I see lots of folks talk about a gun's performance with "cheap WalMart ammo", but I honestly don't know what's meant by that. When I go to WM, I see Remington green box UMC, Win white box, CCI, Federal, etc. The same brands I find at Gander for a lot more $. I don't see any walmart branded ammo or "no frills". Other than the Tula ammo, which I would not feed my guns at any price, what is the "junk" at WalMart?
What is "cheap Wal Mart ammo"?
- Thread starter RH
- Start date
Uncle Buck
New member
A lot of times I believe when they say cheap, they mean $$$$, not necessarily quality.
Walmart is able to buy it in quantities that allow them to sell it much cheaper than other places.
Walmart is able to buy it in quantities that allow them to sell it much cheaper than other places.
It's just that it tends to be the least expensive ammo they make - like most of us shoot except at work or for special occasions. Winchester White Box or the anything like it. Plinking ammo. The box wine of ammo.
Here's one example of what I don't think you'll find at Wal-Mart. Winchester Super Target .38 Special wadcutters for $28/box. At one time they were around $35/box.
www.ammunitiontogo.com/product_info...l-winchester-148gr-super-match-wadcutter-ammo
Here's one example of what I don't think you'll find at Wal-Mart. Winchester Super Target .38 Special wadcutters for $28/box. At one time they were around $35/box.
www.ammunitiontogo.com/product_info...l-winchester-148gr-super-match-wadcutter-ammo
Master Blaster 2
Moderator
Winchester White Box ammo is at other gun stores too. Not just Walmart. As stated they contract in advance from the wholesalers and buy truck loads.
Savage32-20
New member
Wal-mart gets very low prices on things for a few different reasons. Some of them to me are deal breakers for buying certain items. I'm not saying that these reasons are true for ALL items that Walmart carries but I know for quite a few of them it is.
1. Quantity - Since Walmart has one of the largest (if not the largest) distribution networks in the world they can buy in a quantity that smaller companies only dream of. Since the Manufacturer knows that Wal-mart will buy 10,000 boxes or more of a particular ammo a week they give them a great deal.
2. Out of Area Production - Back in the 90's Sam Walton put commercials on TV saying that most of the products carried in Wal-mart were made here within the US. This is no longer the case because Wal-mart as with many others have learned that over-seas production is cheaper. With Ammo Wal-mart may actually have licensing agreements with certain manufacturers to use the brand name - BUT - be producing the ammo elsewhere.
3. Factory Seconds/Minor Flaws - Many of the items that Wal-mart carries are not FIRST RATE. Some actually failed quality control and had to be repaired before they could be sold. With Ammo this may mean that the ammo is not "exact" in measure or bullet weight and did not pass the quality control for the "top notch" ammo you expect from said manufacturer. It will still fire, and will be usable - BUT - may be erratic.
4. Knock of names - Names that are close enough to the real names of manufacterers to get you to not think twice about it. Something like a brand of ammo called Winxester and be packaged very similarly to Winchester.
Some or all of these things may be the reason Wal-mart has great prices on ammo - I know my thoughts on it - but to answer the starting question of the thread. "cheap wal-mart ammo" is just ammo that is purchased at wal-mart that is usually lower than anyplace else you can find it.
1. Quantity - Since Walmart has one of the largest (if not the largest) distribution networks in the world they can buy in a quantity that smaller companies only dream of. Since the Manufacturer knows that Wal-mart will buy 10,000 boxes or more of a particular ammo a week they give them a great deal.
2. Out of Area Production - Back in the 90's Sam Walton put commercials on TV saying that most of the products carried in Wal-mart were made here within the US. This is no longer the case because Wal-mart as with many others have learned that over-seas production is cheaper. With Ammo Wal-mart may actually have licensing agreements with certain manufacturers to use the brand name - BUT - be producing the ammo elsewhere.
3. Factory Seconds/Minor Flaws - Many of the items that Wal-mart carries are not FIRST RATE. Some actually failed quality control and had to be repaired before they could be sold. With Ammo this may mean that the ammo is not "exact" in measure or bullet weight and did not pass the quality control for the "top notch" ammo you expect from said manufacturer. It will still fire, and will be usable - BUT - may be erratic.
4. Knock of names - Names that are close enough to the real names of manufacterers to get you to not think twice about it. Something like a brand of ammo called Winxester and be packaged very similarly to Winchester.
Some or all of these things may be the reason Wal-mart has great prices on ammo - I know my thoughts on it - but to answer the starting question of the thread. "cheap wal-mart ammo" is just ammo that is purchased at wal-mart that is usually lower than anyplace else you can find it.
oneounceload
Moderator
Savage - #1 of your 4 is correct, the rest are not even close to true.
Walmart carries more Made in the US goods than Lowe's or Home Depot, Target or Kmart. There has been a definite swing BACK to carrying more and more US-made goods.
Ammo makers make their production runs, Walmart might come in and buy a run of several weeks' worth - considering ammo makers are running 24/7/365 - that's a lot and they get a volume discount
Sam Walton took the Kmart/SS Kresge model and expanded it and made it work - sell a LOT for a little mark-up and gain market share and still make money. Their IE group analyzes everything they can to cut every fraction of a penny from each cost factor, and they are VERY good at it
OP - cheap walmart ammo is any brand of ammo that doesn't cost a lot that most folks use for plinking and practice at the range
Walmart carries more Made in the US goods than Lowe's or Home Depot, Target or Kmart. There has been a definite swing BACK to carrying more and more US-made goods.
Ammo makers make their production runs, Walmart might come in and buy a run of several weeks' worth - considering ammo makers are running 24/7/365 - that's a lot and they get a volume discount
Sam Walton took the Kmart/SS Kresge model and expanded it and made it work - sell a LOT for a little mark-up and gain market share and still make money. Their IE group analyzes everything they can to cut every fraction of a penny from each cost factor, and they are VERY good at it
OP - cheap walmart ammo is any brand of ammo that doesn't cost a lot that most folks use for plinking and practice at the range
While these are good quality, they are each manufacturers low end line of ammo.
I've never seen any of the premium, higher quality ammo being sold in a Walmart. Most folks do just fine with these and if you use these products and can get them cheaper at Wally World then fine. I buy ammo there quite often, but reload much of mine for better performance and accuracy.
Gary L. Griffiths
New member
Wal-Mart and Sam's Club pretty much dictate to their suppliers how much they will pay for the product, how it is to be packaged and shipped, etc. Many companies produce a "Wal-Mart" grade product that is cheaper than their normal product.
Learned that recently with tires: I was told that Michelin produces three grades of tire: #1, sold at the brand name tire stores, #2, sold at Sears, and #3, sold at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club. Supposedly the #1 grade has 4 bands of rubber in the sidewalls, #2 grade has 3, and #3 grade has 2.
That tracks with what my father-in-law who used to work at Armstrong Tire & Rubber told me: Their regular tires would stack 14 high in a boxcar, but their "sale" tires would stack 16 high, due to flimsier sidewall construction.
FWIW.
Learned that recently with tires: I was told that Michelin produces three grades of tire: #1, sold at the brand name tire stores, #2, sold at Sears, and #3, sold at Wal-Mart and Sam's Club. Supposedly the #1 grade has 4 bands of rubber in the sidewalls, #2 grade has 3, and #3 grade has 2.
That tracks with what my father-in-law who used to work at Armstrong Tire & Rubber told me: Their regular tires would stack 14 high in a boxcar, but their "sale" tires would stack 16 high, due to flimsier sidewall construction.
FWIW.
Master Blaster 2
Moderator
Just who told you all this stuff about evil WalMart? So you are saying the 9MM ammo is 3rd grade rejects... ?? Man that sucks.
Savage32-20
New member
Worked for them for a while a few years back. Knew several of the corp suits at the regional level on a more personal level.
oneounceload
Moderator
Remington and Winchester aren't going to make special runs of crap just for Walmart.
In the South, they use Sports South and Ellett brothers for their sporting goods suppliers - those folks aren't going to differentiate between WWB that goes to Gander and a lower quality version going to Walmart - neither Remington or Winchester have the time and money to retool their production line for that
In the South, they use Sports South and Ellett brothers for their sporting goods suppliers - those folks aren't going to differentiate between WWB that goes to Gander and a lower quality version going to Walmart - neither Remington or Winchester have the time and money to retool their production line for that
Gary, what you are sayin is slightly misleading. A company will never produce a lower quality item for Walmart that is sold with the same model name/number as what is sold in other stores.
What some companies will occasionally do for Walmart is to produce a product with a unique name or number that is made to Walmarts specifications.
What that means for bullets, tires, etc. is that if you see a particular item in Wallyworld that is also available in another store - that item will be of identical quality. If you see an item in Wallyworld of a certain brand, but cannot find that particular item in another store - that item may have been made to Walmart specs.
What some companies will occasionally do for Walmart is to produce a product with a unique name or number that is made to Walmarts specifications.
What that means for bullets, tires, etc. is that if you see a particular item in Wallyworld that is also available in another store - that item will be of identical quality. If you see an item in Wallyworld of a certain brand, but cannot find that particular item in another store - that item may have been made to Walmart specs.
allenomics
New member
It mostly involves range quality ammo that costs less at Walmart than at other places, like Gander or Bass Pro.
Kreyzhorse
New member
Winchester White Box and Remington are "cheap Wally World" ammo in my book. Nothing wrong with it. The price is right and it makes perfect range ammo.
Justice06RR
New member
Tula ammo comes to mind when I think of "cheap Walmart ammo". cheap in price, and also cheap because its steel-cased, not brass like Federal, WWB, etc.
Walmart does sell the cheapest ammo price-wise compared to any gun store/range, which is why I buy target ammo from them before hitting the range. Usually the Federal brand works well, and still very affordable.
For rifles, I've bought the American Eagle .223 ammo which are rather cheap (price-wise again) but still reliable and shoots well in my AR15.
Walmart does sell the cheapest ammo price-wise compared to any gun store/range, which is why I buy target ammo from them before hitting the range. Usually the Federal brand works well, and still very affordable.
For rifles, I've bought the American Eagle .223 ammo which are rather cheap (price-wise again) but still reliable and shoots well in my AR15.