Hodgdon is getting on my last nerve

[Arkansasdad]

I'm going to vent. I'm probably gonna get kicked off the forum, but I think I'm speaking for most of us when I ask if the people running Hodgdon have their heads up their --- or something. Retumbo, H4350, H1000, Varget, are all STAPLES of the Hodgdon brand, and it's like trying to find pixie dust. Do they want to lose customers? Why is it that a company who makes gunpowder, and has been doing so forever, can't keep up with demand? Are they not investing enough of their profits into the company and their equipment? You would think that the demand for their products would be incentive for them to make more of it.
Am I missing something here? For all of the powder companies out there, now is a great time for them to get their engineers and marketing teams in order and produce powders that are temp stable with comparable burn rates. When I find something that will replace my Hodgdon powders, I'm jumping ship. Their management appears to be about as in touch with their customers as Remington's marketing.

Do like the rest of us and when Hodgen makes a run of powder and it is available order 24 lbs. of it. Four eight pound kegs do not take up much room until you start loading for 16 different loads, then your powder safe is a whole room. HA!
The powder industry has been this way for years, back in the seventies Western and Winchester were the big dogs and we had the same problems with powder but more so with bullets. I feel your frustration!!!

 

[MagnumManiac]

What caused the shakeup?

There was a new classification given to ALL powder here that essentially made it virtually impossible to ship.
It is now a Class 1 Explosive and new licenses and handling guidelines had to be implemented before it could even get to a ship for transport. We couldn't even transport between states here for more than a year.

Cheers.

 

[Wy Will]

I stopped at one of my local shops and asked about H1000 (I have been looking all over for months) and they just got in a case of 1 pounders. They had 9 out of the 10 left. I bought all 9. I was hoping to find an 8 pound jug, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity. 9 pounds cost me $261.

 

[bushmotornv]

Scheels in Sparks has 8# ers of H4350 in stock as of yesterday.

Happened to be in Sparks again this afternoon...Scheels only had 2 1lb'rs of H4831 left! Boy o boy did that go quick!

 

[Graymun]

IV been out of retumbo and varget for several months. Stopped playing around with my 7mm. Bebause of it and switched to imr 4166 for my 308. I was thinking of trying less common powders or less popular, but varget is so good

 

[gunaddict]

I am glad that I have enough powder for each of my guns to last me my lifetime. Yes I am a hoarder.
Guys when your powder of choice becomes available buy more than a pound or 2. The shortage of reloading powder will continue. There is a election coming up and it will get worse if a socialist gets elected.

 

[ATH]

I've minimized the number of powers I use. For example, I reload all pistol plinking loads with a single powder. Most of my rifle rounds can be done with 2 powders. These three powders I stay at least 2 years ahead. If I empty a jug I start monitoring until I replenish. May take 6 months or more, but this way I never even come close to running out. But some here shoot much higher volume than me.

 

[sturner]

Well I found some Varget but I had to pay up for it

 

[hunter67wa]

I will check today

any retumbo there?

 

[CMRHG]

IV been out of retumbo and varget for several months. Stopped playing around with my 7mm. Bebause of it and switched to imr 4166 for my 308. I was thinking of trying less common powders or less popular, but varget is so good

You should try Vihtavouri N565. I build quite a few 7Mags and Retumbo is my go to load but I have had good luck with the N565. Hope this helps

 

[alcesgigas]

This is why there's a footprint on my hat...

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

I just found a couple of # of h4350 today at my lgs. I had to pay 30 a # for it... I left one as they only had three... I was speaking of 4320 the other day; I checked and I have 8 or 9# left... I likely won't need any for a good spell and v540, rl15, or rl16 will be around anyway should that go away... As far as Retumbo; the lgs was out, but I still have 6# or so and don't use much at present- my new 7rum likes h50bmg and not Retumbo. I have 10# of h50bmg; I'll be good for a good while with the few rounds I run through that rifle.

 

[Beaver10]

Perfect timing of this thread, as I'm banging my face off the screen of my iPad in frustration trying to find Varget and H4350.

None, Nada, Zilch, Zero...I'm going a different direction. Middle finger prominently displayed

 

[JMW67]

Perfect timing of this thread, as I'm banging my face off the screen of my iPad in frustration trying to find Varget and H4350.

None, Nada, Zilch, Zero...I'm going a different direction. Middle finger prominently displayed

I have been trying some of the shooters world powders from midsouth shooters to replace varget and 4350 and getting very good results accuracy and seems very temp stable you might take a look at them