It is a pretty obvious fact that Americans, as of 2023, do love the right to bear arms, the right to self-defense, and their guns. However, what is a shotgun without shotgun ammo? It is just a piece of plastic and metal that has very limited use in self-defense. Therefore, it is crucial for gun owners of any weapon to have some bulk ammo in the storage.
And currently, there are no better options to buy ammo than to buy ammo online. This option is indeed very convenient. However, not many people use it, mainly because of questions that arise in the case of buying bulk ammunition online.
Those questions are, for example, whether it is possible to buy firearms ammo online under local or federal laws or where you can buy ammo at a cheaper price. And if you are also wondering about buying ammo online, in this article, you can find answers to these questions as well as general tips on finding the best ammunition for your handguns.
Pros of buying ammo online
Let us start our article with a quick overview of the main advantages of buying your rifle ammunition on the internet.
Diversity
The first advantage of buying ammo in online stores is the great diversity of different ammunition. On the internet, you can find not only ammo of all popular calibers but also all popular ammo brands. After searching for a few minutes, you would be able to buy special ammo for any activities from precision target shooting and long-range shooting to small game hunting.
Also, a big variety of different ammo can help you to find the best prices, because the bigger the offer on the market the lower is the price!
Better Prices
We have already started discussing prices in the previous paragraph, however, we have to talk about this issue a bit more, because the difference in prices of commercial ammo in a regular store and on the internet is bigger than you think.
For example, a recent poll found that more than 80% of gun owners report that prices of the ammo in online shops are cheaper than at usual stores. In fact, in most regular stores prices are 50% higher than on the internet.
Moreover, online stores are usually offering bigger discounts and do that more often.
Comfort
The next advantage of online purchases is comfort and convenience. While shopping for the new ammo for your guns online, you do not need to go to an ammo shop or even to multiple shops, often in bad weather. You can do everything while sitting on your couch.
Is it possible to buy ammo online?
While reading the previous part of the article, many people might say something like stop; all these sound great but is it possible to buy ammunition online at all? And the short answer is yes! The exact conditions would depend on your local legislation, and in some states, it can be harder than in others. But federal law does not prohibit such practices.
Ammo online 101
Now. When you know that you can buy your rounds online without being prosecuted under federal law, we will give you the list of the most important issues that you need to know before buying your first bullet online:
- The first thing to know about buying rounds online is the fact that only persons older than 18 can buy rifle ammunition, and the persons older than 21 can buy ammo for handguns.
- Secondly, it is important to know because any round of ammo is explosive; there are some special requirements on shipments.
- The next important thing to remember is that if you do not trust stores that work only via the internet, you can also shop at the websites of conventional stores.
- Also, regarding the prices, many people ask what the cheapest store on the internet is? And here we can say that there is no simple answer to this question. Because the actual price for rounds depends on many different conditions, such as manufacturer, caliber, type of rifle. And different online shops have different arrangements with manufacturers.
- Furthermore, it is necessary to remember that it is almost impossible to send back ammo to the seller in case there is a mistake or if the quality of rounds does not satisfy you.
- Speaking of geography, we have to mention that shipment of the ammo to Alaska, Hawaii, or other territories outside of the Continental US might be difficult. So, it is probably better to look for a local supplier. Also, it must be said that some states, for example, New York, New Jersey, and DC have some special requirements.
- In general, the quantity of bullets that you want to order doesn’t matter because there is no upper limit. However, a large quantity of ammo can trigger the attention of the government.
Laws and regulations
In this part of the article, we will discuss in detail various laws and regulations that regulate the online selling of ammunition. And this issue is not simple because regulations on this type of activity can be imposed on any level; it can be state laws as well as very local regulations that you have to research on your own if you want to avoid any problems with the law.
Federal law
Firstly, a few words about federal regulations. In federal law, we can find the most important information regarding buying ammunition online, which is the demands for physical persons who want to buy ammo. Above, we already have mentioned the age requirements for buying ammunition. So, here is the list of persons who also can not buy ammo besides minors:
- Persons with restraining orders
- Illegal immigrants
- Persons who renounced their US citizenship
- Dishonorably discharged military veterans
- Addicted persons
- Persons convicted of domestic violence
The general rule is that most states in the country have the same requirements. However, there are exceptions that we will discuss below.
Regulations in California
Californian regulations are the toughest in the US. Therefore, if you are living in this state, there are some considerations that you have to keep in mind before buying your gun or rifle ammunition.
Firstly, you have to remember that any company that sells ammo in California has to perform a background check on all buyers of ammo, even if someone is buying only 10 rounds for a rifle.
To sell ammo, all shops in California must have a special license. And what is more important for clients, is the fact that those shops must keep detailed records of all operations with ammo.
There is a possibility to order ammunition in stores outside of California. However, those stores cannot ship bullets to you directly. They have to send the ammo to a licensed store in California, afterward this store will send it to you after all the documentation will becompleted.
Regulations in Illinois
The main thing to keep in mind about Illinois is the fact that even the ammunition for rifles can be bought only by persons aged 21 or above. Also, to buy ammunition in this state you need a Firearm Owner Identification card.
Regulations in Connecticut
Connecticut requires ammo stores to sell ammunition only to persons with valid ID, gun permit, ammunition certification, and eligibility certificates for the gun or rifle. Also, only persons older than 21 can buy ammo in this state.
However, contrary to California law, in Connecticut direct shipments of ammo are permitted.
Regulations in Massachusetts
The process of buying ammunition online in Massachusetts is almost similar to Californian. There you also have to find a local store that would act as an intermediary between you and the online shop.
Regulations in New York
The New York regulations on selling and purchasing ammo are almost identical to those in Massachusetts, however, currently, there are no background checks for buying ammo in this state.
Regulations in New Jersey
New Jersey has somewhat complicated regulations on this matter. If you buy ammunition of the most popular calibers you should not face any complications. However, if you would like to find something else, for example, ammo for big caliber rifles, you need to present a special permit.
Regulations in Washington DC
The main thing about ammo regulations in Washington DC is the fact that local legislation limits the amount of ammo that one person can buy. Also, you can buy ammo only for firearms that are registered with the government. And what is the most important is the fact that in Washington DC you can buy ammo only in person.
Where to buy good ammo?
Now, when you know all the benefits of buying ammo on the internet as well as the legal peculiarities of this process, we can discuss actual places where you find ammo for your shotgun.
Lucky Gunner
The first place that we would recommend to you is the lucky gunner. The main advantages of this online shop are the vast selection of various ammo, pretty fast shipping, and live inventory.
The site gives a possibility to customers to observe their real-time inventory which makes shopping for in-stock ammunition much easier and more enjoyable.
Also, Lucky Gunner has some great discounts as well as really fast shipping.
Palmetto State Armory
This online store is for people who like to purchase very good ammo in bulk. At this store, you can find the best deals on bulk ammunition. The shop mostly sells bulk ammunition of the most popular brands and calibers for home defense. Moreover, in some cases, you can even get free shipping on an item listed on the site.
Cabela’s
If you are one of the people who like to go in nature with a shotgun or a rifle on a weekend for hunting, Cabela’s online store is for you. At this shop, you can find almost all hunting rounds of any calibers and for any hunting rifle, from Winchester to some lesser-known manufacturers.
Moreover, at Cabela’s, you can find many different additional tools for hunting. Speaking of prices, they are relatively low. especially if you would catch some great discounts. The speed of shipment is also quite good.
Brownell’s
Brownell’s is a store that offers not only full metal jacket bullets but also top-quality gun parts, as well as additional tools for weapons.
The main advantage of this shop is that they give a 100% lifetime guarantee on everything that you can find in the store, it concerns all the additional tools and in-stock ammunition. Moreover, the quality of products at Brownell’s is on the top level.
Also, Brownells has one of the best sites among the ammunition stores on the list. The site has a very pleasant look, but what is more important is the fact that the site is very convenient for users. Clients can easily find in-stock ammunition and order it, also the speed of shipment is quite decent, in some cases you can receive your ammo in one business day.
Sportsman’s guide
The last shop on our list is Sportsman’s guide, this store has a very large selection of different products of all the popular brands. At Sportsman’s guide, customers can find everything for shooting, from ammunition to gun parts and various additional gear, and all this stuff you can get at the best prices.
Their regular prices are pretty decent, and frequently you can find some great deals. However, if you like this store it is better to receive special discount cards for customers because with the membership you can continue shopping with even better deals.
Also, we have to mention that in general, they ship fast.
Comparison of Prices
Above we have mentioned the best online shops of ammunition in the US, and all these shops do have great prices on the bullets. However, it is rather a hard task to find the best price for each bullet. Because there are many sites, all of them have a massive selection of ammunition.
But there are services which can help you with this task. These services are internet sites that compare ammunition prices automatically, and with their help, you can get the ammunition needed to your live inventory much faster.
So, in this part of the article, we would give you the list of the best price comparison services.
WikiArms
The first site that we want to describe is WikiArms. Firstly, when speaking about this service we have to mention that to use the site customers have to pay a fee, and this fee is quite expensive almost 250 dollars per month.
For this price, you will get access to the sophisticated service that helps you to find ammunition and weapons at the best prices on the market.
AmmoSeek
This service is one of the oldest price comparison services on the market. The site was launched in 2009 and since then it gained some credibility either among stores or customers. Moreover, this service works directly with sellers, therefore buyers get only correct information on prices of ammunition.
GunBot
Contrary to the previous service on our list, GunBot is a brand new site that is currently in its beta phase. Nevertheless, the service is in the early stages of development. It already provides fast-tracking of price fluctuations of ammunition at the biggest online vendors.
AmmoSpy
This site is very similar to WikiArms, it helps to find the best prices for ammunition with the best quality.
BulkAmmo
As the name of the site implies, it helps not just with regular purchases of small amounts of ammunition for self-defense. But rather it helps to find a great price for bulk purchases of ammunition.
Gun.Deals
This site will help not only with ammunition but also with all kinds of gun accessories, for example, the massive selection of instruments for target shooting. Also, there you would be able to find great deals for guns and rifles of different brands.
However, to use this service, you have to set up an account.
At the end of the article, we can say that it is very easy to buy ammunition online, and in most cases, it can also save you some money. Also, such stores offer you a vast selection of ammunition for your guns. Online you can find a bullet for everything from Winchester to some unknown guns made in South Korea.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ
Why Buy Ammunition Online?
One can find many reasons to purchase ammunition on the internet. From the ability to speak with customer service representatives to the possibility to find ammunition for all shooting purposes in a live inventory.
How to choose the best ammo?
The answer to this question would depend on the type of ammunition that you need. For example, one kind of ammunition would be great for target shooting, while the other would be great if you want to shoot something big. Generally speaking, the best ammo you can find with the most trusted brands.
Is it legal to buy ammunition online in the USA?
Yes, it is legal to buy ammunition under federal law. However, there can be some points from the local regulations. So, before buying ammunition online you have to look at the legislation of your state and local community.
What kinds of ammo can you buy online?
On the internet, you can find ammunition for all types of firearms and all purposes, from long-range shooting to hunting. Also, ammunition from different manufacturers is available.