FAQ
We are a simple straight forward business. No exaggeration or embellishment about our products or services. Central Plains Enterprises, LLC is a small 2 man company, we currently run it in the evenings and on weekends. Our overhead is minimal; this allows us to pass savings on to you. As demand increases we will ramp up our production capabilities in a fashion that allows us to continue with affordable prices.
Our packaging is a little different than most companies. Bullet quantities have been adjusted to ensure each package is 15 pounds or under. Our bullets are packaged in heat sealed bags instead of cardboard boxes. There are 2 main reasons for this; one, the bags are waterproof and two, they allow for more flexibility in shipping options. If your package is left outside in the elements and the outer cardboard box is water soaked your bullets will remain dry and intact. Any single bag can be shipped in a small Priority Mail shipping box; this minimizes shipping costs for customers wanting only a single bag of bullets. Any combination of 2-4 bags will fit in a medium Priority Mail shipping box. Our shipments in medium boxes have the added protection of a double wall box inside the USPS supplied outer box. This creates a very durable shipping boxthat allows us to pack the bullets so they are not being shaken to pieces on their way to you.
We offer bullets packaged in 2 ways individual packages or a bulk package option. The bulk package option is simply 60 pounds of bullets; this maximizes the amount of bullets for the shipping cost. In some cases it only amounts to a handful of bullets and other cases there is a large quantity difference. Using this method allows us to compute your shipping cost when you check out. There is no shipping cost figured into each package; bullets are bullets and shipping is shipping!
Our prices are set on what the cost of replace alloy will be. Since we started this business in 2010 the alloy price has never went down. In fact as of February 2013 we have seen an increase of $.65 a pound from our first lead purchase. Translated that means the same money that got us 6,000 lbs in 2010 now gets us 4,000 lbs in 2013.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do I have to log-in?
A: No you can shop as a guest or create a log in.
Q: Why don't you take back orders?
A: We don’t think in our situation that back orders are a good idea. For instance, if a lead shipment is late or equipment is down; producing bullets may be delayed. Back orders never seem to come with an assured delivery date and if a customer needs bullets we don’t want to be the reason why they weren’t delivered. We would rather lose a sale than a customer.
Q: The bullets I want are out of stock, will you let me know when they are in stock?
A: Just drop us a note thru the "contact us" section and we will let you know when they are in stock.
Q: I made a mistake when I ordered; can you take the bullets back?
A: Yes we can work with you however sending bullets back to us may not be your best solution. We will require you pay for the return shipping and a restocking charge. The restocking charge varies depending on if the package has been opened or not. A better solution may be to work a deal out with a fellow shooter that can use them. In the event you have ordered bullets you can’t use or don’t like for any reason you have our consent to resell or trade those bullets.
Q: Why do I have to be 21 or older to purchase bullets?
A: A bullet is considered ammunition. To purchase bullets (or loaded ammunition) for a handgun you must be 21 or older. To purchase bullets (or loaded ammunition) for use in a long gun you only need to be 18. Most of our bullets are typical handgun calibers therefore we have made the decision to only sell to persons 21 or older.
Q: Why can’t you tell me the Brinell hardness of your bullets?
A: No foundry we deal with checks hardness on the Brinell scale. Handheld units don’t have the degree of accuracy necessary to produce reliable results. The hardness is what it is; meaning the foundry produces a certified 2/6/92 alloy they don’t blend it to Brinell scale hardness.
Q: Why don’t you give out free sample bullets?
A: Same reason the bank doesn’t give out free sample cash, by doing so would put us out of business. Our bullets will shoot the same as bullets from any quality bullet caster. There isn’t anything so different from our molds to the next guy’s molds to justify giving away samples. If you want to purchase sample bullets drop us a line and we will price them to you.
Q: Are your prices current?
A: Yes they are.
Q: Does the price include shipping?
A: No it does not. Your shipping is calculated when you check out from the shopping cart.
Q: How much is shipping?
A: The medium USPS flat rate box is $14.00 for shipping, packaging and insurance. The small USPS flat rate box is $7.00 for shipping. A single bag of bullets ships in a small USPS flat rate box, 2-4 bags and the bulk packages ship in the medium USPS flat rate box.
Q: How long does it take to ship my order?
A: We only take orders for what we have in stock therefore we strive to ship all order within 48 hours or 2 business days. If the Post Office is closed we can’t ship!
Q: Your charges appear on my credit card so where are my bullets? – OR- I received my shipping confirmation email but no bullets yet, what should I do?
A: Drop us a line with the date and what you ordered. We will take it from there and keep you informed. With the rate increase on shipping from the Post Office in 2013 they added Delivery Confirmation, this will give us a means to understand what happened with the package. If need be we will ship you another order until we can get it resolved.
Q: I don’t like sending my credit card number over the Internet by using a shopping cart, what are my options for payment?
A: At this time unless you live locally there are no other options. If you live locally we will try to work out a time to meet you at the business so you can pick up the bullets. We will accept cash or personal check.
Q: I sent you an email thru your website but you have not called or replied, why not?
A: We will try to reply within 48 hours via email or phone call even if it is to tell you it may take us another day to answer your question. At times our full time jobs can be demanding which cuts into our time to respond to you. Email replies are easier than phone calls because I can send emails either early morning or in the middle of the night. There is another possibility that the email didn't get through. We also have a facebook page you can send a message through. We don't do much on facebook but have it primarily as a secondary means of contact.
Q: Why don’t you have a number listed I can call?
A: The equipment in operation is loud and cannot be left unattended when running. If we are talking on the phone we can’t be making bullets. We are a 2 man operation and when we are casting we are both very busy! If you send us a message and request a return phone call I will call you as soon as I can. Also for those that have purchased bullets my phone number is listed on your credit card billing statement. In the event you have a problem just look at your statement and if you don't have access to you statement you can call your credit card customer service and they can provide it to you.
We both have full time jobs and do most of the casting in the evening and weekends. While this arrangement helps us keep the overhead lower it makes phone calls a bit more challenging as they have to be done in the evenings at lunch or on the weekends.
In January 2013 I finally got around to getting business cards made. We try to remember to include one in every package with all the contact information.
More Information