[Fuelburns2]

I've been looking for bulk ammo and I'm having a real hard time with the local prices and the lack of availability on bulk packages. I just ordered two Remington UMC 250 round .38 special packages from www.thegunsource.com for $108.76 total. I know that isn't a really great deal at .21 a round but I couldn't find any reasonable alternatives. I'm not ready to get into reloading and I hate cleaning up after using remanufactured ammo. Does anyone else buy bulk and if so where do you get it?

I tried Gander Mountain, Dicks, Dunhams and two local independant gunstores. Only GM sells any bulk pistol ammo and that was all .380 / .9mm / .40 / .45acp. Nothing for wheelguns. :x

 

[uglydog]

I just bought a 250 round box of Ultramax brand .38 Spl at a Dick's store today at a sale price of $25. These are 158 gr lead round nosed bullets so they are nothing special. I would think you could order some .38s from them to be added with the next shipment. Other mail order places you could try are Cabela's, Sportsman's Guide, MidwayUSA, Natchez Shooter's Supply, and Graf & Son. You could also pick up a copy of Shotgun News, there are companies that specialize in surplus ammo and you could get contact info there.

 

[Destro]

http://lancerammo.com/index.aspx

 

[Paul F.]

Destro, that company uses "remanufactured brass" and it means they are reloads on a massive scale. I would want a few boxes to test out... but the prices are really excellent. :wink:

Uglydog... UltraMax are also bulk reloads. :wink:

 

[uglydog]

I knew Ultramax are reloads but at least the ones I've used have not been any dirtier than WWB or Remington bulk packs. I think they use better components than most local large scale reloaders. I have also found Black Hills to be decent (both first run and reloaded) but they have gotten pricey. Magtech given the Sheriff's department I work for some good prices but we buy in a decent quantity and may be getting an additional discount.

 

[Paul F.]

Ugly dog... thanks for the info on Ultramax. I know nobody who uses them and will give them a try. I hate excessively dirty amm, first, and have had some real ignition problems to the point I don't use reloads - but this gives me hope! :wink:

 

[uglydog]

Guns and Ammo magazine has an article on who makes inexpensive bulk ammo in .45 ACP. Looking through there one should be able to come up with some additional sources for .38 Spl.
The dirtiest part of Ultramax is the lead bullets they use. I shoot them a fair amount in .40S&W, .45 ACP and .45 Colt (cowboy loads). There is a pretty good lead haze when shooting them in the .40 and it always draws a few looks when shooting indoors. The .45 Colt has been pretty good in this regard but I'd guess it helps the velocities are a bit lower too.
Pulling out my MidwayUSA catalog I find the following best prices on .38 Spl loads;
New Manufacture
American Handgun Ammo- 158 gr lead $8.69/50 FMJ-$8.79 (I bought a case of this in .45 ACP last year for $6.95/50 from Sportsman's Guide so bulk discountsar a possibility.)
Blaser aluminum- $190/1000
Magtech-$148-$261/1000
Winchester USA- $89-$105/500

Reloaded
Black Hills- $184/1000
Cabela's bulk- $60/300, $110/600, $250/1200
Lancer- $148-$153/1000
Sellior & Bellot from Cabela's- $9/50
Ultramax- $43/250 (much cheaper at Dick's, $35/250 normal price)
This is what I have found in a quick perusal, there are likely other places that are much cheaper. Midway has weekly sales where ammo can often be found discounted to varying amounts. Wolf has a new Gold series ammo out in brass cases which may be good also. Cabela's carries it in some cartridges but not .38.

 

[Destro]

I just ordered 500 of the 38 from lancer just the cheap wadcutters I will post my thoughts in a week or 2 and let you know if they are good, bad ect. But I have to wait till I get the new taurus 605 I just ordered it and some laser grips (trying to make a idiot proof HD weapon for the wife)....

 

[Fuelburns2]

I'd appreciate that. My main concern, even moreso than accuracy, is cleanliness with reloads or "remanufactured" ammo. If it is clean I would like to know.

 

[uglydog]

Fuelburns,
what do you mean by "clean"? everybody has a different idea and mine is likely different than yours. I'll put up with alot of mess if the price is right. Many of the lead bullet loads leave the barrel fairly clean but do leave lead particle deposits on gun and hand. The bulk loads (both reloads and new) can vary greatly as they are made to a price point and use whatever is cheapest. I just got a Natchez Shooter's Supply sales flyer and it has some decent prices on ammo. They give a discount on case lots (10 boxes) which varies by manufacturer. 500 rounds for under $90 is readily possible though I forget what shipping is. Grafs includes shipping in their price and adds a small "handling fee" if I remember correctly.

 

[Fuelburns2]

The stuff I've used in the past was so filthy I had to step back every few shots to let the cloud disperse. I've never had trouble with lead deposits even with unjacketed lead reloads. I'm not worried about lead particles. I don't mind cleaning the gun well if the powder comes off without too much effort, but I don't want to breathe that stuff in every time I shoot. That's why I tend to pay a little more and stick with new manufacture.