powder

[twoshooter]

Ammo seems to be coming back some places....but powder is almost non-existent as are other supplies. Anyone here have any personal info regarding Alliant powders ? Is it all going into factory ammo ? Plant production problems? Any idea ?? My LGS' say they are not even getting backorder status. Slow rifle powders are available but none of the "Dot" powders for my shotguns, or my handgun loads.  Some 4759 for cast rifle loads though.

[tacklebury]

I extensively use Unique, Reloader7 and Reloader17 is showing promise also.  I have had good luck with Bullseye in the past and played with a few others.  I have a bit extra of unique and Reloader7 always as these are my 2 biggest smokeless users.    Red Dot is used highly by one of my friends and he also uses Green Dot some.  A few overlap into similar territory and I like powders that are usable to get good, not necessarily the fastest, loads in several calibers. 

[bikerbeans]

2-shooter,

Alliant is making the powder, it's just being sold as fast or even before it hits the shelf.  You will see powders show up at online retailers and most of it, except for the very slow rifle powders, is gone very quickly.  There is a certain fraction of this powder being listed on gunbroker and usually at an inflated price.  I think most of it is being stockpiled by folks not so sure of what is going to happen next. 

BB

[Jeff H]

For several months, it seems to have been showing up sporadically in decent quantity, but for only a few powders and then disappearing very quickly.

It's very possible that sites you have visited didn't have it when you looked Monday and "still" didn't have it Tuesday, but in reality, there was some there Tuesday, it just got bought up in a couple hours before you looked. 

I can't remember if someone posted this here or somewhere else, bu I have been watching this site:

http://www.gunbot.net/reloading/powder/

It's a bit easier than trying to get to every site and check on powder and it lists some sites I have never heard of.

EDIT:  I keep hearing that the component manufacturers do no want to invest capital to accommodate current demand because they don't think the buying fever will last but I also hear that "this is the new normal."  I personally don't know what to think except that there must be lots of people buying everything they see as soon as they see it and there are some pretty huge stockpiles accumulating.  It is also apparent that the ammo shortage has drawn a LOT of new handloaders, which is scary when you read some of the posts elsewhere regarding their approach to getting into the game.

[Badnews Bob]

My locale reloading supply guy said that most of the powder supply houses have contracts with the big money places like Cabelas or Bass Pro, He said that they are trying to fill the back orders with them before the smaller places will see much. The factories are running at full speed but they have a couple years of back orders to fill first. He said it shouldn't be more than a couple more months and things will start showing back up on the shelves.

[Ranger99]

i don't know about places like
cabelas and bps. the last time
i've stopped by either one, it
was obvious i had more reloading
stuff than they did. i haven't
had problems getting any powders
i use, other than having to pay
6 or so dollars more than i should
have to. the local guy i get it from
always seems to have a good selection
(relatively speaking) and it seems
there's more bs-ing rather than
buying among the "customers" that
are there.

[twoshooter]

Hope it is not the "new normal", but as long as they are up and running I will not get too excited. I figure they make more money selling it as manufactured ammo than as components, so until they get caught up on loaded ammo it will be tight.

[Ranger99]

also remember ammo factories don't
usually use the canister-grade powder
they sell us. they'll blend several tons
at a time to get whatever burning rate
and volume density the ammo that
they're loading at that moment needs.

[Old Fart]

Powder is like all the other components. It shows up and people buy it up. I've scored a couple lbs. of my favorites in the past few months. I use the "advice me of availibilty" option on a couple websites and have found everything I wanted.

Just a warning. When you get a email notice that it is in stock stop what you're doing and go order it.

[Doublebass73]

I went to my LGS yesterday looking for Alliant powder and they had almost nothing. Didn't know when they were getting more either. They had a 1 can limit per customer also.

Sent from my SCH-S720C using Tapatalk 2

[wtroger]

You have to remember they make this stuff in batches and it has to meet a certain spec to be considered canister powder. Not every batch of say rl-17 makes the spec. So that one gets sold to the ammo companies. And they may or may not make another batch of rl-17 immediately. They don't have a separate plant for each of the varieties. Kinda of like the brass situation they may only make one or two batches a year. Granted there batches tend to in the tons. You just need to check the different suppliers almost daily.

[twoshooter]

I called all the shops within a 60 mile radius of my home yesterday and today. None had any shotgun "Dot" powders, no Alliant powders period except for a pound of Steel, and one of 410- neither of which I have use for. There was some 4350, 7828, 4064, some slow "H" powders. They all say they are on back order. I know of 2 or 3 small shops that have went out of business in the last year- no merchandise. Many of the shops here are guys that are just part time, they also are carpenters or electricians, retired guys etc, they just do it on the side and cover the cost of what they want. They can't cover expenses.  The ones left are either large pawn shops/ payday loan types, or people who work from home or other business where they have practically no overhead. It is ironic that demand is putting so many out of business.

[Jim Stacy]

The new normal ? I do gun shows with a friend and we were selling everything we could put on the table at cost +50 . Now we cannot sell enough guns to cover expenses . We have a fair amount of ammo and that sells well but cannot get 22 ammo. It is interesting to see the people who have components because some are quite well supplied and some cannot get any components. I also think it is the time of the year and many places lower their inventory so they do not have to taxes on their inventory.

[FPH]

no Alliant powders period

That is interesting,  Alliant is one of he few powders I can find here.

[Ranger99]

of course, tables are $20.00 more
than they use to be (here anyway)