The Powder Shortage is *Killin'* me here!

[Surly]

I had the same problem during the first run in '09. When things finally settled down and sales started to appear, I would buy whether I needed it or not. I did this all the way through the last panic with powder, primers and .22lr. I easily have enough to get me through the 2020 election panic spree.

Buy it cheap, stack it deep.

 

[RussellC]

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 and I ended up with 2 pounds of 2400 on backorder with them (not that I'm complaining )

I know the feeling. But the online suppliers are the same for all localities. I have seen it disappear out of my cart before I could get my order complete. I have seen powder come and go when I went out to do something, its tough. The first couple of times I scored, I was so excited I just called them and placed the order!

While things are a little better, it still takes a while on powders like H 110. Last time I went to the range they had an 8 pounder, 215.00. I left it on the shelf. I did jump at an 8 pounder of 1680 at 189.00....a little high, but I have seen very very little of that since, had the money at the time and really, really wanted it!

Here's to better powder days,

Russellc

 

[swiftak]

I just bought 2, 1 pound jugs of Unique at Bass Pro in Hooksett NH. There were at least 5 0n the shelf. Its the only pistol powder I've seen there since it opened this summer.
Rileys in Hooksett had a lot of cfe pistol.

 

[Tony k]

I started getting in to reloading just before the last panic. It was rough at first. Nearest powder retailer is about 2 hours away. I just carried a list of all the powders that were listed in any of my manuals for any of my calibers whenever I was going to be near a powder source. If it was on my list I bought it.

My main challenge has been getting more than one pound of the same powder. It's not so bad with pistols, where a pound goes pretty far. With rifles, a pound goes pretty fast. Just about the time you develop a load, your about out of powder.

Bright side is that I've tried quite a few powders in 9mm, 45acp, 38/357, 223rem, 7.62x54r, and 270win.

Just counted: I've tried 18 different powders in the past two years! If I woulda started in times of plenty, I probably would have only tried about 6 or 7 different powders by my estimation (2 or 3 for pistol and 3-4 for rifles).

 

[gonoles_1980]

My LGS has gotten one shipment this year. I was so bad at one point I bought 2lbs mail order (each separate - ouch). Bought 4lbs at the LGS and they're already out. Since I have a bass pro shop about 60 minutes from me, I'll order powder there the next time they get bullseye or unique and have it shipped to the local bass pro shop to save on shipping and the hazmat fee.

Right now I'm down to 2.6lbs of powder. That'll get me through the summer of next year.

I'm ok with primers, probably have enough for 18 months. Bullets, probably six months. I do need 357 brass at some point, but I'm ok, I have 700 pieces and plenty of 38spl brass.

 

[Kosh75287]

I guess I need to check my LGS (Everman, TX) and see what they have. I memory serves, they had all the fast-moving stuff, but it was considerably marked up. This outfit doesn't have a history of price-gouging, so I'll assume that it's to keep some of it on the shelf.