Sticker Shock!!

[Warren Sear]

For what it is worth, $16.97 in 1995 is equivalent to $34 in today's dollars. What were the hourly wages in 1995 to compare to the $16.97 a lb powder?

That needed to be said. It gets old reading about what the prices were way back when, without being put into context regarding inflation and wage increases. The cost of shooting, driving a car, food, etc, is far cheaper for me now than it was in the bad old days.

 

[Racer X]

That needed to be said. It gets old reading about what the prices were way back when, without being put into context regarding inflation and wage increases. The cost of shooting, driving a car, food, etc, is far cheaper for me now than it was in the bad old days.

because Seattle WA has a $18.69 minimum wage, today's entry level blue collar or fast food workers are making at least twice what they did 30+ years ago. That's a verifiable fact. in '89 minimum was $3.85, which is $9.49 in today's dollars. TWICE

 

[cmansguns]

About wages and inflation

Sorry......not a reloader (YET) so have nothing to add about powder but the posts about the "old days" vs now bring up one of my favorites from 1964/1965, just before I got drafted.

A real honest to goodness rich young man in town, son of a doctor, just back in town on leave from the US Army, helicopter school somewhere in Texas, took delivery of a brand new Carrol Shelby 289 Cobra, red.......beautiful car. I remember the delivered cost was said to be $4,365. I lived aways down on the same street and remember seeing him drive it around the block a couple times before returning to his base. Although 4 years older than me, he was a nice guy and easy to talk to.

I worked in a machine shop and my ANNUAL salary (gross) was $4,175 per a copy of my tax return that year.

1st Lieutenant Ward Briggs was killed in a helo accident a month later, and the Cobra never saw the light of day until it was sold a couple years later, I assume by his folks, while I was off in the Army.

Not that I could have been a potential buyer or anything but the inflation posts still bring back memories like that.

 

[glenwolde]

Having powder is a good thing but my happiest day was when I finally used all of my
800-x powder.

It was used for steel shotgun loads as well as 38 & 357 magnum loads,
but it was a pain in the back side to use in a drop tube, for loading revolvers.

My oldest powder was W571 to be used off with the old M19-5 revolver.

My next victom will be SR4756, that is being used up with my .357 loads
that is now, 7/8 full.

Lots of good powders still out there, for my loading, that will meet my spec's,
although the price tag in not the same.

You'll be happy then to know 800-X has been discontinued.

 

[STORMINORMAN]

Since I hand weigh most pistol loads anyway, the gripes about 800-X and powder drops falls on my kind'a deaf ears...

Personally, I'll miss 800-X (when I finally run out) because it is a most excellent powder for 357 SIG, 40 S&W and 10mm!

Cheers!

 

[wbraswell]

Gosh, mine is labeled Hercules.

 

[TXBryan]

That's relatively inexpensive

It's been said in this thread but $30 is "cheap" around these parts for any powder. I feel your pain about it being substantially more than your last pound.

The "local" GS I frequent that has a decent selection of powder is typically $45-60 per pound across their powder selection. Their primer prices are ridiculous even by today's standards.

I have not done the math, and will resist the temptation, but fear reloading isn't quite the money-saving practice it once was.

Bryan

 

[Warren Sear]

Reloading is still a money saving process, depending on the caliber, and especially if you cast your own bullets from scrap lead. This is especially true if you load for the .44 Magnum, 44 Special, 41 Magnum, .45 Colt, 44-40 WCF. .32-20 WCF, .32 S&W and S&W Long, and many others, including rifle calibers. I even load for the 9mm and 45 ACP. You can shoot them for about the cost of .22LR, and you can have ammo tailored to your exact needs.

Edit to add: If you are buying factory loaded ammo you are still paying for primers and powder; there is no getting around that.

 

[glenwolde]

Since I hand weigh most pistol loads anyway, the gripes about 800-X and powder drops falls on my kind'a deaf ears...

Personally, I'll miss 800-X (when I finally run out) because it is a most excellent powder for 357 SIG, 40 S&W and 10mm!

Cheers!

800-X is also excellent in the .41 Magnum.

 

[AJ]

If it has the "Alliant" name on the can it's not really that old. Just sayin'....

Will these do?

 

[steelslaver]

What gets me is the price tags on some of my boxes of primers

 

[AJ]

What gets me is the price tags on some of my boxes of primers

Yes, I know!

 

[SGT ROCK 11B]

Found some 700X that was priced a $10.00 for an 8 oz. can. Don't use it much. I mainly use Bullseye, Unique and 2400. It is what I started with in 1972 and what I'll keep dancing with.

Same here, Bullseye, Unique and 2400. Recently I started experimenting with BE86 and it meters very well and is good in 45 ACP and 38 Special. I retired 2400 since I do not hunt anymore and really do not need to impress anyone on the range.

 

[GypsmJim]

While rotating is a good idea you should feel lucky to even have any on the shelf. I TRY to rotate the stock but it doesn't always happen lol.

Every can of powder or brick of primers is labeled with the date and price. My computer log book lists them all. FIFO is guaranteed.

Same with ammo. Each box has the load data and date. I shoot the oldest one loaded.

I guess I'm just anal about this stuff. See the other thread about computer programming. It just comes natural.

 

[TheTinMan]

Every can of powder or brick of primers is labeled with the date and price. My computer log book lists them all. FIFO is guaranteed.

Same with ammo. Each box has the load data and date. I shoot the oldest one loaded.

I guess I'm just anal about this stuff. See the other thread about computer programming. It just comes natural.

I wish that I'd been that organized. I had FIFO set up physically when I lived in Virginia but everything got mixed up when I moved back to Maine in 2014. Since then it's been "grab it when I see it" and I have no way of knowing what's older.

Now if only Winchester large rifle primers came on the market…

 

[AJ]

Same here, Bullseye, Unique and 2400. Recently I started experimenting with BE86 and it meters very well and is good in 45 ACP and 38 Special. I retired 2400 since I do not hunt anymore and really do not need to impress anyone on the range.

I still use 2400 in a couple of my firearms. My M1 Carbine likes 13.5 grains of 2400 with a 110 grain FMJ bullet. My M27-2 likes 14.4 grains of 2400 with 158 grain cast SWC bullet. The target below is from the M27.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Since I hand weigh most pistol loads anyway, the gripes about 800-X and powder drops falls on my kind'a deaf ears...

Personally, I'll miss 800-X (when I finally run out) because it is a most excellent powder for 357 SIG, 40 S&W and 10mm!

Cheers!

There are a handful.of powders that will do as good a job in those cartridges but IMO AA#7 will probably make you happy. (unfortunately HS-7 is also discontinued which was GREAT for those applications)

 

[Handyman163]

Alliant 2400 was $54/lb at my local store, and they're always the cheapest in the area. They usually match or beat online prices, and I notice everywhere online is sold out of 2400 currently. My last bottle was in April of this year (2023), and it was $40. I wasn't expecting a hike in price since April! The sticker shock is REAL!

I was, however, glad to see primers in stock, and that they've come down in price ($69.99 for Winchester small pistol and large pistol (WSP and WLP) and $84.99 for Federal SPP and LPP).

 

[Heymatt]

Question from a non reloader. I know it would vary based on caliber. How many rounds of say .45 ACP would a pound of powder make?

 

[AJ]

Question from a non reloader. I know it would vary based on caliber. How many rounds of say .45 ACP would a pound of powder make?

I usually use 3.5 grains of Bullseye per case. A pound of powder is 7,000 grains. So about 2000 rounds. I am punching paper with the pistol If using as a defense load would use more powder.

In .38 Special again punching paper. I use 2.8 grains of Bullseye and get about 2,500 rounds.