Sad and Sickened at powder prices

[BP84]

Started reloading just prior to Covid and was able to stock up on primers and powders. I stopped by a LGS that I previously bought powder from and the change in prices is insane. Saw Unique for $69 a lb. I was never able to find Unique back when it was reasonably priced.

 

[armalitesheepdog]

Yep nothing anywhere under $45 a Lb.
Its sickening. I have only been handloading for 5 or 6 years. Those powders were $18.99 when I started. They are taking all the fun out of it. Between that and primers I'm about done when my stock is depleted unless something changes. That might take years but when its gone I'm done.

 

[BP84]

I have cans of Trailboss with $19 price tags on them that were probably bought 3 years ago. It will be a fortune if they ever start producing it again.

 

[Mgderf]

Yep nothing anywhere under $45 a Lb.
Its sickening. I have only been handloading for 5 or 6 years. Those powders were $18.99 when I started. They are taking all the fun out of it. Between that and primers I'm about done when my stock is depleted unless something changes. That might take years but when its gone I'm done.

If the liberals hold Washington, you'll only see powder prices continue to rise.
That is if any is available at all.

 

[Mij]

 

[Aszerigan]

If the liberals hold Washington, you'll only see powder prices continue to rise.
That is if any is available at all.

Not the case. There were huge powder and primer shortages in 2017-2018. It’s supply and demand, not a political issue. If it WERE political, you’d see the prices of firearms tripling too. Suppressor wait times would be five years.

It has more to do with which war America is sending their products too, not who’s in the White House. This happens every 2-3 years.

 

[Mgderf]

Not the case. There were huge powder and primer shortages in 2017-2018. It’s supply and demand, not a political issue. If it WERE political, you’d see the prices of firearms tripling too. Suppressor wait times would be five years.

It has more to do with which war America is sending their products too, not who’s in the White House. This happens every 2-3 years.

Ah, but it IS political.
Most of the " shortages" now are due to demand, yes, but it's not consumer demand but military demand chewing up available powders and primers.
If libs stay in power, there will be more wars in the middle east and possibly Europe.

 

[Creedmoor]

Yep nothing anywhere under $45 a Lb.
Its sickening. I have only been handloading for 5 or 6 years. Those powders were $18.99 when I started. They are taking all the fun out of it. Between that and primers I'm about done when my stock is depleted unless something changes. That might take years but when its gone I'm done.

I bought two 8 lbers for under $35.00 a pound.
I felt like it was a great deal in todays market. Thanks Brian

He had Varget, Bullseye in large jugs and one pounders. And Unique in at least one pounders and a ton of other powders, I was like Holy Brian. Prices are up and going up again soon I hear. I believe his boys will be at the Crown Point show this weekend.
Thanks my friend.

 

[Aszerigan]

If libs stay in power, there will be more wars in the middle east and possibly Europe.

There will be more wars in the Middle East no matter who’s in office. No one, especially from this country, is going to change that. They’ve been fighting each other for thousands of years - no old guy in an ill-fitting suit is going to stop them by wagging his finger.

Reloading supplies are expensive because the reloading companies know we’ll pay it. Gas is expensive because Exxon knows we HAVE to pay it. When we don’t pay it, prices will come down. But let’s be honest - we’re going to pay it and complain about it.

 

[SmolderOutdoors]

I haven’t been reloading for a few years- stopped shooting uspsa (just busy in life) but glad I have a decent stockpile still of powder/primers- I almost choked when I saw some recent prices.

 

[Basher]

Yep. Prices have nearly doubled in the last two years, more than doubled in some instances. And some powders are straight unobtainium.

More dry fire, more .22LR vs other options. I’m also moving more towards .223 and 6.5G that use ~30gr of powder rather than others like my .308 that require ~45gr or so. That’s a 50% savings in powder consumption, and they’ll do 90%+ of what I need, plus they cause a helluva lot less bruising while I’m on blood thinners.

But yeah, the current climate blows, and it’s only gonna get worse!

 

[Hawkeye7br]

I rented a table for a local gun show in November and put 25 lbs of AA 2200 up for sale at $30. No takers. The 2200 burn rate is between H322 and AA 2015, so I'm feeling pretty good about keeping it, especially since I'm out of AA 2015.

 

[bowhunter911]

Not the case. There were huge powder and primer shortages in 2017-2018. It’s supply and demand, not a political issue. If it WERE political, you’d see the prices of firearms tripling too. Suppressor wait times would be five years.

It has more to do with which war America is sending their products too, not who’s in the White House. This happens every 2-3 years.

prices were great and there were no shortages during the Trump slump. lets make guns and ammo prices great again in 2024!

 

[Mij]

Yep. Prices have nearly doubled in the last two years, more than doubled in some instances. And some powders are straight unobtainium.

More dry fire, more .22LR vs other options. I’m also moving more towards .223 and 6.5G that use ~30gr of powder rather than others like my .308 that require ~45gr or so. That’s a 50% savings in powder consumption, and they’ll do 90%+ of what I need, plus they cause a helluva lot less bruising while I’m on blood thinners.

But yeah, the current climate blows, and it’s only gonna get worse!

I can certainly relate to that, I’ve got enough (maybe) stick type powder left for 20 or 30 rounds of 45-70. I use a coffee cup to pour it. After that dunno. Glad the load work is done and I only use a couple each year for sighting, and hopefully one for killing.

 

[Aszerigan]

prices were great and there were no shortages during the Trump slump. lets make guns and ammo prices great again in 2024!

Ugh. I owned a reloading supply shop during those years. I really hope you just missed your purple button.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Ugh. I owned a reloading supply shop during those years. I really hope you just missed your purple button.

That’s about when I sold off some of my surplus for triple what I paid for it when no one could even get any. And that price is about what it retails for now.

 

[armalitesheepdog]

I bought two 8 lbers for under $35.00 a pound.
I felt like it was a great deal in todays market. Thanks Brian

He had Varget, Bullseye in large jugs and one pounders. And Unique in at least one pounders and a ton of other powders, I was like Holy Brian. Prices are up and going up again soon I hear. I believe his boys will be at the Crown Point show this weekend.
Thanks my friend.

Brian's is where I got that $45 figure. Was there 2 days ago. Im sure if you buy 16 lbs of powder you get a better price. I walked out with a box of gold dot projectiles for a good price. Not bashing Brian's surplus it is what it is and he pays more so we pay more but I hadn't bought powder in a year and the sticker shock was.....well shocking.
Just glad I'm not desperate for any.
BTW..I love Brian's surplus

 

[Mike Maddox]

Been down this road before. This time we should be looking at the current administration, and not just for powder and primers. Have found some at good prices, not that I am am short. When you measure your stock in hundred of pounds of powder and 100 of thousand primers.

 

[musketjon]

When I started reloading way back in the mid 70's, powder was 8 bux a pound, a box of Sierra bullets was about 8 bux, and a sleeve of 100 primers was 69 cents. Of course gasoline was "only" 50 cents a gallon, too. THAT was when reloading really paid off. Man, how times have changed.

 

[Michigan Slim]

I'm good for quite some time. I have bought recently to try some different things though.

Been down this road before. This time we should be looking at the current administration, and not just for powder and primers. Have found some at good prices, not that I am am short. When you measure your stock in hundred of pounds of powder and 100 of thousand primers.

My neighbors don't know what I have. They DO know that smoke coming from my house is not a spectator event. They should probably move away a couple houses down.