This Gun Costs $3.20 Per Shot: Is It Worth It?

It’s become more convenient than ever to by ammunition in Texas, Oklahoma, and Alabama. The ammunition company, American Rounds, will be using AI technology to scan identification and verify age as they sell bullets out of vending machines in grocery stores. Although it may be convenient to purchase bullets, it’s costly, the price of ammunition has risen over time.

24/7 Wall St. compiled a list of the cost of 26 different rifle calibers and ranked them by price per round, from lowest to highest. We used data from Ammo Prices Now, an ammunition price tracking website, to obtain our data. The prices on this list represent the lowest available as of mid-March 2024. Date ranges for average prices over a given time period vary by caliber and other data. However, this data has created a rough guide to every price point for every round, ranging from $0.02 per round to over $3.00.

Why Is This Important?

Finding affordable ways to maintain doing what you love, your job, or supporting your family is important to anyone. In the current economic climate, being able to afford the lifestyle you want to live can be difficult but is not altogether impossible.

Here are the most affordable rifle rounds from least to most expensive. 

26. 22 LR Caliber

• The lowest price currently available: $0.02 per round
• Avg. low price between 2023 – 2024: $0.08 per round

25. 22 WMR Caliber

• The lowest price currently available: $0.19 per round
• Avg. low price between 2020 – 2024: $0.28 per round

24. 17 HMR Caliber

• The lowest price currently available: $0.20 per round
• Avg. low price between 2021 – 2024: $0.29 per round

23. 5.56 NATO Caliber

• The lowest price currently available: $0.40 per round
• Avg. low price between 2021 – 2024: $0.43 per round

22. 223 Rem Caliber

• The lowest price currently available: $0.41 per round
• Avg. low price between 2020 – 2024: $0.46 per round

21. 7.62×39 Caliber

• The lowest price currently available: $0.43 per round
• Avg. low price between 2020 – 2024: $0.45 per round

20. 300 BLK Caliber

• The lowest price currently available: $0.55 per round
• Avg. low price between 2020 – 2024: $0.72 per round

19. 7.62x54R Caliber

• The lowest price currently available: $0.65 per round
• Avg. low price between 2020 – 2024: $0.67 per round

18. 308 Win Caliber

• The lowest price currently available: $0.67 per round
• Avg. low price between  2020 – 2024: $0.68 per round

17. 5.45×39 Caliber

• The lowest price currently available: $0.71 per round
• Avg. low price between 2020 – 2024: $0.52 per round

16. 22-250 Caliber

• The lowest price currently available: $0.72 per round
• Avg. low price between 2024: $0.74 per round

15. 30-06 Caliber

• The lowest price currently available: $0.76 per round
• Avg. low price between 2021 – 2024: $0.99 per round

14. 6.5mm Creedmoor Caliber

• The lowest price currently available: $0.77 per round
• Avg. low price between 2021 – 2024: $1.23 per round

13. 17 WSM Caliber

• The lowest price currently available: $0.80 per round
• Avg. low price between 2020 – 2024: $0.64 per round

12. 6.5mm Grendel Caliber

• The lowest price currently available: $0.81 per round
• Avg. low price between 2024 – 2024: $0.81 per round

11. 6.8mm Remington Caliber

• The lowest price currently available: $0.82 per round
• Avg. low price between 2024 – 2024: $0.82 per round

10. 30-30 Win Caliber

• The lowest price currently available: $0.84 per round
• Avg. low price between 2021 – 2024: $1.39 per round

9. 243 Win Caliber

• The lowest price currently available: $0.85 per round
• Avg. low price between 2021 – 2024: $1.23 per round

8. 8mm Mauser Caliber

• The Lowest price currently available: $0.90 per round
• Avg. low price in 2024: $0.89 per round

7. 6mm ARC Caliber

Rifle cartridges (l. to r.) .308 Win, 6mm ARC, 300 AAC, .223 Rem (CC BY-SA 4.0) by JohnMasinter

• The Lowest price currently available: $0.99 per round
• Avg. low price in 2024: $1.01 per round

6. 7mm Rem Mag Caliber

• The Lowest price currently available: $1.01 per round
• Avg. low price between 2021 – 2024: $1.51 per round

5. 300 Win Mag Caliber

• The Lowest price currently available: $1.11 per round
• Avg. low price in 2024: $1.13 per round

4. 7mm PRC Caliber

• The Lowest price currently available: $1.65 per round
• Avg. low price in 2024: $1.67 per round

3. 45-70 Caliber

401 Winchester Self-Loading... (CC BY-SA 4.0) by Ultratone85

• The Lowest price currently available: $1.79 per round
• Avg. low price in 2024: $1.78 per round

2. 240 Weatherby Caliber

• The Lowest price currently available: $2.48 per round
• Avg. low price in 2024: $2.48 per round

1. 50 BMG Caliber

• The Lowest price currently available: $3.22 per round
• Avg. low price for 2024: $3.20 per round