Skip to main content
Help Center Community Shop

Where are bullets manufactured?

bugsbunny
Did you ever check where are the bullets manufactured? I am wondering if there's a quality difference between the made in USA bullets and imported ones. Thank you

Andrew
0

Comments

10 comments

Date Votes
  • tsr1965
    bugsbunny,

    To answer your question, I have not had much experience with bullets made overseas. Lapua has some standouts, but not sure if they make them, or someone makes them for Lapua.

    The Major bullet makers here in the states(Nosler, Hornady, Barnes, Berger, Speer, and a host of several other smaller shops), as a General rule, have state of the art quality control. The Nosler Ballistic Tip, is still the golden standard, of which a lot of others are judged by.

    From an ammo manufacturer's stand point, a lot of the European names like Norma, and Lapua, have top shelf stuff compared to teh run of the mill Remington Core-Lokt, or Winchester Power Point.

    Hope this helps.

    Best
    0
  • nononsense
    bugsbunny,

    Welcome to the Gunbroker Forums!

    "Did you ever check where are the bullets manufactured?"

    Yes, when possible.

    There are several major bullet manufacturers located here in the USA. Sierra being one of the largest, along with Winchester, Remington, Hornady, Speer, Nosler and several others I have not listed.

    I am wondering if there's a quality difference between the made in USA bullets and imported ones.

    This question is too generic for a specific answer as there are dozens of bullet manufacturers around the world so it's difficult to do an adequate comparison that's fair.

    I have used some S&B Match bullets which have proven to be exceptional in quality when loaded properly, as is the case with any high grade bullet. I've also used some IMI which proved to be more than adequate in consistency for higher volume, rapid fire shooting.

    Above and beyond this, Lapua and Norma are acknowledged as the pinnacle of bullet manufacturing production for accuracy, especially in the long range competitions. However, Sierra generally rules the roost in the majority of the generic US competitions. Berger, Lapua and Norma control the upper echelons of longer range competition.

    There is a level of of bullet makers which has become overtly successful here in the USA also. They could be referred to as 'boutique' bullet makers since their operations are extremely custom and lower volume than a company such as Hornady or Speer. This area is dominated by JLK, BIB, Bart's, Fowler, Gentner, Knight and a several others who specialize in shorter range benchrest accuracy bullets. JLK and BIB have spread their production to include some newer designs for longer ranges.

    That's a general summarization. If you have a particular manufacturer in mind, ask about them.

    Best.
    0
  • beantownshootah
    quote:Originally posted by bugsbunny
    Did you ever check where are the bullets manufactured? I am wondering if there's a quality difference between the made in USA bullets and imported ones. Thank you

    Andrew


    The world is a big place, and there are WAY too many manufacturers to generalize solely by "Made in USA" vs "Not made in USA".

    Plenty of excellent bullets are made in the USA, and plenty are made outside the USA.

    Likewise, plenty of crappy bullets are made in the USA, etc.

    As mentioned the Norma (Sweden) and Lapua (Finland) bullets are generally considered among the best in the world in terms of volume production (if not the best). But you'll also pay for the privilege of shooting them.

    Many of the other European makes put out decent bullets too (eg Sellier and Belloit from Czech republic), etc.

    In general, the best match-type .22 ammo is European-manufactured, with Eley (England) being generally considered the best or one of the best manufacturers.

    Many times the same manufacturer puts out a range of bullets, with the better ones performing better and costing more.
    0
  • jonk
    I've not found a large manufacturer that turned out total junk yet. Even PRVI, which I'd call fairly low on the totem poll, will produce decent groups out of most of my guns. As good as match bullets? No. As good as bulk Remingtons/winchesters? Sure.
    0
  • elubsme
    I made 25 pounds of .44's & .38's at my kitchen table Wednesday. So I guess all of my handgun and quite a few rifle bullets are made right here in the U.S. of A.[^] Eddie
    0
  • bugsbunny
    Just curious where do you guys usually buy bullets? I just started and usually I bought bullets at gun dealer. I am not sure if it's the best price though.
    0
  • tsr1965
    For the guy who don't have an FFL license, MIDWAY USA is about the best place to buy from. They have a great selection, depending on what specialty bullets you might want.

    Best
    0
  • nononsense
    bugsbunny,

    This becomes a game of shopping for resources since many retailers have a presence on the internet. Be aware that some discounters actually aren't and have higher prices than many others. You have to search and keep some notes.

    Ones to check might include (in no particular order):

    Graf & Sons

    Natchez Shooters Supply

    Midsouth Shooters Supply

    Powder Valley

    Huntingtons

    Extreme Accuracy

    Cheaper Than Dirt

    Cabela's

    Bass Pro Shops

    Able Ammo

    Silver State Armory

    Black Hills Ammunition

    And hundreds more...

    Best.
    0
  • He Dog
    Don't forget that many of the ammo sellers here on GB offer good prices. You have to do some comparison shopping, come up with a bench mark retail for what you are looking for and then shop for bargains. Buying 500-1000 rounds or more sometimes helps net lower prices.
    0
  • mark christian
    There are pages and pages of ammunition and reloading components listed over on the auction site. Check them out.
    0

Please sign in to leave a comment.

Recent Activity