Hazmat Fees

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2popfire

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Upstate New York
I'm new to all this and have not even ordered my first lot of primers and powder, but i'm already in shock at the hazmat fees plus shipping. What is the best way to order to reduce the hit? I was just looking at Midway and they are pretty much out of stock on both small and large pistol primers, whats up there??

Joe
 
The parcel companies have found a new cash cow. The only thing to do when you can't by things ftf is to max out the order with primers or powder. Contact the company you're ordering from, most will help figure out the best way to hit max weight or volume.

All ammo and components have been short since the last presidential election. Combine people running scared with a war in progress and you have a shortage. Primers and powder are now starting to be available again.
 
You need to order a pretty big shipment to make up for the fees and shipping. Some of the online vendors will have their powder priced $5-10 dollars less per pound than my local shops, so you can make it up if you order more. In my state I do not have to pay salestax either. Throw in 5,000 primers if you can find them and that helps. The hazmat fee stinks and it appears thet it is only going up.
 
"...What is the best way to order to reduce the hit?..." Buy components locally. Buying 'em on-line is expensive. Your local gun shop can order anything you want in any quantity you want. Don't buy anything except primers in bulk until you have worked up the load.
Shipping costs are set by the carrier, not the seller. Shipping costs are about the weight and size of the package. Hazmat fees are Federal, I think.
Midway isn't the least expensive place either.
Upstate NY anywhere near Barfalo?(Spent a week with a broken vehicle there. Still have nightmares.) Buffalo Gun Centre at 3385 Harlem Rd is a good place for a lot of stuff. (716) 835-1546 FAX: 833-2265
http://www.buffaloguncenter.com/
 
Sunray, no I'm near Poughkeepsie,NY about 90 miles north of the rotten apple, but thanks for the tip and I will have to check out the local guys and see how the pricing looks. At $25.00 per shipment for hazmat it might very well be cheaper to support the home town gun shop, and better for all in the long run!

Joe
 
"...might very well be cheaper to support the home town gun shop..." Yep. Between shipping and hazmat, buying components locally is the only way to go. Even if the prices are a bit higher. The local shop guys will help you get started too. Some shops run reloading clinics as well. Mostly to drum up sales. That's not a bad thing.
Ask 'em about local cast bullet suppliers too. Far less expensive to shoot regularly than jacketed.
4.5 grains of Bullseye with a cast 230 grain RN or FP(flat point)bullet is a nice, gentle, scary accurate, .45 ACP load.
Oh, and if you don't belong to a shooting club, join one. You'll meet some great people and other doors will open.
 
As long as the vendor will ship primers and powder in the same box it's not that bad paying only 1 hazmat fee but if they charge you twice find a new vendor. Powder Valley charges only 1 hazmat fee and will combine primers and powder in the same shipment.
 
Buy components locally. Buying 'em on-line is expensive.
Click to expand...

At yesterday's GS Wolf primers were $35 per K. My last order (couple of months ago), I paid $23.60 per K for RP 7-1/2s (shipping and HAZMAT included). Savings on powder are similar.

Buy the occasional pound at the LGS for load testing. Once you're set, order bulk. If you don't need 24 pounds of powder, get a few fellow shooters to order. I usually have to turn away a few guys. Last shipment was two containers (two HAZMAT fees). Shipping and HAZMAT added a whopping $1.10 to each K primers and pound of powder. The LGS or gunshow can't touch that.
 
My local gun shops want $30-$35 for a pound of powder. I will not buy from them. Bass Pro wants $28-$29 per pound. Not from them either. Cabela's wants $23-$25 per pound. Will buy from them if they have anything. Powder Valley is a whole bunch cheaper.

I did not even mention how much my local gun shop wants for their almost non-existent selection of primers.
 
Buy components locally. Buying 'em on-line is expensive.
Click to expand...

I wish I could say that. I don't have many local places close to me and the cheapest for primers is over $40 per 1K. I can buy them a lot cheaper on line when in stock. For example at Graf's SP primers are $135 per 5K. You can order 50,000 on one hazmat. You get a 5% discount on orders over $500.

$135 X 10 = $1,350
with 5% discount = $1,282.50
free shipping, handling = $4.50
hazmat = $22.50
total = $1,309.50
$26.19 per 1,000


I got my last 50,000 order at $16 per 1,000 and have enough to get me through the year, maybe longer. As you can see it is well worth it to buy in bulk. Go in with a couple of friends and it will be easier on your wallet. If things ever get back to normal as far as primers being in stock my next order will be with a few friends for around 300,000 and have them shipped LTL to work. That way there is no hazmat fee. :D
 
WalMart (northeast colorado) has the lowest prices I have seen on powder in 2010. You have to keep you eye out as I have never seen more than 3-5 different types of powder at any time, but the variety seems to differ week to week, but only Alliant and IMR seem to be available at these stores. The price has been very reasonable in the $22 / lb range.

Understanding that their is a lot of bad feelings regarding buying WalMart, in this case they have decent prices and some supply.
 
I wish my Wal Mart had Alliant and IMR powder.

Rusty do you really go through 50,000 primers in one year? That is a lot of shooting. Do you buy 50,000 bullets from Grafs also?
 
YOU BOUGHT 50,000 PRIMERS ONLINE..........
Click to expand...

Yes, more than once. :D

Rusty do you really go through 50,000 primers in one year? That is a lot of shooting. Do you buy 50,000 bullets from Grafs also?
Click to expand...

No, I split that with a couple of friends. We max out the hazmat fee every time to make it worth it. I buy bullets where ever I find them the cheapest. I don't buy 50,000 at a time but I do try to buy 3 to 4 thousand at a time. I cast my pistol bullets so I never have a problem getting those. I think the largest bullet buy I did was 7,800 for $199 for my RRA AR. I couldn't pass up that price.

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Recently I heard Jesse Abbate on a show saying that when practicing for a match she'll shoot about 1,000 rounds a day. Won't take long to go through 50,000 at that pace.
 
Recently I heard Jesse Abbate on a show saying that when practicing for a match she'll shoot about 1,000 rounds a day.
Click to expand...
Yes, our USPSA match practice sessions using previous month's staging setup (it is a dedicated action pistol range with public pistol range in another part) will easily shoot 500-1000 rounds per shooter as we go through the stages multiple times (each run takes about 150-200 rounds).

Some shooters will concentrate on a particular part of the stage he/she had difficulty with and repeat that stage several times. My match practice / play plinking record is about 2500 rounds in a long day of shooting and we all took 4000 rounds each.
 
I don't shoot as much as I would like to. I go a couple times a month but will try to go at least once a week during summer. When I go I shoot a minimum of 300 9mm, 150 45 auto and 200 223.
 
-get with a buddy and split up your mazmat fee,
or
-stock up like crazy. You'll ALWAYS need primers! If you are a handgunner, buy 5k of SP and LP. Likewise for rifles. You'll be amazed how fast you shoot through them. Also, once you settle on a favorite group of powders, buy 5 lbs at a time. Get yourself a locking storage arrangement in your workshop, and you are good to go.
 
Prices have come down on powder and primers locally. (although not nearly enough) Powder is $24.95/lb and CCI primers are $28.95/1000.

RUSTY
Sorry, OT
How do you like that Cabela's tumbler? I'm in the market for a new one...
 
"...my local gun shop wants..." It's all about volume buying. Small shops just can't afford to buy in volume(everything any shop has is purchased at dealer prices. They don't get anything for free.), so they don't get volume discounts or better credit terms from their suppliers. They might not get credit terms at all. COD for everything. Hence, they have to have higher prices.
Work up the load, then buy an 8 lb keg.
 
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