I've been purchasing reloading components and tools for several years through online places like Natchez, Midsouth, Grafs, and Midway.

I'm not a real heavy buyer like some on these boards, but probably shell out $500 or so a year. I like all the above retailers, but at times some better than others.

BUT, Midway is beginning to get on my nerves recently. I get all their "Big Sale" or "Huge Price Reduction" emails. The volume of correspondence they send is truly amazing. Some days I get two or three a day. Occasionally they have some very good deals, but mostly they seem to show sale items that are "reduced", that had a lower price (not on sale) just the week before. Last week, I get a "Preferred Customer" email that looked interesting. I went to view some of my Wish List items to see if the price had come down on them, but instead all but two actually had higher prices. I guess their tactics work though considering how much they've grown in sales the last few years.

On the other hand, I almost never hear from Midsouth, but just completed a transaction with them that was exceptional. One of the items was a Caldwell Lead Sled. This has been on my Midway wish list for a long time with the price bouncing between $99 and $119. Midsouth has them for $92 and it's not even a "reduced", "big savings", or "preferred customer" pricing. Just their regular price and it beat Midway by a fair margin.

I also like the shipping cost from Midsouth. It was $14 for a 25-lb package via Fedex Ground, which takes only 2 days from them to me. To me, that's a bargain.


(This was not a paid advertisement or endorsement of Midsouth. OP has no direct affiliation other than as a private individual and customer.)

Know what you mean. I got a flyer in the mail a couple of days ago from Midway, and their "sale" prices are a joke! They had Nosler bullets on "sale" for $0.50 off!!
I mean, really, have American consumers become so stupid and so easily persuaded that we will honestly make an impulse buy or think we have gotten a great deal on an item just because it's marked down $0.50??
I've been thinking about doing some shopping elsewhere...sounds like it's time to give midsouth a look.

I have not ordered from Midway in quite some time. The last few online orders I made were through Sinclair, and Midsouth. The emails from Midway got so frequent that I just added them to my "block senders" list.

With Windows XP, I like pulling up multiple sites using the tabs, and comparing apples to apples, including shipping etc. I have found that lately, Midway has been higher priced. So, they get little to no business from me any longer.

quote:

Midsouth

Wow I just did some price comparing and midway is higher than the others. But I only order stuff from them I can't get from the wholesalers we order from at work.

I only shop at Powder Valley anymore. I've never found Midway's prices to be competitive and that "blast" email is annoying. It bugged me early the PVI's website didn't calculate freight. But, anymore I don't worry about it because their freight is always inexpensive.
Natchez is way overpriced. They do have some good sales but it doesn't pay if you want to purchase several items in conjuction with the "sale" items.
Graf is o.k. if you buy just a few items at a time. But, since their items include freight you get screwed if ordering very many items. I've never used Midsouth.

Midway's shipping AND handling charges piss me off...
However, I do by a lot of stuff from Sinclair, and Natchez. When you call these places, you talk to a man, a shooter, not just some order taker. Their shipping charges are reasonable, and both have great service. I get the stuff I order about two days after placing the order, and have never had a problem with either one of them. I spend about $500 annually at each place.
You just can't beat the price of brass and bullets at Natchez.

Don

Here's another Midway laugher. I have access to the so-called "dealer" section and often times the retail prices are LESS than their supposed wholesale. They have competitive prices os SOME items and the only time I use them anymore is when I need something in a hurry as they are very fast in that regard. jorge

i dunno but i get the best buys when i accumulate a list and take it to one of my local guys. generally they come out on top of the heap for both price and service

I really didn't know there were this many Midsouth fans out there. Good feedback. I think I'm going to look at Midsouth first in the future. Should save me some time.

No complaints on Midway, whch is where I roder most of my stuff. Delivery time is not just fast, but super fast. They get the stuff out and into my hands before I can think of a good excuse to give to the wife as to why I need the stuff.

A long time ago Midway was a little more expensive then Midsouth but they paid postage. Then they started charging very high postage and didn't reduce their prices. I only buy from them when Midsouth doesn't have what I need or I can't make the $40 minimum. They have waived the minimum for me if I was close to $40. All they require is a faxed copy of your drivers license which stays on file forever, just to make sure you are of age.
I hate the big boys that won't sell anything to you without an FFL.
I hate UPS that started the $20 hazmat fee. It takes a minute to make out the paperwork and doesn't cost them extra to ship. All shipping employees at every company have to learn hazmat and take a yearly test. I did when I worked for the airlines and they never charged extra for shipping the stuff. It is a big ripoff.