Any good sources for inexpensive .38 Special ammo?

[Trebor]

I need a source for inexpensive .38 Special ammo. This is for my students use at the range for when they rent a gun from me. I don't reload, so please don't suggest that. I also only want factory ammo, not any type of remanufactured ammo.

Right now, the Winchseter White Box 100 rd box at Wal Mart runs about $19 per 100 rounds. Does anyone know of a better price for anything suitable for target use? The WWB is 130 gr FMJ, but I'm not picky on bullet type and weight. Heck, 158 +P HP's would be fine if it was less expensive.

 

[2ndamd]

If you find anything cheaper let me know. I too, can not find anything cheaper than the WWB from Wal-mart.

I heard tale that www.ammoman.com can have some good deals every now and then. But then you have to pay shipping, which leads us back to Wal-mart.

 

[nitesite]

Georgia Arms Ammunition always comes to mind, but the buying power of Wal-mart pretty has pretty much 'cornered the market'.

G38C 158gr Lead Round Nose $8.00 $15.50 $150.00

G38D 158gr Lead Semi-Wad Cutter $8.00 $15.50 $150.00

G38E 158gr Lead Semi-Wad Cutter +P $8.00 $15.50 $150.00

G38F 148gr Lead Wad Cutter $8.00 $15.50 $150.00

If GA is priced close enough to Wal-mart to make it a close race considering sales tax vs. shipping, I say go with the little guy and don't send your money to Little Rock, Arkansas.

 

[moewadle]

I know what you said

and I hesitate to tell you this because of what you said. Maybe you have legal reasons to avoid remanufactured ammo. However, I will tell you that I found a website for a company who you find by going to bestshotammo.com. They are actually Williams ammo in Marlborough, Conn. YES, IT IS REMANUFACTURED. They claim they supply practice ammo for lots of LE organizations. I bought 1000 rounds each of 45 Colt and 9 mm. I have only shot about a third of each but the ammo seemed fine. I paid $110 for the 9mm and $220 for the 45 in one shipment. Fedex from Conn. to the midwest was like $32. That was a 1000 rounds of each caliber. Now, the 38 special I haven't tried but am ordering some for $55 for 500 rounds or $110 a thousand rounds. I cannot get ammo any cheaper than this and I think they seem to be a quality company. Okay, I know I used some of your time if you have to have factory ammo.

 

[Trebor]

Thanks for the tips guys. I'm going to pursue a couple further.

Moewadle, I've had bad luck with remanufactured ammo in the past. "American" brand ammo was the worst I've ever seen, and that's soured me on the remanufactured stuff. Can you give me the contact info for Williams Ammo? I'll probably contact them and ask them some questions. I may order a small lot to try.

 

[moewadle]

Web site is Bestshotammo.com

and they are a little hard to get ahold of by phone. They are a family owned business and the woman who takes care of customer contacts seems to be very busy. But I think they make a good product. I willt tell you that I am pretty new to guns after a 20 year lapse and so I cannot say this is an experienced opinion. The 9mm I got was full metal jacket and the 45 Colt was lead. As far as American brand, I did not know that it was remanufactured but I see on this site that everyone says American is bad product.

 

[vynx]

sportsmansguide.com also has cheap ammo not as low as bestshot ammo tho

they have some for 6.57 per 50 rnds not remanufactered but its american ammo brand

 

[moewadle]

I should add that prices are going up

at Best Shot ammo and the customer service person, Patty, very nice lady, keeps telling me that but she does not know when. I would guess that it will be at the end of the year, if not before. Their prices and basic ballistics information are posted on their site. Since I just bought a .38 special and hope to buy another I just, today, ordered a 1000 rounds of that calibre from them. They are also willing to pay me for .45 Colt and 38 special empties at a rate of 4 cents and 2 cents respectively. I am not sure if I can come out paying for shipping of the empties but I will give it try. My point is, they seem to be good people with whom to deal.

 

[SeanSw]

Those Best Shot Ammo prices are nice, but those loads look a little light!

158gr at 635 FPS

 

[Dr.Who]

Sorry, Can not help you there.... I reload those .38/.357 at between $3.50 to $4.50 per 50. The only variable is the bullet, Lead or plated....

Now, I do not load 9mm.... Yet, the price is still pretty low to buy that ammo.

 

[moewadle]

I only use the ammo for punching paper

and other target shooting so I don't get into the fine-tuned specifics of muzzle energy. I can tell you one thing that is mysterious to me. The American 45LC ammo that I have shot is much, much milder shooting than the company alleged ballistics state. And the Bestshot 45LC is much "stronger" in reality than the American. I can't explain that except I think American is cutting corners someplace. Ultramax and Bestshot seem to give me about the same recoil but that is not a scientific measurement.

SeanSW: In repy to your observation of ballistics on Bestshot ammo I checked Winchester catalog of ammo ballistics and their Cowboy action load for 38 Special is 158 grain bullet with 800 fps muzzle velocity. I am not educated enough to interpret that in target shooting terms. Got any educational comments about that, you or anyone?? In real terms what would be the difference between 635 and 800 fps??

Okay, I just checked Bestshot web site. That 635 is for FMJ ammo. The lead ammo is over a 100 FPS higher, like 745 FPS. So, their lead ballistics are not so unlike the Winchester Cowboy action.

 

[SeanSw]

I like putting holes in paper and target shooting too, I just see 635fps as a bit of a joke. That is the lowest advertised velocity I've ever seen for this caliber.

 

[moewadle]

See my entry above

and then see what you think.

Late addition: Further checking of Winchester ballistics and Bestshot reveals that Winchester Super-X Lead round nose or Semi-wadcutter are both 158 grain bullets at 755 fps while the Bestshot in 125 grain lead SWC is 740 fps and their 158 grain lead SWC is 745 fps. I didn't buy their FMJ because it is more expensive. But, in any event, the comparison with Super-X in the lead bullets appears very reasonable to me. Do what you want to do but I like shooting Bestshotammo so far and their prices are the best I have seen, anywhere, if you are willing to shoot remanufactured ammo.

 

[moewadle]

Withdrawing recommendation but adding a one

on a source of remanufactured ammo. In a posting on this thread earlier I recommended a company that can be found on the web as Bestshotammo.com and when their product arrives it has labels of Williams ammo company. It is located in Marlborough, Connecticut. Well, I have found nothing wrong with their 45 LC and 9mm ammo but they appear very disorganized and do not respond to me at all. On Oct 17 I ordered a 1000 rounds of 38 special. I never heard from them after my phone order. A week later I finally got the person who answers, sometimes, the phone. She said it was back-ordered and apologized for no one telling me. That was Oct 24. Now I have gotten my credit card bill and they have charged me but no one responds to my messages. So, now I have left multiple phone messages, an email was sent, and a printed copy of the email was mailed last week telling them to credit my credit card account if they have not yet shipped the ammo. I CANNOT GET A REPLY BY ANY MEANS. So, I am withdrawing my recommendation about them. I think they make a good product but their customer service is lousy and they seem to operate in chaos.

Now, last week I searched the web and found a company in Ohio, National Bullet Co. Their prices are good and on Wed or Thurs of last week I ordered a 1000 rounds of 38 special by phone. It was delivered by Fedex on Saturday. I paid $129 for the ammo and $16 shipping. So, that came to about exactly $7.25 a box of 50. The man on the phone told me that they will give me credit for empties and as an example he said if I ship them 1000 empty 45 LC they will take $40 off the price of that many rounds. He told me to use a USPS fixed rate ($8) priority mail box as a cheap way to mail 1000 empties to them. He said they have been in business since the 1970s. I took two boxes of the 38 Special to the range today and was shooting it through my SW Model 10. I am not a crack shot but I was shooting clay pigeons set on the berm at 30 yards and could tell the shots were hitting closely and I shattered a few also. I feel the ammo is made well enough for this type of target shooting. Also, a man at the range saw the National Bullet Company boxes and said he had heard of that company and it is his impression they make a good product. He looked at the ammo and, for what this is worth, thought it looked well made. I am happy with it so far.