0
Budget-Friendly Magazine and Ammo Bundles for Beginners
Firearms ownership can get expensive, especially once you consider all of the “extras” that are needed in addition to the gun itself. Many people are often drawn to the fancy optics, lights, and holsters, but then overlook what’s most important…spare magazines and ammo for training.
Premium magazines and ammo can make a range day VERY expensive.
Training is critical to becoming a responsible gun owner and a proficient shooter. The accessories are fun and of course can help elevate your skills, but you’ll want to focus on the foundations at the beginning, which means a lot of shooting.
Thankfully, when you’re at the range and not relying on your firearm for self-defense, you can get away with running affordable aftermarket magazines and cheaper range ammo. We’ll go over some practical, budget-minded bundle ideas for five common platforms to stretch your training dollar.
AR-15
It’s hard to beat a PMAG.
When it comes to AR-15 magazines, there is one that immediately comes to mind for most shooters; the Magpul PMAG. However, PMAGs aren’t the most affordable, but you do get what you pay for. That said, you can typically find the Gen M2 models for a few bucks less than the M3s, and then if you buy in bulk, it’ll knock down the price per mag even further.
SALE 
Magpul Ar-15 Gen 2 MOE Pmag 10 Pack
1347 reviews
Original price was: $129.99.$99.99Current price is: $99.99.
If you really spend some time searching the Google machine, you can probably find some no name AR-15 mags for dirt cheap, but who knows if you can even count on them to cycle properly at the range. For maximum savings without winding up with a glorified paperweight, check out options from Amend2 magazines.
When it comes to ammo, it’s hard to go wrong with PMC Bronze. It features premium brass casings and primers, clean-burning powders, and doesn’t break the bank. To make your shopping experience even easier, we created a bundle of our best selling pair!
SALE 
Magpul PMAG GEN 2 MOE AR-15 30 Round Magazine (5 Pack) & 100 Rounds of PMC Bronze .223 Remington FMJ 55gr Ammo
19 reviews
Original price was: $126.25.$89.99Current price is: $89.99.
AK-47
AKs are notorious for running any ammo, under any conditions, with any magazine, so many people choose to buy the cheapest they can find for range use. We don’t blame them either. That’s why we often stock up on surplus Korean and Polish AK-47 magazines at crazy low prices. However, they sell quick and we have hard time keeping them in stock.
AKs will run in any weather.
For a few more bucks per mag, the older Magpul PMAG Gen M2 still deliver an exceptional value. It might feel strange running polymer mags in your tank of an AK-47, but they get the job done regardless of construction.
SALE 
Magpul PMAG GEN 2 MOE AK-47/AKM 7.62x39 30 Round Magazine
160 reviews
Original price was: $15.95.$13.99Current price is: $13.99.
Remember how I just mentioned AKs eat essentially any ammo? This makes a great opportunity to save even more money by going with ultra-affordable steel ammo, like that from Sterling. In case you want to stick with brass but don’t want to spend an arm and a leg, Sellier & Bellot offer a solid bang for your buck.
Glock (9mm)
Thanks to the overwhelming level of aftermarket support found for Glocks, there are tons of affordable magazine options out there that suffice with ease for range time and training. For plain old target practice and plinking, you can often find Magpul PMAG GL9s and KCI 15-round mags for great prices. Both are going to give you plenty of reliability to avoid frustration, without the excess cost.
SALE 
Magpul PMAG 15 GL9 9mm 15 Round Magazine for Glock 19 Pistols (3 Pack)
129 reviews
Original price was: $44.99.$39.99Current price is: $39.99.
SALE 
KCI 9mm 15 Round Magazine for Glock 19 Pistols
8 reviews
Original price was: $14.99.$12.99Current price is: $12.99.
You can barely tell the difference between the KCI (left) and OEM (right).
Want to go ahead and mag dump at the range and launch the magazine during your reload without a care in the world? You’ll be hard pressed to find a cheaper extended magazine that the 35-round option from Toolman Tactical.
SALE 
Toolman Tactical 9mm 35 Round Extended Magazine for Glock 17, 19 Pistols
68 reviews
Original price was: $16.00.$9.99Current price is: $9.99.
9mm ammo is in general, affordable across the board compared to other calibers, but one in particular has remained cost-effective and easy to find for years, and I’ve found myself constantly ordering some. CCI’s Blazer Brass is ideal for everything from breaking in your new pistol to keeping you running through your next training class.
Want a few other options within the same price range to consider in case Blazer Brass is sold out? Check out Fiocchi 115-grain FMJs and Magtech 115-grain FMJs.
1911 (.45 ACP)
Few platforms are as iconic as the 1911, and with the continued rise in popularity, they keep getting more expensive it seems every release.
If only new 1911s came with more than two magazines. Source
To save some money for your next one, you can save a few bucks per magazine by considering options from from KCI. They are constructed from high-quality steel as you’d expect, and even feature side-facing witness holes for easy capacity checks.
SALE 
KCI 1911 .45 ACP 8 Round Magazine
29 reviews
Original price was: $16.99.$12.99Current price is: $12.99.
You won’t get as lucky from a price perspective as you will with 9mm, but again, Sellior & Bellot delivers high-quality .45 ACP ammo at a very reasonable price, along with CCI’s Blazer Brass in .45 ACP.
Ruger 10/22
When you’re shooting .22 LR, especially through a classic 10/22 variant, the rounds can seem to dissapear throughout the fun. Even though the ammo is affordable, magazines can set you back a bit.
Those factory magazines are not cheap! Source
ProMag is known for its affordable magazines, so of course, the 10/22 is no exception. You can grab one of the 32-round magazines for significantly less than the price of one 25-round factory magazine.
SALE 
ProMag Ruger 10/22 .22 LR 32 Round Magazine
75 reviews
Original price was: $20.99.$12.99Current price is: $12.99.
Ammo is the easy part for this section, since you can always find it for single digit cents per round. Whether it’s Aguila, Armscor, or Federal, you’re good to go for fun at the range.
Aguila .22LR Hi-Velocity Solid Point 40gr Ammo
10 reviews
Price range: $3.25 through $119.99
Out of stock
Armscor .22 LR 36gr High Velocity Hollow Point Ammo
7 reviews
Price range: $3.49 through $329.99
Out of stock
Final Thoughts
As I hope you can see by now, you don’t have to go broke to in order to spend a day at the range. When you’re not using your firearms for self-defense, you can feel free to save where you can by going with aftermarket mags and cheaper ammo.
However, you never want to skimp on magazines or ammo when it comes to any gun that will play a defensive role. In those scenarios, factory magazines are often best, along with high-quality defensive ammo. You’ll also want to test both in your chosen firearm to confirm reliability.
At the end of the day, stock up as you can, train often, and get to know how your firearm functions with all of your gear.
As always, stay safe, train hard, and have fun.
