Reloading

Buying reloading components: price per unit, hazmat and storage

The four components of a handload are powder, primers, bullets and brass. Here is how to compare them fairly, what shipping does to the real price, and how the industry says to store powder.

Compare the per-unit price

• Powder: price per pound. Jugs and kegs come in different weights, so divide the package price by its weight in pounds.
• Primers: price per 1,000. Sleeves and bricks come in different counts.
• Bullets and brass: price per piece. Box counts vary widely.

Larger packages often cost less per unit, but only if you will use them and can store them safely.

Hazmat shipping changes the math

Smokeless powder and primers ship as hazardous materials. As one example, Powder Valley's policy (last modified Oct 7, 2026) charges $22.99 per hazmat package, lets up to 48 lbs of different powder and primers share one package, ships hazmat only by ground to a street address (no P.O. boxes), and treats bullets, brass and equipment as non-hazmat[1]. Fees and rules differ by retailer, so compare the delivered price, not the item price.

• Bundle hazmat items. One fee covering several jugs and a case of primers spreads the cost; buying one jug at a time does not.
• Check state rules. For example, the same policy says Colorado has required a 21+ adult signature on ammunition and reloading component deliveries since July 1, 2026, and that it cannot ship hazmat to Alaska or Hawaii right now[1].

Store powder the way SAAMI recommends

The Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute's guidance on smokeless powder says, among other things[2]:

• Store it in a cool, dry place away from heat sources, open flame, sunlight and running electrical equipment.
• Keep it only in Department of Transportation approved containers, and do not move it into one that is not approved.
• Do not store it with solvents, flammable gases or highly combustible materials, and do not smoke where it is stored or used.
• Use storage cabinets of insulating material that can vent easily, and do not confine them tightly.
• Many small containers are safer than one large one. Do not keep old or salvaged powder; an acidic, vinegar-like odor or reddish-brown fumes are signs of deterioration.
• Follow local, state and federal rules on quantity and storage.

Safety first

Always follow published load data from the powder or bullet maker. This page is a buying guide, not reloading instructions.

Live per-unit price comparison for powder, primers, bullets and brass is launching soon.