Powder Prices & Availability

[dubber09]

Prices and availability are very spotty here as well. Primers are very expensive. My 9mm go to powder has been Clays last few years (60k rounds), metered ok in Hornady LNL but burned clean and cooler vs TiteGroup and was cheaper vs N320. After my last 8lb jug was over I went with TG, cannot find Clays in Canada. Also had to switch to 147gr plated from 124gr plated due to... price! It was cheaper to get 147s. And, got True Blue powder to try lately, not cheap but cheaper than N320 and should meter extremely well, burn clean, shoot soft, low flash, case position insensitive.... still to load some and to chrono; my last match chrono in US almost messed me up, made 126pf after shooting extra rounds

 

[billt460]

Several guys on some of the shooting forums I frequent are saying that powder prices today are on average $90.00 more than just 30 days ago. And $135.00 more than six months ago, for 8 pound jugs.... I believe it.

 

[oil pan 4]

Hey I'll sell some powder.

 

[f355spider]

.

 

[f355spider]

Talk about crazy. I just checked, and they raised the price up from $299.99 for a 8 pound jug, to $329.99. Up $30.00 in less than 24 hours. Insane.

Alliant e3 Smokeless Gun Powder 8 lb

Every container of Alliant Smokeless Powder is backed by a century of manufacturing experience and the most exacting quality control procedures in the...

www.midwayusa.com

Hello Bill, it is not a conspiracy or profit taking. Alliant announced a 10% price increase effective Jan 1, 2024. Which would account for the 10% increase you saw at retail with Midway.

I have had an FFL and dabbled in the gun retailing for 30 years as a side business. Most of the ammunition suppliers announced price increases in December, and they started taking effect this week.

This is from one of my wholesalers, which sent a partial list last month:

Hornady - Estimated 2% increase in January
Vista - Estimated 5% increase in January
Berger/Lapua - Estimated increase in January, Berger (5%) Lapua (9%)
Alliant Powders- Estimated 10% increase in January with limited availability
BARNES - 3% increase in January

 

[f355spider]

Alliant is pricing themselves out of the consumer powder business. Hodgdon has any powder a reloader might need at significantly lower prices.

Maybe, but at the wholesale level, Alliant is constantly out of stock and Hodgdon is in stock. That tells me there is more demand for Alliant, and why they price where they do, and Hodgdon has lower prices, to move out stock.

 

[billt460]

Maybe, but at the wholesale level, Alliant is constantly out of stock and Hodgdon is in stock. That tells me there is more demand for Alliant, and why they price where they do, and Hodgdon has lower prices, to move out stock.

A lot of the small brick and mortar gun shops are setting their own pricing. Mostly way over retail. One does it, and they all follow. Again, because they can. We have a very small shop here in town that is selling Red Dot for $400.00 a jug.

This is no different than the whole .22 rimfire fiasco that started after the Sandy Hook shooting, and lasted for close to 5 years. A lot of people are hoarding, while others are scalping it off at gun shows and flea markets.

While there is a legitimate shortage because of the wars, and other contractual obligations to various ammunition manufacturers, others right away jump on the bandwagon, and make matters far worse by hoarding.

Demand then goes further through the roof, while the supply cannot be increased by no more than working 24 hour shifts. Which many are doing. Again much like the .22 shortage.

When it becomes as or more expensive to reload, than it does to shoot factory ammo, (and we're almost there as far as clay target shooting and 9 MM), this will all cease.

 

[oil pan 4]

If you want cheap 9mm powder go to cdvs.us and look at their CBI powder.
It's half the price of other commercial powders. I bought probably a life time supply from them.

 

[Astro14]

Hello Bill, it is not a conspiracy or profit taking. Alliant announced a 10% price increase effective Jan 1, 2024. Which would account for the 10% increase you saw at retail with Midway.

I have had an FFL and dabbled in the gun retailing for 30 years as a side business. Most of the ammunition suppliers announced price increases in December, and they started taking effect this week.

This is from one of my wholesalers, which sent a partial list last month:

Hornady - Estimated 2% increase in January
Vista - Estimated 5% increase in January
Berger/Lapua - Estimated increase in January, Berger (5%) Lapua (9%)
Alliant Powders- Estimated 10% increase in January with limited availability
BARNES - 3% increase in January

Which aligns with what retailers, like SGAmmo, have been saying. I have added just a bit to my stash in anticipation of those increases. Still need to get another case of 6.5x55 Swedish, but…

 

[ArrestMeRedZ]

Just got an email from Natchez (natchezss dot com). Today only no hazmat fee on orders over $100. Sale prices on Hodgdon powder. Don't know about in stock, but email lists $250.99 for 8lbs CFE pistol powder and $279.99 for 8 lbs H110 Sperical Shotshell & Handgun Powder. Extreme Varget is $375.99.
I stocked up from Powder Valley before the price increases 3+ years ago so I don't know if these prices are that great, but Natchez has been competitive with other items I've purchased in the past.

 

[userfriendly]

Which aligns with what retailers, like SGAmmo, have been saying. I have added just a bit to my stash in anticipation of those increases. Still need to get another case of 6.5x55 Swedish, but…

The 6.5x55 was ahead of its time with its 1 in 200mm twist rate. When re-loading, I shoot for (no pun intended) 58,000 to 60,000 psi which exceeds 260 Rem and 6.5 Creedmore performance.
For hunting loads I use magnum primers, which I'm down to my last 137. I bought a brick of F215s a few years ago which was a life saver.
Appropriate rifle powders in the IMR 4831 burn rate range are just starting to show up on store shelves after a few years of absence.
Say what you like, but I'm also a fan of the 325 WSM. I'm not holding my breath for an 8mm RUM, or a factory 8mm-338 Lapua.

 

[KneeGrinder]

A foreign, "Extremely" Rich Czech bought Vista Outdoor!

Vista Outdoor Inc. VSTO said Monday it has reached an agreement to sell its sporting products business to Czechoslovak Group a.s. (CSG) . in an all-cash deal valued at $1.91 billion.Oct 16, 2023.

Michal Strnad is a 30 year old Czech billionaire who is the owner and CEO of Czechoslovak Group (CSG), an industrial holding company that produces ammunition, special army trucks, army vehicles, active radars, among others.

Vista Outdoor owns, Alliant, CCI, Speer, Federal, RCBS, Hodgdon, IMR, Remington, Estate, Makes Winchester Olin powers, BlackHawk, Bushnell, Champion, Butler Creek, M Pro 7, Outers, Hoppe's, Redfield, Simmons, Tasco, Weaver, Uncle Mikes, and many more ammo and reloading component and equipment companies. I left out all the other sporting goods companies they also own. "I think that's what you call a conglomerate"

Last month Vista did announce there would be from 3 to 10% increase in prices due to world demand. Too many boolit's are fling around the world. Buckle up boys, without going into details, this next year will be a "Very" Challenging time for the industry. I will let the cat out of the bag if you have not heard of, http://ammoseek.com. You can find the best prices on everything there, not just ammo!.

More on, this guy is no joke!

Czechoslovak Group - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[kballowe]

It's been a while. We used to shoot clay targets. A lot. The Wife was the ladies skeet champion four years in a row at the local trap & skeet club. We were reloading 12ga shells for about $1.80/bx. We had a row of Mec 9000G reloaders on the bench for .410, 28, 20, and 12.

Graf & Sons was selling 25lb tri-wall cardboard boxes of Rex powder for about $5/lb - wiith a plastic bag inside, all tied up with a string. You could get an 8lb jug of "promo" for $54 thru the club. 5,000 Cheddite primers was $53.

We pretty much quit competitive shooting when lead shot went from $12 to $50 a bag.

I see that it's gone from bad to worse, to ridiculous.

 

[thastinger]

It's been a while. We used to shoot clay targets. A lot. The Wife was the ladies skeet champion four years in a row at the local trap & skeet club. We were reloading 12ga shells for about $1.80/bx. We had a row of Mec 9000G reloaders on the bench for .410, 28, 20, and 12.

Graf & Sons was selling 25lb tri-wall cardboard boxes of Rex powder for about $5/lb - wiith a plastic bag inside, all tied up with a string. You could get an 8lb jug of "promo" for $54 thru the club. 5,000 Cheddite primers was $53.

We pretty much quit competitive shooting when lead shot went from $12 to $50 a bag.

I see that it's gone from bad to worse, to ridiculous.

Ha ha, yeah, that was a minute ago it seems. That same 5K block of Cheddite 209 primers is 400 bucks now.

 

[f355spider]

If you want cheap 9mm powder go to cdvs.us and look at their CBI powder.
It's half the price of other commercial powders. I bought probably a life time supply from them.

Can be worth a try. 25 years ago, I bought three 8lb jugs of ball type pistol powder in the old Shotgun News. I knew I was taking a chance, but the price was so hard to beat. It was reclaimed, and said to be similar to AA #5. They had some published data that had charges similar to AA#5. I worked up some loads and took them to the range with my chronograph to confirm a load I was satisfied with. I continued to load and shoot that for 15 years until I used it all up. Since then, I have been using real AA #5 from 8lb jugs.

CDVS is located in Spokane, WA and I have purchased ammo and supplies from them, they are legit. Never purchased powder from them, but they are honest sellers.

 

[oil pan 4]

Can be worth a try. 25 years ago, I bought three 8lb jugs of ball type pistol powder in the old Shotgun News. I knew I was taking a chance, but the price was so hard to beat. It was reclaimed, and said to be similar to AA #5. They had some published data that had charges similar to AA#5. I worked up some loads and took them to the range with my chronograph to confirm a load I was satisfied with. I continued to load and shoot that for 15 years until I used it all up. Since then, I have been using real AA #5 from 8lb jugs.

CDVS is located in Spokane, WA and I have purchased ammo and supplies from them, they are legit. Never purchased powder from them, but they are honest sellers.

I get all my 40mm stuff from them too.

 

[billt460]

Another good outlet for surplus and pulldown military powder is Jeff Bartlett at G.I. Brass. He also has good deals on projectiles from time to time as well.

 

[f355spider]

I get all my 40mm stuff from them too.

I bought a few of their 25 round boxes with cracked rims, just so I don't have to dip into my 6 unopened crates of 100 each.
I got the crates from UNAC Ammo or whatever they were called out of AZ, just before all the new restrictions came in.

 

[thastinger]

Can be worth a try. 25 years ago, I bought three 8lb jugs of ball type pistol powder in the old Shotgun News. I knew I was taking a chance, but the price was so hard to beat. It was reclaimed, and said to be similar to AA #5. They had some published data that had charges similar to AA#5. I worked up some loads and took them to the range with my chronograph to confirm a load I was satisfied with. I continued to load and shoot that for 15 years until I used it all up. Since then, I have been using real AA #5 from 8lb jugs.

CDVS is located in Spokane, WA and I have purchased ammo and supplies from them, they are legit. Never purchased powder from them, but they are honest sellers.

9mm powder goes a loooong ways. I use N320 for 115,124/5,147Gr, and at 3.2-3.9Gr it lasts forever.