Reloading with out ordering online.

[thump_rrr]

Midway will take money orders however the product is not held for you till they receive the money.
If someone else orders it online you will be given a credit if the item goes out of stock.

A prepaid Visa card is the easiest way about it.
Paypal can also be used without a credit card which will debit directly from your bank account. I use a separate account at a bank I have no other accounts at just for an added layer of protection.

With a little bit of discipline you can save a substantial amount of money by buying things online. I purchase genuine Ford parts, new in the box, for sometimes as little as 1/3 the cost of which I would have paid at my dealer.

[kalevatom]

chexmix,
If you ever travel up north, stop in at Jay's in Clare or Gaylord. They carry just about everything for reloading.

[Nathan]

In all fairness here. . .you do need to be online to save the most money, but it is not required depending on your LGS and what you shoot.

If you are buying less than 500 bullets at a time, usually the LGS is not a big deal. I rarely load enough to buy more than a pound of powder at a time and with the $8 hazmat, that is basically required to be bought at the LGS.

Primers require the $8 hazmat too and they won't ship together, so I buy by the 1000 at the LGS.

I pick up cases except for long range rifles. So, the LGS wouldn't be that much more for me.

I buy online usually for convenience and because the cheaper LGS is like 20 miles away!

Buying strange bullets like Berger or bulk cast bullets are where I find online helps. Also, when looking for bulk fmj or imported bullets to save money, usually my LGS looks at me like I have 3 heads when I ask about those.

Basically, IMO, online saves you about $10 per hundred. If you drive everytime you load 100 rounds to the LGS, you have to include that also.

LAst some people like Natchez, Midsouth, Graf's, etc still take written orders with money orders, I believe.

[mikld]

Unfortunately, some of us must order online (or drive 6 or 7 hours round trip)or do without. Before the Bi-Mart opened here last month, there was no place to buy reloading supplies in my town (population 6K) or the town 25 miles south or the towns 30 miles north, 50 miles north, or 90 miles north. There were 3 "sporting goods" stores that sold guns, but no reloading components ("ain't worth the trouble", and "too many customers complained about the prices I had to charge"). So, I had to save up, buy as much as I could afford, pay HazMat, and wait for the UPS guy. Not complainin', jes saying some of us can't just run to town and pick up a pound of powder...

[dickttx]

At $333.33 the $27.50 HazMat fee and the Texas 8.25% sales tax balance out. Any online order over that you will save by buying on-line.
However, the local prices I can find in the Fort Worth area are MUCH higher for primers and powder than Powder Valley. So even below the $333.33 I save scads of money buying on-line.
For example local primers are $4.50 to $5.00. I just ordered 10K from PV for $2.60. Therefore, I saved $190/$240 on the primers alone. I couldn't even find 8# of HP38 locally, so at $20 per pound I saved $46.50 on my powder ($113.50 at PV.)
All told, for 10K primers and 8# powder, I saved $130 to $185 over buying locally, not counting gas to go get it.

[woodrow019]

Buy anything you can that would have a hazmat fee online local cause hazmat fee's are about the same as the cost of what your buying a prepaid visa is the way to go! I do it all the time being at college my bank being at home and not convenient to deposit cash. There will be a small activation fee that where ever you buy it from (walmart/cvs) they will charge and the card will be activated as soon as you pay. Ive seen some that you can put up to $500 on their are probably some out there you could more on.

Just a heads up depending on which card you buy (many big banks make these cards) it may require you to call in on the number on the back and push in the info on the card to be able to use it online. I ran into this problem once I went to go buy something and it said I couldn't use the card and finally called and found out that was the problem.

When it asks for the billing address and name just put your name and home address. I guess you could put some random billing address and a phony name if your that worried about your identity being stolen I've never personally tried it.

[tkglazie]

stu has a good suggestion- gun shows. these are a great place to stock up on bullets especially. brass too, if you dont have a free source. primers are usually not much cheaper at shows than at a LGS but if you find them cheap, you can make hay by loading up.

I scored 1000s of good 9mm/.380/.38 bullets for 6-8 cents each at the last show I traveled an hour to and loaded up. My poor motorcycle was sagging from the weight of all that lead....

Even better, Powder Valley accepts checks. You are NOT going to find a better place to buy good components than www.powdervalleyinc.com (in my opinion)

The hazmat fee is a nonfactor if you plan ahead and make a significant buy through powder valley. They combine orders under 48 pounds into one $27 hazmat fee. Shipping costs are not marked up. I have made a few $300 orders of powder/lead/brass/primers and shipping was in the $10-$20 range. Now that I know what I need I can save even more next year by buying in quantity.

No, I am not affiliated, but they got me started when I was having trouble finding a good supplier. They are not the fastest right now, but they have the best prices on most good components, by far.

Damnit, if I had read ahead I would have seen that dickttx already made the powder valley argument.

I second what he said...

[Gahunter12]

The only thing I buy online is bullets. I buy my powder at a local reloading shop for $15-$18 per lb or $70 per 4lb. Primers cost me $28 per 1000. They also give a 10% discount for paying cash. His Bullet prices are the same as online for Berry's, and most major brands.

[dickttx]

gahunter12, you are very lucky and the rare exception.

[Shootest]

Gahunter12 you have a rare LGS, if I had one in my area I would support them also, but the savings online are so great I have little choice.

[homesick]

I seldom order on line / but won't say never. I do go to the big box stores but mostly I buy at gun shows.
compare these prices

Guns show Varget $23.00 LGS $29.99 or more
Gun show primers $28-30 per 1000 LGS $4 to 6 a hundred
bullets are tougher thats where on line is cheaper but freight must be considered.

Don't be bashful when I do godd to a LGS I ask them if they have a discount for big loading orders. Most of time they will work with you. Hey 10% of a $300 order is another 1000 primers

[cryogenic419]

You live maybe half hour north of Cabelas, take a drive down and see what they have to offer. There is also a place down in Adrian not too far from Cabelas that is usually pretty stocked with reloading supplies at decent prices. The place is called Johnsons, just google it they have a website.

One thing I have found down here in NW Ohio. We have a TON of wonderful smaller shops scattered all over. Lots of places seemingly in the middle of nowhere with some pretty impressive prices. They may be located off the beaten path but that does not mean they can't keep up competitively pricewise. I am betting its the same way in Michigan. Just google gun shops in Michigan to find some of these places.

[dacaur]

Cabelas has a reputation for being expensive. Non of my friends will shop there, they call it "the ritch mans store". Well, I have found the reputation is deserved for new guns and clothes, but lots of other stuff is totaly reasonable. I have gotten some really good deals there, and on their reloading stuff, its pretty competitive to online prices. Primers are normally $30/1000, powder $25/lb, berrys plated pistol bullets $25/250, and rifle bullets are the same as anywhere else.... Last month I started reloading for my dad's 30-06, so needed dies, a turret, case length gage, etc...... At first glance it seemed online would be cheaper. The turret was $8.99 online vs $12 at cabela's, and most things were $1-$2 cheaper online, but when shipping was factored in, the online option was only $2 cheaper than buying local.... I was happy to pay the extra $2 to support a local store... my kids love the aquariums and taxidermied animals.....

[cryogenic419]

Sometimes they can be more expensive, other times when they have sales its not. I guess it depends on what you are after. I picked up a ton of primers when they had CCI's for $28 a box. Also snagged a couple of bricks of .22 that were also on sale.

I am sure in some parts of the country that may be the only game in town for some folks.

[dickttx]

Went to the Fort Worth gun show yesterday. I specifically looked at bullets. They were approximately double the price from Missouri Bullet or Precision Delta on line. Primers were higher than Powder Valley. Plus sales tax on everything. City does not allow powder to be sold at the Will Rogers Center.