Bye Bye Bullseye

I will never really understand powder companies. Trail Boss has been unavailable since, I think, around 2020. I emailed Hogdon in early 2023 and they said it will be available late 2023. Then available in mid 2024 per another email. Here we are in 2025, no Trail Boss. I went on Hogdon's site and they list it for 120 for five pounds, but unavailable. So, I assume, that was around 2020 pricing. The thing that makes me wonder is that all these powder companies introduce new powders, many of which are discontinued shortly thereafter, or are unavailable from the start. To me, it is like selling chocolate chip cookies using sweet morsles, and selling all they can make...then change and only make with semi-sweet morsels, and sales plummet, so they discontinue those also. I have never owned a business, but I always thought the best way to succeed is to make and sell a product that everyone wants. So if everyone seems to want Trail Boss, Bullseye, Unique, 5544(my favorite for 45-70), then I would think the smart business move is to manufacture those, not introduce new ones. All powders use the same basic ingredients, so if you can manufacture a new one, you can manufacture current ones.
 
.38SuperMan said:
I agree AA2 is a good replacement and as you say cleaner and not position sensitive. AA2 has become my go to powder for 38 special along with Accurate Nitro 100NF which is a little faster than Bullseye and cleaner and not position sensitive. And as you stated it's a mild recoil powder. I wouldn't have believed that powders could exhibit different recoil characteristics with comparable loads but there's a noticeable difference.

I still have 2.5 LB of Bullseye and still use it in my 32 Long cartridges but when I run out I'll start using AA2.
Click to expand...

IMR 7625 works better than Bullseye in 32 Long but it really is a discontinued powder. I've tried both. AA2 looks like a good replacement.
 
reddog81 said:
I'm pretty sure Midwayusa website updates items to discontinued once they aren't available for a certain time. It has nothing to do with manufacturer and.
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No Alliant is not longer selling to us little people anymore
Some BS about a shortage of Nitro cellulose.
 
Mike said:
..........ALSO GONE.......2400---Unique--Reddot--Greendot---------All our old favorites.......VERY sad day
Click to expand...

I assume you're being sarcastic.

From Alliant's site...

Handgun powders Alliant Powder - Handgun
Shotgun powders Alliant Powder - Shotshell

Rule3 said:
No Alliant is not longer selling to us little people anymore
Some BS about a shortage of Nitro cellulose.
Click to expand...

Somebody better tell their webmaster. They're still spending a ton on a website advertising their powders.
I guess somebody didn't get the memo.
 
Last edited:
BC38 said:
I assume you're being sarcastic.

From Alliant's site...

Handgun powders Alliant Powder - Handgun
Shotgun powders Alliant Powder - Shotshell



Somebody better tell their webmaster. They're still spending a ton on a website advertising their powders.
I guess somebody didn't get the memo.
Click to expand...

Adds from mfgr...........Go try to buy some and report back.....With your empty sack.
 
I used to use Bullseye in everything. Because I was young and broke. Then I found out other powders worked cleaner and yielded better results - for a bit more money.

I started reloading 45 years ago. I started with Bullseye and still have maybe 2 3/4 pounds of it. Maybe I will use it someday but there are a lot of other powders that are cleaner and better for the job. Those are the ones I have a lot of.
 
Discontinued by Midway USA simple means that Midway USA will no longer carry that product, it does not necessarily mean the manufacturing of that product has ended. Vista Outdoors knows where their bread is being buttered and the best butter comes from the government and those military-industrial complex contracts. If the never ending wars come to an end, I expect we will see a return of civilian consumer powders and primers.
 
stansdds said:
Discontinued by Midway USA simple means that Midway USA will no longer carry that product, it does not necessarily mean the manufacturing of that product has ended. Vista Outdoors knows where their bread is being buttered and the best butter comes from the government and those military-industrial complex contracts. If the never ending wars come to an end, I expect we will see a return of civilian consumer powders and primers.
Click to expand...

It also makes Midway look better to it's customers to say "it is discontinued" than to say "we can't get it".
 
BE Mike said:
I imagine that it is temporarily discontinued, as a bunch of Alliant powders are right now. I predict a comeback!
Click to expand...

Yes ... A comback with a hefty Price Increase !

They do it every time... but you know what ... as much as I love Bullseye I can get by just fine with Zip , Red Dot , HP38 , 700X , W231 , AA #2 and Titegroup ... If I don't have Bullseye !

So ... if you want me to buy Bullseye ... the Price Needs to be Right ... We Got Options !
Gary
 
about time that discontinued, it never metered right, there are way way better powders for a fast pistol powder
 
I never had a problem with Bullseye metering well. Unique was more difficult with small charges due to its larger sized flakes.
 
GypsmJim said:
???

I have bought it for 50+ years because in my equipment it was the best metering powder.

So, what's better?
Click to expand...

Titegroup, W231, HS6, all excellent metering powders for highly accurate loads
 
I changed over to Vihtavuori N310 years ago, faster for sure but great for 45 ACP
 

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Arm said:
I changed over to Vihtavuori N310 years ago, faster for sure but great for 45 ACP
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It has been a popular powder for many years among bullseye pistol shooters, but it has always been much pricier than Bullseye. I hear that it is somewhat temperature sensitive, too.
 
gwpercle said:
Yes ... A comback with a hefty Price Increase !

They do it every time... but you know what ... as much as I love Bullseye I can get by just fine with Zip , Red Dot , HP38 , 700X , W231 , AA #2 and Titegroup ... If I don't have Bullseye !

So ... if you want me to buy Bullseye ... the Price Needs to be Right ... We Got Options !
Gary
Click to expand...
As you state, there are plenty of alternatives to Alliant Bullseye. Unfortunately Red Dot is hard to get right now too! As far as price increases, have you noticed how fast and how much the price of coffee has increased?
 
Went into a few different stores yesterday looking for trimmer pilots. I noticed none of the stores I went to had any Bullseye powder. One store had a small sign that said "no longer available". I checked with Brownells, Midway, Graf and Sons, Powder Valley, Natchez and a few other places and none had Bullseye powder. It doesn't take a genius to see what the status of Bullseye is. Draw your own conclusions.

Rick H.
 
GypsmJim said:
???

I have bought it for 50+ years because in my equipment it was the best metering powder.

So, what's better?
Click to expand...
From an accuracy standpoint ...

There are a few powders almost as good ...

But ain't NO Powder ... Better than Bullseye !

You can meter any powder if you know the tricks of the trade !

If you want easy metering ... look at Accurate Arms #2
and Accurate Arms #5 !

Gary
 
oysterer said:
Titegroup, W231, HS6, all excellent metering powders for highly accurate loads
Click to expand...

I switched over to W231 in recent years, but only because of availability of Bullseye. I admit it meters well. The R Squared value for my Powder Dispenser's calibration cure is 99.99.

But the Bullseye value is 99.8, so in comparison there is really no practical difference.
 
I went through many 8 lb kegs of Bullseye when I was shooting Trap. Very good for light 1 oz 12 gauge loads plus I used it in handgun loads. Bullseye has never been one of my favorite powders for hand gun loads because of the filthy residue it leaves on the gun that ends up on your hands. Titegroup load data is basically identical with Bullseye. It is cheaper, available and more user friendly. I bought several lbs of Titegroup before the pandemic when prices were low. If Bullseye is gone handloaders will adapt.
 
GypsmJim said:
I switched over to W231 in recent years, but only because of availability of Bullseye. I admit it meters well. The R Squared value for my Powder Dispenser's calibration cure is 99.99.

But the Bullseye value is 99.8, so in comparison there is really no practical difference.
Click to expand...

One thing I like about the W231/HP38 in the Lee Autodisk. The holes are almost perfect match for the powder. .30 is 3.0 grains etc, .32 is 3.2 etc.

Rosewood
 
BC38 said:
TEMPORARILY. When the nitrocellulose shortage eases up, they'll be back. I'd bet my bottom dollar.
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Since China was our major supplier, and now they have cut us off, I'm not holding my breath.

It doesn't matter what product we are talking about, we NEED to go back to making stuff in the good old USA.

And on another topic, now that Vista Outdoors is no longer a USA company, what will be the outcome of that?

(just wondering, I have no knowledge, just fears)
 
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