How hard is it for you to find black powder?

[bedbugbilly]

Where I'm at, the closest LGS that carries it is about 20 miles away. They keep it "out back" and not on the shelf due to storage requirements. The other LGS . . . about 15 miles away doesn't carry it at all. Their attitude is why would anybody want to just BP when there is Pyrodex? Guess which tore I go to . .

[Kylongrifle]

On a side not I went to our local today to ask about blackhorn 209...Im wanting to try some cast boolits in sabots for my encore(I haven't hunted with it in about 5 years) Thought Id try some blackhorn.......$45 for 10 ounces, nahhh..$35 that everybody else charges is bad enough. $45 aint gonna happen,LOL..10 ounces would not last me one good afternoon..Not that I mind paying for good stuff, I don't but that $10 mark up kida sticks in my craw..

[Texantothecore]

I buy mine at the mall. But this is Texas.

[rfd]

I buy mine at the mall. But this is Texas.

dang! go ahead brutha, rub it in.

[rfd]

We are at a hour drive now for Goex powder..Really not that bad since we usually other stuff while we are there..about $18 per pound now..I hear guys all the time saying they have to bulk order it and split the order to save on shipping and hazmat charges..What about you?

i do an online 25# bulk order to get free shipping/hazmat.

[Fly]

Well this is one of the reasons I started making my own. You guys that have places close by are very lucky.
I know of no gun shop with in a 100 miles that sells it any more. Insurance is the reason I get when I ask
the shops I have been in. They say they do not make enough off of it to handle it.

I have made BP for my fire works for years. So when I started having problems getting it I just started
working on making powder that worked well in guns. I still keep some Goex & Swiss on hand though.
I most always pick some up when I,m some where that has it. I won't pay hazmat though.

Fly

[Whiterabbit]

Very easy.

My local dealer is ~3 hours south by car. I pass through roughly 3x a year, and 1x of those times the shop is open. I *sometimes* buy powder there.
Powder Inc. is always available. I use them.
My local club runs a group buy roughly 2x a year.

This all provides ample opportunity to buy powder.

-----------

Add to that my work in making my own. that also helps stretch the supply.

[Texantothecore]

dang! go ahead brutha, rub it in.

When I talk with people from LA and tell them that they get a real funny look on their face. It is hilarious.

[rfd]

When I talk with people from LA and tell them that they get a real funny look on their face. It is hilarious.

i need to move back to san antone.

[DerekP Houston]

I buy mine at the mall. But this is Texas.

I was gonna say, its pretty much in every LGS here though some only have the substitutes. Carters Country has a great selection of blackpowder gear.

[scattershot]

I live in a large metropolitan area (Denver) and I can only think of one place that stocks the real stuff. Black powder is classified as an explosive, instead of a flammable solid like smokeless, so there are pretty strict storage and licensing requirements for it. Not worth the hassle for most stores, so they don't stock it.

[pietro]

.

Not hard - start my vehicle & drive 15 miles to one of the funshops that stock BP.

Not much choice, though - I have to buy whatever different brand they happen to have each month (So far, Goex one month, Swiss another month, etc, etc).


.

[Kylongrifle]

I found a place here in Ky..I think its called ky gun company near Bardstown. they sell online too..their prices on Goex are good and they sell my beloved RWS 1075 caps so I think Im gonna just break down and buy a 1000 count roll of caps and a few pounds of powder from them since I can get both at one wack..

[Texantothecore]

I live in a large metropolitan area (Denver) and I can only think of one place that stocks the real stuff. Black powder is classified as an explosive, instead of a flammable solid like smokeless, so there are pretty strict storage and licensing requirements for it. Not worth the hassle for most stores, so they don't stock it.

If you have a Bass Pro in town give them a call. They may have it but you have to ask for it. They usually carry Goex and Swiss.

[irishtoo]

once a year i drive to new england to visit my brother. so we drive up to maine to the maine powder house and i buy from him. im there anyway and we make a road trip of it. irishtoo

[Grump]

Mooman76:

Yup, you have to drive way past southern Utah to get real BP. Nothing in Washington County--the same vague answer from every LGS, something hinting it's impossible to order and carry real BP any more. Most have Pyrodex or one substitute, one LGS has P-dex, 777, Shockey's Gold and maybe a fourth type.

BUT a couple of months ago, I was in the Bass Pro at the south end of LV and they had at least two different types of real BP. They had moved all powder out of sight (not just on a shelf behind the counter) months before then, and just kept a notebook listing all the powders they had in the store.

I just had other financial priorities at the time, including smokeless pistol powder(s), so I still haven't pick up any. Have no interest in substitutes, being as how one of the BP arms I use is very, very old.

You Texas guys: I'll have to check if the WalMart in Cedar City still carries powder, primers and a small selection of bullets. I've heard that some in the midwest also carry reloading components. Still the only one where I have seen that stuff stocked in Wally World.

[mooman76]

Grump,
Thanks for the info. I don't get down to Basspros very often. They are way the other end of town from me and no reason to go there. Their gun stuff(reloading gear & powder) is very spotty and you can't depend on them having anything. I have a Sportsmans Warehouse near by that suits me. Now I may have a reason to go. The last couple times I was there I asked if they had any and they said no they don't carry. I have heard that other stores sometime say that because the sales clerks just don't know since it's a uncommon item and kept in the back. That was a couple years ago so maybe they weren't carrying it at that time.

[Kylongrifle]

Nothing like Basspro near us at all..Part of living in rural East,Ky..One thing I will say for our one old local un shop is that you can still find old oddball stuff there... I bought a NOS hot shot nipple to fit my Cherokee there the other day. Still hanging on the rack..how long has it been sice they made those? 18 years?

[oldfart1956]

I buy all I need at Fort Chambers gun shop in Chambersburg, PA. It's about 20 minutes from where I'm hanging out every weekend so it's not a big deal to drive up there. They always have a great selection, and Swiss powder to boot also.

.

Yup...Fort Chambers Gun Shop. I get the 25lb. keg of loose powder (no cans) and found that all 25lbs. will divide up into 20 cans if you settle it a bit. Just did so and it was $370, so about $15 a pound. You have to call Jim (owner) in advance so he can go to the powder magazine to pick up the 25lb. lots. Wonderful man to deal with and have been dealing with him since the early 70's. He does all my gun work now as well. Audie...the Oldfart..

[tomme boy]

Like Maven, I get mine from Crater. He is about 30 miles from me so I just call him up and tell him I'm on my way. He has everything ready when I get there. Really nice guy. And he has some great prices. The Diamondback powder he carries is also very good! I don't see any difference between it and GOEX. I have never tried the Swiss yet. Maybe a lb next time just to see.