Why can’t I find Hodgdon powders?

[Engineering101]

I was getting a bit frustrated as to why I haven't been able to find any H4350 and some others so I thought I'd check Hodgdon's website. I found out that it is YOUR FAULT! Here is what they say on the Hodgdon website.

As you have seen, ammunition and reloading components – including all Hodgdon powders – are hard to find. Dealer shelves that used to hold cans of powder are empty. Here are answers to your questions straight from Hodgdon.

Q: Are you still making powders?

A: We are shipping more powder this year than we shipped last year. We are shipping as fast as the powder is available. The real problem why you are seeing empty shelves is demand. The demand for powder (and all ammunition and components) is far greater than the supply from the manufacturers. We just cannot make enough to feed this demand right now. No one wants to ship more during this time than we do.

Q: Are you still in business?

A: Yes, Hodgdon is here for the long haul. We are doing everything we can to supply our powders. Dealer's shelves are empty because powders are being purchased as soon as they arrive at the Dealer's stores.

Q: What is causing this high demand?

A: The current political climate can have the regulatory consequence of impacting law abiding, hard working shooters and hunters. This has caused extremely high demand on all shooting industry products resulting in empty shelves, long back-orders, and on-line auction sites asking exaggerated prices.

Q: I have seen/heard many rumors and conjecture on the cause of this powder shortage.

A: If you do not hear it from Hodgdon Powder Company please don't believe it.

Q: Is the shortage of reloading powder being caused by Hodgdon shipping their powder to the ammunition manufacturing companies?

A: No. While we do sell to some ammunition manufacturing companies, we continue to sell over 80% of our powder to handloaders just like you. Hodgdon has always been committed to the individual handloader.

Q: When will I start to see more powder on Dealer shelves?

A: This level of demand will not last forever. As soon as demand slows a little we will start making headway into our backlog.

 

[Garycrow]

Well, I hate to say it but it's true!

Since this mess started with Obama's gun control push I bought enough Varget to last me for a couple of years. It's a good thing too because the shipment of Varget I bought from Powder Valley was last April. I haven't seen it anywhere since until last week when my local gun shop got about 10# in stock, it's gone now.

I never was a stockpiler before, if I needed components I bought enough for a couple of months then came back and bought more when I needed it. That's out the window now, if you don't get it while it's there it could be a year or more before you see it again. The choice is to either buy more than you immediately need or face the possibility of not being able to shoot for a year or more, it's a pretty easy choice.

I can tell you that if this mess ever abates I won't be caught in this position again, at least with the rifles I shoot the most. When they become available I'll lay in enough powder and bullets to wear out the barrels of my favorite rifles. I'm not going to let another neo-communist president shut down my target shooting or prairie dog hunting trips again.

 

[AZShooter]

Like Gary said, "I can tell you that if this mess ever abates I won't be caught in this position again."

Not sure if it affected others but Tucson's primer supply dried up when Obama was first elected. We all got caught scrambling for primers. I vowed that I wouldn't be caught in that position again.

When he was re-elected I went out and bought several 8 lb containers of powder and several bricks of primers! I told my friends and some did the same.

Can't tell you the number of guys who came to me in the last two years asking for help making more loaded ammo and not knowing that their favorite components were very hard to find. We managed to find substitutes or in some rare cases found the correct components.

It seems that anyone that is considering buying a rifle or changing to a new chambering must find the components or ammo FIRST then proceed.

I am still amazed that brass is so hard to find.

As for hodgdon powder.....I called them and they gave me some distributor's names. Called the distributors and they gave me individual stores. I called several stores and finally found 4 lb of retumbo. I REALLY needed it as it wasn't anywhere to be found and willingly paid 27.50 per lb AND the hazmat fee plus shipping. Sure the price was high but I now have the powder.

Seems these days we are doing more on line "hunting" than we do in the field.

 

[morcey2]

It's definitely getting better around here, but it's still hit-or-miss. I've been able to stock up a little on Varget, H4895, IMR4064, and Clays. I'm still low on H4350 but it is around. My timing has just been off a little when it comes to hitting the shops at the right time.

There is lots of IMR7828 around along with other relatively slow Hodgdon/IMR powders.

Matt

 

[Dosh]

My primary powders used are H1000, H4831SC and Retumbo. I have found all 3 locally since I refuse to pay shipping/hazmat fees. Yes, I am also guilty. I purchased enough components to outlast the current "monarchy". Yes, my friends did not actively search for components when they were in stock locally and complained miserably when they could not find them with a short trip to the nearest shop. Finally HELL YES I will remember this BS come time to vote.

 

[AZShooter]

Dosh,

If you buy 8 lbs you may beat the prices at your local store. The last powder I ordered was 8 lbs of US 869. Total cost was $199 which included shipping and hazmat. That breaks down to $24.88 per pound.

Here in Tucson a pound is a minimum of $27.50 plus sales tax for a total right around $31. Some stores are higher. Just saying.....

 

[straightshooter]

What gets me is the Obama admin. Has not been able to restrict anything firearm related, but everyone is panicking. Why? We are creating an inflated market. Costs are going up with demand and when the demand returns to normal the prices never seem to get back. All we are doing is shooting ourself in the foot. Fear has always been the tool used to drive consumption. Remember Y2K. What I want to know is how many extra jobs have been created, and how many more factories have been built to catch this market demand?

 

[BRIT]

Hodgdon Powder, when you can find any, is Retailing here in UK at about £45. That is around the $67 per 1lb tub.

Brit.

 

[dig]

Pretty simple, micro economics. It's funny to listen to the idiots at gun shops with the conspiracy theories about this and that. In a year or so there will be an abundance of powder and price competition. Basic economics.

 

[cowboy]

In a year or so there will be an abundance of powder and price competition. Basic economics.

I hope you are correct but I said that a year ago about 22LR ammo also.

 

[Creedmoor shooter]

My dad scored on three pounds of H4350 today. We have been looking for a long time for it for our Creedmoors and finally found some at one of our local gun shops

 

[Garycrow]

In a year or so there will be an abundance of powder and price competition. Basic economics.

We all said the same thing a year ago and it's still impossible to find the bullets I shoot the most. How many years are you willing to wait for that abundance to hit so you can scoop up components at fire sale prices and make all the hoarders look foolish?

A year ago I bought 1000 6mm 105 Amaxs when Powder Valley got a shipment in, I hadn't seen them for months before that and felt silly for ordering that many. I was sure the glut was about to end. Here it is a year later and those were the last 105 Amaxs I've seen for sale since that time. My buddy and I have been able to shoot during that time though.

Maybe this mess will end tomorrow, but I'll not bet on it. A year ago I said surely it couldn't last another year, but it has. The sandy hook shooting was in November 2012 and this has been going on since then, almost a year and a half. Just watch, as soon as the component shortage eases some idiot will go on another shooting spree and we'll be right back into it.

 

[dig]

Shotgun shells were scarce a year ago, now the are fairly abundant. Bullets have become way more available, primers are available (remember when these were impossible to find). Loaded ammo is coming back and prices have come down. There will always be specialty items that are harder to come by, that most popular of the month bullet, that new cedar aged scotch but all in its supply and demand. They will produce more and we will reach equilibrium. We have certainly seen the elasticity of demand play out with .22 cartridges the massive supply is certainly not being consumed.

 

[mustang58]

This happened once before but mainly with primers. They were almost impossible to find. I took heed and didn't get caught this time. I have heard the number for the amount of powder that Hodgden is importing and it is unbelievable that it could be in short supply.