Where do you guys buy lead shot? I've been paying $21.95 at a local gun shop. He can't keep the stuff and as usual, he was out when I stopped by yesterday. I checked ebay. My gosh! People are paying crazy prices!

I buy it at the place where I shoot: The Prince George's County (MD) Trap and Skeet Center. This is part of the Prince George's County Parks Department. They have available all the components needed for loading trap and skeet loads -- powder, shot, wads, and primers -- and at competitive prices. (Lead shot has escalated in price recently.) They also sell MEC equipment.

More generally, if you find an active trap or skeet range near you, especially one that is at least somewhat commercially oriented, they are likely also to sell shotshell loading components and possibly even loading equipment.

The Hamburg, PA Cabelas had a few bags on the shelves last week @ $33. Those $22 a bag days are over!

I ran across a reloading calculator on the Internet. It showed me I was losing a nickel a box on every box of shells I reloaded as compared to something like Estate or other cheapo brands.

And yet, the cheapo stuff breaks them just as good as my reloads.

I'm using up my components and selling off stuff. It doesn't make economic sense to reload anymore.

quote:

Originally posted by Daks:

I ran across a reloading calculator on the Internet. It showed me I was losing a nickel a box on every box of shells I reloaded as compared to something like Estate or other cheapo brands.

And yet, the cheapo stuff breaks them just as good as my reloads.

I'm using up my components and selling off stuff. It doesn't make economic sense to reload anymore.

Yes, I agree that reloading no longer makes economic sense for 12 and 20 gauge loads -- you can buy them cheaper at Wal-mart and other discount stores, and those discount loads work as well as anything else.

But it's a different story for 28 ga. and .410 loads. There are no inexpensive sources for those; they cost $6 a box or more.

You can get shot delivered from Connies Components for $27 a bag including shipping. they send it flat rate USPS and 2 bags in a box. I can still go to their store and buy it in large quantities for $19 (I just checked to be sure as I had typed $18, last week's price, and now is $19) a bag but that is not going to last much longer at that price.

Lloyd, I have never seen 28 and 410 as cheap as $6 but I live in the boonies. I still can save a fair amount of money on my reloads on 20 gauge and have what I think is better ammo. I have used Rem Gunclub round and last year I could get them for $3.33 a box on sale but I was told that this year it will be $3.50 and up. At that price I can save around .$75 a box which isn't that much but at 20 to 25 boxes an hour it makes it a bit more palatable.

quote:

Originally posted by Customstox:

Lloyd, I have never seen 28 and 410 as cheap as $6 but I live in the boonies.

It's been a while since I looked -- the best place I've found here in Maryland is a Bass Pro Shop. The price of 28 ga. and 410 loads may be nearer to $7 or even more. I never buy those, but load my own instead. But I do check now and then to see just how high factory loads are.

Just wait about six months, and those "cheap" promo load prices will have run up to $5 or so per box.

Heck, I'm still working off a ton of shot I bought at $11 per bag. Loading for $2.05 a box, and the CHEAPEST promo loads I can buy are estates at over $4.00. I can buy re-dropped shot from a local club for $14.

Manufacturers typically contract for their components. When the contract runs out, they reprice. Shooting's going to get much more expensive. JMO, Dutch.

quote:

Originally posted by onefunzr2:
The Hamburg, PA Cabelas had a few bags on the shelves last week @ $33. Those $22 a bag days are over!

Have you ever been to Richland Shooters Supply in Richland, PA?.... it's a few miles west of you, before you get to Lebanon. It's a real popular shop for trap and skeet shooters, and his prices are better than Cabela's. He doesn't have a website.... and I don't think he needs one!!! The place is always busy.

No, I have not heard of them. I do go to Shydas when I am in the Lebanon area. I don't usually do business with Cabelas since they screwed me on a Namibian plains game hunt. I was just tagging along with my shooting partner who had a $30 Cabelas coupon burning a hole in his wallet. I'll make sure I write down Richland as a destination when I'm cruising my H-D this spring. I don't think 25# in a saddlebag is overweight??

I just bought from Widener's. They still have shot for under $20 but I'm sure it won't last long. I e-mailed them and asked them to ship in the USPS Flat Rate box which they did. Bottom line is it'll cost ya about $52 for 50#. Regards, Woody

quote:

Originally posted by onefunzr2:
No, I have not heard of them. I do go to Shydas when I am in the Lebanon area. I don't usually do business with Cabelas since they screwed me on a Namibian plains game hunt. I was just tagging along with my shooting partner who had a $30 Cabelas coupon burning a hole in his wallet. I'll make sure I write down Richland as a destination when I'm cruising my H-D this spring. I don't think 25# in a saddlebag is overweight??

I just called them today to check their shot prices, and they were quoting 25# bag for around $24.... You should buy two... one for each saddle bag!!!

When one promo load increases in price, I go to another one. Still cheaper than reloading since lead cost keeps rising. I also put a price on my time. Time spent reloading is time not spent doing something else.

How good does ammo have to be in order to function properly? Sure, the components I use to reload probably are of better quality than the cheapo stuff, but when the clays break just as good and the birds are just as dead, who cares? In the end, all ammo is is lead being flung down a pipe. As long as it does what it is supposed to, why pay more for doing the same thing?

quote:

Originally posted by Daks:
... As long as it does what it is supposed to, why pay more for doing the same thing?

Because we can!!!

Seriously though, I do believe I can, with reloading and patterning, I can develope a load that patterns better than factory loads. Right now those facotry loads are cheap, but I prefer employing myself... made in the USA still makes me smile.

Mike

Do a Google search for lead shot and you will find places offering not only useful stuff like nuke-resistant lead shielding but as well Connie's Precision (or whatever the exact name is) in which case you are looking at $23-28/lb for #8-9 shot, which is what I asked about.

Chilled shot is apparently no longer made but copper plated and high antimony are and is likely to be what they have in the "magnum" shot listing.

I was quoted $1.55/lb for small quantities which in my case was 250-300 lbs. The stuff I asked about was $1.55/lb. $10 for 50 lbs flat rate shipping.

Lucky I saved my lead pipe plumbing and kept some dead batteries beating around. The above place also has shot makers. Will have to break up some batteries and see about getting some free wheel weights from the local shops which set them aside for collection.