Why is Hornady so expensive and not bulk?
- Thread starter Socalm
- Start date
The simple answer is no.
The long answer is maybe.
Hornady is as close as you can get to match ammo and still buy it from a hunting/gun shop.
Lapua makes ammo too if you're looking for REALLY expensive ammo. It's all in production steps where the price comes from like anything else.
Terminal performance can be debatrd all day but if you're shooting out of a hunting rig you WILL NOT notice any "advantage" over any other quality brand.
The long answer is maybe.
Hornady is as close as you can get to match ammo and still buy it from a hunting/gun shop.
Lapua makes ammo too if you're looking for REALLY expensive ammo. It's all in production steps where the price comes from like anything else.
Terminal performance can be debatrd all day but if you're shooting out of a hunting rig you WILL NOT notice any "advantage" over any other quality brand.
CCI does make at least some of the Hornady line (Hornady bullets, CCI everything else) which is why there is such a shortage of 22 WM - Hornady, CCI and Federal all come from the same production line.
But I don't find Hornady all that expensive - yes, it's more than the bargain basement blue/green box stuff but only by 10% or so.
I get 50 rounds of Hornady for my 223 (55 gr softpoints) for about 42 bucks which is two bucks less than 50 rounds of Winchesters USA branded 45 grain JHP's - both of which are suitable for yotes.
But do agree, in pistol calibers their American Gunner line is pricey compared to say the American Eagle line. Only you can decide if it's "that much better".
The average deer hunter is "just fine" with the cheapest box on the shelf which outsells the mid/premium stuff at about 20:1 (if my sales are typical).
But if you mean that Hornady doesn't have a bargain line of stuff for the guy/gal who wants to pop off 200 rounds during an afternoon at the range, then I totally agree. They produce a slightly more premium product.
But I don't find Hornady all that expensive - yes, it's more than the bargain basement blue/green box stuff but only by 10% or so.
I get 50 rounds of Hornady for my 223 (55 gr softpoints) for about 42 bucks which is two bucks less than 50 rounds of Winchesters USA branded 45 grain JHP's - both of which are suitable for yotes.
But do agree, in pistol calibers their American Gunner line is pricey compared to say the American Eagle line. Only you can decide if it's "that much better".
The average deer hunter is "just fine" with the cheapest box on the shelf which outsells the mid/premium stuff at about 20:1 (if my sales are typical).
But if you mean that Hornady doesn't have a bargain line of stuff for the guy/gal who wants to pop off 200 rounds during an afternoon at the range, then I totally agree. They produce a slightly more premium product.
- Location
- East ontario
Just make you own.
I can make ammo better then the $45 box fed gold match 308 for around $17 -20$ ! Box using Hornady bullets and quality powder.
I can make ammo better then the $45 box fed gold match 308 for around $17 -20$ ! Box using Hornady bullets and quality powder.
Yes and I can get American Eagle (223) FMJ off the shelf for about that price (sub 50 cents) but won't "hunt it" - I'm one of those guys that old enough to remember a time when FMJ ammunition was "illegal" to shoot at animals. Some things are just ingrained.
The bottom line is, if you don't like Hornady's price, don't shoot it. And if you think it's "pricey" you best not pick up a box of Nosler. Neither line is loaded for the guy who wants to take his milsurp out to the range and just peel off the rounds.
And just like I would never hunt with a uber-cheap FMJ round, if I'm just punching paper I won't be shooting $2.50/round A-Frames. That saying about "right tool for the job" applies. Hornady has decided to make a better tool and charges accordingly.
Why is a Harley Davidson so expensive? Its all in the name and marketing. Once you have a faithful following along with the right advertising and PR people will pay a higher premium to say "All I shoot is Horbady/Federal Gold Metal Match/flavour of the day"
Reload yer own and say screw them. I load equuvalent if not better and more consistent than gold metal match for just under 14.00/box of 20 in my 308. I actually have convinced several friends to come over and follow my recipes for loading 308 for themselves and now they do not buy prerolled ammo anymore.
Reload yer own and say screw them. I load equuvalent if not better and more consistent than gold metal match for just under 14.00/box of 20 in my 308. I actually have convinced several friends to come over and follow my recipes for loading 308 for themselves and now they do not buy prerolled ammo anymore.
I was at an industry meeting one summer and a bundle of users of our products were in attendance (we sponsored / hosted the meeting) ..... Anyway there were some very high ranking people from my company there As well and one afternoon at a fairly open round table discussion with a bunch of opinion leaders ... Everyone was delighted with the results they were seeing however the question arose along the lines of considering the raw material and components contained in the product were so common why were we priced where we were and not cheaper?
A couple of people fumbled around trying to answer clearly uncomfortable and on the spot type of thing. Just then the North American president entered the relatively quiet room, sat down looked around and after about 1/2 minute he broke the silence asking what did I miss?
Someone mentioned that we were discussing pricing -- and right at that moment the customer interrupted and said "Brian we are all having great results with (product x) we are just trying to figure out why you guys are charging x dollars for it.
Without skipping a beat he looked up at the guy and said .... "That's all we can get for it".
Beyond the laughter that was the end of the pricing discussions.
I expect if you asked someone at Hornady why their projectiles / ammo -- whatever is / are priced the way they are -- you'll likely get the same answer.
A couple of people fumbled around trying to answer clearly uncomfortable and on the spot type of thing. Just then the North American president entered the relatively quiet room, sat down looked around and after about 1/2 minute he broke the silence asking what did I miss?
Someone mentioned that we were discussing pricing -- and right at that moment the customer interrupted and said "Brian we are all having great results with (product x) we are just trying to figure out why you guys are charging x dollars for it.
Without skipping a beat he looked up at the guy and said .... "That's all we can get for it".
Beyond the laughter that was the end of the pricing discussions.
I expect if you asked someone at Hornady why their projectiles / ammo -- whatever is / are priced the way they are -- you'll likely get the same answer.
Very good Brad34340, people are in business to make a profit, not to provide a benefit to the public. We charge as much as the market will bear.
Micro-Soft charges $100 for a new program that cost them $10 to produce, so that the owners can be billionaires. Such is life.
Micro-Soft charges $100 for a new program that cost them $10 to produce, so that the owners can be billionaires. Such is life.
That is inaccurate. I have been to the Hornady factory in Grand Island Nebraska (motorcycle trip a couple of years ago with Dianne and Hornady Canadian Distributor). Other than rimfire ammo where they supply the bullets, they build all their other centerfire ammunition from scratch (except primers and the steel casing supplied for their Steel Match). I watched one inspection line where they hand inspect every casing with sharp angle shoulders like 22-250 (if I had not seen this I would not believe they could rationalize this). They also hand apply most labels on the individual boxes of ammunition because they were not satisfied with the automated machine that was applying them crooked. I watched them melt their own lead and also how they form brass casings from a small cup. The level of care and pride is evident at this factory and the fact that is a family owned company (I have spent time with both Steve and Jason Hornady) is very apparent. They do not make an entry level line of ammo other than the Steel Match which in my guns is very accurate. The other ammo companies also make average to great ammo but in my opinion not with the same consistency. Phil.
- Location
- Prince Albert, Sk
Almost $200.00 after tax for a box of 338LM at WWS , was $179.99 I believe for 300gr , go look. 
Just checked. A box of 10 .338 LM Lapua is 75 bucks.
Hornady seems like a bargin now doesn't it!
