The Great Powder Shortage of 2020 is upon us

[Old Navy]

Powder panic/ shortage ? I learned a harsh lesson back in 2013 as to how the gun crowd can act in fear. I paid $73 for a 500 ct of crappy 22lr Remington Thunderturds from Lucky Gunner back in 2013. Now jump to present day and "panics" are of zero concern.

I think you need some bars on that window.

 

[gorji]

I like this thread as I learned some long term strategies by people here.

 

[Rook 6]

If you are storing a lot of components, it might be prudent to research and understand your homeowners insurance policy to determine potential influence factors. I am not making any assumptions when I say this. Companies likely have different policies and local governments likely have different codes. I’m simply stating that it is good to understand your particular individual situation.

 

[edwardware]

Now jump to present day and "panics" are of zero concern.

Panics may not be a concern, but you should be terrified of that bench grinder. One wrong spark and you'll make an ash of yourself.

 

[Dgd6mm]

Don't sweat the small stuff.

 

[sandwarrior]

Of course it was too good to be true. Alas, other than a handful of powders in particular, 2019 had good availability.

But as of today? Try to find some AR Comp. Or RL15. Or Varget. Or 8208, H4895, etc etc etc.

As it happens, I'm low on .223 powder and the only thing I'm well stocked on is RL16 for my 6.5. Live and learn.

Note to self-- never let on hand inventory drop below 2-3 pounds.

I suggest to never let on hand inventory drop below at least 20 lbs of powder and 2000-3000 primers of each type you shoot, 200-2000 of each case type you shoot and the same with bullets. Get them when on sale and keep reloading as needed. Store in condition resistant (avoid humidity) packaging.

 

[Texas10]

As I recall there was a change in container shipping regulations a year or two ago limiting the number of shipping containers with explosives/propellant onboard a ship to ONE and now this has put a choke on shipments from overseas. Since no extruded powders are made stateside, everything must be trucked in from Canada or shipped overseas from Europe and AU.

We can easily overwhelm the supply chain if we wish to. If we do our best to buy only what's needed, and as needed, then like the grocery supply chain did, it will recover and be able to answer market demand.

 

[PatMiles]

if each shooter did that there would a shortage for years. it is like the people I see with 2 carts filled 3 ft above the frame with toilet paper

I've been buying for the last 10 years when conditions were calm and prices were reasonable so that makes me a hoarder? I consider myself SMART.
You have to be living under a rock not to know that situations and shortages like this will occur, if you didn't prepare...vacuums to be you.

 

[PatMiles]

I just bought a FX120 and an Omega trickler. Forgot to buy powder. OH S--T!!!

Practice with salt or sugar?

 

[SPQR70AD]

I've been buying for the last 10 years when conditions were calm and prices were reasonable so that makes me a hoarder? I consider myself SMART.
You have to be living under a rock not to know that situations and shortages like this will occur, if you didn't prepare...vacuums to be you.

how come nobody brings up the fact that massive buying when available leads to shelves being empty when there is more demand. 15 years ago this never happened cause there were not so many gluttonous selfish people that feel a need to shoot 1000's of rounds a week then depriving others. I always hear guys saying we have to get younger people in the game. how is that gonna happen with no ammo a have to wait months to get a rifle after the order?

 

[DRNewcomb]

I suggest to never let on hand inventory drop below at least 20 lbs of powder and 2000-3000 primers of each type you shoot, 200-2000 of each case type you shoot and the same with bullets. Get them when on sale and keep reloading as needed. Store in condition resistant (avoid humidity) packaging.

I think I'm good (probably for the rest of my life). My real concern is that I might go out like Bushnell Smith.

 

[1K6BRA]

I have learned by trial and error to cut, split, and stack my firewood....... Before winter sets in, works real well. Always make sure you have enough wood for a long long winter,you just never know.

 

[Nick Caprinolo]

how come nobody brings up the fact that massive buying when available leads to shelves being empty when there is more demand. 15 years ago this never happened cause there were not so many gluttonous selfish people that feel a need to shoot 1000's of rounds a week then depriving others. I always hear guys saying we have to get younger people in the game. how is that gonna happen with no ammo a have to wait months to get a rifle after the order?

Having enough foresight to keep ahead of demand, is not gluttonous. It's smart. If I want to shoot 1,000 rounds a week, that is my privilege and no body's business but mine. Last November, we were warned that Varget was in short supply as the manufacturer announced they would not start another run until late March. Since I shoot a lot of Varget, I ordered 32 pounds from Powder Valley. Yes it was a lot more than I needed, but I will most likely never have to worry about supply, as I already had some on hand. I also bought 16 lbs of V133 and enough primers to last a lifetime.

Now you can't get Varget or primers.

Having lived through many droughts of things we all need on a daily basis, I have learned to keep ahead of the game. I laughed at the shortage of toilet paper as I keep at least 3 months supply on hand. Lately, I have started to buy three day packs of 25 year food packs, and buy canned goods by the case. I haven't needed to use my generator in several years, but I keep a good supply of gas and oil on hand and start it twice a month. I also haven't need to use my snow blower lately but I have two of them. How many 1,000's of rounds of ammo is too much?

Do I care if you can't get the products you want? Frankly, I don't. I have enough problems worrying about my needs.

 

[Hohn]

Can’t blame @Nick Caprinolo at all. It’s a bitter truth to recognize but it is true just the same.

Alas, powder is now intermittently available and primers are short.

I managed to get 5K CCI450s when brownells had them in stock for 10 minutes yesterday. I’d buy a lottery ticket if I didn’t think I’d already won.

 

[SPQR70AD]

Having enough foresight to keep ahead of demand, is not gluttonous. It's smart. If I want to shoot 1,000 rounds a week, that is my privilege and no body's business but mine. Last November, we were warned that Varget was in short supply as the manufacturer announced they would not start another run until late March. Since I shoot a lot of Varget, I ordered 32 pounds from Powder Valley. Yes it was a lot more than I needed, but I will most likely never have to worry about supply, as I already had some on hand. I also bought 16 lbs of V133 and enough primers to last a lifetime.

Now you can't get Varget or primers.

Having lived through many droughts of things we all need on a daily basis, I have learned to keep ahead of the game. I laughed at the shortage of toilet paper as I keep at least 3 months supply on hand. Lately, I have started to buy three day packs of 25 year food packs, and buy canned goods by the case. I haven't needed to use my generator in several years, but I keep a good supply of gas and oil on hand and start it twice a month. I also haven't need to use my snow blower lately but I have two of them. How many 1,000's of rounds of ammo is too much?

Do I care if you can't get the products you want? Frankly, I don't. I have enough problems worrying about my needs.

take your attitude and times it by the tens of thousands and there will ALWAYS be shortages. shooters have massively changed their habits and people have gotten more insane over the last 20 years.
if a rich guy came in your area built a giant house and put gigantic gas storage tanks like John Denver did built a pole barn with massive freezers bought all the gas and food within 60 miles would you call him smart or......?

 

[Evan]

take your attitude and times it by the tens of thousands and there will ALWAYS be shortages. shooters have massively changed their habits and people have gotten more insane over the last 20 years.
if a rich guy came in your area built a giant house and put gigantic gas storage tanks like John Denver did built a pole barn with massive freezers bought all the gas and food within 60 miles would you call him smart or......?

I don't want to put words in your mouth, but I think your point is that supply chain shock is a problem with the gun industry. Suppliers can have months, stretching to years, of product sitting idle on their shelves because everybody "stocked up" and is now just shooting what they have and not buying. Some political event happens and everybody gets spooked, so they rush down to their gun store and clean the shelves of everything, creating a great whooping hole in available inventory.

No business can survive that boom-bust cycle if they invest to meet the boom demand, only to have a massive amount of product sitting on shelves during the bust. So they all just keep producing at the same conservative levels to ensure that product will sell in a timely fashion. If we as shooters show a bit more discipline and even out our demand, it makes product planning easier for the entire supply side. Get a little extra each time you buy until you hit your desired level of on-hand inventory and then make a point of consistently replenishing what you use as you use it so that the whole supply chain can rely on that and plan around it. If all of us "1k a month" shooters made a point of buying 1k primers and 5-8lbs of powder every month, like clock-work, then suppliers might have an easier time convincing investors to buy machinery to increase production. Our LGS or end-point seller would also probably be a lot more comfortable stocking larger quantities of product too, because they know it would have a shelf-life of less than 30 days, and that's just a healthier business model for everyone.

 

[joshb]

take your attitude and times it by the tens of thousands and there will ALWAYS be shortages. shooters have massively changed their habits and people have gotten more insane over the last 20 years.
if a rich guy came in your area built a giant house and put gigantic gas storage tanks like John Denver did built a pole barn with massive freezers bought all the gas and food within 60 miles would you call him smart or......?

I’d call him an American! Either you support free enterprise or you’re a Socialist.
Look, I don’t like it either but what can you do? Get the Guberment to restrict what people buy? Yeah.......that’s a good idea!

 

[PatMiles]

take your attitude and times it by the tens of thousands and there will ALWAYS be shortages. shooters have massively changed their habits and people have gotten more insane over the last 20 years.
if a rich guy came in your area built a giant house and put gigantic gas storage tanks like John Denver did built a pole barn with massive freezers bought all the gas and food within 60 miles would you call him smart or......?

I'd call John Denver....DEAD! He apparently wasn't very smart as he crashed into the ocean in his plane when he....ran out of gas.

You can come here and rant and rave about shooters who have bought large quantities of powder, bullets, primers, brass and ammo during the good times but until you realize that you are the only person who is going to watch out for yourself, you'll be pitching a fit when the stuff collides with the whirling propeller again.

What's the motto of the Boy Scouts?
BE PREPARED!!

 

[Nick Caprinolo]

take your attitude and times it by the tens of thousands and there will ALWAYS be shortages. shooters have massively changed their habits and people have gotten more insane over the last 20 years.
if a rich guy came in your area built a giant house and put gigantic gas storage tanks like John Denver did built a pole barn with massive freezers bought all the gas and food within 60 miles would you call him smart or......?

So your telling me that if your local supplier had five pounds of you favorite, you would on buy one because of your altruistic belief that your neighbor might need it, even knowing that in three weeks you won't be able to find it anywhere. Awe, what a guy you are.

I think you are a bit angry because you didn't pay attention to past history, which would have taught you to buy enough, so as not to not run out.

 

[jonbearman]

Hell, most of us are probably going to die of the virus if our wives don't kills us first after we go to a national lock down.

Would like to get one more ground hog season in before I pass but I'm having my doubts - lock down seem imminent here in eastern PA. So much for the "golden years" in retirement.

The Governor is closing all non-essential business here so you couldn't buy gun supplies at your local gun shop even if they had supplies. Got to get to the liquor store before 9:00 PM tomorrow, the time the shut down begins and stock up on Maker's Mark.

The gougers are at it for months like the 200.00 a brick small pistol primers on gunsamerica etc. If the original poster lived somewhere near me I would sell him an 8 pounder of H335 eqivalent. The stuff works awesome. Anyways everyone now knows we are in a bad situation and the only way to fix it is sell to each other,if we are close enough.