The Powder Shortage is *Killin'* me here!

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Vodoun da Vinci

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:banghead:

Just wanted to toss that out there. Returned to shooting sports and reloading a little over a year ago....finally scored a few pounds of Unique and primers and dies became available. Bought up bullets and have been shooting and having a ball.

Now I'm down to my last pound of powder and loading like a maniac to supply fodder for the holiday shooting spree that is sure to ensue with Brothers and Gun Buddies in town for the holidays. I'll likely push that last pound to the dregs.

I'm starting to get worried now. Have not seen any Unique or BE-86 or *any* pistol powder for weeks/months. Just bummed and wanted to vent. Apologies in advance as I ration my very last.

VooDoo
 
I felt the same way except the other day my lgs just got in over 500 lbs of various powder . I was like a kid in a candy store . I actually got to choose what kind I wanted haven't done that in years . Got some unique and the very hard to find silhouette. Is it is just random on who gets it don't get discouraged just keep looking you never know when it will pop up .
 
I feel your frustration brother. I've actually begun curbing my shooting b/c of the shortage--for example I have a h110 load in 44 special that I spent a lot of time working up and now I don't shoot it b/c I haven't' been able to find H110 for over a year now (and I can't bring myself to pay the $30-40 per pound that the sharks on gunbroker are hawking).
 
Jlr2267 said:
It's the holidays...buy some factory ammo!
Click to expand...
Burn the heretic!!! :neener:

I say either have everyone pitch in for factory ammo, even if it doesn't cover the cost, or enlist them in your search for powder. Turn it into a quest. It would be a very Unique quest. :)
 
Vodoun da Vinci said:
:banghead:

Just wanted to toss that out there. Returned to shooting sports and reloading a little over a year ago....finally scored a few pounds of Unique and primers and dies became available. Bought up bullets and have been shooting and having a ball.

Now I'm down to my last pound of powder and loading like a maniac to supply fodder for the holiday shooting spree that is sure to ensue with Brothers and Gun Buddies in town for the holidays. I'll likely push that last pound to the dregs.

I'm starting to get worried now. Have not seen any Unique or BE-86 or *any* pistol powder for weeks/months. Just bummed and wanted to vent. Apologies in advance as I ration my very last.

VooDoo
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VdV where you located? I'll give you a pound for Xmas if you come get it. I'm in upstate SC.
 
Jlr2267 said:
VdV where you located? I'll give you a pound for Xmas if you come get it. I'm in upstate SC.
Click to expand...

You are too kind in typical THR fashion and I thank you for your offer in the spirit of Christmas. :)

I'll have to decline though. Yer a good one to offer.... :cool:

We'll be OK I think. I'm just wondering how many others are getting to the end of their "rope" supply wise. Any day now I'll stumble on a pound or two and the sweat will stop. You can bet the next time I see powder?

I'll be buying enough for 10 years or so at least. A couple of 8 pounders. ;)

VooDoo
 
Just returned from the Knoxville, tn, gun show. Lots of 700-X but not much else in the way of pistol powders.

In many cases, it can be used in the same applications as Unique with the appropriate charge weights of course.

Since you use Unique, the flake format of 700-X will not be an issue.

I wish you luck with your quest.
 
My local gunshow comes around every month and a half. If I get there first thing in the am I can usually score some HS-6 or AA #5. Seems to be the two only pistol powders that show up regularly. If I go at the end of the day there's nothing but rifle powder left. If I miss a show then I also start curbing my shooting. Not sure why. I guess I hate to be empty. I always wanna feel I have the option to get up and shoot. And there's something principally wrong with buying factory once you start reloading. Just doesn't feel right.
 
I'm pretty bad off as well, I have very little autocomp left, and 1/2 a pound of bullseye my brother Gave me as a starter, loading for 40sw and have never used the bullseye, but I am going to have to work a load for it. Locally I've not seen pistol powder in a while, but my LGS is going to hold some and call me when they receive some
 
I'm set for a while, but would really like to find more Unique and Red Dot.
 
I've been seeing bullseye and titegroup with some regularity here. I think I saw some Unique over the summer. An LGS had a couple of 8-lb jugs of Red Dot in August. I almost bought one of those although I really prefer Clays for shotshell. I just wish the Clays family of powders would start showing up again.

Matt
 
Yes, it will be nice when Hodgdon (ADI) gets the the new plant on line that they are building to replace the one that had an accident.

I miss Universal clays.
It is one of my favorite powders.

I have used a bunch of powders since I could not get any more Universal.
It was (and still is) What can I find that I see listed loads for.
Nice to try new powders, but frustrating to have to change.

I just keep checking and sometimes I find some at my LGS or online.
If things ever get better I am going to stock up!
 
Yeah, sure would like to get my hands on a 4 # of Silhouette. Keep missing it. But at least it is showing up again.

Clays (Clays, International, & Universal) hasn't been seen here since what ever fire they had in Australia a couple years back.

At least bit of pistol powder and a some rifle powders are there.

It sure is slow coming for a microwave society. :)
 
Its really not that bad. I check my local shops regularly, go to the gun shows, watch Bass Pro (limited success but its shipping free and no hazmat, plus the 2 times I have gone to pick up they had Bullseye on the shelf) online: Recobs, midsouth, third generation, Powdervally and wideners 2-3 times a day, early, afternoon, and late. I can not think of a single powder I've needed that hasnt shown up. Oh, and you have to jump and buy it the second you see it. No 110 in over a year? I've passed on 8 pounders twice in the last 4-6 months...although one was at a good price, one was $200....

Russellc
 
Sorry Voodoo.
If you weren't so far away I'd swap you a couple of jugs.


I do regular drop ins at all the local suppliers. It's the only way I can stay stocked.
 
What I do in these tough powder times, is read my manuals . Every cartridge made can be loaded with more than 1 type of powder. So I make a list of suitable powders and buy whatever is available . They all work . The important thing is getting the bullet from point a to point b. If a powder will work, use it. You,ll be shooting while others are staying home crying that they can't find their favorite powder. You will be learning ,about powders ,loads,pressures , and what your gun likes and doesn't like. And getting in lots of range time.I have found out that all my guns love Herco . 800x is running a close 2nd in my 357.
 
RussellC said:
Its really not that bad. I check my local shops regularly, go to the gun shows, watch Bass Pro (limited success but its shipping free and no hazmat, plus the 2 times I have gone to pick up they had Bullseye on the shelf) online: Recobs, midsouth, third generation, Powdervally and wideners 2-3 times a day, early, afternoon, and late. I can not think of a single powder I've needed that hasnt shown up. Oh, and you have to jump and buy it the second you see it. No 110 in over a year? I've passed on 8 pounders twice in the last 4-6 months...although one was at a good price, one was $200....

Russellc
Click to expand...

Well, I might live in a higher demand and/or low supply area. I've done as you describe and have mostly come up empty handed. I also talked to a the owners of three of the largest reloading stores in middle Tennessee about the shortages, and they all say they haven't had H110 in many many months (and when they had it last it was gone in a flash).

I did get lucky at BassPro once with soem Alliant powders,but even then some of the powder that I had been able to put in my cart sold out before I could check out :eek: and I ended up with 2 pounds of 2400 on backorder with them (not that I'm complaining :))
 
It's tough for sure. We are down to a single pound of Bullseye and are keeping it around for emergency use. I'm nearly out of #2 and am out of Unique. I just keep popping g in on my lgs and local Graf's store and grab what I can when they have it. Last time I was there I picked up a couple pounds of rifle powder and a couple pounds of csb1. In all I have about 5 pounds of various pistol powders combined. We just gotta be diligent and willing to expand. It's frustrating at best.
 
Both a local gun show and Large store seemed to have plenty of powders this weekend. Certainly more than I've seen in a long time.
 
The local places here have had nada for over a year...I saw some at some online places but it was *gone* when I got to ordering it. Patience is a hard thing for me but I check all my online places 3X a day.

I refuse to ration what I have left - when it's gone I stop shooting till I find more or can afford factory but that'll be a bit yet. I hate to say it but I'm glad it's not just me that's sweating it.

VooDoo
 
I'm not quite hurting yet for my favorite pistol powders on the calbers I load for the most (38 Spl., .357 Mag., 44 Spl., and 44 Mag) which is a good thing because I haven't seen any 2400, HP38, W231, Unique or H110 available here for a long, long time.

I did get a tip from a fella at my LGS a couple weeks ago that he had just received a quanity of the new CFE Pistol powder in both eight and one pound jugs so I went ahead and picked up nine pounds after looking at the Hodgdons site and seeing that there is data available for the calibers and bullets I load.

So now with the addition of the CFE Pistol and what I already had on hand I'm fixed pretty well for awhile.
 
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