It’s no secret that the price of ammo has gone through the roof in recent years. It used to be that 9mm was a cheap handgun cartridge, and while it still might be on the cheaper side, the costs associated with target shooting have gone through the roof.
That said, getting crafty with how you find and buy cheap 9mm ammo, as well as what you shoot, can impact your bottom line significantly. Here are some ways to get frugal.
Switch from TMJ to FMJ
Both total metal jacket and full metal jacket 9mm ammo protect your gun’s bore against lead fouling, and help reduce vaporized lead at the range.
TMJ does this a little better, since the base of the bullet is enclosed, but you pay more for it. In all other ballistic matters, FMJ and TMJ perform effectively the same.
Which means, if you aren’t too concerned with lead fouling and all you care about is hitting your target, don’t pay more for TMJ. Switch to an FMJ round and you might save a bit.
Shoot Lighter Loads
Before you pull the trigger on that cheap 9mm ammo, look at the data on the box, mainly the bullet weight.
Heavier bullets are made with more material (obviously) so they tend to be more expensive. If all you’re doing is target shooting, you shouldn’t have much reason to put money into heavier rounds.
Look for a round that’s loaded with a bullet that weighs a few grains less and see if that can save you a bit on shooting.
Shoot Steel
For shotgunners this advice would cost money – but in the realm of handgun shooting, what we mean is steel-cased ammo.
Steel-cased ammo is cheaper than brass-cased ammo, and sometimes considerably so. The one drawback is that you can’t reload most steel-cased ammo, so that’s the one caveat.
But if you don’t reload, it doesn’t matter. Just switch things up and shoot steel-cased cheap 9mm ammo if it works for you.
Buy in Bulk
The last bit of advice here is also the best bit. The single best way to save on your shooting hobby is to buy your ammo in bulk. This doesn’t just mean getting cheap 9mm ammo, but buying it in larger quantities. Doing so will drive down the per-round cost.
Just be conscientious about buying 9mm bulk ammo. You don’t want to gamble on something you’ve never shot before because you don’t necessarily know how it will perform in your gun.
But if you’ve already had experience with a given load or brand, then definitely buy it in larger quantities any time that is a possibility.
Where to Find Cheap 9mm Ammo
Looking for a place where you can get cheap 9mm ammo in bulk online? Make your first stop Able Ammo. They carry a huge assortment of ammo from the top brands and offer pretty competitive prices. At the very least bookmark their 9mm ammo page and throw them in rotation when you need to restock your ammo cans.
