Where to find cheap .30-06 ammo

[SharpShooter88]

As of late....I have been shooting ammo that is 20-25 bucks a box...and I am running broke paying those prices. I have been looking at the Sellier&Bellot ammo and I like the stuff but I can't find anyone who carries any cheap ammo in 150gr. The S&B stuff is 180 gr and I would prefer not to shoot that out of my gun, seeing as it is already sighted in with 150s. I have been looking into reloading, but I honestly don't know how much more money that is going to save me.

I would like to load a quality round in the following specs

150-160gr
FMJ
Possibly match grade bullets
some sort of decent powder
reliable primers

Can anyone recommend some components that they may have used before to make some good semi long range ammo...CHEAP! The key word is cheap. Now I will be looking at value per shot, not overall price.

Right now using the federal 150gr ammo I am averaging about 1-1.25 a shot. That is ridiculous. I do not want to use Remington, or winchester ammo because I have had nothing but crap from their ammo so far.

Again if anyone can help me out, I would appreciate it. Thanks alot...

SS88

[XD45]

ammo and cheap dont go together anymore...

[ithinkimamedic]

CMP - they have Green M2 ball in 20rd boxes or on clips for the M1 Garand and its a great price for what they are selling.

[SharpShooter88]

thanks medic....

I am just going to have to start reloading....I dont trust factory loads anymore. I just got a "hot shot" out of a federal PowerShock 180 Gr SP and the scope came back and damn near broke my nose....I am shooting what I have left and not shooting factory ammo anymore unless I have too.

[rwilson452]

You can get into reloading on a single stage press for under $200. I haven't bought 30cal bullets in some time but I would think they are around $23 a box for a box of 100 at your local store that sells reloading supplies. Powder is now around $22 a pound. 7000 gr per pound about 53 gr per round. Primers are around $22 per 1000

I highly suggest you buy powder and primers locally as the hazmat fees will eat you alive. bullets are heavy and usually cost a a bit to ship. If you haven't been saving your brass, start now it a big part of your cost.


Warning, Warning! Reloading is an extremely addictive hobby. once your hooked your hooked for life there is no known cure.

[Tomcat088]

Originally Posted by SharpShooter88

thanks medic....I dont trust factory loads anymore. I just got a "hot shot" out of a federal PowerShock 180 Gr SP and the scope came back and damn near broke my nose....I am shooting what I have left and not shooting factory ammo anymore unless I have too.

Lol, sounds like someone isn't used to the 180's, they have a bit more recoil than the 150's and 160's. I suppose the problem was that you didn't have the rifle shouldered well, or didn't mount your scope with enough eye relief. Either way, be careful, I've fractured my nose with a .300 winmag because someone didn't warm me about a bump in the road when he was still rolling and I was trying to hit the coyote. By the way, what kind of "distance shooting" are you talking about? Just realize that if you really want to do truly "accurate" distance shooting (which is the only kind most people who are serious about it like to do), you won't get it from "cheap" factory ammo. They just don't have the consistency man, and if you're buying match grade stuff (not that you can find it in 30-06), you can reload it cheaper, and it'll shoot better once you find your load. As others said, cheap and ammo don't really go together another more, but "cheap, ammo, accurate, long distance" really don't go together man.

[mauser]

This is pretty inexpensive. It doesn't specify the bullet weight, I would presume it's 180 grain, not quite what you're looking for. Shipping would probably be somewhere around $15.00 - $20.00 for one can. That would make the cost per round about 40¢, that's less than half of what you're paying now. The brass is reloadable, that's a plus.

http://www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/New_Ammunition_.html

If you want to do a lot of shooting, reloading is THE way to go.
You've been around here long enough to know how to find threads on specific subjects, and there is plenty of advice here on reloading. I'll put my 2¢ here.

I don't reload 30-06b but I'll tell you my general favorite components for the calibers I do reload:

Bullets - Sierra, good quality, not overly expensive.
Powder - IMR or Hodgdon, again, good quality, not overly expensive.
Primers - CCI, same story, plus the fact that I use a Lee AutoPrime hand primer and that's one of the two brands of primers that is recommended for that tool.
I get very good performance with these components.

Cost: (This is just a ballpark estimate using average components, there are bullets and powders that will break the bank as fast as buying factory ammo ,if not faster).

Bullets - approximately 25¢ - 30¢ each.
Powder - approximately 15¢ per load.
Primers - approximately 2¢ each.

Assuming you don't have to buy brass, total cost 40¢ - 50¢ per shot plus your time.
You can customize the load to your liking.
It's more satisfying when you assemble the things that go boom and perform as well or better than store-bought things.

Now for a few basic tools to put it all together with. (This is not a complete list and is my preference and my opinion, there will be as many variations of opinion as there are people who reload):

Press - Lee hand press. Inexpensive and VERY convenient. (I also have a Lee Challenger, RCBS Jr. and RCBS Rock Chucker, I use the hand press more than all of the others combined).
Priming tool - Lee AutoPrime. Inexpensive, simple, reliable and accurate.
Case trimmer - Forster, Excellent tool, I'd be lost without it.
Chamfering tool - RCBS, good quality, reasonable price.
Dies - Lee, Accurate and easy to set up and adjust.


Just because I favor those components doesn't mean that I dislike any of the others, That's just what I've used and liked in the past, and when I find something I like I stick with it, but not exclusively, I'm always open for suggestions because there's always room for improvement.
Good luck.

[secretbard]

The real question should be where to find cheap 308 ammunition.

Not much around these days.

[Tomcat088]

Lol, reload it man, that's the word. You can make better rounds than Federal Match stuff for cheaper. Plus, there's all kinds of good .308 loads floating around, might as well start while you're ahead, lol.

[mauser]

Originally Posted by secretbard

The real question should be where to find cheap 308 ammunition.

Not much around these days.

What's your idea of a good price?

If you're thinking of buying more than a few boxes, it might be worth the shipping charge to order some. Maybe a group buy with some shooting buddies who shoot the same caliber. Ask at your local shops, maybe they can give you a price break if you want to buy a substantial quantity. If you strike out there, try one of these:
Or you could start to reload....

CheaperThanDirt has it for $12.70 per box of 20, AimSurplus has it for a similar price. MidwayUSA has it listed for around $16.50?, I can't get onto their site right now, so no link and no exact price, but it makes no difference, they're out of stock.

http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/74004-5314-124.html

http://www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/New_Ammunition_.html

A308W Winchester .308/7.62x51 147grn FMJ


Item#A308W
New Production Winchester brand .308/7.62x51 ammunition. Features a 147grn Full Metal Jacket Bullet; Brass Case; And Non-Corrosive Boxer Primer. Packaged 20rds/box, 200rds/case. While supplies last, as pictured.


20rd box: $12.95
20rd box: (10 or more) $12.75