Contact Hodgdon Company

[whatsupdoc]

It costs money to answer all the inquiries that are sent to Hodgon and I am sure there are a many.

People are HOARDING, that is what people do. Guys that used to have one or maybe two
jugs of their favorite powder now must have six or more.

Did you call Bounty when you couldn't get paper towels.

 

[Will Henry]

The ones who didn't go to JIT are now out of business. Excess inventory is expensive. Costs are reduced with JIT, and to be competitive a company has to use it.

Now JIT doesn't mean there isn't any inventory. There is strategic inventory that built up ahead of times of increased demand. In a normal market there is safety stock and inventory buffers in raw materials, at the constraint, and in shipping.

This is not a normal market, and even if companies had kept large inventories, with the associated full retail prices, we would still be out of everything......

I disagree with a lot of this and feel the consumer was always better served by intelligent inventory management. In order for JIT to work, someone has to have inventory. I will admit, it was nice to not have to invest large amounts in barrel inventory, for instance. and JIT seemed like the answer. Pretty soon though, everyone up the line had no inventory and ultimately, jobbers and distributors failed and discounts were reduced as shortages became commonplace. Too often, just in time meant not in time and the retailer suffered. The theory is great but implementation often made reality a little different. Just another way in which the societal landscape has changed I guess. There are times when I'm glad to be approaching the finish line! WH

 

[INTJ]

I disagree with a lot of this and feel the consumer was always better served by intelligent inventory management. In order for JIT to work, someone has to have inventory. I will admit, it was nice to not have to invest large amounts in barrel inventory, for instance. and JIT seemed like the answer. Pretty soon though, everyone up the line had no inventory and ultimately, jobbers and distributors failed and discounts were reduced as shortages became commonplace. Too often, just in time meant not in time and the retailer suffered. The theory is great but implementation often made reality a little different. Just another way in which the societal landscape has changed I guess. There are times when I'm glad to be approaching the finish line! WH

During the time everyone had large inventories, the customer also payed a much higher retail price--30% in many cases. Moving to JIT brought inventory costs down and saved the customer money. With today's margins, few would survive in business if they constantly maintained large inventories. It will always be a mix of art and science to have the right inventory levels.

Regardless, no inventory strategy would make a difference in today's environment. Even if everyone had maintained large inventories two years ago, we would still be where we are today. It might have taken 60-90 days longer to get there. The consumer market has been dramatically expanded, and thanks to our current governmental policies and other factors, no one can rapidly add new capacity anymore.

 

[KMart]

Just in time, JIT, is a great idea and it works great....until it doesn't. Then it looks like a 100 car pile up on a major interstate going through a big city in bad weather.

 

[mac86951]

Just in time, JIT, is a great idea and it works great....until it doesn't. Then it looks like a 100 car pile up on a major interstate going through a big city in bad weather.

Which is exactly what a non JIT looks like financially when demand is low for high inventory quantities... Ehh, can't win en all, I'm just happy to get products and find them for less than a zillion dollars.

I know my place in the retail consumer food chain, and if i want to change that place; all i need is a hazmat license, large truck and order of several thousand pounds... Na, instead I'm thinking it's a food time to be casting 158gr SWC for my 38. Then when I'm done shooting i better get the lead from the berm and cast again...

 

[ben lurkin]

JIT? Hah. It’s pretty hard to sell from an empty shelf. All JIT ever did was transfer the burden onto the end user. It’s literally cost folks thousands to millions of dollars in downtime and excess shipping and transferred the burden of critical spares onto the consumer. Guess how I make my money? By actually inventorying a few critical six figure parts that the oem won’t carry. I save my customers millions of dollars in the process and steal them away from the high priests of ‘no inventory’.

 

[INTJ]

JIT? Hah. It’s pretty hard to sell from an empty shelf. All JIT ever did was transfer the burden onto the end user. It’s literally cost folks thousands to millions of dollars in downtime and excess shipping and transferred the burden of critical spares onto the consumer. Guess how I make my money? By actually inventorying a few critical six figure parts that the oem won’t carry. I save my customers millions of dollars in the process and steal them away from the high priests of ‘no inventory’.

That's not what JIT is. Strategic inventory of certain items to cover peak demand, as well as stock at critical points in the manufacturing process are part of JIT.

Customers aren't losing "thousands to millions of dollars in downtime and excess shipping" because of JIT. It's because of much larger market forces like government shutdowns, green energy, consumer fear, and the biggie--putting billions of dollars into the economy when the supply chain couldn't handle it.

I have watched companies endure huge losses because they manufactured and inventoried items that fell out of favor with consumers. That causes huge losses for the manufacturer, MUCH greater than having demand they can't meet.

 

[Eris]

Technical saavy people have bots that constantly scan inventory. When a component shows up in stock, it buys it for them. These are probably the same people then reselling it at a markup. Times will be tough for sure. Buy a bow and some arrows until supply can outpace demand

 

[mac86951]

Technical saavy people have bots that constantly scan inventory. When a component shows up in stock, it buys it for them. These are probably the same people then reselling it at a markup. Times will be tough for sure. Buy a bow and some arrows until supply can outpace demand

Bid sniper isn't new; and is more accurate than my rifle; though i blame the shooter more...

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I got to see JiT in action at the corvette factory. As the car rolled by the delivery truck dropped off the seats and whatever other part. They said at the first of the tour as a car was starting down the line the seats werent even stitched yet. The fines and penalties of not having that jit item sitting there as the car rolled by was so severe it would sink most companies. That puts the burden of inventories on the part manufacturer not the final customer. Brilliant really. Jit has nothing to do with shooting supplies but i like the model. Nobody drops off powder in the back as you walk in the front.

 

[ben lurkin]

That's not what JIT is. Strategic inventory of certain items to cover peak demand, as well as stock at critical points in the manufacturing process are part of JIT.

Customers aren't losing "thousands to millions of dollars in downtime and excess shipping" because of JIT. It's because of much larger market forces like government shutdowns, green energy, consumer fear, and the biggie--putting billions of dollars into the economy when the supply chain couldn't handle it.

I have watched companies endure huge losses because they manufactured and inventoried items that fell out of favor with consumers. That causes huge losses for the manufacturer, MUCH greater than having demand they can't meet.

Why sure it is. JIT is ultimately having inventory show up just as it is sold. Thereyby not unnecessarily tying up capital in inventory. It works great in theory and is a laudable goal, but the thing is, nobody has ever truly mastered large scale supply chain management very well. Case in point, our current supply chain issues. JIT fell right on its face.

 

[lukester]

I have sent numerous emails via the Hodgdon web site contact. I have not received a single response. I have inquired about the availability or future availability of Varget, H4895, H4350, H4831sc. I contacted every wholesale distributor, and on line dealers listed on their web site. None has any powder. Please try contacting Hodgdon Company the (primary reloading powder distributor.) If they get enough inquiries maybe they will give us an answer. You might also contact Winchester, Reloader, Vitavuori, IMR and Alliant powder companies.

In the last couple of months, I have successfully purchased directly from the Hodgdon website after getting alerts through one or more sources. (more on that in a bit) When they have powder, the limit is 5 of any sku# (so, 5 one pounders, or 5 eight pounders). On my first-ever purchase occasion, I had an issue w/ the # in my cart and made a phone call to them. While trying to work out the issue, the availability fell off, but the extremely nice & competent Hodgdon rep said she had a cancel request on her screen from another customer for what I needed. She told me to go to the H4350 screen and be ready to refresh. She canceled the other order, I refreshed and saw it available and was able to get it in my cart and check out with it. I was very impressed w/ Hodgdon that day.

I've purchased H4350, H4831sc and Varget. I have seen and given heads-up to buddies for in-stock status of H1000, Retumbo and more.

There will occasionally be in-stock notices from folks on here, but I've seen more of that kind of activity on a couple other forums. I'll not advertise for those forums here - out of respect for this one.

Another source, however, that has been huge in terms of alert notices for in-stock reloading components is the "discord" app for your phone or discord.com on the web. It's not a firearms-only site (more like maybe Reddit or something like that) and it was a little/real tricky to figure out at first. But once you get subscribed or whatever it's called to the reloading "channel" and its hashtag "in-stock-notifications" you'll see pings on your phone or the site throughout the day for everything from bullets to primers to powders. Like any other alerts, sometimes the products are just gone too quickly for it to matter, but way more often than not - they are spot on. I've hit on powder purchases this way from Grafs, Natchez, Hodgdon, etc. It has been well worth the trouble of getting it set up and figured out. Here's a link to the reloading page when I look at it on my laptop:

Discord - Group Chat That’s All Fun & Games

Discord is great for playing games and chilling with friends, or even building a worldwide community. Customize your own space to talk, play, and hang out.

discord.com

Yesterday - Fri. 3-18-22 - for instance, there were alert notices throughout the day for N135, N40, N586, Retumbo, Varget, H1000, Titegroup, H335... small rifle primers, pistol primers & more.

Hope that helps someone else out there.

 

[Seagull]

Powder well there's a funny we can get it here in Australia but it's the rest we cnt get . Like where have all the primers and projectiles gone??? Yer yer I heard the Russia Ukraine sargo covid yes hear that aswell. I can remember back u the early to mid 2000s the same thing happened then it's just a cycle that's going around and around it will come good eventually . We'll maybe .

 

[effendude]

We sure can be a precious lot. We expect manufacturers to listen to us as if we are owners. We complain if a retailer, whether large or small, doesn't have our specific type of product whether it be powder, brass, primers, bullets, whatever, when we want it. We cry foul whenever a price goes up, whether it is for good reason or not.

I've been a member of this forum for at least 15 years and there are countless posts from members bitching and moaning about this over the years. If you're that upset by the shortages or price increases, start your own business manufacturing, distributing or retailing what you want. You'll be in for an eye opening experience.

 

[HTSmith]

I met some employees and executives of Hodgdon at our gun club when I lived in the Kansas City area. My assessment is they were good people and they had good reputations. They certainly enjoyed shooting and my bet is they are doing all that they can. I'm not defending the lack of response to emails, but my gunsmith once told me--"If I answered the phone every time it rang, I'd never get a rifle out of here." Could be the same sort of deal with them and email. Just a little different perspective.

 

[Riesel]

We sure can be a precious lot. We expect manufacturers to listen to us as if we are owners. We complain if a retailer, whether large or small, doesn't have our specific type of product whether it be powder, brass, primers, bullets, whatever, when we want it. We cry foul whenever a price goes up, whether it is for good reason or not.

I've been a member of this forum for at least 15 years and there are countless posts from members bitching and moaning about this over the years. If you're that upset by the shortages or price increases, start your own business manufacturing, distributing or retailing what you want. You'll be in for an eye opening experience.

All these sour grapes are gonna make a tough to swallow whine

 

[INTJ]

Why sure it is. JIT is ultimately having inventory show up just as it is sold. Thereyby not unnecessarily tying up capital in inventory. It works great in theory and is a laudable goal, but the thing is, nobody has ever truly mastered large scale supply chain management very well. Case in point, our current supply chain issues. JIT fell right on its face.

That is a very simpleton way to describe JIT. That is not how it is practiced, and JIT has virtually nothing to do with our current supply chain issues. I have already explained why.......

 

[divingin]

Nobody drops off powder in the back as you walk in the front.

These days they do, if you get very, very lucky...

 

[284winner]

I'm in the slow and steady camp. I've been slowly getting components any way I can over the last couple years. I started when the shortage started seeing it coming made me start looking for everything I need in loading ( bullets, primers, powder, brass). I've pretty much filled my need with the exception of one primer size I could use. If it were just just powder that was the issue, I'd probably think something wasn't right. It's everything in the country that's low on the inventory list from food to vehicles. Powder and loading components aren't the exception. Hodgdon is getting thousands upon thousands of emails, calls and requests wondering exactly the same thing. I'm sure there just tired of giving the same answers over and over to the same people. Don't blame them either.

 

[Coyotefurharvester]

For all we know banks are being told not to do business(capital investment) with the ammo/firearms manufacturers, just like petroleum producers are being cut off financially(under direction of the Biden administration). No capitol investment in a tight margin business, means no production. And every manufacturer is in a tight margin situation because costs change over night due to inflation, all of this is intentional. Has been since the first stimulus checks, infrastructure spending in '09.