Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Deer Hunting Have powder prices caused you to switch brands?

Other than availability, I have always bought the same powders. Unless there was a compelling reason to buy some thing else due to a big difference in price. I've never used vihtavuori powders, they were way too expensive. Now that IMR powders have gotten in the neighborhood of $50. It's might be time to switch. All the time wishing Noma and Noble sport Vectan powders were still available at any reasonable price.

Anyone using RamShot powders?

I use Ramshot powders. I use TAC in 6.5 Grendel and .358 Win and .223. X-termintor for .223. Big Game and Hunter in 30-06 and others. It can be dumped fairly accurately so needing to weigh its charge every time is not necessary and it has pretty good temp stability. Accuracy has been good and velocity too.

Me, too.

X-Term also good in the .358 Win.

DF

I used mostly Unique and Bullseye for my handgun loads before the drought but couple of months ago when my LGS got them in, I bought a couple pounds each of Power Pistol, CFE Pistol and WW 231 to start using them in some recent acquisitions. That way I don’t have to worry about feeding my older handguns while working with the new ones.

Before the shortage, I worked up some nice rifle loads with IMR 4166, 4451 and 7977 and hope they don’t wait too long before they’re put back in production. 🤞

I have been pleased with Ramshot and Accurate powders from Western Powder. Specifically, TAC, Hunter, Big Game, Magnum, and Mag Pro. I have enough RL 26 to last a while.

Ramshot has been a godsend. They really did not go up too much in price. Hovering around $30/pound, which is pretty affordable. I know I've burned up quite a bit of that over the last couple/few years. Running more X-terminator and TAC in my 223's, big game and Hunter in my 6.5x55, 7mm08 and 30-06 rifles. Ramshot works just fine, produces fine accuracy and meters very well. There are also other powders that are not priced too ridiculously, but not made by ramshot, like StaBall 6.5 and CFE223. Those are in the $36/pound range, which is still very affordable. Really like those powders, as they are producing pretty good results in the 22-250, 6.5 creedmoor and 308win.

Powders have been slow coming but not impossible to find. I have been watching for Reloder 25 but haven’t had any luck lately.

Worse yet has been bullets and primers. I have a fair stock of primers laid back. Bullets are a different story. I have stopped shooting Nosler bullets in many of my rifles and switched over to Barnes and Hornady.

I wish good luck to everyone finding what they need.

Have been finding plenty here. Slowed down a little bit on my shooting for a little while, but bullets have been pretty easy to find. There's always shops that sell partial boxes of bullets for cheap too. Just bought some old ballistic tips the other day, for a new rifle and they shoot just fine:


Sounds like some of you guys have it real bad in your areas, or you just don't get out and search your local shops?? A while back a found some bullets for a member here, over 200 Hornady interlock 8mm bullets for $30.00. Also, since we are in the "deer hunting" forums, you can use damn near any bullet on a deer. These for example:




Or hell, wait until they are on sale at places like Scheels. 15% off was very nice on powder and bullets:

Definitely! I use a LOT of TAC in the .17 Rem, .222 and .223s And I use Hunter in the .243, 7x57, and 30-06

Bsa you use that vintage 130 gr nbt 's on game and you will be mighty [bleep] unhappy. Those fuggs blow up on contact
Mb

A double whammy for me the last few ... both a Nosler bigot and the powder price increases.

Super busy these days working up lots-o new recipes with many other non-Nosler bullets and using Ramshot powders.

I'll return to some powder favorites if/when the price is right, but be seein' ya Nosler, it was nice while it lasted...

Thankfully, I bought when we had components and they were affordable! I think that I’m good for another lifetime ……or two! 😉 memtb

"Nosler bigot?"

Have you used any vintage NBT's? Obviously not, based on your rather cryptic response.

MB speaks truth. Our deer camp had such bad results, we decided to not use them. That was at least 20 years ago. Only years later, I learned (here on the Fire) the NBT had been improved. I've used them since and like them.

If those 130's are 20 or more years old, save them for the range (they are accurate), use newer ones on WT's. I'm not sure when the change occurred, maybe someone can chime in with an approximate date. Of course, bullet makers, HORN included, don't give us heads up on such. We're on our own to figure it out. Speaking of HORN, find a good bullet you like, then watch them discontinue it.

I don't usually post negative stuff about a Fire contributor, but Puddle owes Magnum Bob an apology.

DF

hunter
yep

I know buddy. I definitely will not!!! As I was loading them yesterday, I was thinking the same thing. I guess my point was they will definitely kill a deer, probably not really recommended though. I was going to post some pics of the tips getting damaged in the seater and also the jacket is so thin, you can see where the seater also pushed it into the case. These are definitely the old ones that were known for blowing up. I'm going to save the box and a few bullets as a reminder of that. They work great on paper and steel though. Paid $15 for that box when I was in Reno the other day, which was more of the point I was trying to make about prices these days. I'm actually going to run into town here in a bit and buy more 150gr Hornady bullets that I found for $33/box. That's not super cheap, but reasonable enough, and I like to keep stocked up. Have 2 new 270's to feed..

I guess you could say I dodged a bullet a few weeks ago at an old duffer's estate sale. There were two red and green unopened boxes of 7mm 140 gr NPBT for $25 each. I called my brother-in-law to see if he wanted them for his 7x57 and he said he had plenty of ammo and cases.

The original sale sticker on each box was $16.69

Those boxes held 100. That is a great deal on bullets your brother could have shot at targets and steel. Some guys don't shoot much though. I would have snagged them at that price. Just sayin. I'll guarantee the old guy selling them would have went down on that price too. You could have gotten them for $20/box, I'll bet. I shoot way too fu cking much to pass on a deal like that:

TAC has worked well for me in 22, only tried one load in the old 308 and it didn't match up to varget or 4895. Could try working a bit more with it but will save it for the 223. Hunter has worked very well in my 257 Roberts and mine and cheesy's 270. Need to try it in his 1885 Low Wall 6.5x55. Also have 8lbs A4350, I've only really tried it in the Low Wall 6.5x55 and it seemed pretty slow on velocity compared to published data. I've since started doubting my chronograph on several loads in several guns.

Bought a lb of 4350 at a local store Friday. $50….. the tin can it replaced said $18…. We do what we need to to keep a bit of stock on hand for the ones that like that variety. But the Big Game was $30…… They deserve our support for keeping it sane in the powder isle. Shame no Hunter to be found. I think the “word” might be getting out

Prices haven't but availability did. I was unable to get my hands on Varget for a long time so I laid in 2 lbs each of Ramshot TAC and Win 748 which are very close to Varget in the buring rate charts. As long as I can get Varget for my 308 that is what I will shoot. But if I can't get it I can at least develop loads with the other 2 powders.

In my '06 with 130's and in my 7-08, I like BG more than 4350, although it's a good powder. I have a big jug of H-4350, a big jug of BG and one of Hunter. And, plenty of mag primers, not as many std. LR primers.

DF

They should (hopefully) hold together well enough for some Prairie Dog shooting! 😉 memtb

For sure on PD's. I could think of a better PD round than a .270, although it'll for sure whack'em.

May bet a bit tiresome after a long string of PD shots.

DF

MAC, for your 308, you should try some CFE223 as well:


I've been buying it for $33-$37/pound. It works very well in 308 winchester rifles.

Availability more than price here, I've been burning a lot of Accurate and a bit of VV to take up the slack for unobtanium Hodgdon powders.

CFE 223 works great in .35 Whelen, too! Speer online data has some good starting points.

I wish that I knew of a place nearby where I could do an extended string of PD shooting! Darn near an endangered species in my parts! 😞 I have a bunch of 130 blems that I’d like to use on PDs! memtb

That one is a 30-30 bullet. Best not to push it beyond about 2,400 fps, which is still plenty for a deer.


Okie John

COVID got me started using Ramshot Tac, Big Game, and Hunter, VV N-560, Hodgdon CFE-223, and Nobel Sport Vectan T-7000. I got excellent results with all of them, and I now have enough of each to keep me going for a while.


Okie John

Are those “rainbow bullets” 😊?

I was at a shop north of Bangor last Thursday and was surprised at the amount of powder they had. Unfortunately the "cheap" stuff was $50 per pound and it went up from there. They had lots of Varget at $59.

Lots of primers also but no LR primers.

Yep, they work great in my new 30-30.

I've been using more and more of it, since it is available and priced right. Same can be said for StaBall 6.5.

Pretty huh? Here are some I just bought yesterday for my 2 new 270 rifles:


The prices on H powder is coming down a little bit in my area too. Glad to see that!!!!



Then I bought this old 8 pound keg last month for $200.00.


Got to do what you can these days, and that sure does include buying Ramshot powder, or buying powder you normally wouldn't think of. Gunshows or even pawn shops and local gunshops are places to look for. One thing I've noticed over the last couple years is some shops are actually selling more older kegs, or steel can 1 pounders.

(In this pic, the steel can of IMR7828 cost me $15.00 and I used it like it was going out of style. The X-terminator was $30/pound. Thank god for Ramshot OP!!!)..

Guys knowing prices are high, and bringing in surplus stuff for shops to sell has helped out more than a few guys. Always be aware though. Know what you are looking at. In the case of the AA3100 shown above, it was a sealed container, but I asked if I could open it before I bought it. For testing, I started out load development on the low end and worked up, checking velocities with a chronograph. Making sure it matched book velocities. Luckily it has been working great. A discontinued powder I have not seen since about 2010.

Cabelas in Gonzales, LA, had a decent selection of Accurate and Ramshot powder. Other brands, not so much. No primers, of course.

I could live with Accurate and Ramshot powders. They cover most of what I reload for. Could get by.

DF

Had really good luck out of Hunter and TAC. Hunter works well in almost everything and TAC is a beast in my 358. Easy to work with and consistent metering. Ive got a few pounds of Big Game but havent had much luck with it.

How were the prices?

Pretty good. IIRC $39 or so, NOT the $50 you see some places.

DF

What rounds have you tried BG in?

One of my most accurate '06 loads is 125-130 gr bullets over 59 gr. BG. Fast and accurate.

It's also a champ in my 7-08 with 120 and 140 gr bullets.

DF

BSA, I've read than 3100 is very similar to if not the same as 4831.

For sure there are lot to lot as well as mfg. variations with the 4831 family, probably with that one.

DF

Yep, it's very close. I still have a lot of older load manuals that list it and have burned up quite a bit in 300wm and 338wm's in the late 90's and early 2000's. So I know what to expect out of it. It was a good purchase, for sure.

Well been awhile since I've been quoted so often as this thread. But truth outs itself. I don't buy NBT's of that vintage ever, once was enough. I do like the predecessor the old solid base nosler and usually buy them as often as I find them. I do shoot partitions and newer ballistic tips. Now days it's their prices that keep me away from nosler. DF hit it on the head about finding good Hornady bullet loads then watch Hornady discontinue it. I like bullet bargains also. When I find they don't work on meat I say so. Bigot indeed lol. Magnum Bob

Yeah, I’ll not pass up those old Solid base bullets. They stood the test of time. Wish they still offered them.

DF

I lucked up on an 8 pound jug of H-4831 at the Spotted Dog gun shop in Columbia, LA, marked down to $189. I figured that must have been near their cost. It followed me home.

DF

Gotta buy when you see the deal. Waiting till you need is the recipe for disaster. So many just don't get that...mb

Used wisely the old Ballistic Tips work just fine. I wouldn't mind having a bunch more of the 165 grain, .308" in the 100 count box version. They were great deer bullets from a 308 Winchester.

Yep, my thinking for sure.

I have an opened but unused box of 100, .308, 150 gr. Solid Base bullets, $13.34 price sticker. Was wondering how far back they go.

Sorta hate to use them. Collector stuff. But, they were made to shoot.

DF

Same here, I am sitting on piles of old Bitterroots. I am thinking I need to start using them more and coveting them less.

Quick review of internet info shows Solid Base offered back in the 70’s. Does 50 yrs make them antique?

Also saw a box of Solid Base .308, 180’s for $109.

Hmm…

DF

Lol DF $109? Who priced them nosler? Last gunshow I bought 2 boxes of 6mm 70 gr hollow points unopened for $10 a box. I've shot thousands of them in 22 ,6mm, 25, 6.5, 270, 7mm &30. They allways work still have a couple of boxes of 150 fn boat tailed ones in 30 cal for the 30-30. Gonna try them in my m94 AE 307 win also. Allways thought they were the tits or atleast like tits cause everybody likes to play with them...mb

I have 4 boxes 165gr 30 cal. Nosler Partitions (yellow box) with a machined groove about 1/8" wide, $5.75/ea price sticker that my Dad left.

Deans that there is holy Grail material. Work up a load and take part a dad hunting that would make him smile..mb

Yeah, I bet they’d still work well.

Probably just keep them on the bench for memories. The price tag was from Oshman's a big sporting goods store in downtown Houston for many years. Then they spread out to the neighborhoods and finally went out of business. Dad worked downtown and spent many lunch hours and dollars at that store.

Those old machine turned Partitions are cool. Hard to shoot’em. But they do work well. Guess I like to look at’em and keep them around, sorta collector stuff.

DF

in case you guys haven't heard....

Nosler was bought out....its now ran by some drug dealers from one of the Mexican drug cartels...

Hence reflected in their pricing....

Have some of those and a load worked up and loaded with old school Kool 175gr npt's in my 7mm rem mag ear marked for.my next elk tag.

Are those the Semi Spitzers?

I remember when a M-12 Winchester retailed for $109. My Dad knew a store owner who let us get it wholesale for $80. But those were ‘60’s dollars, not Brandon dollars.

Just shows how far we’ve drifted.

DF

I'd have to check again but I think they are full Spitzer. Headed to Greeley for the big show...mb

Good luck buddy. Travel safe. Looking forward to seeing what you find.

Oh no, now you did it.

Those are excellent bullets. I also have some I will not shoot. Cool to just keep them around, to see how much they have changed over the years. The only other bullet I save like that is the 250gr Barnes original 30 caliber bullets.

I started using Ramshot powders when the first Obama induced shortage began. Ramshot hadn't been on the market long and most shooters didn't know about them. When I went to stock up, only Ramshot powders were left on the shelf. Having read good reviews on them, I bought up a good supply. Still using the last bit of those powders and plan on restocking Tac, Big Game, and Magnum with a bit of Hunter thrown in.

Not much you can’t do with that line up.

DF

I use Tac in .204 Ruger, .223, .308 and .22-250, Big Game in .250 Savage, 7-08 and .30-06, and Magnum in .25-06 and 7 rem mag. Gonna try Hunter in .243 this fall, if I can get the rifle to tighten up its groups. The rifle was inherited from my next door neighbor and was supposed to be a tack driver, but I can't get decent groups out of it. Gonna bed it this summer and try again. My only rifle that doesn't get fed Ramshot powder is my .22 K Hornet.

This is the universe telling you to buy a 7mm-08.


Okie John

Hunter in 22-250 w/75's, 243 w/85's, and 270Win w/130's and 140's. Magnum in 243AI w/105's and 257Wby w/95's and 100's.

If I were starting fresh I'd be using TAC in 223 as well.

i learned years ago to plan for my future in reloading supplies so no i don`t have a problem with powders , bullets ,primers ,brass or rifles. i learned early in life these liberals and politics can be a problem with many things .

Today at Cabelas, Gonzales, LA, better powder selection and even some primers. But no large rifle.

They had some small and large pistol, std and magnum. I have plenty of those. They were offered by hundreds, not thousands. I would have picked up some large rifle std, have a good supply of LR mag.

DF

Try 300 MP with CCI 450 mag primers in the K-Hornet. 33 gr Shock Hammer bullets are interesting.

DF

Thanks for the info. Will be on the lookout for a can. Heading to a gun show tomorrow and hoping to find reasonable prices, but figuring on coming home empty handed. A couple of shops are beginning to have powder at so so prices, but not the powders I am looking for.

I had a thread on the .22 K-Hornet a few months back. It has lots of info, a good bit by Mule Deer. I’m out of town, when I get back home, I’ll try to remember to post a link.

14 gr 300 MP with 40’s shot the best group. 450 primers shot best. I know they’re mag primers, but the very small Hornet case seems more sensitive to primers than larger cases; primer choice makes a difference.

DF

Thanks

I bought a couple lb of Ramshot Big Game this winter. The problem was availability, not price. There was nothing else to buy. I haven't tried it yet, though. I'll load up some this summer to see how it works.
Primers have been the big problem, of course.

What cartridges are you going to use it in?

Perfect excuse to get a 7-08, that is if ya need an excuse.

DF

Mainly 30-06. I might give it a try in my 22-250, too. I got some 64 gr bullets that I want to try it with.

IME, one of the best choices, 130’s in the ‘06. Fast and accurate.

For Southern WT’s and such, I like 130’s at 3,100 fps. Whacks’em hard. 125’s work well, too. If a 130 will blow thru a WT chest, why use heavier, slower bullets. Save them for bigger stuff.

3K+ fps on relatively soft targets is impressive.

DF

I have a bunch of 165 gr on hand of different types. They're murder on elk and deer both. I haven't found a need for anything else. I don't worry about 600 yd performance. If I have an elk at 600, I don't shoot until I've moved 300 closer.

Here's the link I promised. Scroll down about half way on page 6 to see Mule Deer's loads. I wrote 40's, but his 14 gr. 300 MP load was with the 30 gr. Varmageddon.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/11390994/6

Long thread, lotta B.S., have to wade thru a bunch of that for the good stuff.

Hey, this is the Fire..!

DF

man 3100 i miss that powder it was lights out in my savage 270 with nosler 140gr BTs. I have picked up and started playing with TAC and Hunter.