Micah - You make a very good point about buying in bulk.
In any shooting sport, the cost of ammunition or components should be planned out and budgeted to buy top quality at the best price and the least amount of effort. Travelling miles to buy a small quantity at top retail price is a waste of time, product cost and travel cost. In fact, with today's higher and higher travel costs, we really have to think ahead before making any trip.
If we put pencil to paper, figuring out how much shooting we are likely to do over the next year or two, then how to get the best bulk price for powder, ball, patches, percussion caps, flints, cleaning materials, match entry fees and travel costs, then compare those bulk costs to small quantity retail costs, we might save enough money to pay for another hunting trip. At least, that's what Benjamin Franklin would have advised us back "in the day."
