SmallCaliberCentral

Finally got the money saved up to get my 12FCV, but I don't want it to sit here with nothing to eat, so I'll need some boolits. I do plan to get started in reloading with this gun, but that rockchucker kit is still a ways off, so I'll need some pointers on affordable factory ammo. BVAC is the cheapest I've found, but I've heard bad things. Next on the list is Fiocchi, with a 32gr VMAX option and a 40Gr pointed soft point, both for around 30 bucks a box of 50. I'd like to try both, as guns can be picky, but of course non of the big boys online (Midway, Brownells, Cabellas, CTD, Able, etc) have both in stock, and paying 2 x $10 shipping kinda defeats the purpose. Anyone know of a supplier that I'm missing, or a manufacturer that isn't in the neighborhood of $1 a round? Thanks all.

The only around shipping, that I know of, is to go to your closest Cabela's, Sportsman Warehouse or Scheels and check their stock. Bill K

Cabellas is 4+ hours away, Scheels I don't believe we have here in CO, but I am going to check the good SW up North tomorrow, maybe I'll get lucky. Probably won't have the rifle for 2-3 weeks, and I still need to find scope bases for it, so I got some time to figure this out.

In the short and long run, reloading is still cheaper, though admittedly not as convenient. I use all Lee equipment and have very few complaints. To get started you may need to put in a few hundred dollars, but you can spend that much easily on loaded ammo in one trip to the range. My CZ shoots consistently sub half inch groups with Sierra 39gr bullets and Reloader15 powder. I sincerely doubt you'd ever match that with factory ammo and if you did you certainly wouldn't match the cost. My last trip to the range I shot a five shot 0.44" group from 200yds using all Lee equipment. What factory ammo could match that for even twice the money I have in these rounds? I'd shoot factory ammo if I were only shooting a few rounds a month but when I go out after ground squirrels, some days I shoot as much as a 100 rounds in a day. At $18-$25 for a box of loaded box of 20 rounds that comes out to $90-$125 for a day's shooting. And in the late spring and early summer I often go out 5 to 10 times a month. So if you get into shooting like I do, you will just have to get into loading your own ammo, or get another job to pay for your shooting habit.

+ One for what jrwoitalla said. I shoot about 3,000 CF rounds a year at ground squirrels or PD's, and a good friend and his wife go through 7,000 rounds a season on the rats here. None of this would be feasable without handloading, and the accuracy of the factory stuff just doesn't cut it out at 400+ yards on a target the size of a soda can. We know.....we've tried it.

Do yourself a favor and consider saving for the equipment and components now. You'll thank yourself soon thereafter, we promise.

I completely agree said comments on reloading. I, myself have somewhere around 4,000 reloads on hand at any time. In fact my 204 has never seen a factory round! On a good day shooting skippy I will go thru 100 to 300 rounds a day Even more if temps permit. Now I will be loading for a new rifle and caliber, so I will have even more ammo on hand

Rick in Oregon wrote:Do yourself a favor and consider saving for the equipment and components now. You'll thank yourself soon thereafter, we promise.

Take the plunge! I think you will enjoy the whole process as much or more as the rest of us do!

I absolutely intend to start reloading, but it'll be a while until I put the money and equipment together, and I just hate to have a $1200 prarie dog rig laying around un-shot, so I'll have to do some factory stuff while I save my pennies up for a starter press and stuff. It'll also be a big help with my AR and my hand canons that cost me 1-2 bucks a round.