powder

Mescalero · Post by **Mescalero** » Thu Nov 07, 2013 6:44 pm

Who has the best deal on rifle powders right now?
What are prices like pre panic?

Tycer · Post by **Tycer** » Thu Nov 07, 2013 7:12 pm

Locally is the place to buy. The shippers have started to charge hazmat fees for smokeless.
Pre-which panic? My 2007 Unique was$17, I saw it for $35 in 2008 and $27 at the last gunshow from Georgia Arms.

TedH · Post by **TedH** » Thu Nov 07, 2013 7:15 pm

Around here there is no powder to buy locally. My favorite local shop said yesterday they have not been able to get any powder for the last 8 weeks.

yooper2 · Post by **yooper2** » Thu Nov 07, 2013 7:16 pm

I buy from the local shop in town and the prices are all around $24 a pound which is $1-2 higher than this time last year. Things trickle in and go fast but there isn't any gouging. Prices have always been a bit higher here though.

Eric

Mescalero · Post by **Mescalero** » Thu Nov 07, 2013 7:19 pm

It has been a while since I bought powder.
So this info is helpful.......... thank you
Thinking of going on a buying spree.

Familyguy · Post by **Familyguy** » Thu Nov 07, 2013 8:19 pm

I just paid a skosh over $30 for 1# containers of H4198. Once shipping and hazmat was included it approached about $38/lb. Yes, I am bitter, but now I've got enough supplies to reload a few thousand rounds if I have to.

jdad · Post by **jdad** » Thu Nov 07, 2013 9:16 pm

i'm seeing more powder lately than in the last year. The only one I cannot find is the one I really want......HP38

Don McDowell · Post by **Don McDowell** » Thu Nov 07, 2013 10:26 pm

Prices haven't increase all that much at the regular dealers and the like. Scalpers are just thieves pretending to do a good deed..
Supply is still short , so you may not be able to get everything you want.
With the gas prices the way they are, one has to put the "hazmat" fee aside, it's been around for several years now, you pay it in the price on the local dealers shelves, and besides, just how much gas can you buy for 27$ to go driving around to look for something that may or may not be on the dealers shelves.

92&94 · Post by **92&94** » Fri Nov 08, 2013 7:44 am

My neighbor always talks about a big shop in Prescott Valley that was heavy on reloading stuff. He used to live over in Surprise if I remember right. Prescott Valley Guns? Sounds right.

Mescalero · Post by **Mescalero** » Fri Nov 08, 2013 9:21 am

92&94,
I drive up there all the time, thanks for the tip.

piller · Post by **piller** » Fri Nov 08, 2013 11:08 am

In the Dallas area there is a gun range called Alpine that has powder. Their selection is pretty good and the prices seem to be about what everyone else is seeing. I have enough for my needs for a while, but the prices are not inspiring any confidence in me.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Fri Nov 08, 2013 2:49 pm

Pick up The Dots when you have a chance....you can load all sorts of stuff in a pinch with them......

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Fri Nov 08, 2013 3:29 pm

I've got a coupla 8lb'ers on back order at the new shop I found, but either the usual shop is using the wrong distributor, or he's just not ordering any. The new shop has primers on the shelf and the old shop is limiting them to 100 per customer. I have 5K LP Winchersters on the way from Midway. It was nip & tuck, I was under 7K on hand!

Next up will be LR and shotgun primers! AS for prices? They are what they are.

Mescalero · Post by **Mescalero** » Fri Nov 08, 2013 3:59 pm

I am beginning to think that this is the new reality.

ethang · Post by **ethang** » Fri Nov 08, 2013 4:16 pm

I tried to find some pistol powder yesterday. I called every shop within 70 miles of my house. Most had nothing, one said they had not had a powder delivery in months. One shop said they had some, I drove 40 miles to find out they misread the label.....

If you find it, buy it. Who knows how long this is going to last.

Mescalero · Post by **Mescalero** » Fri Nov 08, 2013 5:16 pm

Seems I fell in love with 700x at one time.
I have a lot of that.

Post by **Chuck 100 yd** » Fri Nov 08, 2013 7:17 pm

There are loads for 700X listed for most of the common pistol cartridges. I have used it with good results in many loadings. Red dot,Green dot also. I have not got into Blue dot due to never being able to find it locally when I wanted some but many praise it. My standby powders for handgun are
Trail Boss and Red Dot for CAS, IMR 4227 and 2400 for heavy pistol,Unique for Range loads in pistol.
For cast bullet rifle, I use lots of 2400. Varget does most of my hunting loads.
If you have a good supply of 700X you can do a lot of shooting while this supply thing gets sorted out.

Mescalero · Post by **Mescalero** » Fri Nov 08, 2013 7:26 pm

Oh yes, I do
But being a pragmatist, I want more.
In case I can't get any later.

Post by **Hobie** » Fri Nov 08, 2013 8:57 pm

Changes in shipping regulations for imports have cut availability at the same time that the ammo producers are moving components into ammo production and new reloaders have come into the market in an effort to bypass ammo shortages. This demand vs supply drives up the cost. We are seeing powder supplies down 50%+ but prices only up 10-15%. Big demand items are "handgun" powders such as Unique, Bullseye, W231, PowerPistol, H110, and so forth and medium fast rifle powders such as IMR 4064, Varget, IMR/H 4895 and such.

Mescalero · Post by **Mescalero** » Fri Nov 08, 2013 9:23 pm

Hobie,
Thanks. the voice of reason.

earlmck · Post by **earlmck** » Sat Nov 09, 2013 12:17 am

My "go to" place has been "Powder Valley" but I just checked them and they don't seem to have much. Looks like you can get powder for the big magnums -- super slow stuff like 50BMG or IMR7828, but not much else yet. The HazMat fee has kept me motivated to get the powder in 5 or 8# jugs (they'll ship 4 jugs on 1 hazmat fee), which resulted in my being well-stocked.

Ray Newman · Post by **Ray Newman** » Sat Nov 09, 2013 1:09 am

Hobie nailed it.

Larkbill · Post by **Larkbill** » Sat Nov 09, 2013 8:47 am

Was in Graf's St Charles store. They had almost no Alliant products. Alliant claims most of their production is going in to loaded ammo. Other brands to choose from, but I needed to sit down with manuals and come up with alternates so I didn't buy.

Prices were only up a couple bucks from the last time I bought.

Plenty of bullets in stock, and plenty of most primers.

Mescalero · Post by **Mescalero** » Sat Nov 09, 2013 11:52 am

I have always wanted to try Power Pistol powder.
The only time I have ever seen it, was at an ( un-named ) gun shop and it had been re-packaged.
I don't know about you guys, but I was taught to stay away from any powder not in the original container.

WinM71 · Post by **WinM71** » Sat Nov 09, 2013 12:09 pm

There was a spell that ran for maybe two or three months where shops' supplies of various powders seemed to be filling in. Can't remember how long ago that was, maybe 8-10 months ago? Now they all seem pretty depleted. I don't see Varget anywhere.

I won't touch repackaged powder, or opened containers except from one or two of my closest buddies.

Mescalero · Post by **Mescalero** » Sat Nov 09, 2013 12:40 pm

I asked the guy and he said the only way they could get it, was in 8 lb. containers and his customers did not buy that much at one time.
He was open about it, apparently his customers are comfortable with it.
I could not get past the voice in my head that said " don't do this "

Post by **Chuck 100 yd** » Sat Nov 09, 2013 9:13 pm

I have bought bulk powders and received them in paint cans, oat meal boxes and even paper bags but that was ONLY from trusted people and they number in the single digits such as 2or3. Any other powders that I find in unsealed containers are not used by me except as fertilizer.

handirifle · Post by **handirifle** » Sun Nov 10, 2013 1:25 am

Speaking of all this powder (and ammo) shortage/overcharging trend, I remember reading on the net (so it HAS to true right?) that Cerberus (sp?) that owns soooo many of our gun companies, and also owns about 60% of ammo companies, has been bullied into selling off the firearm companies in their inventory. Who did it? Unions, after the Sandy Hook shootings, the unions wrote them and "shamed" them for "fostering" the mindset for such killings, and since the unions have a large investment in Cerberus stock, Cerberus agreed to sell off gun companies.

First I find it interesting and a little suspicious they own sooo much of our ammo companies as well as gun makers, and now they are going to "unload" them. I wonder if any liberal billionaires are looking at those stocks? Personally I see the powder/ammo situation getting worse.

Time will tell. I hope I am wrong.

Mescalero · Post by **Mescalero** » Sun Nov 10, 2013 3:30 am

So do I brother, Bloomberg is no longer mayor of liberal land.
But how much has been entrenched in damaging endeavors.

piller · Post by **piller** » Sun Nov 10, 2013 8:31 am

Buying repackaged bulk powder seems rather chancy to me. I am a little bit OCD about my reloading, especially after I made a mistake one time due to not locking the door and having both SightHunter and PillHer continually come in to ask me questions. I discovered it before blowing anything up, but it was not fun to pop 25 bullets out and dump the powder. Anyone who wants to check it out can find that some flake powders are much faster than others and you should be careful what powder you are using.

Larkbill · Post by **Larkbill** » Sun Nov 10, 2013 8:42 am

Early in my shotgun reloading career (using a Lee Loader!) I had a sales territory that covered central Illinois. I used to hit a local gunshop in East Alton, literally in the shadow of the Olin plant, and they would sell as little as 1/2 lb. at a time in margarine containers. The good part was they would fill and weigh from the caddy while you watched. My kids were little and I didn't have much extra money so trying a different powder, or buying some Blue Dot for duck loads would have been much harder without this service. Wish I could have bought a gun from them, but since I was from Missouri and didn't have a FOID card reloading supplies was about all I could buy there.

Mescalero · Post by **Mescalero** » Sun Nov 10, 2013 10:47 am

I am sure that this works( like for Larkbill ) when there is trust between buyer and seller,
for me who just wandered in;
It seemed too risky.

earlmck · Post by **earlmck** » Sun Nov 10, 2013 12:09 pm

OK, for you fellows who are getting short of powder -- I just took a closer look at "Powder Valley" (http://www.powdervalleyinc.com) and they have Norma N203B (similar to IMR 4320) and N204 (a scosh slower than H4831). Also have Vihtavouri 3N38 and N105, both of which appear to be similar burn rates to Blue Dot. In normal times the premium charged for Norma or Vihtavouri keeps me from using them, but at present price levels for our regular Hodgdon/IMR/Alliant stuff, the Powder Valley prices for these are right competetive. That's assuming you get together with some buddies and order enough to get a full shipment for your HazMat fee.

Yeah, you may have to stretch the reloader brain cells to come up with data for these, but if I were running out of shootin' powder I'd be ordering up some of these and giving them a work-out.

Mescalero · Post by **Mescalero** » Sun Nov 10, 2013 12:26 pm

Thanks Earl,
I'm not "short " of powder.
But I am getting antsy about where this is going.

66GTO · Post by **66GTO** » Sun Nov 10, 2013 5:19 pm

These folks have Blue Dot in stock, for those that expressed an interest.
http://store.thirdgenerationshootingsup ... ,3617.html

I check Gunbot frequently for reloading supplies and found this place recently. I just ordered, but haven't yet received, an 8 lb. jug of Hodgdon H100V. It looks like short cut 4350 and shoots almost the same as 4350. I tried it when I couldn't find any 4350 and liked it. Their web site shows it still in stock along with H335, IMR3031, IMR4064, and IMR4227.

I usually check my favorite family owned local gun shop for reloading supplies when I am in the area. They usually have something in stock, but it is hit or miss as to whether they have what I need. Out of desperation I've tried stuff I've never used because I couldn't find what I wanted. That's how I discovered the H100V. I also tried Superformance for the same reason, but I can't find any load that works with it. Since the shortages their prices are around $30 lb. for powder. They have a limit on primers of two sleeves of 100 @ $5 each, but they always have them in stock. I just found Winchester LR primers at Midway and ordered 5K, so I am good on those for the forseeable future. I stocked up on pistol powders/primers before the panic hit.

Familyguy · Post by **Familyguy** » Sun Nov 10, 2013 6:15 pm

I left my email address @ shootersupplyusa.com a while back when I was looking for H4198. They emailed me to let me know they've now got it in stock this morning. I checked right away and it was in stock. I checked just now (8 hours later) and it's out of stock again.

Sigh....

Fortunately, I was able to pick up a few pounds already so I'm set for a good long while.

Best,

geobru · Post by **geobru** » Sun Nov 10, 2013 7:04 pm

Week before last, I happened to hit Cabela's in Lacey when they actually had some powder, including 3031, 2400, 4064, 4198, One or two Winchester powders. I went back this week and bought a pound of 3031 for 27.99, which was $5 more than I paid at a store in Aberdeen last month.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Sun Nov 10, 2013 7:27 pm

geobru wrote:Week before last, I happened to hit Cabela's in Lacey when they actually had some powder, including 3031, 2400, 4064, 4198, One or two Winchester powders. I went back this week and bought a pound of 3031 for 27.99, which was $5 more than I paid at a store in Aberdeen last month.

Shoot....I was there yesterday, and the 2400 was gone. I got two of the last 8 3031s.....With a little black magic, and ill advised extrapolation Blue Dot can be 2400, and I have about 8 lbs...so...

Mescalero · Post by **Mescalero** » Sun Nov 10, 2013 7:43 pm

So,
What kind of magic do you work with red dot?

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Sun Nov 10, 2013 7:52 pm

Mescalero wrote:So,
What kind of magic do you work with red dot?

Check out "The Load" vis-a-vis Red Dot....amazingly useful....

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Sun Nov 10, 2013 8:01 pm

I have 4 lbs of Lil Gun that I bought for loading Bee.....not sure what I can do with it....Prolly .357/.44mag when I run out of Blue Dot.....

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Sun Nov 10, 2013 9:32 pm

AmmoGuide has some good tools for speculating on what powder you might find most useful for a given set of cartridges, or what cartridges have significant numbers of loads using a given powder.

http://ammoguide.com/cgi-bin/aipowders.cgi?

Ray Newman · Post by **Ray Newman** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 3:21 pm

Blaine: please check your private messages, re 2400.

66GTO · Post by **66GTO** » Tue Nov 12, 2013 12:51 pm

Got an email from Wideners that they now have IMR4831 in stock. I checked their web site and it appears they just got a shipment in of Hodgdon and IMR powders. Several different rifle powders are now in stock.