiles. They cost me very little. I get the lead fairly cheap most times. $10, and an ice cold 12 pack of beverages on a hot summer day will net me a 5 gal. bukcet of wheel weights.

Oh my casting set up cost a whopping $5 when I started for the pans. Molds I use the Lee 2 cavity molds that cost about $20 each. They have paid for themselves quicly.

I can load up 1k rounds of ceterfire hand gun ammo for cost of primers, and powder.

Last batch of .45 acp cost me $40 for 1k

January 28, 2012, 02:09 PM	#1
Snowdog25 Junior Member Join Date: January 28, 2012 Posts: 2	Suggestions for good priced components? I will be picking up my first 1911 in a few days and am forward thinking to how I'm going to affordably keep it well fed. It's obviously time for me to get back into reloading! Any good deals to be had on components? What kind of prices are y'all paying per round? Ideas for keeping costs down?

January 28, 2012, 02:15 PM	#2
Brian Pfleuger Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Austin, CO Posts: 19,578	One of the consistently best places to buy actual components is Powder Valley. They very often have the lowest prices on powder, primers, cases and bullets. They don't sell presses and dies though. The best place to get those will somewhat depend on which brands you might buy. __________________ Nobody plans to screw up their lives... ...they just don't plan not to. -Andy Stanley

January 28, 2012, 02:50 PM	#3
zxcvbob Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2007 Location: S.E. Minnesota Posts: 4,720	Powder Valley for powder and primers (although sometimes Graf's has a special price on primers and is a little lower) For bullets, I like mastercastbullets.com, although when I sent an email a month ago asking for a quote I never got an answer. I assume Mike is still in business and just unorganized. I've never ordered from Missouri Bullets, but I've heard good things about them and they have great prices too. For small quantities of primers or powders, check you with local gun store, especially a small dealer/gunsmith. Gotta keep those guys in business, and the shipping charges will eat you alive if ordering just a pound or two of powder or a thousand primers. __________________ "Everything they do is so dramatic and flamboyant. It just makes me want to set myself on fire!" —Lucille Bluth

January 28, 2012, 04:07 PM	#5
zxcvbob Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2007 Location: S.E. Minnesota Posts: 4,720	If you want to keep costs down, check out Alliant Promo powder. It's only available in 8# kegs, but they only cost about $80 and a little of it goes a long way. Use Red Dot load data, by weight. Be aware that it's a large flake powder, about like Unique. Promo consistently gives me the best accuracy in every cartridge I've tried -- but it tops-out way too fast in "magnum" cartridges for high performance (the accuracy will still be there) Also Wolf and Tula large pistol primers are a bargain. Some guns don't like their small pistol primers since they switched from brass-colored to nickel, but I've never had a misfire with the LP's. __________________ "Everything they do is so dramatic and flamboyant. It just makes me want to set myself on fire!" —Lucille Bluth

January 29, 2012, 05:43 PM	#8
hooligan1 Senior Member Join Date: July 18, 2010 Location: Independence Missouri Posts: 4,585	When I need powder or bullets, I search all the local sales prices in the region on the computer then I print out the sale data and take it to Bass-Pro here in my town.. 1. because they allow me too. and 2. sometimes there is some real savings involved. __________________ Keep your Axe sharp and your powder dry.

January 28, 2012, 03:22 PM	#4
Snowdog25 Junior Member Join Date: January 28, 2012 Posts: 2	I will be visiting the local gun shows as always, good times to be had there, and I want to be equipped with some good bartering knowledge. Prices are quite different from when I was reloading in the '90s . I am anxious to get back into it, having the knowledge and experience to produce decent product, I am going in with a budget conscious mindset. I am sure I am not unique in this regard considering the the current economy and the ridiculous price of shooting these days. I figured there would be plenty of good info on this subject in this forum. So far, so good. Thanks for the input guys!

January 28, 2012, 05:23 PM	#6
Hoosier70 Member Join Date: April 26, 2010 Posts: 26	I buy primers and powder local and let the store spread the haz-mat fee over there entire order and buy bullets, brass ect on line to save a couple of buck.

January 28, 2012, 06:04 PM	#7
GroovyMike Member Join Date: January 20, 2006 Posts: 55	cast your projectiles for pennies

January 29, 2012, 07:49 PM	#9
BigJimP Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2005 Posts: 13,195	Buy in case lots ....( 230gr RN FMJ are 2,000 per case ....from sources like Montana Gold ) ....and if you buy more than 3 cases, you get a little price break ....and they pay the freight ..its a high quality product / at a good price. Berry's plated bullets are also a good product ... Most of the cost of your reloads ...is in the price of the bullet. My current price for a 50 rd box of 230gr in .45 acp is around $ 8.50 per box. I buy all of my primers thru my local gunshows ( and when I buy, I ask for their best price on qty's of 5,000 or so ... / I buy all of my powder in 8lb kegs thru one of my local gunclubs...a powder like Hodgdon Universal is a good powder for a lot of calibers ....so buying 8 lbs makes sense at least to me.

January 29, 2012, 07:58 PM	#10
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	I fully agree with groovymike. I cast my own for hand gun projectiles. They cost me very little. I get the lead fairly cheap most times. $10, and an ice cold 12 pack of beverages on a hot summer day will net me a 5 gal. bukcet of wheel weights. Oh my casting set up cost a whopping $5 when I started for the pans. Molds I use the Lee 2 cavity molds that cost about $20 each. They have paid for themselves quicly. I can load up 1k rounds of ceterfire hand gun ammo for cost of primers, and powder. Last batch of .45 acp cost me $40 for 1k __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

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