Where is all the reloading powder??

mdesc

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I've been searching the web looking for Winchester 231 powder and having no luck finding that or much of any other powder available for that matter. Anyone know whats going on or have any sources?
 
If you're in MA no one is going to give you a source for someone willing to sell reloading supplies via mail order...or ammo for that matter. The best you can hope for is someone posting that they've seen the powder you're looking for at a local shop.

As far as the shortage...huge demand, hoarding, companies changing hands. lots of reasons and don't expect it to get better anytime soon.
 
Expand your scope of desirable powder and look around. 231 is impossible to find, but I have bought HP38 quite easily. Unique, bullseye and red dot are all somewhat similar burn rate powders and have recipes for pistol calibers that will work in a pinch.

Here is a handy chart for when you go shopping:

http://www.lapua.com/upload/reloading/reloadingburningratechart2011.pdf

Chris
 
One of the issues is similar to what happened last December. Manufacturers and distributors were deluged with crazy orders essentially backordering everything under the sun... I was talking to a gun shop owner that was telling me about a discussion with a firearms rep. that other store owners were putting in orders for 200 Ar's at a time and it took the manufacturers/distributors some time to sort out the orders and impose limits and etc.

I contacted a major reloading supplier and had a similar conversation.

Manufacturers of Powder and components walk a fine line between excess production and underproduction. JIT inventory is cost effective, yet fragile. Anyone that has either studied or been in the manufacturing biz knows that both are near mortal sins that could result in future financial hardships. They know that the shortage/demand will peter out and then they would be left with an additional factory should they choose to open another facility (idle resources). Manufacturing of any type cannot be a knee jerk reaction to the extent of opening a new facility....

Consumer behavior plays a part in this as well. .22 ammo is a prime example. I know someone that anytime he sees .22 he buys as much as he can. He has more ammo than he could possibly shoot. This behavior is neither good nor bad, but I keep it in mind when I think of how people will react to life and death shortages.

I am currently looking to reload some .223 and have chosen A2230 to do so....I have not seen it in months in any quantity.
 
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Head north, Shooters outpost, Riley's, both in Hookset NH. I have had good luck at Kittery trading post and Cabela's Scarborough, Maine too.

I would call first, and expand your pick in powder, there are many that will make it go boom for you.
 
I would call first, and expand your pick in powder, there are many that will make it go boom for you.

^^^ This for sure since some places like Rileys still impose one container limits on powders. So you may drive over an hour each way only to find you come home with one pound of powder and it cost about as much as the gas burned to get it. Try Al's Gun & Reel in Derry first if you're heading north. He had lots of powders every time I've been there and no silly limits.
 
I haven't had too much of problem finding components or powder. If you are very specific about what you want you may have a hard time finding stuff. I buy the Alliant ARComp for .308 and .223 because I load mostly for two AR's I have. If I use .308 for anything else I know it will work just fine. Btw the powder comes with only one recipe for each caliber no variance printed on the recipe so it's tough to go wrong reloading. I did find someone that tried some different recipes with it but with the way my guns are performing there's no need for me to experiment. Last time I bought powder I got it from IDC in Clinton and they had to order it but it only took a week.
I have also used Ramshot they have recipes for every caliber on every powder they make. Each one does have specific calibers that they perform highly in and those are listed on their recipe lists in red for each one but overall this powder performs well too for what I have reloaded in 223 and .308.
http://www.ramshot.com/
 
Head north, Shooters outpost, Riley's, both in Hookset NH. I have had good luck at Kittery trading post and Cabela's Scarborough, Maine too.

I would call first, and expand your pick in powder, there are many that will make it go boom for you.

I scored two pounds of Win231 during the summer at Shooter's Outpost... If the OP calls around, he's sure to locate the powder at some point. Just a matter of how long the drive will be. [laugh] I didn't see any at SO the other weekend, but they had a LOT of other powders on the shelf.
 
Try Al's Gun & Reel in Derry first if you're heading north. He had lots of powders every time I've been there and no silly limits.

No limit to the jacked up prices either. My last purchase there was a pound of powder for $32.50 found the same stuff a week or two later at Shooters and Rileys for $25...
 
My issue is that I like to reload in bulk...8lbs of a2230 @25 gr only makes 2240 rounds of 223...so 280 per pound..I would rather wait till I can get the jugs for convenience and economics... I look forward to a time when powder is plentiful
 
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