Pistol Powder

[Big Cholla]

Most powders originated for use in shot shell loading are also pretty good in most pistols. I went to the local trap range where I knew they kept supplies in stock for the trap shooters. I picked up an 8# jug of Universal Clays and could have gotten other shotgun powders at the time. The only problem is that the 8# jug size seems to be all they carry. I load all my straight wall pistol calibers using Universal Clays. ......... Big Cholla

 

[NJM15]

Managed to get 2lbs IMR 4756 at a gun shop in PA I live in NJ 25.95 ea and 2000 CCI 11/2 primers for 35.00 per ea. So far I have only used HS6 and American Select but you have to shoot what you can find. Called him first I said hold them for me, he said I have plenty

 

[robertrwalsh]

Last month I scored six pounds at a gun show at a very reasonable price (approx. $26 per pound). Unique and Green Dot. It is loosening up but supply is spotty.

 

[David R]

I am lucky

I was ahead of the game before the shortage so I can coast until it comes up again at a reasonable price. For powder I could go a couple more years. Primers? Nope, almost out of large pistol.

I think folks are going to re discover or find out that Red dot, Green dot and a few others really are good powders at a reasonable price. I think I paid sixty something dollars for my last 8 lb jug of Promo. I will buy another one and tuck it away when I get the chance.

I mostly load 38 and 45.

Johnsons in Lockport have some powders in stock.

David

 

[bbqncigars]

Local availability is spotty on powders. Some powders (like Varget & Unique) haven't been seen for months. Most shotgun powders have been snapped up by pistol shooters. It's really hurting the newbie reloaders.

 

[Jboutfishn]

What Bugkiller said.

 

[oldillini]

Just started reloading late fall last year. Although I have not found time to run more than a few hundred rounds I have been keeping my eyes open for powder. Just picked up 4# of 700X couple weeks ago. Have probably 10# of other pistol powders. Most has been found at a small LGS about 40 miles from me.

 

[rwsmith]

Advice that I've been giving.....

Get ALL the data on ALL of the powders suitable for your caliber that you can. Make a list, most suitable powder at the top, to least suitable below. When you find ANY of these powders, buy a couple of pounds.

The way things have been I may try to figure out how to use Bulleye in my 30-06.

Thanks to a tip from a friend I did score a couple pounds of 4895 rifle powder today. Recently I've found bits of faster and slower pistol powders here and there, but I want something medium, like Unique or Accurate #5. These seem hard or impossible for anyone to find. A FEW people say their stores are awash in all kinds of powder but not anywhere I know of.

 

[redcar]

I found 8lbs of red dot and 1 lb of bullseye at sportsmans and they have more.

 

[novalty]

If you aren't too attached to both of your kidneys, you can purchase some off of Gunbroker.

 

[lhump1961]

Somewhat lucky here in the Midwest most of the time. Dad still works his farm in SD (he's 73!) and he knows most every little out of the way place in the state and they know him. I called and said I was getting low on Power Pistol...he called the next day and wanted to know what else I wanted since he was out and about! The only thing the little shop didn't have was .22's.

 

[jmmitc06]

The lack of powder must be on a region-by-region basis. Here in Louisville, KY finding powder is not difficult. Shooter's supply regularly has Alliant products although finding a particular Alliant powder in stock on a given day is roughly 80% successful but the classics like Unique, 2400 are pretty easy (exception being bullseye, seems its the hardest alliant powder to find around here). I use almost exclusively Alliant for most reloading but the other manufacturers are here too. I heard last time at shooter's that Alliant was changing up distributors so that might be a factor. Is that you all can't find powder or is finding powder at a reasonable price in your areas? I'm curious as for as long as I've been reloading which is over a year now (can't have powder and guns in dorms lol) I haven't had an issue.

As for which powder to pick, get a reloading manual and look and see which powders produce the results you want. I have a two paradigm approach to selecting powders. The first is trying to find a set of loads with adequate performance using a small subset of powders (e.g. Unique has nice integer grain loads in most calibers I reload so I have a Unique load for almost every handgun and .303). Find a place with a good price on Unique and I am set and I use these generic formulas for mass reloads for fun-only shooting. The second is finding the absolute best powder for performance which was bullseye in 45acp, powerpistol or 3N37 (147gr. only) in 9mm which I use for target or group shooting. I started with the second but have became a bigger fan of jack-of-all-trades powders the more I've gotten into it. If I could do it over again, I would have started with unique (or other gen. purpose powder) and diversified if the performance was inadequate. Also, without knowing the firearms they are being shot in, that made a big impact on my selection. The M&P hated 9mm bullseye (no surprise) recoil was larger, group size was larger but it loved power pistol whereas the Astra 600/43 loved bullseye 9mm.

 

[RussellD]

Went to the Birmingham gun show this morning. Pistol Powders were there. Saw AA#5,7,9, Bullseye, Power Pistol and others. Prices were not too bad. I picked up a couple pounds at $22 per pound.

 

[Bugkiller99]

Somewhat lucky here in the Midwest most of the time. Dad still works his farm in SD (he's 73!) and he knows most every little out of the way place in the state and they know him. I called and said I was getting low on Power Pistol...he called the next day and wanted to know what else I wanted since he was out and about! The only thing the little shop didn't have was .22's.

Whoa!!! Gotta love your Dad for that. Don't let my son read this thread.

 

[scooter123]

Hit a local gun show this morning and had some success.

Came how with 1 lbs. of Winchester 296 and 2 lbs. of CFE Pistol. The 296 will prove useful for 158 grain and heavier 357 Magnum and brings my total for H110/296 up to 3 lbs. That should last me for at least a year, perhaps more. Last months show I managed to score 4 lbs. of Accurate #9 which works perfectly with 140 grain XTP's. So, I'm pretty well set up for 357 Magnums for at least 2 years.

Also picked up 2 lbs. of Hodgdon CFE Pistol, a powder that is new to me. However having read up on it and having looked at Hodgdon's load data it appears to be a near match to Accurate #5, one of my favorite all around powders. May have to go back tomorrow and pick up another 2 lbs..

 

[MasterTech1960]

I really like Universal Clays for my pistols. I am heading out to try to find some next weekend . Still have 2lbs but when your out it is not the time to look. I try to stay ahead if I can.

 

[fredj338]

Powder is getting out. My lgs got in some bullseye, pp & red dot. Ufortunately, they have chosen to rape their customers, so I won't buy. At $225/8# jug, they can keep it. It certainly is location driven. Hopefully things get better by years end.

 

[X Ring]

I saw this coming and stocked up. I have 42lbs of powder and 48k primers. Bullseye, Power Pistol, W231, Red Dot, AA2imp, IMR 4064, IMR 3031, BLC(2), and more. I don't know what I would do if I hadn't stocked up. Just hope its over before I run out.

 

[JBnTx]

I saw this coming and stocked up. I have 42lbs of powder and 48k primers. Bullseye, Power Pistol, W231, Red Dot, AA2imp, IMR 4064, IMR 3031, BLC(2), and more. I don't know what I would do if I hadn't stocked up. Just hope its over before I run out.

Will you actually shoot all that powder, or are you just hoarding it all up so no one else can have it?

How did you know this was coming?

 

[gm272gs]

Every time there's a Presidential election there's panic that the "gubmint's gonna take our gunz away". I saw it coming, too.

It doesn't matter who gets elected. People are irrational. If people were rational - there wouldn't be a .22LR shortage - there would be a 12ga. #8 shot, shotshell shortage.

"Ya can't trace shot from a shotgun, Murray!"