Broke Gun Enthusiast Budgeting

[Glenn B]

I learned not to bring what I have at home. I load up one magazine for each firearm and stop at a gun shop to buy shooting ammo.

Are you talking about going to the range and saying you load your mags, take no ammo other than that from your home stash, but buy ammo at a local gun store before any range trip? Therein is one of your budget problems at least if I correctly understood what you meant. I preface the rest of my reply on that.

Buying ammo at a local gun store is usually going to cost much more per box than buying in bulk online. Please don't reply that you cannot afford to buy a case of pistol ammo and then expect me to take you seriously about wanting to budget your ammo purchases. Save the money and when you have it order a case from a reputable online dealer. That is frugal budgetting while buying a couple or few boxes at a local gun store almost certainly is not. If you cannot wait long enough to save enough cash to buy a case of ammo, how can you expect to wisely budget for anything.

You may also want to put a stop to your holster fetish. How many holsters do you need for a carry gun, maybe two at most but not more. Why would you get more than that if your finances are so bad you cannot afford to buy ammo by the case! Heck, buy one decent quality holster and make due with that until you have your budget worked out. The budget should not just cover ammo but accessories, firearms, range trips - it should be an all inclusive budget for shooting.

One other thing I don't quite understand is why you leave your ammo at home and buy more at a LGS for use at the range (assuming I understood correctly what you have been doing). Doing it that way, you seemingly are using up new ammo and letting the older stuff sit at home. Rotate out the old and keep the newer ammo.

All the best,
Glenn B

 

[Podmonkey]

The range I go to sells FMJ ammo at reasonable prices. $12-13 a box of 50. They usually stock Fiocchi or Magtech for the range ammo. Figuring in shipping that about what I'd pay online.

 

[Glenn B]

The range I go to sells FMJ ammo at reasonable prices. $12-13 a box of 50. They usually stock Fiocchi or Magtech for the range ammo. Figuring in shipping that about what I'd pay online.

I will assume you mean 9mm ammo at that price. You can continue to pay that price or can truly budget and get it for considerabky less from an online dealer. For example, TargetSportsUSA has reputable ra ge ammo on sale for as little as $10.49 per box. Your point that shipping charges making that about the same price as at your range does not hold if you buy a case because TargetSportsUSA offers free shipping if you buy a case. At the most there would be a nominal fee to ship through a FFL; for example, my local charges $10.00 per ammo order. They even have Fiochi and Magtech at 10.99 per box, and that is considerably less than what you pay if the buyer really needs to budget. But then, if on a budget because of low finances go for their Geco, Blazer Brass or Auila 9mm ammo as they are all $10.49 per box also with free shipping on a case.

All the best,
Glenn B

 

[Podmonkey]

Savings of 2 bucks a box? I'll buy 4 or six boxes at the range. That's about what the shipping costs. For the OP, yes it is best to save up and sink a paycheck into bulk ammo. But for low volume purchases buying local is fine. Right now I'm focusing on 5.56. 1k stash of 9mm defensive ammo is good enough for now.

 

[atc250r]

Consider this too. If you buy 1000 rounds for lets say $225 online with free shipping then compare it to $250 for a thousand rounds locally then add 8%+ tax you're getting an even better deal online.

 

[Magnus]

One other thing I don't quite understand is why you leave your ammo at home and buy more at a LGS for use at the range (assuming I understood correctly what you have been doing). Doing it that way, you seemingly are using up new ammo and letting the older stuff sit at home. Rotate out the old and keep the newer ammo.

I typically go to the range with friends, so since I am the only one with firearms I let them buy the ammo. They don't go through it all and I get to keep the rest.

I have been looking at buying in bulk to save a lot more money. Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[Snappo]

Right when I graduated college I was dirt poor. Poster child of a pro 2A with no budget in 1983. My first rifle was a Colt SP1 for $600, a Marlinv336CS in 35 Rem for $200, an m1 carbine for $75, and a Taurus 99FP for $350. And those 4 carried me for well over a decade with no other purchases.

 

[Magnus]

Right when I graduated college I was dirt poor. Poster child of a pro 2A with no budget in 1983. My first rifle was a Colt SP1 for $600, a Marlinv336CS in 35 Rem for $200, an m1 carbine for $75, and a Taurus 99FP for $350. And those 4 carried me for well over a decade with no other purchases.

$75!!! That's insane!

 

[dsdmmat]

I typically go to the range with friends, so since I am the only one with firearms I let them buy the ammo. They don't go through it all and I get to keep the rest.

I have been looking at buying in bulk to save a lot more money. Thanks for the suggestions.

Smart man. I am not as smart as you. I always provided the guns and ammo. When I was a platoon sergeant in AZ I always offered my Soldiers a chance to shoot with me on the weekends. All they had to do was show up. Some of them took me up on it. The ones who were having problems qualifying or just weren't as confident as they thought they should be. I even had one get into IPSC with me. She was an avionics tech and later became an Apache Pilot. It all worked out for me though my platoon had the highest percentage of Experts in the Brigade, a fact that I am most proud of.

 

[Depick]

At the moment my Finances don't allow too much spending on guns and ammo. For the time being I buy only what ammo I need to practice with, I keep a small stock at home for just in case. I like to buy at least one new firearm a year.

 

[eagleridge357]

No budget, just buy what I need, which is range ammo only. Very frugal guy here, although I am a bit heavy on the number of handguns I own. When I buy a new one, an old one gets sold. Even keel. No budget busting. Took a while to get there. My business is another matter, but I assume we are talking just personal stuff.