Shipping and hazmat

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the fee makes you buy in bulk / volume! more sales more profit. simple business rule, 101!
 
Many do tend to forget the costs that retailers have to pay, which we don't see. Every time a store turns around, some entity is hitting them up for taxes, fees, permits, IRS, state, local, etc. Let's not forget that as we buy from our favorite shops, mail-order or internet suppliers.
Very true. But therein can also be buried some inefficiencies of that particular business that result in higher costs than might be necessary. And currently, many small businesses that throw up a web site don't want (or don't know enough) to pay for the necessary business infrastructure and processes to reduce their costs in order to be competitive with other online vendors. So their web sites end up being flaky or difficult to use, they restrict methods of payment in one way or another, and they end up imposing higher costs on their customers as a result.

The major shippers, for example, offer (through "partners") shipping programs where even very small companies (10 shipments a week, or 50 a months are mentioned by UPS) can take advantage of substantial cost savings in shipping costs. Sure, adopting such a program for your small "mom and pop" shop/company involves some expense. But that sort of business investment is the only way to be price-competitive with larger companies, and so increase sales and profits. And it's practically impossible to run what's essentially a truly local (local customers only) shop and then also offer remote sales via the web by just throwing up a web site with software some local "IT guy" has provided to you, and get the remote sales you need to make that attractive to customers and profitable to you.

Things like taxes, permits, and so on are inescapable, and everyone has to pay them (even the biggest online companies). So you can't reduce your costs and lower prices in that direction. But "fees" (in whatever broad sense that refers to, including day-to-day business/shipping/ordering/bookkeeping/materials/etc. costs) can be affected by better business practices, even -- or especially -- in small companies. Been there; seen that.
 
Do larger retailers get a break on hazmat fees? I just received 10# of Schutzen 3F from Grafs, $12.95 shipping and $23.50 hazmat.

I need percussion caps for a new build but in the end it may be cheaper to convert it to a flintlock.
What is $23.50 divided by the number of shots you will get out of 10 pounds of powder?
 
I'll burn that bridge when I get there.
Might be there already. Got a disturbing call from Fedex Rep yesterday advising me of shipping increases like fuel surcharges. They almost never call me!! I sell a bit and am revising all my stuff from fixed amount to "actual shipping costs". Maybe not alone. This needs to pass.
 
What is $23.50 divided by the number of shots you will get out of 10 pounds of powder?
In my case 70000 grains divided by 30 grains average, 44 caliber revolver, equals 2,334 shots divided by $23.50 equals .01006855 or less than one cent a shot. 😁
But I order 25 pounds so the hazmat only adds $.94 cents a pound and becomes rather insignificant as to cost to ship or shoot.
 
What is $23.50 divided by the number of shots you will get out of 10 pounds of powder?

I don't know what your point is. It was a simple question with an example of what I had just paid.

I was pleased with the hazmat fees, or at as pleased as you can be. It's like losing a fight and saying, at least I didn't get but one black eye. :doh:

Only one place I found that had powder in stock had cheaper hazmat fees, but they had a 5lb limit so the actual cost per pound was higher.
 
I would rather pay a few dollars more for any product to keep a small American company in business. Did just that yesterday when I put an order in for 10 lbs. of the Holy Black from Travelers Antiques and Trading. Italso great when you call the store and the owner picks up the phone. 🇺🇸 🇺🇲.
Thank you ! We appreciate all busi ess. We are still working with shippers to get reduced fees, but no luck.
 
I don't know what your point is. It was a simple question with an example of what I had just paid.

I was pleased with the hazmat fees, or at as pleased as you can be. It's like losing a fight and saying, at least I didn't get but one black eye. :doh:

Only one place I found that had powder in stock had cheaper hazmat fees, but they had a 5lb limit so the actual cost per pound was higher.
There are 7,000 grains in 10 pounds. 70 grains is a decent load in my rifle. So a $23.50 hazmat fee is distasteful but it is less than a quarter per shot. Having recently purchased ammunition for a couple of center fire unmentionables my flinter is a bargain even with the cost of powder and ball plus the fee and freight.
 
You want an eye opener? Take a forum name and google it, then hit images. You'll see pretty much every thing that person offered for sale under that name. Remember sponsor and supporter are 2 vastly different cost.
 
Primers and caps are Ord-D, not even hazmat unless you ship a huge amount.
Just another scam for your hard earned money
They ship ground, special pick up with a fee if not on a regular route. The new sticker is black diamond on white background which is what I use to ship ammo. My powder that arrived Thursday had a big old Hazardous sticker on it. Adult signature required-Business store front gets a price break when shipped to. Residential eve if registered as a business cost more to ship to. A telescoping box from FedEx including tax 2 sizes 10-12$.
Yep it is a scam cause of all the thieves they hire-
 
I'm glad I'm less than 200 miles from two different major sources for BP and 4 or 5 more if you want to include other stores which carry it a pound at a time. The only thing I have to pay extra is my fuel, and that will always be less than shipping and hazmat fees. It is expensive keeping the big bores fed and the 3# and 6# sounding good.
 
Italso great when you call the store and the owner picks up the phone. 🇺🇸 🇺🇲.
While I understand that as a sentiment, I don't view purchasing shooting supplies as a social experience. And I don't normally call anywhere any more to buy anything. :) 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
 
There are 7,000 grains in 10 pounds. 70 grains is a decent load in my rifle. So a $23.50 hazmat fee is distasteful but it is less than a quarter per shot. Having recently purchased ammunition for a couple of center fire unmentionables my flinter is a bargain even with the cost of powder and ball plus the fee and freight.
Last time I checked there was 7000 grains in ONE pound not 10 pounds, making the Haz-Mat fee insignificant on a per shot basis.
 
There are 7,000 grains in 10 pounds. 70 grains is a decent load in my rifle. So a $23.50 hazmat fee is distasteful but it is less than a quarter per shot. Having recently purchased ammunition for a couple of center fire unmentionables my flinter is a bargain even with the cost of powder and ball plus the fee and freight.
Pretty sure you dropped a zero. There are 7000 grains in one pound. That would make 70000 in ten.

That would make the cost per shot for the hazmat .000335 cents per shot.
 

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