Is 25 to 27 cents per round for Federal and Winchester 115 fmj a price point in which I should stock up? I understand that 5 years ago, or however many years ago, that it was probably a lot cheaper......I didn't have one then.....just got it one few months back. At what price point do you consider buying a couple hundred to xxxx rounds?

Also,
What's the deal with this ZQ ammo also marked MKE at wallyworld? Its fmj and in a 1200 round ammo can at $497 and in 50 round boxes at $.40 per round. Why is it so expensive? Just trying to see if a new pistol shooter is missing something here.

Thank you

That is probably cheaper than it is going to be 5 years from now...

I remember 8 or 9 years ago, you could get a box of CCI Blazer at Academy for $3.99.... Blazer Brass wasn't too much more.

that just makes me sad.
I guess getting to the pistol party late means that it's going to cost a bunch more$$$$ to learn how to shoot well.

I was just looking on Gunbot and there is not a lot of 9mm ammo listed for less than $.27 per round.

I just bought a 100 round box of Federal for about that price from Walmart. Build slowly, buy a box or two now and then while you are out shopping. You can probably find a bulk deal with a little better pricing.

The Turkish ammo being imported by ZQI is (supposedly) made to NATO STANAG 4090 specs. That's one reason why it's more expensive (plus you get a genuine GI ammo can to store your ammo in!).

25-27 is about as cheap as you're going to find at a retail store. I recently saw 9mm as low as 20 cents for reloads on gunbot.net

I just got some from Freedom Munitions for 25 cents for the new stuff (they didn't have reloads the day I ordered) but with the $17 for shipping that pushed the price per round up to 28 cents per round.

The cheapest deals you can get are trying to find a promotion for 10 or 15% off your order (some big box stores do stuff like this on certain days).. But then you have to catch ammo in stock the same day they are having the promotion.

Not long ago you could get Champion 9mm for 20 cents, but now it's 23 - when you can find it. A lot of the 9mm ammo on the shelves around here is going for almost 30 cents and when the lower cost range ammo shows up, it usually doesn't last long. It does seem to last longer than it used to though (thankfully).

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M&PC FS BG Shield+ 642 686+

The ZQI stuff is pretty good stuff.... I bought a couple of boxes last month and finally got around to shooting a box of it.

I could tell that is was a tad more powerful than the rest of the ammo I used... Felt a bit more snap with it.....

If you can get a case for under .30/round, I would get it. Especially if you're just starting out. You will go through a case before prices change significantly. As was said, also grab a box whenever you see a good deal and build your stock. I've slowed my shooting down a lot, but when I was going to the range every week, I kept an eye on on-line for a good price on a case. Don't forget the shipping. Usually I could beat a local sale even with the shipping which averaged about $20 which is about $1 per box of fifty or about .02 per round. Just remember to think total price per round, be patient but have your credit card ready because 9mm at a good price won't be around for you to "think" about buying it. Also, once you get some cushion, you can be a little more patient and wait for a good deal.

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18-4, 15-4

I use to drive to Talladega twice each year. I heard about the cheap Blazer at Academy and did some research. Sure enough there was a store right off the interstate in Nashville. One year I was probably the only guy at the races with a Sig, 3 magazines, and 8200 rounds of ammo.

Kansas City Gun Show this past weekend Federal was $12.50 for a box of 50 and Winchester was $13.50 for a box of 50. Both were FMJ. Dealer had 20 or 30 cases of each and did not even come close to selling out.

If you are in fact just starting out with the pistol, buy 1,000 rounds and shoot it up using the best technique you can be taught or find in print.

Start out with dry firing first, especially at the beginning of each session. Dry firing is usually about $0.00/round unless you neglected to ensure the gun is indeed unloaded, or not pointed in a direction that is safe no matter what. (Rule 1). Without those precautions it gets particularly more expensive per round.

You can get remarkably good with the first 1,000 rounds. Just get good basic instruction and start out with good habits. DO NOT train for speed. It comes naturally. After you have a good skill base you can maintain and continue to improve your skills with a modest amount of ammo budgeting, and dry firing.

The best price for ammo is when it's free, like when working for Uncle Sam. But not many of us get to do that any more. Sigh.

Palmetto has Blazer Brass in 9mm (115 gr) this week for $13.49 in their Specials section.
Ed