entropy
Member
No, 12 is. .410 is the most expensive.
To answer the OP, Like Loon Wulf said; 9mm for all but shotgun, which is 12 ga. promo steel based shells.
Cheapest round to shoot for Rifle, Semi-Auto Pistol, Revolver, and Shotgun that is not .22 LR.
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To answer the OP, Like Loon Wulf said; 9mm for all but shotgun, which is 12 ga. promo steel based shells.
LOLBELL
Member
20 ga shotgun
327 Fed Mag revolver
327 Fed Mag rifle
9mm auto loader
327 Fed Mag revolver
327 Fed Mag rifle
9mm auto loader
Considering that the average cost of a box of 25 3" 410 shells is $15.00 and a box of 2 1/2" shells averages around $12-13, it definitely is not that cheapest.
As others have said: 9mm, 223, 7.62x39 and 12 gauge.
Trashyshoots
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Its probably between 38 special and 9mm if you reload and cast your own. But I would imagine 9mm brass is cheaper than 38 special, and ar9s can be build much cheaper than 38/357 levers.
I think.... hah.
I think.... hah.
JWF III
Member
Reload and cast, and .38 special becomes the cheapest at about $.05 each. And you can shoot it in revolver, rifle (lever actions), and pistols (S&W Model 52, Colt also made one).
.410 for the shotgun reloaders
Wyman
.410 for the shotgun reloaders
Wyman
Skeptic13
Member
Yep. Not much more to add.
Current costs would run slightly higher than that. I checked today. Primers are $0.032 each, powder is going to run $0.011. Bullets are going to run $0.03 each.
The cost for 9mm and 38 Special when reloading are so close that you have to load at least 5k to notice the difference. 45 Auto is slightly more due to more lead. I can pick up 9mm brass by the bucket full. 45 brass isn't quite as common but I pick quite a bit up. Revolver brass is pretty rare since most of the revolver guys reload. That gives the cost factor to the 9mm since brass is either free or extremely inexpensive.
For rifle it's 5.56/223...unless you reload, then it's 300 Blackout. You can cast for it so your cost per round is under $0.10 each. Brass is pretty much free since you can use 5.56/223 brass.
If you buy in bulk 38 Special ammo is just a couple of cents more than 9mm. Or it was six weeks ago. At that price the cost of a 9mm revolver doesn't make since. It would take 25K rounds to pay for a $500 pistol.
Pistol 9mm
Revolver 9mm or 38/357
Shotgun 12 gauge
Rifle, 9mm or 300 Blackout if ya reload, if buying ammo then 223/5.56
Push comes to shove it's my bottom feeder and my Ruger PCC....or just my PSA 10" AR Pistol.
furburgler
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Defiantly 9mm... 7.62x39 and 12 gauge... was in a local Walmart about a year and half ago to buy diapers walked by the ammo. Guy behind the counter said they had 2 3/4 12 gauge 00 buckshot on sale for 3.50 a box... 25 shells per box.. they didn’t have it out front yet but it was in the back... unfortunately money was tight and my baby girl needed diapers but still walked out with 200 rounds and a big ole pack of diapers.. If that would of happened a few months later I woulda bought every box they had
JWF III
Member
My figures came from 2.8 grains of Promo ($134 for 8#s)=.0067/ round. $200 for 5000 primers=.04/round. Free lead to cast bullets. Final cost equals .0467 per round, if you have the brass. 9mm requires about 1 1/2 grains more powder, so it would bump up to about .05 per round.
Wyman
George P
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$200 for 5000? YIKES!..................
Archie
Member
Cheapest I think varies from place to place. Based on what I've seen (and think I remember) usually the cheapest handgun ammo - commercially - is one form or another of 9mm Parabellum. .45 ACP is fairly inexpensive as well, depends on the latest trend. The above assumes one is buying the FMJ, 'blasting' ammo. .38 Special seems to be more expensive as it seems to be in less demand and therefore rarer. For rifles, .223 Remington and 7.62x39mm, especially in the steel case versions, seem to be rather inexpensive.
None of this considers 'sales' and 'special' deals as they cannot always be found.
For a reloader, the least expensive is what ever has the least expensive bullets and commonest (least expensive) powder.
None of this considers 'sales' and 'special' deals as they cannot always be found.
For a reloader, the least expensive is what ever has the least expensive bullets and commonest (least expensive) powder.
buying or reloading?
what kind of bullet you want?
you can buy 9mm for under 20 cents a round.
.223 for under 25 cents a round.
I would guess given the popularity of the rounds if you are reloading they may well be the cheapest to reload too.
If you are casting your own bullets and get the lead for free it changes things.
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