Hi Mike,  I just recently ordered some.
>I have never tried Pemmican. I do not want to order a huge lot of it. The
>sample packages available on line seem way too expensive.
It seemed very expensive to me too until I started figuring the cost of
doing it myself.  It's way less expensive for me if I have to buy all the
materials from the groceryl.  Also obtaining beef fat is next to impossible
for most people.  When I asked the meat dept at my local grocery stores if
there was any beef fat they could sell me- first they looked at me like I
was crazy- then they explained that most of the meat is already precut when
it arrives at the store.
Since then I've been lining up a deal where I can buy a side of beef from
local ranchers.  It takes time to make the connections necessary to line up
something like this (for me).

>  Other than making it onesself, does anyone know of a lower-cost
>alternative. I don't have a dehydrator and the one time I tried doing it in
>my oven, I just wasted a lot of time, and a perfectly good roast.

It would be a lot cheaper to make it yourself if you have the beef and fat
available in bulk.  Also realize that rendering fat is no snap to
accomplish.  My mom rendered the fat when we butchered a hog when I was a
kid but it is a slow process.  I have made jerky and that is quite an
intensive piece of work too.  Most ovens would be too hot.  I do have a
dehydrator and got it at a second hand store.  Actually I got 2 dehydrators
but one was too hot even at the lowest setting and "cooked" the meat.  I ate
it but it had a unpleasant burnt taste, yuk.  I haven't used it since.
After looking at the cost of materials and time and effort the high price
didn't look so bad.  When I get the bulk beef (and maybe even buffalo) this
fall I might look at making pemmican but then again maybe not.  Also I
checked prices in my area for a dehydrator and they ran around $100.  Now
that's expensive to me considering that it's a little fan with some grids
sitting on top.
My paleo best to all   Cas