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12 Gauge Ammo Prices/Availability - Anchorage, AK


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So I've spent the last few days driving around town looking for 12 gauge ammo and educating myself in the process. I am new to shotguns so I don't know if the prices I am paying for are inflated or not. I thought I'd post the prices here and let you guys decide.

 

Federal 3" 1-1/4oz Magnum Rifled Slug: $7.26 (per box of 5)

Remington 2-3/4" 00 Buck: $6.97 (per box of 5)

PMC 2-3/4" 1oz 00 Buck: $4.95 (per box of 5)

Royal Buck 2-3/4" 00 Buck: $4.95 (per box of 5)

Winchester 2-3/4" 1-1/8oz #2 shot: $12.47 (per box of 25)

Federal 2-3/4" 1-1/8oz #8 shot: $6.99 (per box of 25)

Federal 2-3/4" 1oz #6 shot: $6.99 (per box of 25)

 

The pickings are slim out there if you are wanting anything other than waterfowl/target loads. I went to both big box stores and the mom & pop shops. My intentions are to take my S-12 out to the range for the first time for trials. Are there other loads I should purchase for performance testing? Excuse my ignorance but I keep reading about high and low brass yet I don't understand the difference...

 

Thanks in advance!

Edited by HighPlainsDrifter
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You're totally getting screwed, dude! Fight the power by not buying shotgun shells that I want, and get Walmart bulk pack while you still can!

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Its sort of an anacronym. Back when shells used paper, The slow burning high-power grains would chew through the paper with the temps reached. The high brass solved the problem by allowing a distance from the core of the heat. Today, we have better powder and plastics in the shell, its not such a big deal. Mthe plastics can handle the higher temperatures.

 

So, high brass is traditionally for full loads, while low is given to target loads. That is no longer a rule however, for the reasons stated.

 

I would use high brass/full loads if you are training for self defense, and target loads if you are shooting skeet (full loads tend to piss everyone else off, for some weird reason, maybe because many skeet shooters arent really practicing to shoot real things).

 

High brass is, for me, easier to reload, the extra sleeve makes it more sturdy to pop out/in new primers.

Edited by Remek
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No! Those prices actually seem reasonable considering you're in AK. Everything is more expensive due to shipping.

 

I'm paying $9.45 per box of Federal 2 3/4" 1 1/8oz #2 steel, and $3.49 for a 5 round box of Federal 1 oz slugs. Federal 3" 00 buck is $6.59 for 5.

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I would use high brass/full loads if you are training for self defense, and target loads if you are shooting skeet...

 

High brass is, for me, easier to reload, the extra sleeve makes it more sturdy to pop out/in new primers.

 

That clarifies it for me. I knew something was up when I couldn't find high/low brass labeled on the package. Of those 3 brands of buck shot listed above, what would you buy a case of?

 

No! Those prices actually seem reasonable considering you're in AK. Everything is more expensive due to shipping.

 

I'm paying $9.45 per box of Federal 2 3/4" 1 1/8oz #2 steel, and $3.49 for a 5 round box of Federal 1 oz slugs. Federal 3" 00 buck is $6.59 for 5.

 

You are right about prices being higher in AK mainly because of shipping charges. I am going to assume what I am seeing are regular Alaskan prices.

 

Mike made a comment about Walmart bulk pack. Well, that's currently unavailable. I didn't bitch when I was out today. I left that to the guys looking for any rifle or handgun rounds.

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I would use high brass/full loads if you are training for self defense, and target loads if you are shooting skeet...

 

High brass is, for me, easier to reload, the extra sleeve makes it more sturdy to pop out/in new primers.

 

That clarifies it for me. I knew something was up when I couldn't find high/low brass labeled on the package. Of those 3 brands of buck shot listed above, what would you buy a case of?

 

No! Those prices actually seem reasonable considering you're in AK. Everything is more expensive due to shipping.

 

I'm paying $9.45 per box of Federal 2 3/4" 1 1/8oz #2 steel, and $3.49 for a 5 round box of Federal 1 oz slugs. Federal 3" 00 buck is $6.59 for 5.

 

You are right about prices being higher in AK mainly because of shipping charges. I am going to assume what I am seeing are regular Alaskan prices.

 

Mike made a comment about Walmart bulk pack. Well, that's currently unavailable. I didn't bitch when I was out today. I left that to the guys looking for any rifle or handgun rounds.

 

The prices you listed originally for most of the target loads are easily DOUBLE what they cost here. I don't care if you live in Cambodia, you're getting screwed. Prices for the other rounds are a lot closer to typical as far as I can tell.

 

I would get on ammoseek and see if you can find someone that won't rob you for shipping for whatever ammo you want.

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That's pretty normal for up here - tad higher, but not that much.

Buy by the case @ Sportsmans Warehouse and you get 5% off as well. Add in the 20$ off (100$ or more) coupon from Alaska magazine (my neighbor gives them to me) and it helps more.

 

Tony Rumore recommended Winchester Super Sport AA for intial shooting loads... 7.5 shot and not the lower recoil stuff... anything over 1300fps worked great to help dial it in. Now I can shoot the remington game loads and wally world bulk with no issues.

 

Lets go shoot again... I have 4 or 5 cases of the AA that needs burning! anger.gif

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The prices you listed originally for most of the target loads are easily DOUBLE what they cost here. I don't care if you live in Cambodia, you're getting screwed. Prices for the other rounds are a lot closer to typical as far as I can tell.

 

I would get on ammoseek and see if you can find someone that won't rob you for shipping for whatever ammo you want.

The only problem with this is most people do not understand shipping to Alaska. There is *NO* ground shipping. Even if you select ground, it goes ground from the store to the regional hub of the shipper (FedEx, UPS, etc) and then by air to Alaska. They cannot and do not ship thru Canada. So regardless, you pay the super high hazmat shipping fee, which makes it no better than buying local. The ONLY way to save is to buy is SUPER bulk, and have it barged up, where they charge by the pound (like $.20 a pound?). That's what the local stores do... a few will do an order together and split the costs. Typicaly a case of .223 will cost us about $50-75 more then if you had it shipped to your house. but for an individual to make it work, you have to buy *A LOT* and I mean like the whole container full. I've looked into this with some friends... and a lot of the ammoseek stores will not even ship to AK because of this.

Edited by SwissyJim
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The only problem with this is most people do not understand shipping to Alaska. There is *NO* ground shipping. Even if you select ground, it goes ground from the store to the regional hub of the shipper (FedEx, UPS, etc) and then by air to Alaska. They cannot and do not ship thru Canada. So regardless, you pay the super high hazmat shipping fee, which makes it no better than buying local.

 

Welcome to Alaska! It also should be pointed out that these prices are for Anchorage. I bet our fellow members in Fairbanks and elsewhere pay a higher premium. I can't imagine prices in bush Alaska...

 

SwissyJim: I'll be all about Birchwood again. I've been preparing for it these last few weeks. Red Jacket didn't follow through so in January I panicked and purchased a Legion S-12. It was delivered last week and now I want to put it through some trials before I convert. Mine has a magwell & LRBHO. It would be fun to run against your Tromix build. Even a newbie can immediately tell the difference between the factory sporter trigger and Tromix's custom trigger job.

Edited by HighPlainsDrifter
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when i was at home in fairbanks over christmas break one of my go-to shops had 9mm for 12.xx a box (bought a case) and target loads of 12 ga for 5.xx a box (bought 2 cases). just gotta find the deals. do you know of anyone that has driven ammo thru canada? i have called the border stations a couple different times and get different stories each time. if driving it up is ok, and you want a few cases, i might drive up in a couple months after school is out and we could work something out.

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if driving it up is ok, and you want a few cases, i might drive up in a couple months after school is out and we could work something out.

 

Possibly, but I believe there is a Canadian import limit of 200 rounds. Of course there are stipulations that allow in excess of 200 but in this case I don't think any apply . I have always been asked by the Canadian border agents if I am bringing in guns and/or ammo. In 2009 they tore through my cab and uhaul not looking for drugs but firearms. I chuckle because back then I was moving to Alaska and I didn't own one. I have come to learn that guns are the one subject Canadians don't mess around with. If I do decide to ever leave the state I think I'll just ship my firearms back home to my family in ND rather then deal with that mess again.

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Last I knew, you could bring a max of 2000 rounds of ammo, with the stipulation that no gun you carried thru as well took the caliber you were bringing... but it's been awhile since I checked. Also, Alaska Airlines is he only airlines I know of flying in/out of Alaska that allows 50 pounds of ammo brought up as cargo - every other is 11 pounds. Every trip out, or family visiting, I have them bring some.

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The prices you listed originally for most of the target loads are easily DOUBLE what they cost here. I don't care if you live in Cambodia, you're getting screwed. Prices for the other rounds are a lot closer to typical as far as I can tell.

 

I would get on ammoseek and see if you can find someone that won't rob you for shipping for whatever ammo you want.

The only problem with this is most people do not understand shipping to Alaska. There is *NO* ground shipping. Even if you select ground, it goes ground from the store to the regional hub of the shipper (FedEx, UPS, etc) and then by air to Alaska. They cannot and do not ship thru Canada. So regardless, you pay the super high hazmat shipping fee, which makes it no better than buying local. The ONLY way to save is to buy is SUPER bulk, and have it barged up, where they charge by the pound (like $.20 a pound?). That's what the local stores do... a few will do an order together and split the costs. Typicaly a case of .223 will cost us about $50-75 more then if you had it shipped to your house. but for an individual to make it work, you have to buy *A LOT* and I mean like the whole container full. I've looked into this with some friends... and a lot of the ammoseek stores will not even ship to AK because of this.

 

I guess I just imagined that a larger city like Anchorage would get ground shipments on a regular basis. I can't imagine having every single item flown in for a city of over 300,000 people.

 

Looks like you might be better off to get one of those crab fisherman to head to Russia for you!

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I would use high brass/full loads if you are training for self defense, and target loads if you are shooting skeet...

 

High brass is, for me, easier to reload, the extra sleeve makes it more sturdy to pop out/in new primers.

 

That clarifies it for me. I knew something was up when I couldn't find high/low brass labeled on the package. Of those 3 brands of buck shot listed above, what would you buy a case of?

 

No! Those prices actually seem reasonable considering you're in AK. Everything is more expensive due to shipping.

 

I'm paying $9.45 per box of Federal 2 3/4" 1 1/8oz #2 steel, and $3.49 for a 5 round box of Federal 1 oz slugs. Federal 3" 00 buck is $6.59 for 5.

 

You are right about prices being higher in AK mainly because of shipping charges. I am going to assume what I am seeing are regular Alaskan prices.

 

Mike made a comment about Walmart bulk pack. Well, that's currently unavailable. I didn't bitch when I was out today. I left that to the guys looking for any rifle or handgun rounds.

 

My gut says go with Remington, but that said, you really should try some of each out, it should not take a lot of rounds to figure out what you like. I don't shoot shotgun (yet) with the intent of self-defense, but if I were to do so, I would get a pattern board and take a few shots from different distances, and look for the cleanest, most powerful, and most consistent load I could get.

 

Tip: Winchester is generally smoky-dirty, so I'd shy away, unless you like the look of firing a black powder rifle. At least that's been my experience.

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The prices you listed originally for most of the target loads are easily DOUBLE what they cost here. I don't care if you live in Cambodia, you're getting screwed. Prices for the other rounds are a lot closer to typical as far as I can tell.

 

I would get on ammoseek and see if you can find someone that won't rob you for shipping for whatever ammo you want.

The only problem with this is most people do not understand shipping to Alaska. There is *NO* ground shipping. Even if you select ground, it goes ground from the store to the regional hub of the shipper (FedEx, UPS, etc) and then by air to Alaska. They cannot and do not ship thru Canada. So regardless, you pay the super high hazmat shipping fee, which makes it no better than buying local. The ONLY way to save is to buy is SUPER bulk, and have it barged up, where they charge by the pound (like $.20 a pound?). That's what the local stores do... a few will do an order together and split the costs. Typicaly a case of .223 will cost us about $50-75 more then if you had it shipped to your house. but for an individual to make it work, you have to buy *A LOT* and I mean like the whole container full. I've looked into this with some friends... and a lot of the ammoseek stores will not even ship to AK because of this.

 

I guess I just imagined that a larger city like Anchorage would get ground shipments on a regular basis. I can't imagine having every single item flown in for a city of over 300,000 people.

 

Looks like you might be better off to get one of those crab fisherman to head to Russia for you!

 

Problem is it's up to the shipping companies and their policies. I'm sure they could work a deal with Canadian customs, drive trucks up the highway and so forth, but they choose to fly it regardless - probably cheaper with fuel, breakdowns, fees and so on. We are at their mercy for shipping most things, and get raped as a result. Sucks, but you get used to it and find ways around it whenever you can - USPS Flat Rate works normally up here. Only ammo is a big problem. A lot of places that offer 'Free Shipping' do NOT include Alaska and Hawaii, but there are ways. Some will not ship to AK at all, regardless. There is a 'Ship to Alaska' company that gives me a unique address at their company, and I use that to have stuff shipped. It goes to them, they put it on a barge when they have room, and it comes up super cheap. Only issue is, no ammo, long waits and yearly weight restrictions.But I use it a lot for the Free Shipping scams. That, and Amazon Prime works up here now so I use the shit out of that whenever I can.

It's probably the single biggest pain in the ass for me personally living up here. Don't mind the cold, costs and so on... but getting raped on shipping or missing all the great deals sucks. But I wouldn't move if you paid me so I deal with it.

Edited by SwissyJim
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Problem is it's up to the shipping companies and their policies. I'm sure they could work a deal with Canadian customs, drive trucks up the highway and so forth, but they choose to fly it regardless - probably cheaper with fuel, breakdowns, fees and so on. We are at their mercy for shipping most things, and get raped as a result. Sucks, but you get used to it and find ways around it whenever you can - USPS Flat Rate works normally up here. Only ammo is a big problem. A lot of places that offer 'Free Shipping' do NOT include Alaska and Hawaii, but there are ways. Some will not ship to AK at all, regardless. There is a 'Ship to Alaska' company that gives me a unique address at their company, and I use that to have stuff shipped. It goes to them, they put it on a barge when they have room, and it comes up super cheap. Only issue is, no ammo, long waits and yearly weight restrictions.But I use it a lot for the Free Shipping scams. That, and Amazon Prime works up here now so I use the shit out of that whenever I can.

It's probably the single biggest pain in the ass for me personally living up here. Don't mind the cold, costs and so on... but getting raped on shipping or missing all the great deals sucks. But I wouldn't move if you paid me so I deal with it.

 

Hummmmm... USPS flat rate works? I should be able to get 300 rounds of 2 3/4 into a 12 x 12 x 5.5 box. Maybe more? That box is $17 on their website.... I don't want to be a long term ammo mule, but I have to think that a smaller, more friendly, vendor might be able to make that work out. That's actually a smoking good deal, considering the weight, no matter where you live.

 

I recently watched the first season of "Out Of The Wild" (the dump a bunch of people off in the bush in AK and let them "survive" for awhile). I couldn't get over how beautiful it is up there. I can't blame you one bit for putting up with some BS. My plan is to stay here, but take a cruise up there some day. ;) I'll see how much ammo the cruise line will let me bring! :)

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Problem is it's up to the shipping companies and their policies. I'm sure they could work a deal with Canadian customs, drive trucks up the highway and so forth, but they choose to fly it regardless - probably cheaper with fuel, breakdowns, fees and so on. We are at their mercy for shipping most things, and get raped as a result. Sucks, but you get used to it and find ways around it whenever you can - USPS Flat Rate works normally up here. Only ammo is a big problem. A lot of places that offer 'Free Shipping' do NOT include Alaska and Hawaii, but there are ways. Some will not ship to AK at all, regardless. There is a 'Ship to Alaska' company that gives me a unique address at their company, and I use that to have stuff shipped. It goes to them, they put it on a barge when they have room, and it comes up super cheap. Only issue is, no ammo, long waits and yearly weight restrictions.But I use it a lot for the Free Shipping scams. That, and Amazon Prime works up here now so I use the shit out of that whenever I can.

It's probably the single biggest pain in the ass for me personally living up here. Don't mind the cold, costs and so on... but getting raped on shipping or missing all the great deals sucks. But I wouldn't move if you paid me so I deal with it.

 

Hummmmm... USPS flat rate works? I should be able to get 300 rounds of 2 3/4 into a 12 x 12 x 5.5 box. Maybe more? That box is $17 on their website.... I don't want to be a long term ammo mule, but I have to think that a smaller, more friendly, vendor might be able to make that work out. That's actually a smoking good deal, considering the weight, no matter where you live.

 

I recently watched the first season of "Out Of The Wild" (the dump a bunch of people off in the bush in AK and let them "survive" for awhile). I couldn't get over how beautiful it is up there. I can't blame you one bit for putting up with some BS. My plan is to stay here, but take a cruise up there some day. wink.png I'll see how much ammo the cruise line will let me bring! smile.png

 

I appreciate the offer (really, you have NO idea!) but according to the USPS webpage, ammo is illegal thru USPS shipping - FedEx or UPS only. If it were legal, I'd have a HUGE credit card debt! LOL

 

And yeah, flat rate works wonders to AK.... I've gotten a number of 10" round 1/2" thick steel targets shipped flat rate, BOXES upon BOXES of brass (large flat rate holds almost 2500 .223 cases) and other things via flat rate. Thank GOD for it, personally. I'll shop around for HOURS until I find what I want, thru someone that uses it. Most shops only use FedEx or UPS, so even if I pay more for the item, I save a lot on shipping if they use flat rate. Speaking of which, I need some more steel gongs! LOL

 

You take a cruise, keep me posted. I have my own halibut/salmon fishing boat, and look for any reason to go fishing and/or shooting! (My Website)

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Don't know how to help our ammo always goes up on the barge with other supplies. Stuff like that needs to go in a cardboard box that says "Tampax" if you want it to stay on the pallet in your shipping container.

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