Check out our Deals Section where we put up ammo that we do find (while it lasts)!
Why Buy Ammo Online?
A survey of gun owners conducted by the NSSF found that 53% of gun owners bought ammo online and that 86% of those cited lower prices and quantity discounts.
I’ve only bought ammo a couple of times at gun stores or the range because I forgot to bring my online bought ammo.
But every time I go, it’s not surprising to see prices 50% higher than what you’ll find online…even after factoring in shipping!
I’d like to also add in variety and tax savings.
Without the restraint of a physical location, online sellers can have tons of selection.
Some guns just like different ammo better than others. I like to order a couple of types to see what shoots best in a new gun, and then later put in a bulk order. Plus, our suggestions will likely be out of state for you…so no sales tax!
And now unfortunately…a lot of big box retailers are caving to anti-gun pressure and no longer selling ammo/guns.
They will usually be one of the best prices for cases (1000) rounds of popular calibers…like .223/5.56, 9mm, and .45 ACP.
Green Tip 5.56 XM855 Penetrator Rounds
And sometimes you’ll even find free shipping for cases…otherwise it may be about $20-30 bucks.
Their shipping used to be excruciating slow about ~5 years ago, but now with their in-house firearms selling like hotcakes…they’ve got their ammo shipping down as well.
My go-to place to buy ammo online is Lucky Gunner for their selection, real-time inventory, and fast shipping, and shipping estimator. I’ve been a customer of theirs for over 6 years.
I find a lot of other retailers skimp in website tech or their shipping departments. There have been too many times where the following has happened:
I find a great price, order, my credit card is charged, and then I get an email a couple days later that they are out of stock. Now I can either wait for a backorder or get a refund which ties up my credit card for a week.
I order and it takes a week or two to ship out my order.
I try to see my shipping costs and I have to create a login and enter all my details first.
LuckyGunner is great since they take care of the three problems above. You get to see their live inventory next to each product, they have a 110% guarantee that your stuff will be shipped the next business day, and you can easily calculate shipping without creating a login.
3. Brownells
Brownells is where I get most of my specialty tools and gun parts. They also have unparalleled customer service, reasonable shipping, and some good ammo deals.
They are caught up in all the website technology which I love, so you can add all the ammo to your cart, input your zip code, and see the shipping. Makes it much easier to compare across websites.
They stand behind their products and I’ve found it really easy to return stuff. However, I’m pretty sure you can’t return ammo for safety reasons. But for parts and tools, they are the best!
4. Cabela’s
Hunters and fishermen know and love their local Cabela’s and since their acquisition by Bass Pro, Cabela’s ammo prices have dropped even further!
Best of all, they almost always have the best hunting ammo you can find in almost every caliber you can think of.
Don’t forget to look at the Cabela’s branded gear also, everything from optics to rifle bags to jackets can be found with their brand name on it and so far I’ve never been disappointed with the quality or price!
5. Sportsman’s Guide
From power tools to guns and ammo, Sportsman’s Guide has almost everything under their roof – kind of like a Cabela’s and Harbor freight mixed into one!
While their standard deals are good, their deals with a Sportsmen’s Guide membership are even better! 10% off of gear and 5% off of guns and ammo, those savings can add up huge in a year of shooting!
Other Suggestions
These didn’t make our regular list but desperate times call for desperate measures and they might have some stuff left…
These are just my recommended ammo brands based on price, availability, and what worked in my guns. I shoot a decent amount so I usually go for the budget brands. I haven’t had a problem with any of the below.
Popular Pistol Calibers
PMC: Cheap and plentiful rounds that I have used in almost all my calibers. Made in South Korea.
Federal/American Eagle: Also cheap and plentiful rounds made in the USA. I use them interchangeably but word on the street is that AE is Federal’s line that is sold online and in gunshops. Federal Champion is their budget line usually found at Walmart.
Blazer: Another budget brand that sometimes seems too good to be true. Be aware that the super cheap one might be aluminum cased instead of regular brass. I’ve never tried aluminum casings in pistols since I wanted to keep my brass for eventual reloading, but my buddies and I have had no problems in handguns running Blazer Brass.
Tula: My go-to AK round brand. Super cheap with polymer coated steel cases. Who cares…it’s an AK!
Others: I’ve also had good success with Sellier & Bellot, and Fiocchi, but they are normally a little higher in price. And if in doubt, just google the brand and caliber to see if there’s any complains in online gun forums.
Recommended Ammo for Common Calibers
Common Rifle Calibers
A quick overview of the different calibers and types of bullets out there so you’ll know all the useful acronyms such as FMJ for full metal jacket or JHP for jacket hollow point. We’ll also have some suggestions for choosing a self-defense gun as well.
Even though we go through 18 calibers in the article above, you’ll probably only see/need a handful of the most common ones. So we’ll start with those first.
You can shoot .223 ammo in a 5.56 barrel, but since 5.56 may have higher pressures, you should not shoot them in a .223 barrel.
Green Tip M855, 5.56
I always get my barrels in 5.56 so there is no problem. Ammo is around 25-40 cents each at the most standard 55 gr bullet.
You’ll also see some designations of XM and M followed by 193 or 855 for Federal & American Eagle.
XM means it was rejected from military use for some reason but still meets commercial specifications. M means it meets mil-spec. 193 means it is a 55 gr FMJ-BT (boat tail) while 855 is 62 gr FMJ-BT with a steel penetrator for added penetration against hardened targets.
And our favorite range plinking round goes to PMC Bronze since the brass is great for reloading and it’s a little softer shooting than the others (perfect for competition).
I’ve shot over 5,000 rounds of 9mm before I started reloading for competitions. Price is around 25 cents a round. I prefer 124 gr instead of 115 gr which seems snappier in recoil, but I recommend trying out both to see which one you like better.
9mm (115gr vs 124gr vs 147gr)
I also recommend sticking with brass cartridges instead of cheaper aluminum/steel.
I’ve shot over 2,500 rounds of 45 ACP and also go with my standard budget list of manufacturers. Price is around 40-50 cents a round. There’s not too much variation in weight so I stick with the standard 230 gr.
The good ole AK-47 rounds. My rule is to go with ammo from countries that used the AK but to watch out for corrosive ammunition(which is pretty good shooting stuff, you just need to put more effort in cleaning afterward).
You also need to check with your shooting range rules to see if they allow magnetic (bi-metal) or non-brass ammunition such as Wolf/Tula.
If they don’t, you will have to go with more expensive brands or corrosive ammunition. The general weight is around 122 gr and costs from 25-35 cents each. Brass cartridges will be more.
Another of those rounds that are almost identical but with some differences in pressure and dimensions. Unless you really know what you are doing, keep to using the round intended for your rifle.
Since most 308/7.62x51mm ammo will be in long-range (sniper) rifles, we’ll also include some Match ammo.
Most commercial ammo will be around 147 gr and around 60-70 cents each while match ammo is around 168 gr and $1.50 a round. I went almost straight into reloading to get the max accuracy out of my guns so take my suggestions with a grain of salt.
12ga Shotgun Shells, Opened (L to R: Bird, Buck, Slug)
The shotgun is unique since there are so many different types of ammunition.
We’ll cover basic target birdshot (#8-#9 is great for clay shooting), buckshot, and slugs. Remember for birdshot, the larger the #, the smaller the pellets. And that 00 (double-aught) buckshot is great for self-defense while slugs are one solid piece of lead.
2-3/4″ refers to the length of the shell which will fit almost all 12ga shotguns. The problem arises from 3″ magnum shells.
Prices will vary from 25 cents for target shots to around 50 cents – $1 for buckshot and slugs. I’ve shot tons of Fiocchi and Estate birdshot, and love the Winchester Military Buckshot.
