What's the secret to buying powder?

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Ok, so I've been doing some research on powders and I've looked at a number of reloading supply companies to get a gauge for powder prices. I don't know if I'm looking in the wrong places or I'm just lucky but I can't find any way to realistically beat Cabela's in store price just by purchasing one pound cans.

Just as an example.

Hodgdon Varget 8 lb online price $151+ $25 hazmat = $175 or $22 per

Cabela's 1 lb can = $23

Since shipping almost always amount to more than sales tax, the one dollar per pound savings amounts to no gain at all. I realize that if I bought multiple 8 pound containers, the hazmat fee would be divided out, but I'm just one person and it'll take me a good while just to get through 8 pounds!

Am I barking up the wrong tree or missing something? Since I can almost always dig up some sort of Cabela's coupon, it seems like I can't really beat the off the shelf price.
 
If you're buying just a pound or two of powder buy locally. The hazmat fee is a deal-breaker. An advantage to buying from Powder Valley is they will mix a shipment of powder and primers, which does help spread out the fee.
 
Don't forget the extra dollar or two Cabela's is going to charge you for sales tax.

Besides, 150+ is too much....Gamaliel sells it for 140 - I am sure there are others as cheap or cheaper
 
For the amount of powder you want to buy you should try a local gun show. But I've noticed lately that the savings seems to be gone here too.

I always settled on a load that was good and bought that powder in 8 lb cannisters. To take it one step further the next gun I bought I tried to buy one that used the same powder. Worked pretty good for me until I started buying guns chambered for a different cartridge then what I had powder for.
 
+1 on Powder Valley and the way they apply the hazmat fee. Also - try and find friends who handload that might want to get in on your order. A bunch of my buddies have done that over the past several years with orders from Powder Valley. Once you find the powders you like, buy in 8# canisters.
 
Join (or organize) a gun club that has an FFL and buy's in bulk for it's members.:p

You won't believe the prices you can get when your club orders 1/2 million primers and 500 pounds of powder in one order. :):):)
 
Find a fellow re-loader and split the hazmat fee. I bought 5# along with my uncle that bought 5# of black powder. Uncle met a gent that was good at organizing a purchase. 25# of BP was bought and all the buyers split the hazmat proportionally.

If you are a member of a sportsman's club, check with members that shoot shotgun or high power. Three members at 8# a piece sharing hazmat really makes this economical. There may be a higher weight limit on smokeless than black powder.

Heck, I don't know if this violates the rules but you might be able to post a message, xxxxx zip code wants to do a group buy from ???.com and get some people close to you to pool their purchase.

Clutch
 
Mu club buys enough per order to have it shipped by truck, so there's no limit, and even shipping costs are reduced. :)

(I believe most of the wholesale places require a total weight per order of 500 pounds to ship by truck, so add in 75K to 150K bullets and you make minimum easily.)
 
Thank you for all the responses!

I had never heard of Powder Valley, their prices are very good and buying with a group would really help cut the costs down on shipping and hazmat. I'm actually close enough to them that I could easily make it a motorcycle destination and schedule a walk-in on a Saturday too! Now wouldn't that be great to get to do motorcycle stuff and gun stuff all in one trip :evil:

I live in the Kansas City area, but I'm not from here, so I don't actually know all that many folks here and none of them reload but maybe I could get something organized over the board for us KC folks. I'll have to look into that as an option as well.
 
I live about an hour from PV. Drove there once, they are real good folks. Even had a friendly retriever that I had to pet to get inside. No storefront, they pick your order in advance.

There is a range near my place, so I do most of my buying there. But they buy from PV.
 
There's another placed called Widener's that is similar, but they seem to charge a HazMat for primers and another for powder, making them more expensive. But, still a good address to have.

http://wideners.com/index.cfm

Graf & Sons will combine primers with powder, and they have free shipping once you get to a certain number of pounds of powder. (Is it 16 lbs ?)

http://www.grafs.com/

BTW. Grafs has a primer sale going on right now.
 
Natchezss.com also charges one fee for up to 50#. I have gone in on larger orders with a few reloaders in town to save costs.
 
I live in Louisville, KY and have two places close by with powder. They are a bit higher than the on-line sites but when I figure in the HazMat fees and shipping I come out better paying the local price. It seems the best deal is to partner up with another reloader and share the cost. Good idea...and thanks for the references to some dealers that are new to me.
 
Last load of powder I bought averaged out to $13 a pound haz mat included. I ought 14 pounds of rifle, pistol and shotgun powder from Gamakieks.
 
personally I check on crags list and local pages to find guys selling out of their setups, much cheaper that way, now If I was only quick enough to get some primers.
 
I patronize the store at my gun club for powder and primers. It buys in bulk and sells at cost to members only.
 
I buy all my powder and primers at national gun day in louisville ky, its the biggest gun show around, anyway there are a couple of big reloader dealers there and I buy from them, I am going to the feb show just to buy a 8 lb keg of reloder 22 for my 6.5x55 swede and some large pistol primers for .45 long colt.
 
Not sure what the shipping will be but I can get my powder down to

IMR 4064,4198 17.25
Bullseye 12.88
Win 296 16.26
WSF 14.95
2,000 fed mag pistol primers 29.3 per thousand.

So far much cheaper than local, now I just have to find out what shipping will be.

This is all from Powder valley.
 
Every small time reloader needs a local retail source for powder and primers. Because of hazmat and shipping costs, you just can't beat your local gun shop on price. The trick is to find one that keeps a good supply in these times of chronic shortages, caused by hoarding and wartime demand for US Forces in particular. - CW
 
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