Tula .45acp backorder will ship!

[scoobysnacker]

Just got emailed by Optics Planet...They let me backorder things (cheap Tula steel mostly) last year for reasonably low prices. Most of them have eventually been cancelled.

Today, however, got my notification that Tula .45acp fmj is back in stock, and if I still want my order of 500 rds for $179.90, to let them know.

Um, yeah send it.
I sent a reply saying yes, and just for good measure did the online chat with them (they didn't have my price on the email, but it's still listed in my order page).
They did confirm that was the price I was getting, as I double-checked.

That's 36 cents a rd, which beats anything on ammoseek by almost 20 cents.
I'm not as familiar with 45 pre-2020 as I am 9mm, but while I did occasionally find deals like brass S&B for 26 cents a rd online, most of the time I think this was the normal baseline (for BRASS, not STEEL).

Which, for the record, I will take if/when that occurs. Brass 9mm baseline was $200 a case, brass 223 was $300 a case or thereabouts. I've shot steel in all these calibers and they run, and if they pop up at that price, I will take it and smile right now.

 

[scoobysnacker]

And just to follow up:

Sgammo has Tula steel-cased 223 for $369, same price for 9mm. Global Ordnance has both for $399. That's per case of 1k.
9mm is still too expensive to consider, but we're getting close on 223.

A number of places have hit the $300 point for 7.62x39 steel.

What I think will happen is, Russian steel ammo will keep driving the price down. People will discover for casual range usage, it works just fine; and brass will have to follow- stay within striking distance at least. We all prefer brass, but not at double the price.

 

[Racer X]

What's your method for price checking?

 

[scoobysnacker]

What's your method for price checking?

Old fashioned legwork

I've been buying ammo online for years, probably decades when you consider my second ever pistol was in 9x18 Makarov. My son's first surplus rifle is an Argentine Mauser, in 7.65x53. I've gotten used to scouring the internet, to find the best prices. I have a number of accounts, and they send me emails.

Optics Planet was a lark, I'd ordered something cheap from them, and occasionally checked back. When I saw they were posting Russian steel in December 2020 for decent prices (but OOS), I took flyers on 9mm, 308, 45acp and 223. The 45 is the only thing that panned out, I do have 500 rds of Wolf 223 for $153 still pending (and that's getting close to being matched). The rest were cancelled eventually by them.

For handgun, I've always found Sgammo, Targetsportsusa, and Brownell's (with coupon codes) ended up being the cheapest (for brass). Sgammo, with their recent emails, has resumed that spot.
For variety of rifle, it often came down to Sgammo and Selway (free s/h over $300). I haven't seen Selway make any big moves since this started.

For steel, hard-pressed to beat Global Ordnance.

Of some note, I started picking up .32 acp for some handguns, just before the Beretta 81 surpluses hit the market. That caliber tended to have huge differences in price, often $10 or more a box, depending on the site. So if I were going to make a multicaliber buy, the cheapest 9x19 wouldn't necessarily be the best deal, depending on shipping. Best price I ever came across was LAX, when they had Geco 32acp for under $200 a case. After that... Bud's, as often as not.

Ammo being fickle, I get flyers from a bunch. Ammunitiontogo, Lucky Gunner, Ammoman, etc.

 

[Racer X]

Thanks. I wandered around Global Ordnance's website and the $12.95 shipping and a free ammo can with full cases makes them a really good choice. Wish they had .40S&W.