Powder shortage effects

[Whitworth]

I will NEVER use subs, already bought 100 lbs of kno3 and planted a willow tree

I guess patience is a virtue when it comes to your future charcoal. I got well stocked up on powder and caps when I sensed things were starting to look bad. The old Boy Scout motto of "Be prepared" has served me well for nearly 60 years. YMMV

 

[Khufu]

The neighbor has a willow tree, which I have offered to prune for free, I just want my own.

 

[Crow-Feather]

I have a half pound of goex 2f left. I also have 3 pounds of goex 3f I have not tried out of my .54 gpr yet. I may buy a pound or two of pyrodex p just to have on hand in case things go bad. Better to shoot a substitute than not shoot at all I guess.

I usually shoot 3f in my 54 for targets. I only use 2f for hunting.

 

[William Lincoln]

Stocking up is common sense---but please do not hoard. say , if you shoot two lbs
a year ,then 10 lbs is plenty. There are bigger users who need much more. I expect
that the possession limits will be changed. Fire marshalls set the limits in Florida.
Powder will loosen up and supplies return. This is capitalism. Demand creates
supply.

 

[mmb617]

Not for me. Started making my own home grown. Only used in shop experiments so far. None through a gun. But generally, it seems to be a good replacement. looks like the burn rate is a little slower, but I'm still playing with my mix. Generally, I'd say the fellows reporting the need to up the powder dose 10-20% are right on target. So I'm making mine AND it's fun. Just another aspect to our sport.

I'm making my own too and have run a couple hundred rounds of it through my flintlocks. I think I'm squared away in regards to supply shortages now. If my powder is any slower than commercial I can't tell. It seems just as fast. I don't think it's any dirtier either. Chronograph testing does say it's slightly less powerful but not enough to bother me.

I agree it's fun making it. I'll probably spend a lot of time this winter building my stockpile.

 

[tom in nc]

My brother-in-law owns a vineyard & winery. I've asked him to save me the clippings when he prunes the grape vines. I understand that grape prunings make good charcoal.

 

[appalichian hunter]

William Lincoln, nice thought but I think you may be mistaken, the good old days are gone. If you find it buy it and buy it now. Supply and demand has nothing yoo do with it, it is control of everything pertaining too the arts of shooting.

 

[Boston Bill]

I have a half pound of goex 2f left. I also have 3 pounds of goex 3f I have not tried out of my .54 gpr yet. I may buy a pound or two of pyrodex p just to have on hand in case things go bad. Better to shoot a substitute than not shoot at all I guess.

Good idea!!!

 

[Jeffro67]

Roll, Corn & Granulate my own. Uncle Jeffro's WunderBlack. No need for shortages & Crazy high prices plus Hazmat & shipping of that Commercial stuff. It's no better than mine.

 

[fillwa]

I just roll with the flow. There are times that flint suppliers are Out Of Stock, other times the caliber of RB I need is Out Of Stock, same goes for powder. I eventually find what I need and place an order. I don’t hoard up, I stock up constrained by budget and leave it to providence.

 

[Okie Hog]

i don't have a powder shortage, there's oodles of Black MZ, Pyrodex and Triple Seven. Although i refuse to use the stuff, there's several cans of black powder too.

 

[Zapadach]

Not for me. Started making my own home grown. Only used in shop experiments so far. None through a gun. But generally, it seems to be a good replacement. looks like the burn rate is a little slower, but I'm still playing with my mix. Generally, I'd say the fellows reporting the need to up the powder dose 10-20% are right on target. So I'm making mine AND it's fun. Just another aspect to our sport.

I make it 8 ounces at a time for safety sake and it works just fine. It is not only satisfying but liberating as well. Just like growing your own vegetables.

 

[johnfrommd]

To make my BP last longer, I use 20gn BP and 45 gns of Pyro Rifle or 40 grains of Pyro P and it gives me the same POI as 60 grains of BP in my Flintlocks. Many stores do not want to stock BP due to the small amount of people wanting it and the regulatory cost of storing it.

 

[MTMountainman]

I make it 8 ounces at a time for safety sake and it works just fine. It is not only satisfying but liberating as well. Just like growing your own vegetables.

I do the same. I am behind on wetting, corning and grading right now. I have about 2 lbs. of the milled powder setting in a tupperware container waiting for the final process.

 

[Doc]

There’s no reason for anyone to use subs. Schuetzen is readily available and shoots and cleans up very similar to Goex. And yet we also have Swiss which is about 10% hotter and shoots cleaner than Goex. Yes they both cost a bit more than Goex did, but so does gasoline and food. We’ll just have to live with these new products until/if/when Goex is hopefully back. Doc,

 

[user 48702]

Travelers in Texas is still showing their Travelers Schuetzen 2F and 3F in stock for $17 lb., same price I paid for it over a month ago. If Schuetzen is available cheaper anywhere else it would be nice to know. Since I've always had to order powder for years, might as well buy a decent powder at a decent price. Closest stocking Goex dealer to us prior to its closing was over 150 miles away and their Goex was $21.50 per pound back at the first of the year. My order for Travelers Schutzen including hazmat was under $20 per pound, delivered to the door. That's cheaper than what I was paying, so my wallet is very happy.

 

[stephenprops1]

My club sells both Schweitzer and Swiss. Great stuff.

Yiu will only be able to buy from your club as long as they can acquire powder.

 

[William Lincoln]

Well if we all hoard, then there will not be any for others. Also buying crazy
amounts will raise the eyebrows of the watchers. Like Ben Franklin advised,
moderation in all things

 

[Cattywompuss]

William Lincoln, nice thought but I think you may be mistaken, the good old days are gone. If you find it buy it and buy it now. Supply and demand has nothing yoo do with it, it is control of everything pertaining too the arts of shooting.

This is generally untrue. I sell guns. And I see this every election cycle. Its a culture of fear imbued for the purposes of getting money and votes. The Goex situation makes perfect business sense to Hodgdon. And to me. We are the smallest subset of the shooting population. Except for consumers of low pressure short vintage style shotguns shells. That is really a drop in the bucket, but BP shooters are very close behind. Manufacturers don't owe us products that don't make them money. And BP/trad MLing is not a cash cow. Ask any custom builder.

I always laugh at the people who come into the shop who say "I bet sales are up cause of that ***** in the Whitehouse/cause of them looters/cause of the ATF". They look shocked when I say, nope, that was last year. We'll have a small rush next year, then another big one in 24. It's as predictable as seagulls when you throw a chip on the beach.

 

[Cattywompuss]

This fear folks have is a simple sign that the MLer community is made up of the same humans as every other part of the world, i.e. folks who want ALL the toilet paper.