The end of black powder?

[Tinker2]

The reason that black powder is hard to get locally is that it is easy to order & have delivered in bulk by UPS.

The local dealers can’t make any money selling it when we can get it at the same prices. They must have a special powder magazine and license [ tax ] to sell it. To much of a hassle to deal with they tell me. I even offered to pay for the powder magazine for them.

Our black powder club would buy and distribute BP to it’s members.
So the local shops quit carrying it, the club folded up. Insurance and the like.

There is only one place in my state that sells BP. The local gun shop still will sell me flints but it is only because it is old stock that they have had a long time.

If you can afford to buy in bulk great, If you can’t or you are just starting out, you are out of luck. It doesn’t pay to sell traditional muzzleloading supplies. Zip guns and subs, yes. :barf:

It’s against the law for me/us to give any of our BP to someone who is thinking about getting into traditional muzzleloading. How are we going to encourage new people into our sport?

I think we will see the end of black powder in the years to come.
I hope not.

Comments?

The Oracle, Prophet and Soothsayer.
Tinker2

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

The place that I get my black powder has 3 Magazines. They pay $150.00 per year on each for the license. During the Summer they can't buy it fast enough, and often run out of powder. This store is over 90 miles from my house, but we manage to get there often enough.

I'm not a Gloom & Doom kind of guy. I just make things happen, and stay happy doing it that way! There are lots of magazines out there in circulation with ads to sell black powder, some with a 5 can minimum, so I really don't see a big problem. The math is quite simple: 5 pounds for say $15.00 each = $75 + $25 for hazmat = $100, which is the SAME as buying it across the counter at $20 per pound and paying the sales tax of 6%! (just checked Powder, Inc. web site by typing in "where to buy black powder". 5 pounds for $21.35 a pound, includes shipping and hazmat!) So where's the big problem??

Dave

 

[ebiggs1]

Dave I suppose the difference is, “So where's the big problem??”. How you define that statement. What is the definition of “big”? I would much rather run up the 15 miles to Bass Pro and buy a pound for $20 bucks. The alternative is to Inet order 5 lb min, wait for UPS to sign and pay $100+ bucks. Not impossible but definitely a problem.

 

[ozark57]

I don't see the a big problem with ordering powder. In an economic sense, getting 5 lbs. delivered for $100 is not much. If you drive to bass pro you will spend more. They will mix the 5lbs. and you can get Swiss. Five minutes at www.powderinc.com and you are done. Few days later you are picking it off the porch. As far as going to Bass Pro, I hear you. Just think up another reason! :thumbsup:

 

[Norinco]

What if you and your shooting buddies were a "club" and you bought 25lbs of powder to distribute amongst yourselves?

 

[Mike Brooks]

I always buy 25lbs at a crack. I only live 15 minutes form a source, but I still buy in big quantity.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

I run a small business and get stuff delivered all of the time. If I'm not there, then the maintainence guys sign for it and open my unit and lock my door behind them as they leave.

Everybody knows somebody that can sign for a delivery. I have friends that have a regular route driver for UPS that will sign for the stuff and leave it in a porch, etc. At Christmas they get a tip, so no big deal.......

 

[Walks with fire]

It's not the end but it is much less convenient. I would like to buy just one can of Swiss 3f to try but the rules require me to buy 5lbs. I will just keep using the Goex 3f that I have been and when I need to order powder again in several years I will get some Swiss 3f to try.

Everything changes over time and that's the way it goes. If they go changing the rules to include other weapons in our flintlock only season here in PA I am going to quit hunting anyway. At that point I will just shoot up and sell off what I have and be done with it. Getting to old/sick to care much either way anymore.

 

What if you and your shooting buddies were a "club" and you bought 25lbs of powder to distribute amongst yourselves?

I don't think "clubs" have a legal right to sell or distribute without a license.

Of course, what you do in private is your business. :wink:

 

[Ranger1759]

Every year I get an order together with whoever wants in on the deal an make a 50 lbs order to Powder Inc. it makes more sense....by getting a group together and ordering the max, I can get Goex powder at 13.00 a pound...so you can get 5 lbs for 65.00 or 10 for 130.00 and so on...by ordering in bulk and getting the money from friends first you know where the powder is going and who gets what.

I also like the fact that I can mix and match and order 1f through 4f all in the same 50 lbs order..
Just my thinking....Ranger1759

 

[Tinker2]

I don’t want to sound like Doom & Gloom. It was not my intent.

It is a 300 mile trip for me. If I call they don’t know if they, Cabelas, have it on hand or not. No other options in my state.

Yes, I can order it and yes I have quite a bit on hand.
I am not intending, promoting the “I got mine” idea.

What I would like to do is bring new people into muzzleoading.

At the local gun shop I offered to buy them the powder magazine and license
[ tax ] to sell it. They said that they didn’t want the hassle.

I think that if we want traditional muzzleloading to continue something is going to have to change. What do we do to get new people in?
Tell them they will need to order in bulk to try it?



Tinker2

 

[shootemup]

Do any suppliers show up at events/shoots in your area?

I guess we're pretty lucky to be within 100 miles or so of a couple of suppliers where I live in NW Arkansas, but there's a guy we call "the powder man" that shows up at a semi-annual shoot in Berryville who sells powder for $14 per pound. I've been buying my powder there for several years.

Maybe there's something similar where you live?

:hatsoff:
Spot

 

[squirrellluck]

And there is the problem. I have wanted to try real bp but I won't order a case of something I haven't tried. So far I haven't found anyone around here that shoots trad. so splitting a case even between 2 will be tough. :idunno:

 

[chuck-ia]

I think those who have a true interest in traditional muzzleloaders will find a way to get real black powder, not hard at all. Those who shoot once or twice a year will settle for the subs, and won't go through the trouble of ordering 5 lbs. of real black powder, a can of sub. powder will last for years. I wish I could buy it over the counter at the local gun shop, but they don't have it. I could make a two hour drive to Cabelas and pay 20.00 a pound, plus gas. Much cheaper to split a case among friends. flinch

 

[squirrellluck]

Thats great Im glad you got friends into traditional bp to split cases with. Now not knowing your financial situation or location I can not speak to how hard it may be to get bp. But by the same reasoning you can not know about anyone elses difficulties getting bp. At this time due to finances I cant get bp. I see no reason for someone to doubt the sincerity of ones interest in trad muzzleloading by their ability to obtain holy black. By that type logic one could assume if one does not have an exact reproduction than one is not truly interested in traditional bp :blah: And that does the sport no favors.

 

[ebiggs1]

I have never understood why forum members have trouble understanding other folk’s finical condition. It still comes down to how you define the word “BIG” problem.
I live in a place where the houses are not close together further magnifying my circumstances with someone else signing whenever the UPS truck decides to show up.
And the only friends I have that muzzle load use subs and are not interested in black powder when their's is so easy.

Just imagine while you are explaining the other idiosyncrasies to shooting flintlocks you say, “Oh, by the way, you can’t just go buy black powder, which we prefer. You got to mail order it and buy lots of it at a time. Oh, and you got to be there when UPS delivers it.”

No matter how you say it, it is inconvenient to get. It’s just a good darn thing they are so much fun.

 

[Coot]

Only two other houses in sight of mine & they both work during the day. UPS drops off my BP on the porch. No signature required.

 

[squirrellluck]

I assume this is a long standing topic but put that aside and look at it from a newbie stand point for a second. Now in a month or so my finances will be back to normal so will not be an issue nor ups delivery. I would like to try bp but the having to buy 5 lbs is the thing. I know most if not all on this forum love real bp. However, and no offense intended I don't know ya'll yet and buying that much of something on the advice of strangers is tough for me. 1lb would give me more than enough to decide for myself if I liked it or not. After that if I liked it 5lb lots or even 25lb would not be out of reason. I've never bought a years worth of anything unless I knew I liked it. Does this make sense to anyone but me :idunno:

 

[R.M.]

Well, where are you? Maybe there's one of us close to you. We can't tell because you don't have your location in your profile. I'm sure if there's somebody close to you, something could be worked out.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Is Jersey closer to you?

From the Ya'll, I'd say not too close to Jersey, but since we don't know where you are, it's tough.

I tell you what...When you get straightened-out money wise, buy a 5-pound case of 3Fg. Try it a few times to see if you like it (I know you will). If not, just send it to me and I'll pay you what you paid for it, and you're only out the shipping & hazmat fees to me! How's that for being friendly to a "stranger"?

Dave