So does anyone buy ammo online? Can it be done or do you have to get a FFL to do it for you?
I do buy ammo online from the CMP. I can get .30-06, shipped, for $0.64/round. They also sell .30 Carbine and .22 ammo, but the prices end up being break-even with local deals.
You do not need an FFL. However, aside from CMP, what you will find is that it is not a cost-effective way to go. The shipping costs of getting hazardous goods overnighted to you (and it is required by law to be overnighted) more than offset the savings you are looking at. There are only 3 ways to actually save money shipping ammo here:
1. Join the CMP and order M2 ball.
2. Make friends with the owner of a gun store who will let you add items to his bulk shipments.
3. Place a large enough order that it has to be put on a container ship.
Shotgun News was running an add from a bulk distributor that sold by the pallet and used reasonable freight rates. I looked long and hard at that, and tried to imagine fronting $15,000 then showing up at the gun show with a pallet of .223 or .308 and trying to break even. Did not seem like the kind of gamble I was willing to take.