In this guide, I will go through the best place to buy ammo online. Some of the online companies I use regularly include Ammunition Depot and Palmetto State Armory.
Based on my experience, buying ammo online isn’t just about the price. There are other factors to keep in mind, which I’ve discovered over the last 15 years of buying ammo online. I have placed literally hundreds of orders from many different companies, on top of purchasing ammo locally, too.
Keep reading to find out the key factors to consider and learn our expert tips from years of hands-on experience.
Table of Contents
Quick Summary of Our Favorites
Also Compared:
Best Place to Buy Ammo Online
Ammuniton Depot – Best Overall
Ammunition Depot has become my go-to choice for buying ammo online.
The reason is simple: they have the best prices.
They have a good selection and ammo in bulk and by the box. They offer free shipping for orders over $149, which usually saves $30 or more off of my order. Plus, they will send us a 5% off discount code periodically to save even more. Check our Deals and Discount Code Page for the latest discount code.
I especially like their battle packs. They seal up 5 boxes of ammo in a durable, waterproof bag that will keep the ammo fresh for up to 75 years. I have even heard of people burying this stuff outside for a rainy day.
For me, I like to keep a few Battle Packs of defense ammo away from the rest of my ammo (at an undisclosed location, of course) just for safekeeping.
They package their ammo well, and it ships fast. I have been using them for over a year now and haven’t had an issue yet.
Their website is great, and they have all the sorts of filters I like to use, including price per round.
Widener’s Reloading & Shooting Supply
Save $15 off any order over $200 at Widener’s with coupon code “SURVIVAL-STOIC”.
Widener’s Reloading and Shooting Supply has been in business for over 40 years and has been selling ammo online since it was possible to do so in the mid 1990’s.
Originally started by Stan Widener in the 1970s, the employees are gun owners and can answer any question I have about the ammo I need.
They show in-stock status on their website and have their own warehouse in East TN. I like that I don’t have to worry about my order being drop-shipped from a third party somewhere.
Their shipping is super fast. I have found that I usually get shipping confirmation and a tracking number in less than 24 hours from when I place my order. My last order came 2 days after I ordered it.
Widener’s website is laid out well and I can find what I am looking for quickly. They have search filters for everything, from quantity, bullet type, and my favorite – bullet weight. I can also sort by cost per round, which I always use to find the best deal.
How my ammo order is packaged is important. I have found when ordering individual boxes of ammo that some companies don’t do a good job. I recently ordered multiple individual boxes and my order was packaged very well. There were no loose rounds in the bottom of the box!
Widener’s prices are some of the best I have found and can compete with anyone. They do add shipping and tax, and shipping cost depends on the weight and distance. My only real negative is they do not offer free shipping over a certain dollar amount.
With our discount code, you can save a big chunk of the shipping cost though.
Palmetto State Armory
Palmetto State Armory is my go-to for AR-15 parts and accessories. They also have very good prices on firearms and ammo as well.
The main thing that I like about them is it is the only place I can get AAC ammo.
AAC ammo is a sister company to PSA (the same group owns them), and they make all of their own ammo in South Carolina.
I have tried a bunch of different calibers, and for the price, they are hard to beat.
They have some of the best by-the-box prices on 5.56 and 9mm. So, if I don’t need an entire case of some expensive caliber, I go with AAC.
They also have other ammo, but I find that sometimes this has to ship from some other warehouse. I’m not sure if they are just drop shipping it from another company (it seems so), but I have had some orders arrive in two or three different boxes.
Not a huge deal, but if I am not buying AAC, I usually go with Ammunition Depot.
I also like that I can buy ammo when I buy other parts or items and save on shipping.
Their website is laid out well, and their sort filters are good. I can sort by price per round, which I like.
Lucky Gunner
I have been buying from Lucky Gunner for over 15 years. Their selection is great, and their website is top notch.
They have real time inventory on their website, so I don’t have to worry about buying something that is out of stock and then waiting on it. They have an in-stock guarantee, something that most other suppliers don’t have.
I really like their search and filter functionality, too. I can filter down by bullet weight and bullet type to find exactly what I want.
They ship super-fast, and their warehouse is in Sweetwater, TN, so I typically get my order in just a couple of days.
I also find that they package their ammo very well. This is especially important when buying small quantities of different types of ammo. I hate it when the individual boxes come open during shipment, and there are loose rounds rattling around in the bottom of the box.
Their prices are OK, but they do add shipping and tax, which is the only reason they are not my #1.
Bulk Munitions
When I want to buy a case of ammo, I always check Bulk Munitions.
Their prices are good, and they ship fast. They are located in East TN, so I usually get my order quickly.
Their selection is not as big as some others. Since they specialize in just bulk ammo, they don’t have anything obscure but usually have the most popular options. Even though they focus on bulk, they also have some that I can purchase by the box.
They also keep in stock 9mm PMC SFX self defense ammo that we reviewed in our PMC SFX 9mm ammo review. It is a decent round for self-defense and is cheap enough for training as well.
Bulk Munitions also donates at least 10% of their profits to Christian-based 2A supporting non-profit organizations, which is a big reason to buy from them.
Jamie is super helpful and is always willing to answer any questions.
Bereli
Bereli has a huge selection and has everything from ammo and firearms to gear and clothing.
Their website is good, and they do have some filter functions, so I can find what I am looking for. They do not have a price per round sort feature, though.
Their normal pricing is not the best, but they do have some good deals occasionally.
Shipping time for me has been OK. Not the fastest, but not the slowest either. I usually get my order within a week. They have all been packaged well.
I always check them before I buy, especially if I buy smaller quantities of ammo that is not so common.
True Shot Ammo
True Shot Ammo has a huge selection of ammo. Just now, I looked at their 9mm ammo, and they had 297 results!
They do have a few filters, so I can narrow them down, but they do not let me sort by cost per round, which is a negative for me.
I do find that a lot of their ammo is frequently out of stock. So, this does slow me down when I am browsing.
I can filter out stock vs out of stock, though. Just now, out of the 297 results, only 115 were in stock. So be sure to check this when you are searching.
Where I find their best deals is through their daily email. In just a few seconds, I can see if they have anything that I prefer on sale. Often, I will find a decent deal this way.
Their shipping and packaging are good, and I haven’t had any issues so far.
What We Look for When We Buy Ammo Online
There are a few things that I look for when I buy ammo online. Some are easy to spot, like the website layout and design, while others you can only get from ordering and experience.
All together, our team has purchased ammo online for the past 20 years. Here are our tips on what to look for:
Selection
This can be a double-edged sword. While I like to see a few options from different manufacturers, a huge amount is just overwhelming. For common calibers, there are a few brands that I stick to, so a huge selection of obscure brands is not helpful.
On the other hand, if I am looking for a caliber that is not so common, a big selection is helpful. It is especially helpful when I can combine orders of a small amount of that obscure caliber with a common caliber to save on shipping costs.
Website and Sorting Filters
This is a big one for me. I don’t want to spend a lot of time flipping through page after page and then trying to remember what I saw three pages ago to compare.
I like to be able to sort by caliber, bullet weight, bullet type, case material, and quantity. I also like to be able to sort by cost per round. This shows me the best price of my search criteria, regardless of the package quantity.
I often will find ammo of one brand in small quantities that is cheaper than bulk quantities in another brand. This is helpful to save money when I don’t want to buy a larger quantity.
In Stock Status
I have placed orders for ammo online before only to wait for a few weeks for my order to ship. Often, it was because the ammo wasn’t in stock, and they had to wait for it to come in.
In some cases, I think some companies do not keep much stock and just order from their supplier once they receive an order.
I find this more prevalent with the big box retailers that sell everything, and not so much with companies that only sell ammo.
All of the companies we recommend above either have an in-stock status or have their ammo drop shipped from a larger warehouse.
Packaging
This is not something you typically think of when ordering ammo online but it is an important consideration.
When buying in bulk, many manufacturers packaging individual boxes of ammo into larger boxes. Some online retailers will try to just ship the order in this box, but it is usually not suitable for shipping. Not only will it not be totally sealed up but will have what it is plastered all over the side of it.
It is important for these bulk boxes to be packed into a second, larger box.
When buying ammo by the box, it is also important how well it is packed. Boxes of ammo getting bounced around inside can destroy the packaging, and I have received just a box of loose ammo before down in the box.
Again, companies that only deal with ammo do this well. Others tend to not as much. The companies I recommend above all know how to package ammo properly.
Shipping Time
While I try to be patient and not wait until the last minute to order ammo I need for training, testing, or just having fun at the range, I do like to get what I order in a considerable amount of time.
Again, I think this goes back to the in-stock status I mentioned above, but it also depends on how fast my order gets packed. In general, I find that larger companies that don’t specialize in ammo take longer to process orders.
Of course, it also depends on where the warehouse location is located in relation to where you live.
Price/Free Shipping
When comparing prices, also consider shipping cost. Some companies will hide this until you get deep into checkout, and then it appears in the total. Shipping bulk ammo can get expensive, and I have seen it add $30 to $50 to my order before.
While everyone seems to throw around free shipping these days and it doesn’t seem to be worth much, it is when it comes to shipping ammo.
To be sure, go through the checkout process until you get to the last page to see the total before confirming your order. I do this with a couple different companies at the same time to get a true price comparison.
Advantages of Buying Ammo Online
Buying ammo online felt a little strange 15 to 20 years ago. I would always just go to Walmart or another sporting goods store and grab a box or two. Anytime I could get to a Bass Pro or Cabela’s was a good day.
Today, I purchase all my ammo online. Here are the reasons why:
- Prices are better
- Better Selection – I can find exactly what I want and don’t have to settle
- I can buy in bulk to save more money
- Saves me time – don’t have to travel to a store in another town
- I can compare multiple companies at the same time to find the best deal
- I am less likely to buy crap I don’t need
Unfortunately, some states have laws that make it more difficult or impossible to buy ammo online. These currently include:
- Alaska
- Hawaii
- California
- Connecticut
- Illinois
- Massachusetts
- New Jersey
- New York
- Washington DC
While we can’t get into all the specific ammo laws here, you can find out more here.
Learn More
We have a lot more of these helpful guides on our Self-Defense Guides and Reviews page. Everything from the Best IWB Holsters to our AR-15 Basics guide.
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