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.