Powder shortage must be over

[fatelk]

I know rifle powders of most flavor have been available for some time now, and I'm just finding that pistol powder is finally back. Yes, I know it's always been available if you're willing to pay $40/lb, but I'm talking about reasonable prices.

For a while all I was hearing was that $35 was the "new normal" price. I've recently found all I need for a long time to come for well under $20/lb. Now if only .22lr would return to availability at reasonable prices before, well, you-know-what (avoiding politics in the wrong forum). :)

On a side note, am I the only one who used up a lot of odd-ball partial cans of powder from the back shelf during the lean times, only to be stuck now with a few pounds of odd powders that I may not use for a long time because they were all I could find as powder started coming back?

[retread]

The shortage has had some positive affects on me. I have found some powders, that I would probably never looked at, that are my go to powders these days. Primers also. I have brands on my shelf that were new to me but have perform well. Now I buy what is the most reasonably priced for target loads. I still use the tried and true for hunting and defense loads but that is probably not needed.

[Hick]

I have my favorites, but I have to admit that the difficulties finding my first choice, and settling for second or third, has caused me to develop a lot of great loads I would never have tried. Now I have a much larger list of good loads with different powders that I know work, so next time powder is short I'll have more choices.

[runfiverun]

just before all this I went through the odds and ends and got it loaded into cases.
which left me some extra room for powder.
I run into a great deal on a bunch of unique [and some rifle brass] and took it all home.
I ended up trading about half of it off for other powders as things got super tight.
so now I have unique [not the 64 lbs I once had, but more than enough I'm sure] and a bunch of other powders to pick through when I wanna try stuff.

[Handloader109]

I bought too much, but almost all was at a good price. Yep developed some nice loads with Longshot, and I just used my last pound. I opened up my 4lb jug of 700x the other day and I fired up a few test rounds that worked really well. 2.8gr for the 150gr noe bullet. So that is 10000 rounds of nice shooting. A long while!

[AK Caster]

[QUOTE=fatelk;3631278] I've recently found all I need for a long time to come for well under $20/lb.

Please share the places that are selling handgun powders for well under $20 a pound.

[fatelk]

I was in the local Cabela's a few weeks ago and they had a sale on reloading gear, including components. I bought two four-pound jugs of Titegroup for $130 (about $16/lb), and a few 1-pound jugs of HP38 for a few cents over $20/lb. Then I bought several pounds of Unique for $15/lb, but it was local and all he had. I was just surprised to see it so available lately and reasonably priced, when it's been unobtainium for so long. Oh, and a couple cans of 700x that I thought was really cheap, until I realized they were 14oz cans, though still about $20/lb.

I don't shoot the volume that some of you all do, but what I have now will last me a very, very long time. 20 pounds of pistol powder is dang near a lifetime supply for me.

[RogerDat]

My problem now is I have too much variety. I need to get systematic about testing rifle loads in order to zero in on a few good powders to stock up on. I'm not short of powder to load anything I might need but I don't have any specific powders I can stock up on knowing it will be "exactly" what I would want. I'm good on pistol powder TG & Unique for plinking, and 2400 & H110 for magnum. Suppose getting more won't hurt but right now I'm focused on stocking up on primers. One can get creative with using different powders than usual but to use those odd ball stray pounds still requires primers.

[jonp]

Last couple of gunshows I went to had all the pistol powder you wanted at $145/8lb Keg. About $18/lb out the door. Unique, 2400, Tightgroup, Bullseye, Power Pistol, all the VV(more expensive as usual), etc....

[rancher1913]

my local wallyworld had it on the shelf. it was normal stuff a guy would want, but I have plenty and resisted the urge.

[salpal48]

The only shortage was the shortage Of Old Price Powder. .New price Powder is filling the shelves

[lightman]

Its coming back around here too. I usually buy from Powder Valley, but its good to see it on the shelves again. I got caught short during the Clinton years and that taught me to keep somewhat of an inventory. I have not had to buy any in 8 years or so. A pounds seems to be priced between $27 and $30 and 8 pound jugs are $200. Not the deal you guys are seeing.

[DerekP Houston]

I've seen some nicely stocked shelves lately, I have a feeling it will all disappear again come november though. The in-store price does seem to be a tad higher than I recall, will probably still order through powdervally myself for bulk discounts and primers.

[Thumbcocker]

Wait until the November elections it will get scarce again if the elections go bad.

[Smoke4320]

Wait until the November elections it will get scarce again if the elections go bad.

yes Sir I would get what I need now .. get prepared now .. even if things do go our way the worse is you are stocked up :)

[GRUMPA]

The way I see it....Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

The way things are (or could be) how long is it going to last?

[robg]

Powder is £35 a lb over here. Still can't find any 2400 .

[Clay M]

I will buy another 8lbs of Varget if I find it.
Not much else I need.

[yancey]

We have a Cabelas store that opened one year ago just one mile from my home. I never thought Cabelas would ever have the large selection of powder that they do along with good prices. The powder shelves look good now ! "Lets see what they look like in the fall.

[Lloyd Smale]

still lots of it listed "not in stock" at the big on line places I deal with

[FISH4BUGS]

Shooting full auto forces you to buy in large quantities. I am glad I did just that when I could.
I also keep my powder choices to a minimum. Pretty much 3 - WW231 and WW748. WW296 for magnums but I don't shoot much of that anyway.
Watching Powder Valley's web site a half dozen times a day in the peak of the shortage usually would score some powder, bullets or primers at some point. When it shows up in inventory, BANG! You order it without a moment's hesitation. I have a fellow full auto shooter that I split the cost with.
Case lots of 8lb 231 lasts a LONG time. Case lots of 8 lb 748 lasts well, not quite as long (so you buy 2 cases). Primers in lots of 5000 (usually buying 10,000 at a pop) lasts a LONG time. Buying your 223 and 308 bullets by the thousands (usually 2-3,000 at a time) last a while.
To be honest, I never even noticed the shortage. I don't shoot much 22 so I had enough put away.
Plenty of lead so no problem with 380, 9mm and 45 for reloading pistol caliber subguns.
I have way too much powder and primers for the local fire regulations I am sure. I hope the fire marshall never finds out. :bigsmyl2:

[dragon813gt]

I also keep my powder choices to a minimum. Pretty much 3 - WW231 and WW748. WW296 for magnums but I don't shoot much of that anyway.

This is all I stocked for many years. I still see little reason to use anything else. But I got caught up and bought a whole bunch of different powders. The IMR 4895 and H335 will definitely get used. So will the TAC. Had to buy some W760 because I now have a 375 H&H. I bought a lot of SR4759 while I could. Not sure why I bought jugs of Green Dot, Bullseye and 2400. Definitely don't know why I bought a bunch of LT-32. Until it's added to Quickload it will sit on the shelf. Then there is the likes of BE-86, Varget, Longshot, CFE Pistol and H380 that I have no idea when they will be used. While typing this I noticed a few pounds of IMR4350 on the shelf. There must have been a reason I bought it........

At this point I need primers and 800X. Made the mistake of buying a G20SF and boy is it fun to shoot. But it burns up powder and lead quickly ;)

Edit:
Thanks to this thread I just went and inventoried the powder and primers. I need to go back to only buying a few select powders and making them work.

[RogerDat]

My problem is I bought at least 2# and often 3# of anything that was good for one or more things I load for. So while I might have 8# that I could use to load some rifle caliber I can be assured it will involve between 2 and 4 powders to get that 8#.

Pistol I'm stocking tite group, unique, and 2400 with some H110 just to try out. Oh and some green dot, probably 2# of that.

I am lucky I don't do much reloading for autoloader pistols and revolvers tend to use less ammo in a shooting session and is pretty versatile as to powders. Now that auto loader rifle ammo is going to get loaded I really would like to look into an 8# jug for the 7.62 and the for the .223 so I can load in quantity in one session.

[Hogdaddy]

I get mine at Gander mountain, $24+ tax for Power pistal Blue dot & w296. Still have plenty of unique ; )
H/D

[Nose Dive]

Hmmmm.... guess I need to get out and look around more often.

Nose Dive

Cheap, Fast, Good. Kindly pick two.

[John in WYO]

Until November, maybe.....

[popper]

Shelves at LGS are full, including Unique, 110, HP38. I'm stocked up.

[Ithaca Gunner]

I better take advantage of it while I can, some more 800X Blue Dot and Power Pistol may be in my future soon.