Hodgdon Powder Website Message

[Bonz]

Why can’t I find Hodgdon powders?

As you have seen, ammunition and reloading components – including all Hodgdon powders – are hard to find. Dealer shelves that used to hold cans of powder are empty. Here are answers to your questions straight from Hodgdon.

Q: Are you still making powders?
A: We are shipping more powder this year than we shipped last year. We are shipping as fast as the powder is available. The real problem why you are seeing empty shelves is demand. The demand for powder (and all ammunition and components) is far greater than the supply from the manufacturers. We just cannot make enough to feed this demand right now. No one wants to ship more during this time than we do.

Q: Are you still in business?
A: Yes, Hodgdon is here for the long haul. We are doing everything we can to supply our powders. Dealer’s shelves are empty because powders are being purchased as soon as they arrive at the Dealer’s stores.

Q: What is causing this high demand?
A: The current political climate can have the regulatory consequence of impacting law abiding, hard working shooters and hunters. This has caused extremely high demand on all shooting industry products resulting in empty shelves, long back-orders, and on-line auction sites asking exaggerated prices.

Q: I have seen/heard many rumors and conjecture on the cause of this powder shortage.
A: If you do not hear it from Hodgdon Powder Company please don’t believe it.

Q: Is the shortage of reloading powder being caused by Hodgdon shipping their powder to the ammunition manufacturing companies?
A: No. While we do sell to some ammunition manufacturing companies, we continue to sell over 80% of our powder to handloaders just like you. Hodgdon has always been committed to the individual handloader.

Q: When will I start to see more powder on Dealer shelves?
A: This level of demand will not last forever. As soon as demand slows a little we will start making headway into our backlog.

[USMC87]

Well we know they are trying.

[Tatume]

The fellows at the local gun shop were complaining about the government buying all the components to keep them away from us. I mentioned that I had written to Hornady, Sierra, and Hodgdon and all three claim exactly what you read here. I thought I was going to get lynched for not buying into the government conspiracy hypothesis. :-)

[Bonz]

There is just so much BS in writing these days, its really hard to know what to believe...

Thats why I keep asking the manufacturers. I would think that they would provide the most honest answer

[km101]

I got basically the same response when I called Hodgdon about a week ago to ask a reloading question. He said that they are doing everything they can to get powder back on the shelves. And he stressed that they are not diverting supplies to any other source such as the government or manufacturers! I have to take them at their word! I think they are doing the best they can.

[farmallcrew]

You going to sell what hodgdon powder you have?

[Bonz]

I have been getting a little tutoring from a longtime reloader that reloads thousands of rounds every weekend. He has almost convinced me to quit all the various powders that I use and just go with Hodgdon Titegroup for all calibers. If I could find some somewhere, I would buy a pound or two to try myself. I have just about convinced myself into dropping down to just 2 powders; Alliant PowerPistol for 9mm, 38 and 357, and Vihtavuori N320 for 40 S&W and 45acp

[knifemaker]

bonz, take a look at W-231, HP-38 is the same powder on the Hodgdon reloading site. I use that powder for 38-357, 45acp, and midrange loads in 44 spec. and 44 mag and 41 mag. It is also a good one for your 9mm and 40 S&W.

[Angus]

Why do you keep posting these things in the WRONG forum??? This is general, maybe load related, but there is nothing being swapped or sold. Can you please pay a little attention to what you're doing? It's getting a bit annoying.

[Bonz]

bonz, take a look at W-231, HP-38 is the same powder on the Hodgdon reloading site. I use that powder for 38-357, 45acp, and midrange loads in 44 spec. and 44 mag and 41 mag. It is also a good one for your 9mm and 40 S&W.

This is definately more of a science than most people understand. For my wife's Colt 5" Government, I load 200gr RN/6.4gr VV N340 and there is almost no recoil and extremely accurate. People are shocked when they try her gun. I put the same round in my Colt Defender and I get unburned powder in the chamber and magazines. My buddy told me that going up to N320 or Titegroup in my Defender would fix that problem. Difficult to believe that 1.5" of barrel could make that much difference but it does.

I absolutely love PowerPistol in my 9mm and 357 loads; great report and barrel flash... I normally use BullsEye for 38. I have just about given up on the .40 S&W; its just going to be a hand/wrist stinger all the way. Have a Sig P239 and S&W Shield in 40 S&W, barrel length is close enough to not make a difference.

Currently using 5 different powders for pistol and just sucks cleaning out the powder measure at every change. Getting lazier in my old age ;-)

[Bonz]

pay a little attention to what you're doing? It's getting a bit annoying.

Please let me know the correct forum for discussing the availability of gunpowder and other reloading components.

=Moderator= Please move this thread to the correct forum, thank you

[Alan in Vermont]

Please let me know the correct forum for discussing the availability of gunpowder and other reloading components.

=Moderator= Please move this thread to the correct forum, thank you

Lessee, there's the "Our Town" section where it would fit quite well. I guess "Surplus & Cannister Powders" (maybe the other way around) might be appropriate. Even any one of the reloading topics would fit pretty well. Swapping & Selling would be about the last place I could think of, as long as I was thinking at all.

[Bonz]

Lessee, there's the "Our Town" section where it would fit quite well. I guess "Surplus & Cannister Powders" (maybe the other way around) might be appropriate. Even any one of the reloading topics would fit pretty well. Swapping & Selling would be about the last place I could think of, as long as I was thinking at all.

Thanks Alan !

[Bonz]

Please close this thread