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Ammo Price Index & Comparison Charts

As of August 12, 2026, the lowest observed in-stock price across 23 tracked calibers is $0.0577 per round (.22 LR), based on 260,514 daily-best price observations from tracked online retailers. How we measure this

Ammo price comparison charts for 23 calibers, updated daily. Each chart shows the 30-day observed cost per round — cheapest, per-product midpoint, and range — from tracked online retailers.

Looking for the per-caliber summary view instead of the full benchmark tables? Visit Ammo Prices by Caliber. For today’s biggest price movers and lowest cost per round, see Today’s Ammo Market.

Last updated: Aug 12, 2026 · 23 calibers with data · 10,788 product listings · 260,514 price observations

DUMP105.8+1.4% 7d
LAFF65.0Elevated

DUMP is a base-100 ammo price index; LAFF is a 0–100 market-stress reading built from price dispersion, availability, and volatility. Descriptive, not predictive.

23

Calibers Tracked

23

With Price Data

10,788

Product Listings

260,514

Price Observations

Falling (30d)

Composite Price Trend

Median observed cost-per-round across 22 tracked calibers, by month. Current composite $0.939/rd. Tracked-retailer coverage changed materially across this window, so earlier points are not directly comparable and no change is claimed. Descriptive observation only — not a forecast.

Apr 26May 26Jun 26Jul 26Last 30 days

Composite = median across tracked calibers of each caliber’s observed median cost-per-round. Monthly points are frozen archive snapshots; “Last 30 days” is the rolling observed window. Each point requires at least 5 calibers with sufficient data; months below that threshold are omitted. Calibers indexed under more than one name (e.g. 5.56 NATO and .223 Remington) are counted once. Calibers differ in absolute price, so this reflects central tendency across the tracked set — not any single caliber.

Are Ammo Prices Going Up or Down?

As of August 2026, no tracked caliber has comparable retailer coverage at both ends of the trend window, so no month-over-month percentage is claimed — when tracked-retailer coverage changes (e.g. new retailers are added), a median shift reflects the coverage change rather than price movement. The per-caliber Trend column in the comparison charts shows the observed six-month direction of each caliber’s monthly median. IronScout reports observed prices only and does not forecast future prices.

Across 22 tracked calibers, 0 had sufficient trend history with comparable retailer coverage to report. The remaining 22 calibers either lacked enough history or saw a change in tracked-retailer coverage across the window (which would distort a percentage), and are not counted here.

Percentages are the observed change in monthly median cost-per-round from the start to the end of the trend window. Descriptive observation of past data — not a prediction of future prices.

How Much Does Ammo Cost?

As of August 2026, observed in-stock prices at tracked online retailers put cost per round at .22 LR from $0.0577/rd (range-ammo midpoint $0.130/rd), 9mm Luger from $0.116/rd (range-ammo midpoint $0.298/rd), and .308 Winchester from $0.399/rd (range-ammo midpoint $1.00/rd). Premium defensive and match loads run higher than range ammo — each caliber’s page breaks out the range/practice and defensive/premium tiers separately.

Figures are the lowest recently observed price and per-product midpoint from the comparison charts below, before shipping. Full per-caliber breakdowns are in the tables that follow.

Handgun Ammo Price Comparison Chart

CaliberCurrent Low30d LowMidpoint $/rd30d High
9mm Luger$0.116$0.108$0.497$1.65
.45 ACP$0.356$0.175$0.998$2.18
.380 ACP$0.245$0.245$0.599$1.70
.40 S&W$0.260$0.165$0.590$1.79
10mm Auto$1.22
.357 Magnum$0.329$0.329$1.20$2.10
.38 Special$0.280$0.280$0.679$1.75
.44 Magnum$0.699$0.620$1.35$2.70

Rifle Ammo Price Comparison Chart

CaliberCurrent Low30d LowMidpoint $/rd30d High
5.56 NATO$0.775
.223 Remington$0.775
.308 Winchester$0.399$0.399$1.60$2.75
6.5 Creedmoor$1.85
7.62x39$0.420$0.420$0.774$2.00
.300 Blackout$1.17
.30-06 Springfield$0.804$0.804$1.67$2.99
.243 Winchester$0.874$0.874$1.75$3.00
.270 Winchester$1.85
.30-30 Winchester$0.899$0.899$1.43$2.52

Rimfire Ammo Price Comparison Chart

CaliberCurrent Low30d LowMidpoint $/rd30d High
.22 LR$0.0577$0.0577$0.125$0.480
.17 HMR$0.232$0.232$0.333$0.406

Shotgun Ammo Price Comparison Chart

CaliberCurrent Low30d LowMidpoint $/rd30d High
12 Gauge$0.270$0.264$0.860$3.08
20 Gauge$0.340$0.340$0.880$3.50
.410 Bore$0.440$0.440$0.800$2.19
About these prices: “Current Low” reflects the lowest observed price in the last 7 days. “30d Low” and “30d High” reflect the full 30-day observation window. “Midpoint $/rd” is the per-product median across all load types; on calibers with a bimodal catalog (cheap range FMJ vs premium defensive), each caliber’s own page breaks the midpoint into separate range/practice and defensive/premium figures. The “Distribution” band plots each caliber’s low–high range (whisker), middle-50% spread (box), midpoint (light tick), and 7-day low (green dot) on a shared per-category scale. “Trend (6mo)” sparklines the monthly median direction — green falling, warm rising — and is a descriptive observation, not a forecast. A change percentage is shown only when tracked-retailer coverage is comparable at both ends of the window; when coverage changes materially (e.g. new retailers are added), the line is drawn in gray and no percentage is claimed, because the median shift reflects the coverage change rather than price movement. Prices shown here may not appear in search results if the product is no longer in stock or has not been observed recently.

Methodology

IronScout tracks ammunition prices by indexing product listings from tracked online retailers. The Ammo Price Index reports 30-day rolling statistics computed from these observations.

Price calculation:For each caliber, IronScout computes the daily-best (minimum) price per round for each product on each day it was observed in stock. The median, 25th percentile, 75th percentile, and minimum (“30d Low”) are then calculated across all daily-best observations in the trailing 30-day window using SQL PERCENTILE_CONT. The “30d High” reports the 95th percentile rather than the raw maximum, so a single premium or specialty listing does not distort the high end. The “Current Low” column uses a separate 7-day window to show the lowest recently observed price.

Coverage: Only in-stock observations are included. Coverage varies by retailer and data source. The absence of listings does not imply the absence of inventory in the broader market.

Limitations: Prices reflect what was observed at indexed retailers and may not represent the full market. Sale prices, member discounts, and bulk deal pricing may or may not be captured depending on how the retailer presents their catalog. Shipping costs are not included.

Data access: Individual caliber snapshot data is available as JSON at /market-snapshots/30d/{slug}.json for each tracked caliber. See Terms of Service for usage terms.

Cite This Data

Media outlets, researchers, and content creators are welcome to reference IronScout's Ammo Price Index with attribution. Suggested citation:

“Ammo Price Index,” IronScout, accessed August 12, 2026. https://www.ironscout.ai/ammo-price-index

For questions about methodology or data partnerships, reach out via our contact page.

Browse by Caliber

Price Per Round by Caliber

Detailed cost-per-round reports for each caliber — current tiers from cheapest to premium, monthly trend, and where the low was observed.

Ammo Prices by Month

Frozen monthly archives of what ammo cost in past months — median, low, and high cost per round per caliber, locked at month end.

Ammo prices July 2026: 10mm Auto · 12 Gauge · .17 HMR · 20 Gauge · 5.56 NATO · .22 LR · .243 Winchester · .270 Winchester · and 16 more calibers

Ammo prices June 2026: 10mm Auto · 12 Gauge · .17 HMR · 20 Gauge · 5.56 NATO · .22 LR · .243 Winchester · .270 Winchester · and 15 more calibers

Ammo prices May 2026: 10mm Auto · 12 Gauge · .17 HMR · 20 Gauge · 5.56 NATO · .22 LR · .243 Winchester · .270 Winchester · and 13 more calibers

Ammo prices April 2026: 10mm Auto · 12 Gauge · .17 HMR · 20 Gauge · 5.56 NATO · .22 LR · .243 Winchester · .270 Winchester · and 13 more calibers

Related Resources

Frequently asked questions

How much does ammo cost?
As of August 2026, observed in-stock prices at tracked online retailers put cost per round at .22 LR from $0.0577/rd (range-ammo midpoint $0.130/rd), 9mm Luger from $0.116/rd (range-ammo midpoint $0.298/rd), .308 Winchester from $0.399/rd (range-ammo midpoint $1.00/rd). Premium defensive and match loads run higher than range ammo.
Are ammo prices going up or down?
As of August 2026, no tracked caliber has comparable retailer coverage at both ends of the trend window, so no month-over-month percentage is claimed — when tracked-retailer coverage changes (e.g. new retailers are added), a median shift reflects the coverage change rather than price movement. The per-caliber Trend column in the comparison charts shows the observed six-month direction of each caliber’s monthly median. IronScout reports observed prices only and does not forecast future prices.
What is the Ammo Price Index?
IronScout's Ammo Price Index tracks cost per round across 23 calibers using 30-day rolling statistics from observed in-stock prices at tracked online retailers. It is updated daily and includes the cheapest price, the per-product midpoint, and the high price for each caliber.
How is cost per round calculated?
Cost per round is calculated by dividing the total price of a box or case of ammunition by the number of rounds it contains. IronScout computes the daily-best (minimum) price per round for each product on each day it was observed in stock, then calculates median and percentile statistics across the 30-day window.
What is the cheapest caliber to shoot?
.22 LR is consistently the cheapest caliber to shoot, with bulk pricing as low as $0.04–0.06 per round. Among centerfire handgun calibers, 9mm is the most affordable at $0.17–0.25/rd for FMJ range ammo. For centerfire rifle, .223 Remington and 7.62x39 offer the lowest cost per round.
How often are ammo prices updated?
The Ammo Price Index is updated daily. IronScout collects observed in-stock prices from tracked online retailers and recomputes 30-day rolling statistics each day. Set up free price alerts to be notified when prices drop on calibers you shoot.
Does the price index include shipping costs?
No. Prices shown are the advertised per-round cost before shipping. Shipping costs vary by retailer, order size, and destination. Many retailers offer free shipping above $99–$150, which typically works out to one case of handgun ammo or one case of rifle ammo.