Where has all the powder gone?

My Toy · February 1, 2014, 12:18 PM

Seems like it is getting harder to find powder. Is this just my imagination or are other reloaders experiencing the same thing? If so does anybody have any reasons for this?

msokad · February 1, 2014, 12:55 PM

It reminds me of the primer shortage of last year. I hear powder should be getting better by springtime.

Mohave-Tec · February 1, 2014, 12:57 PM

Most of it is at my house I'm sure.

Brian Pfleuger · February 1, 2014, 01:02 PM

No offense, but have you been under a rock? The current shortage has been happening for well over a year. If anything, it has improved markedly in the last couple of months. There are still shortages of powder and other components, to be sure, but it's nothing new and certainly not getting worse. It has been continuously under discussion on the forum for months and months.

We've had a thread on the subject stickied in the General Discussion forum since April of last year.

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=521685

tangolima · February 1, 2014, 03:31 PM

Powder shortage is getting worse than before, especially pistol powders. Powder valley currently has 18 powders in stock. Most of them are ultra slow burners for big bores, and non for pistols.

I still have some reserve left. Given the crunch I have already started looking for resupplies.

-TL

Brian Pfleuger · February 1, 2014, 03:47 PM

I don't see it getting any worse. Most places have barely been able to stock anything except magnum powders from at least a year.

Natchez has several in stock (including Accurate #9), PV has over a dozen (when I looked about a month ago they had 50BMG and a couple others only), MidWay has 4 or 5 medium rifle powders in stock. Midsouth has 19 in stock, many of them magnum but also Superformance, LeverEvolution, Norma 204, VVH N105 and others.

That's a much better supply than there was a few months ago when nobody had ANY except the uber-magnum.

Beagle333 · February 1, 2014, 04:00 PM

My LGS has some powder trickling in, a can or two of a few varieties per shipment. They get 4198, 4895, and PB pretty regularly. I haven't seen anything from Alliant or AA come in for quite a while.

tobnpr · February 1, 2014, 04:14 PM

Ask the guys that are STILL buying all they can, whenever and wherever they can find it, despite having hundreds of pounds of it stashed away.

This horse is long dead....

Super Sneaky Steve · February 1, 2014, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Ask the guys that are STILL buying all they can, whenever and wherever they can find it, despite having hundreds of pounds of it stashed away.

Just think, when all those people get old and die you'll be able to buy a pound of Bullseye for $.50 at a garage sale

Till then, buy an airgun.

Mohave-Tec · February 1, 2014, 05:10 PM

Which one of you guys would buy one of the only 2 pounds of TiteGroup on the shelf and leave the other bottle?
This is what happens to the powder.

Mohave-Tec · February 1, 2014, 05:17 PM

Most of the guys who work at Bass Pro did so because they like guns. If they ran out of powder they sure as heck are going to be the first one in line to get theirs. They are going to put 5 pounds away for the rich guy who asked them to when offered twice the retail value if it supplements their $11.50 an hour income.
This is what happened to the powder.

Old Stony · February 1, 2014, 05:20 PM

Just went to a gun show in Mesquite Texas today, and there was about any kind of powder you would want. The going prices were at $28.00 a lb.
Things have loosened up a lot, but the smaller shops seem to still be having some problems. A larger gun shop near me has large supplies....at a little higher prices.

Mohave-Tec · February 1, 2014, 05:26 PM

If I have 400 308 cases, 2000 large rifle primers, a new 308 and haven't seen Varget in 6 months, I'm going to buy 6 or 8 bottles for me a the last 2 for my shooting buddy.
This is what happened to the powder.

If I became one of the 15% unemployed in this town in 2008 and was able to wait for the trucks at Sportsman's I'd buy all the all the 4198 I could muster and sell it to you guys for %30 more and send my kid with her band to Disney world.
That is what happened to the powder.

And yes, some of it is just plain greed. The world is that way.

berettaprofessor · February 1, 2014, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Which one of you guys would buy one of the only 2 pounds of TiteGroup on the shelf and leave the other bottle?
This is what happens to the powder.

I actually did almost that today, just not with TiteGroup I've been looking everywhere for pistol powder as well and found Trail Boss at Cabelas (bought one bottle and left 15 on the shelf), and 700X at an LGS (bought one bottle and left 2). The LGS also had a few bottles of 800X and IMR 7625.

Not everyone is a thoughtless hoarder.

Kansas Jack · February 1, 2014, 08:36 PM

i was in the Wichita cabelas store last week and they had two canisters of powder on four empty shelfs, the counter guy told me it goes out as fast as it comes in.i load six different pistol calibers and am really paying more then average retail for powder.its getting hard to find at a reasonable price here in north central Kansas.i did however pick up 200 38 spl. stainless steel cartridges for $ 20.00.

Nick_C_S · February 1, 2014, 08:38 PM

It seemed like things were getting a little better with powder through the summer last year, than got worse again starting in the fall.

My LGS - which is fairly well connected (Sportmen's Warehouse), hasn't gotten jack-diddly for powders for the last 6 or 8 weeks. And even then, it's obscure rifle stuff. I don't load for 50BMG. I'm there every Thurs morning, standing in line with a hundred other guys.

I was one of those hoarder guys. But not any more. I just need a couple Lbs each of Bullseye and 231

Mohave-Tec · February 1, 2014, 10:32 PM

I think I just got called a thoughtless hoarder but the fact is I came into this thing fully prepared. I was here in 2008 and things are no different today.
Last weekend I traded a guy on our local forums a pound of TiteGroup for a hand full of 178gr SMK. I don't shoot match 308 and I load all pistol with WAP.
But if I bought the last 2 bottles of TiteGroup on the shelf after a year of not having any I would be a "thoughtless hoarder." Hmmmmm

chris in va · February 1, 2014, 10:37 PM

My LGS got a fair amount of IMR powders in...$5 mor a pound than last shipment.

Jay24bal · February 1, 2014, 10:56 PM

I agree with the OP, around me in Northeast Ohio, the powder supply has dried up in the 4 or 5 places I normally check. When everyone else was having a hard time finding powders and primers, I was able to get most of what I wanted. Now, they may not have had every single choice in the world, but there was always a close substitute powder wise. But lately, powders are drying up, and I have noticed it more pronounced in pistol powders.

I am running low on Unique and Power Pistol, and have not seen any for several months around here despite it being plentiful during the height of the "craze." Now, it is my fault I am low since I passed it up a lot during the last 18 months, but I figured it would not be an issue since it was on the shelf during the height of the panic. Guess I was wrong...

Nick_C_S · February 1, 2014, 11:03 PM

Quote:

Now, it is my fault I am low since I passed it up a lot

I know the feeling. About this time last year, I passed up W231. That was just before I realized we were entering this shortage "cycle" (one seriously long "cycle," I'd say at this point).

Haven't seen any since.

skizzums · February 1, 2014, 11:08 PM

if there is 3 pounds of titegroup on the shelf, i usually just buy the two and leave some for the next lucky sob, but im a bleeding heart like that

my reload shop, georgia arms, has been out of pistol powder for about a month and a half now, i got lucky last week and picked up 2pds of h335(and left a pound)

BOOMST1CK · February 2, 2014, 11:58 AM

I might not be able to find what I want in powder, but I usually can find stuff that works. Two places I check said they have not seen powder since October/November. Since all this crazyness started, i bet alot of people got into reloading for the first time. I wonder how many people got their first reloading press for Christmas, and that is why powder dropped off. I bet by spring we will be seeing more supply's. I hope anyway.

salvadore · February 2, 2014, 12:29 PM

I was doing all my hoarding when it was still called stocking up. Since the second emaculation I have maybe bought two pounds of powder and coupla thousand primers. Every chance I get I buy rimfires because I shoot them a lot. The garage has hundreds of pounds of WWs and I cast for all my shooters except 9mm and 5.56. This is like people rushing out to buy $1,300 gold now but ignoring it a decade or so ago @ $260. Preparedness is next to Godliness.

clemsonal · February 2, 2014, 12:31 PM

Gunbot.net gives up to date availability of all components. I picked up a 5# jug of Accurate 2 this week. Just check the site often, because when something is available, it goes quick!

Strafer Gott · February 2, 2014, 12:33 PM

This keeps me hanging onto cartridges that can be loaded with black. Those replica Colts were made to facilitate cleanup. .44Colt, .45Colt, even .38 and .44 special will run on Pyrodex just peachy. So even though I don't have smokeless, I'm still not coming to a complete stop!

February 1, 2014, 12:18 PM	#1
My Toy Member Join Date: August 8, 2008 Posts: 45	Where has all the powder gone? Seems like it is getting harder to find powder. Is this just my imagination or are other reloaders experiencing the same thing? If so does anybody have any reasons for this?

February 1, 2014, 01:02 PM	#4
Brian Pfleuger Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Austin, CO Posts: 19,578	No offense, but have you been under a rock? The current shortage has been happening for well over a year. If anything, it has improved markedly in the last couple of months. There are still shortages of powder and other components, to be sure, but it's nothing new and certainly not getting worse. It has been continuously under discussion on the forum for months and months. We've had a thread on the subject stickied in the General Discussion forum since April of last year. http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=521685 __________________ Nobody plans to screw up their lives... ...they just don't plan not to. -Andy Stanley

February 1, 2014, 03:47 PM	#6
Brian Pfleuger Moderator Emeritus Join Date: June 25, 2008 Location: Austin, CO Posts: 19,578	I don't see it getting any worse. Most places have barely been able to stock anything except magnum powders from at least a year. Natchez has several in stock (including Accurate #9), PV has over a dozen (when I looked about a month ago they had 50BMG and a couple others only), MidWay has 4 or 5 medium rifle powders in stock. Midsouth has 19 in stock, many of them magnum but also Superformance, LeverEvolution, Norma 204, VVH N105 and others. That's a much better supply than there was a few months ago when nobody had ANY except the uber-magnum. __________________ Nobody plans to screw up their lives... ...they just don't plan not to. -Andy Stanley

February 1, 2014, 04:00 PM	#7
Beagle333 Senior Member Join Date: January 7, 2012 Location: Auburn, AL. Posts: 2,332	My LGS has some powder trickling in, a can or two of a few varieties per shipment. They get 4198, 4895, and PB pretty regularly. I haven't seen anything from Alliant or AA come in for quite a while. __________________ . . . Have a Colt and a smile.

February 1, 2014, 04:14 PM	#8
tobnpr Senior Member Join Date: August 1, 2010 Location: Tampa Bay Posts: 4,556	Ask the guys that are STILL buying all they can, whenever and wherever they can find it, despite having hundreds of pounds of it stashed away. This horse is long dead.... __________________ Remington 700/Savage Rebarreling /Action Blueprinting 07 FFL /Mosin-Nagant Custom Shop/Bent Bolts Genuine Cerakote Applicator www.biggorillagunworks.com

February 1, 2014, 12:55 PM	#2
msokad Member Join Date: January 17, 2013 Posts: 38	It reminds me of the primer shortage of last year. I hear powder should be getting better by springtime.

February 1, 2014, 12:57 PM	#3
Mohave-Tec Senior Member Join Date: May 28, 2013 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 118	Most of it is at my house I'm sure.

February 1, 2014, 03:31 PM	#5
tangolima Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2013 Posts: 3,816	Powder shortage is getting worse than before, especially pistol powders. Powder valley currently has 18 powders in stock. Most of them are ultra slow burners for big bores, and non for pistols. I still have some reserve left. Given the crunch I have already started looking for resupplies. -TL

February 1, 2014, 05:10 PM	#10
Mohave-Tec Senior Member Join Date: May 28, 2013 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 118	Which one of you guys would buy one of the only 2 pounds of TiteGroup on the shelf and leave the other bottle? This is what happens to the powder.

February 1, 2014, 05:17 PM	#11
Mohave-Tec Senior Member Join Date: May 28, 2013 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 118	Most of the guys who work at Bass Pro did so because they like guns. If they ran out of powder they sure as heck are going to be the first one in line to get theirs. They are going to put 5 pounds away for the rich guy who asked them to when offered twice the retail value if it supplements their $11.50 an hour income. This is what happened to the powder.

February 1, 2014, 05:20 PM	#12
Old Stony Senior Member Join Date: May 31, 2013 Location: East Texas Posts: 1,705	Just went to a gun show in Mesquite Texas today, and there was about any kind of powder you would want. The going prices were at $28.00 a lb. Things have loosened up a lot, but the smaller shops seem to still be having some problems. A larger gun shop near me has large supplies....at a little higher prices.

February 1, 2014, 05:26 PM	#13
Mohave-Tec Senior Member Join Date: May 28, 2013 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 118	If I have 400 308 cases, 2000 large rifle primers, a new 308 and haven't seen Varget in 6 months, I'm going to buy 6 or 8 bottles for me a the last 2 for my shooting buddy. This is what happened to the powder. If I became one of the 15% unemployed in this town in 2008 and was able to wait for the trucks at Sportsman's I'd buy all the all the 4198 I could muster and sell it to you guys for %30 more and send my kid with her band to Disney world. That is what happened to the powder. And yes, some of it is just plain greed. The world is that way.

February 1, 2014, 08:36 PM	#15
Kansas Jack Junior Member Join Date: January 27, 2014 Posts: 8	i was in the Wichita cabelas store last week and they had two canisters of powder on four empty shelfs, the counter guy told me it goes out as fast as it comes in.i load six different pistol calibers and am really paying more then average retail for powder.its getting hard to find at a reasonable price here in north central Kansas.i did however pick up 200 38 spl. stainless steel cartridges for $ 20.00.

February 1, 2014, 08:38 PM	#16
Nick_C_S Senior Member Join Date: March 21, 2013 Location: Idaho Posts: 5,522	It seemed like things were getting a little better with powder through the summer last year, than got worse again starting in the fall. My LGS - which is fairly well connected (Sportmen's Warehouse), hasn't gotten jack-diddly for powders for the last 6 or 8 weeks. And even then, it's obscure rifle stuff. I don't load for 50BMG. I'm there every Thurs morning, standing in line with a hundred other guys. I was one of those hoarder guys. But not any more. I just need a couple Lbs each of Bullseye and 231 __________________ Gun control laws benefit only criminals and politicians - but then, I repeat myself. Life Member, National Rifle Association

February 1, 2014, 10:32 PM	#17
Mohave-Tec Senior Member Join Date: May 28, 2013 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 118	I think I just got called a thoughtless hoarder but the fact is I came into this thing fully prepared. I was here in 2008 and things are no different today. Last weekend I traded a guy on our local forums a pound of TiteGroup for a hand full of 178gr SMK. I don't shoot match 308 and I load all pistol with WAP. But if I bought the last 2 bottles of TiteGroup on the shelf after a year of not having any I would be a "thoughtless hoarder." Hmmmmm

February 1, 2014, 10:37 PM	#18
chris in va Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2004 Location: Louisville KY Posts: 13,806	My LGS got a fair amount of IMR powders in...$5 mor a pound than last shipment.

February 1, 2014, 10:56 PM	#19
Jay24bal Senior Member Join Date: December 13, 2011 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 735	I agree with the OP, around me in Northeast Ohio, the powder supply has dried up in the 4 or 5 places I normally check. When everyone else was having a hard time finding powders and primers, I was able to get most of what I wanted. Now, they may not have had every single choice in the world, but there was always a close substitute powder wise. But lately, powders are drying up, and I have noticed it more pronounced in pistol powders. I am running low on Unique and Power Pistol, and have not seen any for several months around here despite it being plentiful during the height of the "craze." Now, it is my fault I am low since I passed it up a lot during the last 18 months, but I figured it would not be an issue since it was on the shelf during the height of the panic. Guess I was wrong... __________________ I like guns. Once Fired Brass, Top quality, Fast shipping, Best prices. http://300AacBrass.com/ -10% Coupon use code " Jay24bal "

February 1, 2014, 11:08 PM	#21
skizzums Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2013 Location: Douglasville, Ga Posts: 4,615	if there is 3 pounds of titegroup on the shelf, i usually just buy the two and leave some for the next lucky sob, but im a bleeding heart like that my reload shop, georgia arms, has been out of pistol powder for about a month and a half now, i got lucky last week and picked up 2pds of h335(and left a pound) __________________ My head is bloody, but unbowed

February 2, 2014, 11:58 AM	#22
BOOMST1CK Senior Member Join Date: January 9, 2014 Posts: 117	I might not be able to find what I want in powder, but I usually can find stuff that works. Two places I check said they have not seen powder since October/November. Since all this crazyness started, i bet alot of people got into reloading for the first time. I wonder how many people got their first reloading press for Christmas, and that is why powder dropped off. I bet by spring we will be seeing more supply's. I hope anyway.

February 2, 2014, 12:29 PM	#23
salvadore Junior member Join Date: January 1, 2007 Location: Idaho Posts: 2,282	I was doing all my hoarding when it was still called stocking up. Since the second emaculation I have maybe bought two pounds of powder and coupla thousand primers. Every chance I get I buy rimfires because I shoot them a lot. The garage has hundreds of pounds of WWs and I cast for all my shooters except 9mm and 5.56. This is like people rushing out to buy $1,300 gold now but ignoring it a decade or so ago @ $260. Preparedness is next to Godliness.

February 2, 2014, 12:31 PM	#24
clemsonal Member Join Date: July 18, 2010 Location: South Carolina Posts: 30	Gunbot.net gives up to date availability of all components. I picked up a 5# jug of Accurate 2 this week. Just check the site often, because when something is available, it goes quick!

February 2, 2014, 12:33 PM	#25
Strafer Gott Senior Member Join Date: May 12, 2011 Location: New Mexico Posts: 1,315	This keeps me hanging onto cartridges that can be loaded with black. Those replica Colts were made to facilitate cleanup. .44Colt, .45Colt, even .38 and .44 special will run on Pyrodex just peachy. So even though I don't have smokeless, I'm still not coming to a complete stop!