Best Place to Buy Reloading Supplies

There are so many places to buy reloading supplies.

Our recommendations come from years of personal experience and asking high-output reloaders (think fully automated presses) where they get their stuff.

Ready for picks of the best & most affordable places to buy powders, primers, brass, and bullets?

Let’s get started, but first...a little disclaimer that this is purely educational. Take care in reloading since it could be a potentially dangerous hobby.

Got Everything You Need?

Now that we got that out of the way...do you have everything you need before looking for supplies?

You’ll first need to know the basics of reloading. Our handy Beginner’s Guide covers all that.

Then you’ll need a press. We’ve also covered that with our recommendations for the Best Reloading Presses.

And reloading dies! You can learn more in our guide!

Finally, I recommend getting a reloading manual that lists the best powders and initial starting grains for your specific caliber and bullet weight.

I’m all for info on the internet, but for stuff that goes boom in my hand, I prefer something from a trusted source (at least to start).

Best Place to Buy Reloading Powder

In an ideal world...whatever powder you want would be readily available and cheaply shipped to you.

BUT, depending on the current state of laws or current events, you might have some trouble finding your specific powder.

However, I’ve found by using both Cabela’s and Natchez, you’ll have the best mix of availability, shipping, and price.

Best Place to Buy Primers

Primers are usually easier to find than powder since each size works for a variety of calibers.

However, there still are differences, such as primer hardness. If you’re really competitive shooting and have lightened your hammer, you might want a softer primer such as Federal compared to a harder one like CCI. Learn more about optimizing your load in our guide (coming soon).

Otherwise, I’d say go with the cheapest primer in the size you want.

I’ve only used “hard” primers such as Tula and Sellier & Bellot just because I found a killer deal on them (from Cabela’s).

And primers are like powder.

Since they go boom, you’ll have to spring for the Hazmat fee of around $30 even if you order one.

I recommend buying a bunch and likely combining it with your powder order. There’s usually a total pound limit for retailers, but it’s something pretty high (like 48 lbs). Again, same recommendations as above.

If you’re having trouble figuring out how many primers to buy...look in your reloading manual for the average weight of charges for your caliber/bullet.

Then remember that there are 7000 grains in 1 lb.

Do some math to determine how many rounds you can make with your powder, and buy the appropriate number of primers.

Best Place to Buy Brass

You’ve been keeping your spent brass, right? Don’t worry if you haven’t...we’ll go over that too.

But if you have...make sure you have the right stuff to clean and prep. I use the following:

• Frankford Armory Brass Tumbler Kit ($109)
• Flitz Tumbler Polish ($17)
• Walnut Media ($25)

As for prep...it’s different for each caliber, so consult your reloading manual.

So you need to buy brass. You can choose either new brass or “once-fired/remanufactured” brass.

New Brass

I’d recommend shooting new brass only for precision rifles.

Or if you’re a big baller since it’s going to cost a bunch if you use it to reload for common calibers. So just get some brass ammo, shoot, and pick up your brass!

I’ve only bought new brass for my long-range .308s.

I like Winchester for semi-auto, but for my bolt guns, I go for the best...Lapua.

The price will make you cry. But you’ll likely never lose your brass, and you can use it for many reloads as long as you take care of it.

Again...look at Cabela’s, Natchez, and Brownells for new brass.

Once-Fired Brass

You’ll find slightly better deals if you go with cleaned and resized brass.

But to get the best deal, you’ll have to get some dirty brass and do it yourself!

If you don't have your own brass...I would suggest Graf and Sons.

Note that if you buy "NATO" or "military" brass (especially for 5.56)...you're going to have to do some extra case prep since they use crimped primers that don't easily allow you to re-prime them without making the primer pocket bigger.

Best Place to Buy Bullets Online

There are lots of types of bullets and even more calibers. The short answer is I like buying again from Cabela's and Natchez.

But I'll offer some suggestions on the ones I personally use for my reloads.

9mm

I reload/shoot 9mm the most and have tried a bunch of bullets. My go-to is Xtreme Bullets, with a close second being Berry's Bullets.

They are the most affordable and shoot more accurately than me.

As for weight...I recommend trying out 115/124/147 gr. I personally like the heavier 147gr since it feels more like a "push" instead of a "snap."

If you read around, some top shooters will say since they are "plated," they are inferior. Maybe...but I'm not good enough or shoot fast enough speeds for it to matter to make the switch to more expensive "jacketed" bullets.

I'm sure their stuff is great for other pistol calibers...I just don't reload anything besides 9mm.

.223/5.56

For my general plinking round, I go with Hornady 55gr FMJ/BT bullets, while I like the 75gr for more precision loads.

I like the ones with "cannelure" (the little ridges that grip the case) since it gives me a quick reference point if I'm loading at the correct length.

.308

For my .308 reloads, I go with the gold standard of Sierra MatchKings (SMK). I tried a couple of weights but settled on 175gr, but many people like 168gr as well.

They should be awesome for other rifle calibers, too.

Final Thoughts

That should be it...the best places online and even some suggestions for what I use. The combo of Cabela's and Natchez should serve you well.

Need a refresher on reloading, or still looking for a press? Or did we scare you off, and now you just want to buy pre-made ammo from the best place online?