Best place to buy lead shot.

[Gato Montés]

See title.

I overheard my dad talking about possibly getting back into shotshell reloading. He has all the equipment but gave it up long before I was born. All the major online retailers are looking for 40-50 for a 25 pound bag of 7.5 standard lead shot, and having never purchased this before I have no idea if this is a good price or if I can do better.

Any independent joints out there that sell for a bargain? I get all my lead bullets from Missouri Bullet Co, is their a shot equivalent out there I should be aware of?

Thanks in advance!

 

[JO JO]

its cheaper to buy trap loads then to load them, I have quit loading them lead cost has
been the deal breaker for me its gone up so much$$$, Trap ranges will sometimes sell
their reclaimed shot at a much better price but make sure its quality processed reclaimed
shot, if your load something other then 12ga its a different story,

 

[rockn30809]

Thats a normal price range and prices fluctuate daily sometimes. Some places will work out a bulk price on multiple bags. If you can find some good, clean reclaimed shot you can save a few bucks.

 

[Gato Montés]

its cheaper to buy trap loads then to load them

Yeah, I've heard that a few times, but on the other hand it will give him something to tinker with for a while.

I haven't been monitoring the prices on this, has the re-election cast any influence on price lately?

 

[rsrocket1]

If you have trap/skeet ranges near you, go there to see if they sell reclaimed shot. I get mine for $22/bag and the shot is in pretty decent shape. Some reclaimed stuff is not good because it includes rocks and steel shot. I've not run into any pebbles in the shot I buy and found 1 steel shot pellet in about 5 pounds of random shot I tested. If you have to pay retail price for new shot and want to load 1-1/8 oz shot, you are barely saving anything by reloading.

I load with 3/4 oz shot which is perfectly adequate for skeet and 16 yd trap shooting. Buying powder in 8 pound jugs, primers by the 1k and wads in the bag of 500, I can reload for about $3/box of 25.

The good thing is that you already have the equipment so you start saving with the first shot. It took almost 100 boxes for me to start saving (but I had a lot of fun doing that).

 

[JLDickmon]

yeah good luck with that.. lead shot is bangin' high priced right now..

 

[willymc]

I get my shot from Recobs Target Shop. #8 shot, 25# bag $39.49. Buy 2 bags and shipping is $13.20.

 

[chrisgo]

Look up Terry(leadminer) on trapshooters.com. He has the best reclaimed shot you can buy.
I have bought 2800 pounds from him(yes that's right!) over the last year and a half.
No complaints at all, paid $1.05 a pound for it and he polishes it also as it looks like new shot!

 

[JLDickmon]

Look up Terry(leadminer) on trapshooters.com. He has the best reclaimed shot you can buy.
I have bought 2800 pounds from him(yes that's right!) over the last year and a half.
No complaints at all, paid $1.05 a pound for it and he polishes it also as it looks like new shot!

that's a pretty fair price for shot.. new it's nearly $40. bag...

 

[oneounceload]

I load with 3/4 oz shot which is perfectly adequate for skeet and 16 yd trap shooting. Buying powder in 8 pound jugs, primers by the 1k and wads in the bag of 500, I can reload for about $3/box of 25.

I also load a 3/4 oz load for both 12 and 20 - however to save money you need to buy primers by the sleeve of 5000 and wads by the case of 5000. Using reclaimed shot, I can reload 12 or 20 for right at $3.50/box

 

[blarby]

Buy reclaimed shot at your club, and tumble it.

Or, wait a month or two- the spot metals market will change.

Which direction is anyones' guess.

 

[rsrocket1]

Locally, the Sportsman's Warehouse sells CCI and Federal Primers for $27-$30 per k or $25/k for Rio imports. Claybuster wads go for $9.50/500, name brand Rem/Win/Fed wads go for much more but don't break the clays any better.

 

[JLDickmon]

Claybuster wads go for $9.50/500, name brand Rem/Win/Fed wads go for much more but don't break the clays any better.

I never had a wad break a clay to begin with..