Last updated and checked October 29, 2026 · By Nick Hall
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Quick answer: On October 29, 2026 the cheapest brass-case range ammo at the stores we trust was 25.7 cents a round for 9mm (Winchester USA, 1,000 rounds for $256.99 at Palmetto State Armory), 42.5 cents for .223 (PMC Bronze at Palmetto State Armory) and 7.8 cents for .22 LR (CCI Blazer, 425 rounds for $32.99 at Palmetto State Armory). The deals grid below updates daily from 34,553 ammo listings.
Ammo Deals
1,916 deals found
Table of Contents
How We Track Ammo Deals Across the Internet
We built this page because checking a dozen retailer sites every morning is a waste of a morning. Our feed holds 34,553 ammo listings from 25 retailers, including Palmetto State Armory, Sportsman’s Warehouse, Sportsman’s Guide, Brownells, Midway USA, KYGunCo, Optics Planet and Battlehawk Armory. The grid above pulls from that feed and updates daily, so you are not clicking through to a “deal” that sold out three weeks ago.
The number we track is cost per round (CPR). It is the only fair way to compare ammo, because a $256.99 case sounds expensive until you see it is 1,000 rounds at 25.7 cents each, while a $12.99 box of 50 works out to 26 cents. For a hand-picked list of the best buys right now, see our best ammo deals roundup.
What Ammo Costs Right Now: Cost Per Round by Caliber
We sorted every in-stock listing in our feed by caliber, kept brass-case range ammo (FMJ, round nose and shotgun target loads) and dropped steel case, hollow points, buckshot, slugs and match ammo, which play by different price rules. The table shows the cheapest round at one of the five stores we trust and the middle price of every listing in that group.
| Caliber | Cheapest at a trusted store | The listing | Middle of all listings |
|---|---|---|---|
| .22 LR | 7.8 cents | CCI Blazer 40gr, 425 rounds, $32.99 (PSA) | 12 cents |
| 9mm | 25.7 cents | Winchester USA 115gr FMJ, 1,000 rounds, $256.99 (PSA) | 32 cents |
| .380 ACP | 32 cents | Fiocchi Range Dynamics 95gr FMJ, 1,000 rounds, $319.99 (Brownells) | 41.9 cents |
| 12 Gauge target | 34 cents | First Class Target Load #7.5, 250 shells, $84.99 (Brownells) | 55.7 cents |
| .45 ACP | 41 cents | Sellier & Bellot 230gr FMJ, 50 rounds, $20.49 (Sportsman’s Guide) | 54.5 cents |
| 5.56 / .223 | 42.5 cents | PMC Bronze .223 55gr FMJ-BT, 20 rounds, $8.49 (PSA) | 62.8 cents |
| .300 Blackout | 74 cents | Magtech 123gr FMJ, 50 rounds, $36.99 (Sportsman’s Guide) | 102.4 cents |
| .308 / 7.62×51 | 98 cents | PMC X-Tac 147gr FMJ, 500 rounds, $489.99 (Sportsman’s Guide) | 147.6 cents |
The gap between the cheapest listing and the middle of the market is the reason to compare stores. On 5.56 the cheapest trusted price was 20.3 cents a round under the middle listing; on .308 it was 49.6 cents. Use the middle price as your “do not pay more than this” line and the cheapest price as your target.
Ammo Deals by Caliber
9mm Luger
9mm is the cheapest centerfire round to shoot and the caliber most of you are here for. On October 29 the best bulk buy at a trusted store was Winchester USA 115-grain FMJ, 1,000 rounds for $256.99 at Palmetto State Armory (25.7 cents a round). In 50-round boxes, PMC Bronze at Sportsman’s Guide and CCI Blazer at Sportsman’s Warehouse were $12.99 each (26 cents). Steel-case 9mm runs cheaper, but some ranges ban it.
5.56 NATO and .223 Remington
The cheapest brass .223 at a trusted store was PMC Bronze 55-grain FMJ-BT at $8.49 for 20 at Palmetto State Armory (42.5 cents). For a case, Patriot Sports .223 was $459.99 for 1,000 at Sportsman’s Guide (46 cents), and Winchester USA M855 was $59.99 for 125 at Palmetto State Armory (48 cents). M193 (55-grain) is the standard range load; M855 (62-grain green tip) costs a bit more.
.308 Winchester and 7.62×51 NATO
.308 is the most expensive common rifle caliber to feed. The cheapest trusted-store buy was PMC X-Tac 7.62×51 147-grain FMJ, 500 rounds for $489.99 at Sportsman’s Guide (98 cents a round). In 20-round boxes, Armscor .308 was $21.99 at Sportsman’s Warehouse ($1.10 a round). Hunting loads with expanding bullets cost more and are not in these numbers.
.22 LR
Rimfire is back to sane prices. CCI Blazer 40-grain was $32.99 for 425 at Palmetto State Armory (7.8 cents), Remington Thunderbolt was $42 for 500 there (8.4 cents), and Federal Champion Training was $29.99 for 325 at Sportsman’s Guide (9.2 cents). Buy the bulk packs: a 50-round box of Thunderbolt was $4.99 at Sportsman’s Guide, which is 10 cents a round.
12 Gauge
For clays and dove, target loads in #7.5 or #8 shot are what you want. Brownells had First Class Target Loads at $84.99 for 250 shells (34 cents), and Palmetto State Armory had Remington Gun Club #7.5 at $10.79 for 25 (43 cents). Buckshot and slugs cost more per shell and are not in these numbers.
.45 ACP, .380 ACP and .300 Blackout
.45 ACP: Sellier & Bellot 230-grain FMJ was $20.49 for 50 at Sportsman’s Guide (41 cents), and CCI Blazer Brass was $87.99 for 200 at Sportsman’s Warehouse (44 cents).
.380 ACP: the pocket-pistol round costs more than 9mm. Fiocchi Range Dynamics was $319.99 for 1,000 at Brownells (32 cents), and CCI Blazer Brass was $16.99 for 50 at Palmetto State Armory (34 cents).
.300 Blackout: Magtech 123-grain FMJ was $36.99 for 50 at Sportsman’s Guide (74 cents), and Sellier & Bellot was $14.99 for 20 there (75 cents). Subsonic loads for suppressed rifles cost more.
Best Retailers for Ammo Deals
Palmetto State Armory had the cheapest brass on three of our eight calibers on October 29: bulk 9mm, .223 and .22 LR, plus the cheapest single box of .380.
Sportsman’s Guide led on .308, .45 ACP and .300 Blackout, including PMC X-Tac 7.62×51 in a 500-round pack.
Brownells had the cheapest .380 case and the cheapest 12 gauge target loads, and it is the go-to store if you also buy reloading components.
Sportsman’s Warehouse matched the cheapest 9mm box price. If you have a store nearby, in-store pickup skips shipping on heavy rifle ammo.
Shooting Surplus, Midway USA, Optics Planet, KYGunCo and Battlehawk Armory list the most ammo in our feed and appear in the grid and the price cards, so check them on any caliber.
Brass vs Steel Case: Is Steel Ammo Still a Deal?
Steel-case ammo used to be the budget shooter’s shortcut. At the stores we trust, that gap is gone on 9mm. On October 29, Wolf 124-grain steel-case 9mm was $12.99 for 50 at Sportsman’s Warehouse, 26 cents a round, the same price as a box of CCI Blazer brass. Winchester USA Forged steel-case 9mm was $14.99 for 50 there, 30 cents a round, more than the brass Winchester USA case at Palmetto State Armory.
Steel case has real downsides: some indoor ranges ban it, you cannot reload it, and some pistols run it less reliably than brass. Unless a steel-case price is well under the brass prices in the table above, buy brass.
Steel still makes sense for calibers like 7.62×39, where most cheap ammo is steel-case anyway. Palmetto State Armory had Maxx Tech steel 7.62×39 at $13.99 for 20 and Sportsman’s Guide had Sterling at $13.49 for 20.
How to Calculate Cost Per Round
Cost per round is the box price divided by the number of rounds. A $12.99 box of 50 rounds of 9mm is 26 cents a round. A $256.99 case of 1,000 rounds is 25.7 cents.
Bulk saves the most on rifle ammo. Patriot Sports .223 at Sportsman’s Guide was $9.99 for 20 (50 cents a round) and $459.99 for 1,000 (46 cents). Across 1,000 rounds, that is $39.51 saved.
Raw CPR is not the whole story. Add shipping before you compare, because a deal 2 cents a round cheaper loses its edge if the store charges $15 more to ship. Ammo is heavy, so case quantities spread the shipping over more rounds.
Defensive hollow points and match ammo play by different rules. Do not expect Federal HST or Hornady match loads to hit FMJ prices; compare those against other listings of the same load.
Tips for Buying Ammo on Sale
Buy bulk when you can. The per-round price drops with quantity, as the .223 and .22 LR examples above show. If a full case is too much at once, split it with a shooting buddy.
Plan for free shipping. Each store sets its own free-shipping threshold, so check it at checkout and build your order to clear it.
Check your state’s ammo rules. Ammo ships to your door in most states with no FFL, but California requires ammo purchases to go through a licensed ammunition vendor with a background check (see the California DOJ ammunition rules), and some other states and cities have their own rules. Our FFL transfer guide covers buying guns online.
Learn the sales calendar. The biggest sales land on Black Friday and the 4th of July. Our best time to buy a gun guide covers the seasonal windows for guns and ammo.
Set a price target and stick to it. Use the table above: decide the CPR you will pay for each caliber you shoot, and buy when the grid shows it. Chasing the absolute lowest price means you will always be waiting.
We update the deals grid above daily. If you are new to buying online, our guide on how to buy a gun online covers the process. Bookmark this page and stop overpaying for ammo.
Facts and Figures
- Ammo listings in our feed: 34,553 from 25 retailers, October 29, 2026
- Most listings: Shooting Surplus 5,906, Midway USA 5,651, Optics Planet 4,643, Palmetto State Armory 4,217
- Cheapest brass 9mm at a trusted store: 25.7 cents a round (Winchester USA, 1,000 rounds, $256.99, PSA)
- Cheapest .22 LR: 7.8 cents a round; cheapest .308: 98 cents a round
- Biggest gap, cheapest vs middle listing: .308 at 49.6 cents a round
Ammo Deals FAQ
What is a good price per round for 9mm in 2026?
On October 29, 2026 the cheapest brass-case 9mm at a trusted store was 25.7 cents a round (Winchester USA, 1,000 rounds for $256.99 at Palmetto State Armory). The middle of all brass 9mm range listings in our feed was 32 cents. Anything under 26 cents is a buy.
What is the cheapest caliber to shoot?
.22 LR. CCI Blazer was 7.8 cents a round in a 425-round pack at Palmetto State Armory on October 29, 2026. The cheapest centerfire round is 9mm at 25.7 cents.
Is it cheaper to buy ammo in bulk?
On rifle ammo, yes. Patriot Sports .223 at Sportsman's Guide was 50 cents a round in a 20-round box and 46 cents in a 1,000-round case. On 9mm, a 50-round box at $12.99 was within half a cent a round of the cheapest 1,000-round case.
Is steel-case ammo cheaper than brass?
Not on 9mm at the stores we trust. On October 29, 2026, Wolf steel-case 9mm was 26 cents a round at Sportsman's Warehouse, the same as CCI Blazer brass, and Winchester USA Forged steel was 30 cents.
Which store has the cheapest ammo?
It changes by caliber. On October 29, 2026 Palmetto State Armory was cheapest on 9mm, .223 and .22 LR, Sportsman's Guide on .308, .45 ACP and .300 Blackout, and Brownells on .380 and 12 gauge target loads.
Do I need an FFL to buy ammo online?
No. Ammo ships to your door in most states without an FFL. California requires ammo purchases to go through a licensed ammunition vendor with a background check, and some other states and cities have their own rules, so check yours.
How do I calculate cost per round?
Divide the price by the number of rounds. A $12.99 box of 50 is 26 cents a round; a $256.99 case of 1,000 is 25.7 cents. Add shipping before you compare stores.
How frequently are the ammo deals on this page updated?
Daily. The grid and the price cards pull fresh prices from 25 retailers in our feed every day, and each listing links to the retailer's product page, so check the live price there before you buy.
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