Ammo Costs

[dcmeyer]

Air gun ammo is only slightly cheaper than rimfire in calibers up to about .25 but when you go larger and add in bullets and slugs the ammo jumps to the same as center fire pistol cartridges, and sometimes more. I saw some .357 bullets that were $1 a round.

Considering there is no powder, primer or case, or the machinery to put them together the cost seems not just high, but extreme. So is this because the volume in sales is so much lower that makes the cost higher or are we being taken advantage of? Not trying slam the industry but it seems like it's more like being held over a barrel than fair market value. I only reload shotshells but I know the cost of reloading 9mm can be as low as 10 cents so how can just the lead of a 9mm cost $1

This is definitely discouraging me from looking at a big bore.

[Back_Roads]

 That is why the GTA members "us" created the cast ammo gate 
for less than the cost of my typical pellet order I bought big bore molds and other bargain accessories needed to cast and  swage my own    biggest expense was total air independence for all the darn PCP guns 
 the pellet molds that are being discussed work as advertised or they will get it working for you , along with tips from those posting in our new gate 

[dcmeyer]

I am not seeing it, link please.

[nced]

Air gun ammo is only slightly cheaper than rimfire in calibers up to about .25 but when you go larger and add in bullets and slugs the ammo jumps to the same as center fire pistol cartridges, and sometimes more. I saw some .357 bullets that were $1 a round.

Considering there is no powder, primer or case, or the machinery to put them together the cost seems not just high, but extreme. So is this because the volume in sales is so much lower that makes the cost higher or are we being taken advantage of? Not trying slam the industry but it seems like it's more like being held over a barrel than fair market value. I only reload shotshells but I know the cost of reloading 9mm can be as low as 10 cents so how can just the lead of a 9mm cost $1

This is definitely discouraging me from looking at a big bore.

Hummmm.....when I shot .22 rimfire powder burners I liked the CCI .22 long rifle Mini-Mag and currently a box of 100 costs $8.25 (about 8.3 cents each bullet) from Bass Pro Shops.
My brother liked the RWS Sub-Sonic rimfire ammo and a box of 50 costs $10.49 (about 21 cents each).

I just bought 2000 .177 cal 5.52mm Air Arms domes (not especially cheap pellets) from a Pyramyd Air "buy 4 and pay for 3", minus a 10% "coupon code discount" for $42.26 INCLUDING SHIPPING. That comes out to about 2 cents each shipped to my door. LOL.......that is less than 1/4 the price of CCI Mini-Mags and about 1/10th the cost of the RWS Sub-Sonics before shipping.

You mentioned "big bore", well a 20 count box of .44 mag bullets costs about $20.30 per box (about $1.02 each). In my "powder burner days" (30 years ago) I hand loaded .308 Winchesters and  everytime I pulled the trigger I was shooting a "dime" out of the barrel with each trigger pull. I don't know how much it would cost to hand load those bullets today (haven't shot a centerfire in decades) but even the primers alone are a bit over 3 cents each and the bullet about 27 cents each which comes to about 30 cents without including the powder!

Anywhoo.........I used to shoot about 10,000 pellets per year so I could buy a nice $400 springer after 2 years of shooting with the money saved if I shot the same amount of CCI Mini-Mags and a $4000 PCP setup if I shot the same amount of the RWS sub-sonics my brother shot!

LOL, I'm thinking that the only way a shooter could afford to shoot .22 rimfires is if they have "really deep pockets" or don't shoot nearly as much as a pellet gun shooter!

[dcmeyer]

I only buy Mini Mags on sale. Normally I'm paying .04 -.05 for bulk federal rimfire.

I know .177 is not bad but my new .25 is what is hurting a bit on price. Maybe I will look in to the Air Arms and see if my gun likes them.

[starlingassassin]

eley yellow box  just sayin lol

[Wayne52]

I've been wanting to cast pellets for quite some time and now it's possible to make really nice pellets with the NOE molds I've been getting. I have been having fun casting them, especially since I'm getting good accuracy from them. 

Here is a 22cal Magnum Hunter (217-27-RF) that I recently recovered
from a big fox squirrel I shot.  The light ones that I have been casting
weigh all close to 26 grains.  It first went through right side of his skull
then through the neck clipping his heart, cutting through all his ribs
and the settled in the stomach just below the outer membrane.

[Xraycer]

I shoot mostly Crosman Premier hollow points. The .22 cost $5.68/500 @Walmart. About a penny a shot.
Even my JSB through PA,  breaks down to a few pennies.

An hour at the range with my AR15, 9mm, and .45, is nearly the cost of my pellet consumption for an entire year! And I buy PB ammo in bulk.

[nced]

I only buy Mini Mags on sale. Normally I'm paying .04 -.05 for bulk federal rimfire.

I know .177 is not bad but my new .25 is what is hurting a bit on price. Maybe I will look in to the Air Arms and see if my gun likes them.

"my new .25 is what is hurting a bit on price"
Decades ago when living in WV I bought a .20 Beeman R9 and the cost of Beeman FTS pellets was another negative against the caliber along with the loopy trajectory.
When I was shooting a lot more than I do now I had a few "$8 shooting sessions" with "3 cent each" .20 cal pellets so I can't even imagine a shooting session using PELLETScosting over 23!
Now I understand your issues with pellet cost!

[PCPhack]

I am about to test reloads ran through a sizer for my 357 Bulldog. If they shoot well, it's just over a dime a shot.

[Motorhead]

I too am at this cross roads of shooting my .17 HMR for a weekends hunting / varmiting and going threw 1000+ rounds at a tad over $200.00 cost .... Or going threw with my .177 PCP bullet shooter
unfortunately the cost of .177 "Bullets" with some postage is give or take $20 per 100 making a 1000 bullets the @ same cost at .17 HMR ammo 

Until one of the major pellet manufacturers starts producing affordable air gun bullets am thinking that the benefits of an AG bullet will get smothered by there cost.

Granted hunters who may shoot a 100 tops in a season ... no problem, go out on a mass extermination hunt ... NO WAY !!

[dcmeyer]

Well I seem to fall in to this with my buying choices, another example is the .22WMR. I LOVE this rifle but ammo cost is disproportionate.

[dcmeyer]

I am about to test reloads ran through a sizer for my 357 Bulldog. If they shoot well, it's just over a dime a shot.

Nice

[nielsenammo]

Big bore ammo is priced the way it is mainly because it is produced on low level production machines or by hand.  Comparing that to commercial ammo that is made by the millions you will not be able to get the costs to the same level.

There is not enough airguns shooting big bore ammo to justify millions of dollars of investment to be able to make the ammo by the millions.  Tack that to the fact the manufactures can't use a standard for barrels so just about every gun needs specific bullets made to shoot in their gun.  This means even more options for the same caliber needs to be available.

I looked into having a company make bullets for me.  They are only interested if the order is more bullets I would sell in a decade.  Our market is too small to be looked at by the "big boys" in the ammo market.

I don't know what ammo is $1 per round, that is an extreme example of airgun ammo.  My ammo right now is all made one by one and runs from about $0.14 to $0.38 a round.

For small caliber rounds I have invested in a machine to make the rounds quickly and reduce my costs for those rounds.  Don't plan to use for larger calibers, at least not for now.  This is a huge investment, risk and will be the first high speed small caliber airgun slug machine.  This custom machine is expected to be built by end of February.

[FPGT72]

Air gun ammo is only slightly cheaper than rimfire in calibers up to about .25 but when you go larger and add in bullets and slugs the ammo jumps to the same as center fire pistol cartridges, and sometimes more. I saw some .357 bullets that were $1 a round.

Considering there is no powder, primer or case, or the machinery to put them together the cost seems not just high, but extreme. So is this because the volume in sales is so much lower that makes the cost higher or are we being taken advantage of? Not trying slam the industry but it seems like it's more like being held over a barrel than fair market value. I only reload shotshells but I know the cost of reloading 9mm can be as low as 10 cents so how can just the lead of a 9mm cost $1

This is definitely discouraging me from looking at a big bore.

Hummmm.....when I shot .22 rimfire powder burners I liked the CCI .22 long rifle Mini-Mag and currently a box of 100 costs $8.25 (about 8.3 cents each bullet) from Bass Pro Shops.
My brother liked the RWS Sub-Sonic rimfire ammo and a box of 50 costs $10.49 (about 21 cents each).

I just bought 2000 .177 cal 5.52mm Air Arms domes (not especially cheap pellets) from a Pyramyd Air "buy 4 and pay for 3", minus a 10% "coupon code discount" for $42.26 INCLUDING SHIPPING. That comes out to about 2 cents each shipped to my door. LOL.......that is less than 1/4 the price of CCI Mini-Mags and about 1/10th the cost of the RWS Sub-Sonics before shipping.

You mentioned "big bore", well a 20 count box of .44 mag bullets costs about $20.30 per box (about $1.02 each). In my "powder burner days" (30 years ago) I hand loaded .308 Winchesters and  everytime I pulled the trigger I was shooting a "dime" out of the barrel with each trigger pull. I don't know how much it would cost to hand load those bullets today (haven't shot a centerfire in decades) but even the primers alone are a bit over 3 cents each and the bullet about 27 cents each which comes to about 30 cents without including the powder!

Anywhoo.........I used to shoot about 10,000 pellets per year so I could buy a nice $400 springer after 2 years of shooting with the money saved if I shot the same amount of CCI Mini-Mags and a $4000 PCP setup if I shot the same amount of the RWS sub-sonics my brother shot!

LOL, I'm thinking that the only way a shooter could afford to shoot .22 rimfires is if they have "really deep pockets" or don't shoot nearly as much as a pellet gun shooter!

And that is for "normal" ammo.  Get into "odd" stuff and the price can really get crazy, or if you love to dislocate your shoulder, heavy hitting belted mag rounds can can kill a bennie in a few trigger pulls.

I just picked up a Remington Model 8 in 30 remington....if you want to shoot this you have few options.  Graf has it for around $2 per bang, 30-40 Kraig or 45-70 is pretty expensive. 

Air guns are still very cheap in my book.  I just ordered 4000 rounds of pellets for under $100.  That is cheap, JSB H&N...good pellets.  I need to do another order for .22 next....and I am thinking about looking at my first .25 as I want to extend past 100 yards.

Price per pull of the trigger you are not going to get cheaper unless you go to airsoft.

[dcmeyer]

I don't know what ammo is $1 per round, that is an extreme example of airgun ammo.  My ammo right now is all made one by one and runs from about $0.14 to $0.38 a round.

Agreed, this is extreme, even so stated in the name and comes to .92 cents a round.
Benjamin Nosler Ballistic Tip eXTREME Air Rifle Bullet, .357 Cal., 145 Grains, Round Nose, 25ct

https://www.pyramydair.com/product/benjamin-nosler-ballistic-tip-extreme-air-rifle-bullet-357-cal-145?p=889

[nielsenammo]

I don't know what ammo is $1 per round, that is an extreme example of airgun ammo.  My ammo right now is all made one by one and runs from about $0.14 to $0.38 a round.

Agreed, this is extreme, even so stated in the name and comes to .92 cents a round.
Benjamin Nosler Ballistic Tip eXTREME Air Rifle Bullet, .357 Cal., 145 Grains, Round Nose, 25ct

https://www.pyramydair.com/product/benjamin-nosler-ballistic-tip-extreme-air-rifle-bullet-357-cal-145?p=889

I figured that is probably the round you were talking about.  I can see why that round is expensive, not that expensive, but don't know why people buy it since there is more accurate bullets for much cheaper but I guess some people like the shinny read $0.01 piece of plastic.  If you want a bullet for a Bulldog that is much cheaper you can try this one:

https://nielsenspecialtyammo.com/collections/357-cal/products/142-grain-hollow-point-boattail-air-rifle-pellets-35-caliber-air-gun-slug-swaged

[wimpanzee]

The noslers always seemed over priced to me, especially with a lot of people getting as good or better results with less costly ammo.

Comparing quality JSB pellets to bulk 22LR is apples to oranges as far as quality goes.

[dcmeyer]

I figured that is probably the round you were talking about.  I can see why that round is expensive, not that expensive, but don't know why people buy it since there is more accurate bullets for much cheaper but I guess some people like the shinny read $0.01 piece of plastic.

As of now my largest caliber is .25 so based on the expense of that alone in pellets has got me looking at the costs of slugs and bullets for .25 and larger.

Considering my dislike of sacrificing the power factor of having to use an airgun compared to powderburners (when they are not an option) it's appealing to have a bullet or slug option to make up some of the difference. However, even in your product example it's very hard to wrap my head around more than double the cost of  store bought 9mm, (not including shipping) much less the reloading cost at half that much. Again, no powder, no case, no primer and no assembly cost for those. I don't know the production cost in a side by side comparison but I can't see them being even close and the idea is not helped when people are stating they are producing it at 10 cents a round (maybe not as good as yours ).

My disclaimer is that I may be way off base because I have no clue of your actual costs or the quality by comparison of your product, and, I am a huge fan of capitalism regardless of the fairness of it, it in fact means what the market will bare. The supreme example is all the years I spent thousands on Snap On tools. Overpriced, an understatement, superior, absolutely! Sad to say now they are barely above the quality of Harbor Freight and warranty service is worse.

Sometimes you just have to pay more for quality.     

 

[dcmeyer]

@ nielsenammo

I would like to hijack my own thread and ask a question.

I was considering ordering some of your .25 slugs and I thought you had a lighter weight slug listed before, around 25gn. Am I mistaken? I don't see it now and the lightest one listed is 34.7gn.

My concern is I don't know if my gun is shooting fast enough to optimize them, or if there is a minimum fps to do so. I am wondering at what point does the weight vs BC slow the fps to the point of affecting trajectory and causing massive bullet drop at long distance, ie, 50-100 yards.  I'm not one to try things just because I can and not based on the reality of it being effective.

I am shooting King Heavy 33.95 at around 775fps avg.