Powder availability and reloading question.

[DartonJager]

Walked into my local Cabela's and saw 3 lbs of the rare as snake hips H4350 and in a purely impulse buy, as I don't presently have any reloads using it, I bought all three. Then it dawned on me once home. It is likely a very poor idea to invest the time, and component cost to develop a load using a powder like H4350 when it's availability was for the last 3 years and until very recently been non-existent. Same of other powders I'd love to try like H414 and Hybrid 100V all though not quite a rare as H4350 they still are not in stock with any regularity.

I know H414 and H/V100 and even H4350 can be had more regularly by way of mail order, but as we all know ordering powder through the mail is unless you order larger quantities is usually cost prohibitive.

So does it look like the ever rare Hodgdon powders like H4350 and Hybrid V100 will again become reliably available or not. or am I asking an question no one can answer?
Thanks,
Art.

 

[Dosh]

DJ, saw 80 one pounders of H4350 a couple weeks ago on a shelf locally. Still not convinced it will come back completely, but I bought one of the five eight pounders to feed 3 6.5 Creedmoors and a 30-06 for a while. Texted all my friends that reload to give them a heads up. I don't like to hoard, but can't condemn a guy for buying enough to last a couple years or one barrel life.

 

[jgal72]

I kind of did the same thing. Walked in sportsman warehouse. They had a 8 pounder of reloader 23 on sale for $129. I don't have any loads using it, but at that price I couldn't pass it up. Store employee said they weren't going to carry it anymore.

 

[Greyfox]

The availability of H4350 appears to be improving. Could be a combination of zhogdon responding to demand along with the PRS season. where it has been quite a popular powder, is slowing down for the winter months. Having been through shortages of quite a few powders and other products over the years(Varget, Retumbo, 22RF, etc).....they come and go. I wouldn't trade off choosing a particular powder if it delivered the best performance. I have had good luck acquiring H4350 over the last couple of months..... Hopefully the "hoarders" shut down which will speed up full availability.

 

[DartonJager]

Can anyone confirm a rumor I read that claimed Federal lost a large ammo contract with the U.S. military and the article stated that is going to move HODGDON to making powders that have been very difficult to find in stock much more readily available to the public. I wish I could recall what the source of the information was but I can not.

At present I'm getting outstanding accuracy with IMR4831 so I honestly doubt any powder can realistically give me a measurable improvement in the accuracy department. But I love to reload, (yes I really do) and I love to shoot even more so trying new powders is a opportunity for more of both.

 

[desertcj]

You never know what the future holds. I got into enough H1000 to shoot out a couple of barrels because of the debacle I witnessed over the past few years. Got to make hay while the sun is shining! Now I can afford to wait and get it when it's available.

 

[Greyfox]

I think this is the reason for for the high demand of H4350. ....particularly with the PRS guys.
This is a typical OCW/ladder for my 6.5x47L PRS load. A 1.2gr charge weight spread is within .5MOA at 200 yards(gusty 5MPH crosswind). My chosen load at 41.2gr shoots .25MOA at 2890FPS/ES <8FPS. Sub .5MOA at 1000 yards. No temperature variation from 40-85F. I have had different lots of H4350 powder produce just about identical results. 130gr Berger Hybrid, BR4 primer, Lapua Brass.

 

[g0rd0]

powder around here can be hit and miss (pardon the pun), and at some places so expensive that only the desparate will buy, So, when ever I see powder that I use or even think that I can use (at a good price), I buy it without hesitation

 

[jasonco]

It's not hoarding, when it all dries up and you can't find any. I didn't even attempt to use/develop H4350 for my 2 Creedmoors, RL17 is plentiful.
I bought the last 8# Retumbo from my local Sportsmans W. for my 6.5x284, 300 RUM and 28 Nosler rifles...JIC.

 

[Rich Coyle]

Buying what you need is hardly hording. When I see something I will use I buy it.

 

[Axl]

My LGS had a few cases of H4350 last week so i bought some then I bought my first 6.5 Creedmoor, one of the Cabelas savages.

 

[Rich Coyle]

My LGS had a few cases of H4350 last week so i bought some then I bought my first 6.5 Creedmoor, one of the Cabelas savages.

Let use know how it does, please.

 

[Garycrow]

I never was a hoarder but I surely got tired of not being able to find powders that I'd worked up loads with during the last Obama generated component crisis. Now I pretty much buy enough powder, brass, and bullets to wear out a barrel when I settle on a load. It was REALLY a PITA having to rework my loads constantly because I couldn't find powder. Never again.

 

[Greyfox]

I never was a hoarder but I surely got tired of not being able to find powders that I'd worked up loads with during the last Obama generated component crisis. Now I pretty much buy enough powder, brass, and bullets to wear out a barrel when I settle on a load. It was REALLY a PITA having to rework my loads constantly because I couldn't find powder. Never again.

I wouldn't consider buying enough powder to wear out a barrel hoarding.