My question is not actually powder or primer specific, its more brand specific.
Seems to me, just anecdotally, not in any scientific methodology or statistically significant way, I have noticed that for powders
the Old Western Brands (Now a Hodgdon Brand) , like Accurate, and Ramshot, have done a better job of keeping supply up, along with Vihtavuori, and Shooter's World.
IMR which is now a Hodgdon brand has been sort of in the middle ---right after those above, and those below.
Some of the one's that have really been missing in action or even KIA until more recently maybe last month or two were Hodgdon and Alliant.
I still haven't seen much if any Norma, Nobel/Vectan, they are defintely gone awol.
As for Primers, I would say CCI has done the best job of being available especially on rifle primers.
Federal maybe next best but more on pistol primers than rifle primers?
I have seen only sporadic Remington (mostly 9 1/2 rifle primers) and almost no Winchester primers.
Now on Hodgdon powders that are the branded ones, not Accurate, Ramshot, or IMR, maybe part of the problem is popularity and demand is just
higher for those, like Varget, Retumbo, H4350, H1000 and few others??? But, there has definitely been less supply than for the Accurate, Ramshot, and IMR brands--- all under the same roof at Hodgdon too??? Come on Hodgdon???
Alliant seems like they have some good powders, but I ain't hardly seen no reloder powders in stock anywhere except in spurts and fits and starts??
If this keeps up, seems like Alliant in particular and maybe Hodgdon Extreme powders are gonna end up losing market share to
substiutes like Accurate Magpro, Ramshot Magnum, Shooter's World Precision Rifle Powder, the Vihtavuori's like N560, N565, N570 and new N568,
IMR 4350, IMR 4955, IMR8133 and others.
I would love to just stick with Vihtavuori's if they metered better for me. (I seem to be the only one who has trouble metering the chunky monkey's.)
On the primer side of things, looks to me like CCI has to be taking market share from Federal and others. Most of the supply lately especially for rifle
primers seems to be predominantly CCI. So, lots of shooters may be having to spend time doing some load re-development with different primers, the ones they can get, not the one's they used to use??
This also begs the question whether there will be any long term "new entrants" into the powder and primer business?
I see Midwest Powders trying to enter in some fashion with a few powder selections. I know this must not be an attractive business in
the United States with all of our laws, regulations, and the current administration's stance on firearms, and a lot of our powders are already made offshore as in most of Hodgdon's Extreme powders coming from Australia. (When's the last time ANYBODY saw any Trail Boss for sale????)
I'm just glad some Varget and Retumbo came through lately.
Maybe someone will begin manufacturing powder and primers in some offshore locations and we can get some more imports?
This whole subject is one I think the NRA and like firearms industry lobbying and 2nd Amendment Lobbying organizations need to take up
with the industry and any new participants that desire to establish new manufacturing capacity either in the U.S. or outside of it. I'm sure
there is a reason Western Powder was and is in Montana. It ain't gonna happen in Connecticut or Massachusetts, or any of the places where the firearms industry in this country was born and matured. The industry now is relegated to maybe parts of the Midwest, the South, Southwest, and West "excepting the Left Coast".
We live in interesting times, and seems like supplies are gonna stay tight. We might all need a plan B. Plan A is sure a hard road to hoe.
Any Chemists in the House?
Seems to me, just anecdotally, not in any scientific methodology or statistically significant way, I have noticed that for powders
the Old Western Brands (Now a Hodgdon Brand) , like Accurate, and Ramshot, have done a better job of keeping supply up, along with Vihtavuori, and Shooter's World.
IMR which is now a Hodgdon brand has been sort of in the middle ---right after those above, and those below.
Some of the one's that have really been missing in action or even KIA until more recently maybe last month or two were Hodgdon and Alliant.
I still haven't seen much if any Norma, Nobel/Vectan, they are defintely gone awol.
As for Primers, I would say CCI has done the best job of being available especially on rifle primers.
Federal maybe next best but more on pistol primers than rifle primers?
I have seen only sporadic Remington (mostly 9 1/2 rifle primers) and almost no Winchester primers.
Now on Hodgdon powders that are the branded ones, not Accurate, Ramshot, or IMR, maybe part of the problem is popularity and demand is just
higher for those, like Varget, Retumbo, H4350, H1000 and few others??? But, there has definitely been less supply than for the Accurate, Ramshot, and IMR brands--- all under the same roof at Hodgdon too??? Come on Hodgdon???
Alliant seems like they have some good powders, but I ain't hardly seen no reloder powders in stock anywhere except in spurts and fits and starts??
If this keeps up, seems like Alliant in particular and maybe Hodgdon Extreme powders are gonna end up losing market share to
substiutes like Accurate Magpro, Ramshot Magnum, Shooter's World Precision Rifle Powder, the Vihtavuori's like N560, N565, N570 and new N568,
IMR 4350, IMR 4955, IMR8133 and others.
I would love to just stick with Vihtavuori's if they metered better for me. (I seem to be the only one who has trouble metering the chunky monkey's.)
On the primer side of things, looks to me like CCI has to be taking market share from Federal and others. Most of the supply lately especially for rifle
primers seems to be predominantly CCI. So, lots of shooters may be having to spend time doing some load re-development with different primers, the ones they can get, not the one's they used to use??
This also begs the question whether there will be any long term "new entrants" into the powder and primer business?
I see Midwest Powders trying to enter in some fashion with a few powder selections. I know this must not be an attractive business in
the United States with all of our laws, regulations, and the current administration's stance on firearms, and a lot of our powders are already made offshore as in most of Hodgdon's Extreme powders coming from Australia. (When's the last time ANYBODY saw any Trail Boss for sale????)
I'm just glad some Varget and Retumbo came through lately.
Maybe someone will begin manufacturing powder and primers in some offshore locations and we can get some more imports?
This whole subject is one I think the NRA and like firearms industry lobbying and 2nd Amendment Lobbying organizations need to take up
with the industry and any new participants that desire to establish new manufacturing capacity either in the U.S. or outside of it. I'm sure
there is a reason Western Powder was and is in Montana. It ain't gonna happen in Connecticut or Massachusetts, or any of the places where the firearms industry in this country was born and matured. The industry now is relegated to maybe parts of the Midwest, the South, Southwest, and West "excepting the Left Coast".
We live in interesting times, and seems like supplies are gonna stay tight. We might all need a plan B. Plan A is sure a hard road to hoe.
Any Chemists in the House?
