Last updated and checked October 28, 2026 · By Nick Hall, who tracks ammo pricing across 200+ retailers daily
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- Treat every gun as loaded
- Point the muzzle in a safe direction
- Keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot
- Know your target and what’s beyond
Quick Answer: On October 28, 2026, the cheapest brass 9mm at a major retailer was PMC Bronze 115 grain at Palmetto State Armory, $11.99 for 50, or 24 cents a round. That 50-round box beat every 1,000-round case we found (28 cents). Bulk 5.56 NATO bottomed out at 50 cents a round, .22 LR at 7.5 cents and 12 gauge target loads at 34 cents.
A good deal today means beating the median price for your caliber: 30 cents for 9mm, 60 cents for 5.56 and 9.4 cents for .22 LR, from our feed of five trusted retailers. Always compare cost per round, never box price, and never assume the biggest case is the cheapest.
Table of Contents
How we tested: Every pick here is ranked against our testing methodology. Minimum round counts, accuracy and reliability protocols, the failures that disqualify a gun.
Best Ammo Deals Online Right Now
Best-priced ammunition across 200+ retailers · Updated every 4 hours
We track ammo prices from 200+ online retailers every day. For this page we pulled every in-stock range load from the five stores we trust most (Palmetto State Armory, Brownells, Guns.com, Sportsman’s Warehouse and Sportsman’s Guide) on October 28, 2026, and worked out the cost per round for each one. Here is what the market really looks like.
Two things stand out. First, ammo costs more than most deal pages admit: no brass 9mm at these stores sells for less than 24 cents a round right now, and bulk 5.56 starts at 50 cents. Second, the spread between the cheapest and the median listing runs from 2 cents a round on .22 LR to 16 cents on .223, so comparing stores still pays.
Best 9mm Ammo Deals
9mm is the cheapest centerfire round to shoot and the most competitive market. Of 54 in-stock 50-round boxes of brass 9mm FMJ, the cheapest was PMC Bronze 115 grain at PSA for $11.99 (24 cents a round), followed by PMC Bronze at Sportsman’s Guide and CCI Blazer at Sportsman’s Warehouse, both $12.99. The median box was 30 cents a round.
The best bulk 9mm was CCI Blazer Brass, 500 rounds for $137.99 at Sportsman’s Warehouse (27.6 cents), and PMC Bronze, 1,000 rounds for $279.80 at Sportsman’s Guide (28 cents). That means the PSA box was cheaper per round than any case. Buy the case for convenience, not because it is cheaper by default.
For range ammo, buy whatever brass-cased FMJ is cheapest per round: PMC Bronze, CCI Blazer Brass, Winchester, Federal Champion and Hyperion Veteran all showed up near the top of our list. Steel case saves a few cents but some ranges ban it.
Best 5.56/.223 Ammo Deals
5.56 NATO is where the old 30-cent benchmark is furthest from reality. The cheapest in-stock bulk 5.56 FMJ on October 28 was 50 cents a round: PMC X-Tac 55 grain, 1,000 rounds for $499.99 at Sportsman’s Guide, Winchester M855 1,000 rounds for $499.99 at PSA, and Hyperion Veteran 5.56 500 rounds for $249.99 at Sportsman’s Warehouse. The median was 60 cents.
.223 Remington ran a little cheaper at the low end: Patriot Sports .223 55 grain FMJ, 1,000 rounds for $459.99 at Sportsman’s Guide, or 46 cents a round. Both fire safely in a rifle chambered for 5.56 NATO. If your rifle is marked .223 Remington only, stick to .223. Here bulk did win: the best 200-round pack of PMC X-Tac was $109.99, 55 cents a round.
Best .22 LR Ammo Deals
.22 LR is still the cheapest thing you can shoot. The best deal on October 28 was Winchester USA 36 grain, 333 rounds for $24.99 at Sportsman’s Warehouse, 7.5 cents a round. The big Golden Bullet 1,400-round bucket at Brownells was $115.99, 8.3 cents a round, and the median across 15 in-stock bulk listings was 9.4 cents.
The bucket is the classic example of bulk that costs more. Do the math every time. For precision work or small game, step up to CCI Mini-Mag or Federal AutoMatch, which run a few cents more and group tighter.
Best Shotgun Ammo Deals
For clays, the cheapest 12 gauge target load we found was Challenger First Class Target Load, 250 shells for $84.99 at Brownells, 34 cents a shell. PSA had the same load at $97.99 for 250. The median across 69 in-stock 12 gauge target listings was 44 cents.
For home defense, buckshot is the one place not to shop on price alone. The cheapest 00 buck we found was Mirage Express at Brownells, 250 for $119.99 (48 cents a shell), but a premium load like Federal FliteControl patterns tighter and costs several times as much per shell. You will shoot a few boxes, not a few cases, so buy the load that patterns best in your gun.
Best Defense Ammo Deals
Defensive hollow points cost $1 to $1.75 a round, and the deals are smaller. The cheapest premium 9mm we found on October 28 was Hornady Critical Defense 115 grain: 250 rounds for $259.99 at Brownells ($1.04 a round) or 25 rounds for $27.99 at Sportsman’s Guide ($1.12). Federal Punch 9mm was $21.99 for 20 at Sportsman’s Warehouse ($1.10), Speer Gold Dot 124 grain $65.99 for 50 at Brownells ($1.32), and Federal HST 147 grain $29.99 for 20 at Brownells ($1.50).
You don’t need cases of it. Buy enough to run 100 or more rounds through your carry gun to prove it feeds, then keep a few boxes for your magazines.
Is Bulk Ammo Always Cheaper?
No, and the numbers on October 28 prove it. In three of four calibers we checked, a smaller box beat the big case per round:
- 9mm: 50-round box 24 cents vs 1,000-round case 28 cents
- .22 LR: 333-round box 7.5 cents vs 1,400-round bucket 8.3 cents
- .45 ACP: 200-round box of CCI Blazer Brass $87.99 at Sportsman’s Warehouse, 44 cents, vs PMC Bronze 1,000 rounds $459.99 at Sportsman’s Guide, 46 cents
- 5.56 NATO: 200-round pack 55 cents vs 1,000-round case 50 cents, the one win for bulk
Stores price big cases for convenience and price small boxes to compete. Divide the price by the round count every time, add shipping, and then decide.
How to Calculate Cost Per Round
Cost per round is the price divided by the round count. PSA’s 50-round box of PMC Bronze at $11.99 is 24 cents a round; Sportsman’s Guide’s 1,000 rounds of the same ammo at $279.80 is 28 cents. Then add shipping: on a $280 case, $20 of shipping adds 2 cents a round, and on a $12 box it can add 40 cents, so the box only wins when it ships free or rides along with a bigger order.
Grain weight and case material matter too. Compare 115 grain to 115 grain and brass to brass. SAAMI, the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute, sets the pressure and dimension standards that every load here is built to.
What Is a Good Price Per Round in 2026?
These benchmarks come from every in-stock listing at our five trusted retailers on October 28, 2026. “Good deal” is the cheapest quarter of listings, “average” is the median, and “overpaying” is the most expensive quarter.
| Caliber | Lowest found | Good deal | Average | Overpaying |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9mm FMJ (brass) | 24 cents | 28 cents or less | 30 cents | over 32 cents |
| .380 ACP FMJ | 38 cents | 40 cents or less | 44 cents | over 46 cents |
| .45 ACP FMJ | 44 cents | 47.5 cents or less | 52.5 cents | over 57 cents |
| 5.56 NATO FMJ | 50 cents | 56 cents or less | 60 cents | over 64 cents |
| .223 Rem FMJ | 46 cents | 57.5 cents or less | 62 cents | over 66 cents |
| .22 LR | 7.5 cents | 9.1 cents or less | 9.4 cents | over 10.2 cents |
| 12 ga target | 34 cents | 41 cents or less | 44 cents | over 56 cents |
| .308 / 7.62 FMJ | 98 cents | $1.00 or less | $1.06 | over $1.12 |
| 9mm defensive JHP | $1.04 | $1.30 or less | $1.50 | over $1.60 |
If you see a price at or under the “good deal” column, it is a real deal on today’s market. For a sense of holiday pricing, the 4th of July 2026 sales had bulk 9mm at 28 cents and 5.56 at 50 cents, the same as on October 28. See our 4th of July gun deals breakdown.
Bulk Ammo Buying: How Much to Stock
Range and training: 500 to 1,000 rounds per caliber you shoot regularly, enough for several range trips. Reorder when you hit 500, not when you run out.
Self-defense: 200 rounds of your carry load. Run 100 through your gun to prove it feeds and keep the rest for your magazines and periodic practice.
Hunting: 40 to 60 rounds per hunting caliber, enough to zero (20 rounds) and hunt a full season.
Best Retailers for Ammo Deals
On October 28, 2026, each of our trusted retailers won at least one category:
- Palmetto State Armory: cheapest 9mm box (PMC Bronze, 24 cents) and tied for cheapest bulk 5.56 (Winchester M855, 50 cents)
- Sportsman’s Warehouse: cheapest bulk 9mm (CCI Blazer Brass 500, 27.6 cents), .22 LR (Winchester USA, 7.5 cents) and .45 ACP (Blazer Brass 200, 44 cents)
- Sportsman’s Guide: cheapest .223 (Patriot Sports 1,000, 46 cents), .308 (PMC X-Tac 7.62×51 500, 98 cents) and tied on 5.56 (PMC X-Tac, 50 cents)
- Brownells: cheapest 12 gauge target (34 cents), 00 buckshot (48 cents) and defensive 9mm (Critical Defense 250, $1.04)
Shipping changes the math. Ammo is heavy, and free shipping is a promotion, not a policy, at most of these stores. Brownells’ shipping page says free standard shipping comes through promo codes, and ammo ships by ground only. Sportsman’s Guide’s Buyer’s Club takes 5% off guns and ammo (10% off most other items). Check the cart total with shipping before you compare two stores.
Your state may route the order. Brownells lists extra restrictions for California, DC, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut and New Jersey. In California, online ammo must ship to a licensed ammunition vendor, and the state background check fee went from $1 to $5 on July 1, 2025 (California DOJ).
Prices change daily, and the cheapest store this week may not be next week. Use our ammo deals page and ammo deals of the day to compare live, our gun price checker for firearms, and our guide to the best time to buy a gun. Need a gun to feed? Browse our handgun deals, AR-15 deals and shotgun deals.
Facts and Figures
- Data: every in-stock range and defensive listing at PSA, Brownells, Guns.com, Sportsman’s Warehouse and Sportsman’s Guide on October 28, 2026
- Cheapest per round: .22 LR 7.5 cents, 9mm 24 cents, 12 ga target 34 cents, .380 38 cents, .45 ACP 44 cents, .223 46 cents, 5.56 50 cents, .308 98 cents
- Medians: 9mm 30 cents, 5.56 60 cents, .22 LR 9.4 cents, 12 ga target 44 cents
- Box vs case: the smaller box was cheaper per round for 9mm, .22 LR and .45 ACP; bulk won only for 5.56
- Defensive 9mm: Critical Defense $1.04 to $1.12, Punch $1.10, Gold Dot $1.32, HST $1.46 to $1.50 per round
Ammo Deals FAQ
What is the cheapest ammo to buy online right now?
On October 28, 2026, .22 LR was the cheapest at 7.5 cents a round (Winchester USA, 333 rounds for $24.99 at Sportsman's Warehouse). The cheapest centerfire was 9mm at 24 cents a round (PMC Bronze, $11.99 for 50 at Palmetto State Armory). Bulk 5.56 NATO started at 50 cents a round.
Is buying bulk ammo worth it?
Not always. On October 28, 2026, a 50-round box of 9mm (24 cents a round) beat every 1,000-round case (28 cents), and smaller boxes of .22 LR and .45 ACP also beat the bulk packs. Bulk won for 5.56 NATO (50 cents vs 55 cents for a 200-round pack). Divide price by rounds and add shipping every time.
Which retailers offer free shipping on ammo?
Free shipping on ammo is mostly a promotion, not a standing policy. Brownells offers free standard shipping through promo codes, and ammo ships by ground only. Sportsman's Guide Buyer's Club members get free shipping on qualifying orders. Ammo is heavy, so add shipping to the cart before comparing stores.
What is a good price for 9mm ammo in 2026?
On October 28, 2026, the median price for brass 9mm FMJ at five trusted retailers was 30 cents a round, and the cheapest quarter of listings was 28 cents or less. The lowest we found was 24 cents. Anything at or under 28 cents is a good deal on today's market.
Where is the cheapest place to buy ammo?
It depends on the caliber. On October 28, 2026, Palmetto State Armory was cheapest for 9mm boxes, Sportsman's Warehouse for bulk 9mm, .22 LR and .45 ACP, Sportsman's Guide for .223 and .308, and Brownells for 12 gauge target loads, buckshot and defensive 9mm. Compare before every order.
Is ammo cheaper online than in stores?
Online stores win on selection and let you compare dozens of listings at once, but shipping can erase the difference on small orders. Compare the delivered cost per round from an online store against your local shop's shelf price, and buy local when it wins.
How do I find the best ammo deals?
Compare cost per round, not box price. Use a price tracker that covers many retailers, check the median price for your caliber (30 cents for 9mm and 60 cents for 5.56 on October 28, 2026), add shipping, and don't assume the biggest case is the cheapest.
Is it legal to buy ammo online?
In most states, yes, and ammo ships to your door. Several states add rules: California requires online ammo to ship to a licensed ammunition vendor for a $5 background check, New York routes sales through a dealer or registered seller, Illinois requires a FOID card, Connecticut a permit or ammunition certificate, and DC a registration certificate. Massachusetts and New Jersey also require a license or ID card.
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