'bout gone...

[SaxonPig]

I bought my RCBS RockChucker press in 1976. Bought some Bullseye and Unique to load handgun ammo. Preferred the Unique so the Bullseye sat on the shelf until recently when I started using it because I have not found any Unique for sale in over 2 years. Price sticker says $4.95, BTW. After loading my last 100 9x19 cases today the powder is almost kaput.

I have cases...I can get bullets...I can even get primers (if I don't mind paying $40 a brick)...but the powders I regularly use have been MIA since right about the time of the Sandy Hook massacre. About 2 months ago I finally found a jug of 4064 (dealer had 1 and that was it) but otherwise I have not been able to buy any. Used up everything I had available...including the odd cans I bought for experimental loads. I'm just about out of the reloading business at this point.

It looks like AA 5 and AA 7 could be used for most of my reloading...but I can't find any of them, either. The good news is that as of right now I am caught up. All of the bags and boxes of fired cases that have stared accusingly have been loaded. The bad news is I don't have enough powder for any additional pistol reloading. I hope I have enough loaded ammo to last the rest of my life...

[DaleA]

A few months after Sandy Hook my local Fleet Farm (I'm in the Twin Cities in Minnesota) had some Bullseye (my favorite) after being out for a while so I stocked up. They were selling it for under $20 a one pound can...I think $17.99 or something like that. I THINK I've seen it available again a couple times and at Scheels.

Where are you located?

I've heard lots of folk say the shortage is easying especially if you're willing to pay hazmat and buy on line but doesn't mean much if in your area they are out and you hate the hazmat fee as much as I do.

[WVMountaineer]

Shortages really aren't easing. If they were we could find and afford things. Finding what one wants or needs is still very hard. When you do find it, it most certainly is online and requires the exploited hazmat fee. It is really ridiculous. Couple that with merchandisers sticking it to the consumer on these goods, you got the problems we have today.

I was fortunate to acquire most what me and mine will ever need long before Sandy Hook. I just find it deplorable the trouble most people ae having. God Bless

[Marco Califo]

You need to be flexible and quick to act: watch availability here http://www.gunbot.net/reloading/powder/

Plus check Mid-south Shooters Supply and Wideners (for some reason the first link does not pick these up reliably).
http://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/
https://www.wideners.com/
I have enough (close to a pound each) Power Pistol, Bullseye, and Unique, to be set for now. But, I will buy the first two or BE86 in 4 or 8 pounders when/if I see them again.
A lot of places have Longshot.
I was close to buying a 3 lbs of CFE pistol, but didn't have a justifiable need (yet). If I had been out of pistol powders, I would have bought the CFE Pistol while it was available.
My point is you need to consider what else will meet your needs, and if you are out, buy which ever you can get (while it is still available).

[Marco Califo]

http://www.gibrass.com/gunpowder.html
has a pistol powder:
"BR-5 Recently acquired. Brand new, current production. This is a double-based ball type powder, originally intended for 9x19mm ammo. Meters very consistently. Burning rate is similar to Hercules Unique, which data can be used. Additional data available on request. Clean burning with consistent results. This is new powder, not pulldown.
$100/6# jug"

[burrhead]

For over the last year I've kept a constant look-out for BE, 231 and Titegroup, my go-to pistol powders. I've manage to acquire about 50 pounds all together. That's about 7-8 years worth for me. Same with primers. I'm betting the Republicans won't get it together so I'm stocking for that eventuality.

Be the ant, not the grasshopper.

[FrankenMauser]

Pistol powder has been making regular appearances around here. Just keep your eyes peeled.

The other day, I had a bit of an eye-opening moment of panic.
I have been experimenting with various AR-based cartridges over the last couple of years, but couldn't really remember doing much with the Ramshot X-terminator on the shelf. So, I grabbed it for a new load in .475 Tremor, and nearly emptied the bottle - and it's the only one.

When I put the canister back in my powder magazine, I took a step to the right to check my "reload immediately" shelf for priorities. Right up front, there were 500 empty cases (10 boxes) of .223 Rem for my AR pistol, with load data specifying X-terminator. AHHH!! What have I done?!

Oh well.... I'll get more eventually. Probably.
Until then, I know there's a 4895 load that runs really well in the pistol (even though it shouldn't).

[Nick_C_S]

Right now, Cabela's has Red Dot and BE-86 available.

Red Dot is very similar to Bullseye - just slightly slower. Some prefer it over Bullseye (I don't). Either way, it's a proven fast target level powder. I would buy it for sure if I had no other fast stuff.

BE-86 is basically flash-suppressed Power Pistol, and is very close to Unique in burn rate (BE-86 is slightly faster than its derivative Power Pistol, so that puts it really close to Unique).

As others have mentioned, powders are becoming available. It's mostly a matter of being on top of the vendor's websites, and be ready to purchase in bulk. If you buy four pounds or more, the hazmat fee isn't so bad. If you find Unique, and you know you like it (who doesn't - right?), buy 8 or even 16 pounds.

When "the big shortage" hit - which now appears to be more accurately referred as "the new normal" - I had no Unique or Bullseye at all. I managed to build up a nice supply of both; among many other powders. And I managed to do it during the peak of the panic. It wasn't easy. And shame on me for not being prepared. Point is, it can be done.

[Roughedge]

Local stores have had 1lb container to get me by when I found 8lb of tightgroup and a week later Cabelas had 8lbs of unique in stock so I got one. I should be good for a year or so.

[greg c]

They may not have the best prices but bass pro shops have unique and bullseye available online and will shop to your local bass pro for free.

[jetinteriorguy]

I've recently picked up 11 pounds of BE for $12.00/lb. Got lucky and made a rather unusual connection with a man who does building implosions. He uses BE to break up large chunks of concrete and rocks, just drill a hole, fill it with BE and light it off. Much safer than dynamite and cheaper. So he buys it in 30lb. kegs, and he recently shut his business down and sold off his remaining powder supply. Woo hoo, I'm set for a lot of .38 special wadcutters for a long time to come. Other powders have been pretty easy at the local gun show, Unique, 2400, HS-6, HP38, Green dot, Red dot, Titegroup, Accurate #5,#7,#9, H335,Blc2, IMR4064, and on and on. Even prices are starting to drop some, more in the $25.00 range vs. $35.00/lb.

[Nick_C_S]

According to GunBot, Unique is currently available at Selway.

[jimk60]

I purchased from These guys at a local gun show. They seem to sell only locally and at gun shows. I do not know how far they travel from their Tennessee location, you might contact them to find out.
I also don't know if they ship.
I will say that they are not gouging on prices. All very reasonable.

[bluetopper]

What are shotgunners doing for powder?

[hartcreek]

You simply can not rely on a couple powders for rifle or pistol. It just aint that hard making substitutions.

[FrankenMauser]

You simply can not rely on a couple powders for rifle or pistol. It just aint that hard making substitutions.

That depends upon what you consider to be a viable substitution.

Take one of the cartridges that I've been working with lately, as an example.
For a semi-auto, I need a powder in the approximate burn rate of H110 to Reloder 7 -- a narrow window in the "very fast rifle" to "very slow handgun" range of powders.
Options available in the U.S. are (listing only powders that are somewhat suitable for the cartridge):
H110/W296
N110
IMR4227
H4198
Lil' Gun
Norma 200
IMR4198
AA1680
Alliant 410
Reloder 7

H110 likes to have unpredictable pressure spikes in this application. That's out.
N110 hasn't been available (to me) since 2011. That's out.
IMR4227 doesn't burn well enough and leaves MASSIVE amounts of residue. No thanks.
H4198 results in sub-par performance and is quite dirty in this application. It's a remote consideration, but not preferred.
Lil' Gun has issues with temperature sensitivity and unprovoked pressure spikes. Just letting a cartridge with a "starting" load sit in a warm chamber can result in significant pressure spikes. That's out.
Norma 200 works very well, but is even more filthy and leaves even more unburned powder than 4227. Far from ideal.
IMR4198 is about the same as H4198, except that the IMR4198 is in short supply in my powder magazine and I'd prefer to save it for a different cartridge. That's out.
AA1680 hasn't been available to me since 2011 (or longer). That's out.
Alliant 410... do they even still make the stuff? Haven't seen it. Can't get it. Reported to act much like Lil' Gun, anyway. That's out.
Reloder 7 works fairly well, but velocity takes a big hit. Regardless.... that's the powder that I'm trying to find a substitute for in this example....

So where does that leave me?....
A very dirty powder (4227), an even dirtier powder (N200), and a dirty powder with poor performance (H4198).
That's it.
There really is no suitable substitute.

The cartridge in this example was .458 SOCOM.


I do admit that substitutions are fairly simple and easy with cartridges like .270 Win, .308 Win, 6.5 Creedmore, etc.; but there are also cartridges or 'specialty' loads where substitutions can be difficult.

Another example of a situation where substitutions can be difficult: .444 Marlin with heavy (375+ gr bullets). The cartridge reacts differently than .45-70, the closest common comparable cartridge, and has a narrow window of efficiency. As such, the range of useful powders is narrowed substantially. Generally, .444 Marlin combined with heavy bullets ends up with one choice:
Do I use H4198 or Reloder 7?
(Reloder 7 has proven to be the better option for the majority of shooters, in case you were wondering. ...But only if you can find it. )