Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters check small town hardware stores for 2400 powder

I went back home to small town West Virginia ,to visit my dad for Thanksgiving .checked out the hardware store in the next small town up the creek,were i went to high school at ,my town too small for a H.S.. they also sells guns and reloading stuff ,if you didnt live there ,you would never know they sold it.They had 2 pounds of 2400 $50.00 dollors a pound ,they had dust on the lids so guess they been there a little while .So I didnt feel bad grabbing both .so if you out and about in small towns you never been too .stop at the small hardware stores never know what you will find

I thought this was common knowledge?

Yep, me too.

Have always check the hardware store in a small town on the Rocky Mountain Front in Montana, and purchased a bunch of stuff at very good prices. (And no, ain't telling the town....)

But you're exceptional..

I have always known this ..but some people dont ,they just check the big box stores .I have always known about this store ,because a guy in my H.S classes started this store ....if interested ,they had 2 Original Winchester model 95's there . everytime i go to a small town i check the hardware and feed stores .In Ky in early 90's found a feed store in a smal town of a 1,000 people .that sold Martin Guitars , they had the one i wanted so i bought it .

I just check my basement, saves gas….

One way to look at I guess. The other way is that had been there so long that 19.99 per pound powder sold for 50.

I've still got some IMR powder in metal cans marked $6.95. Smells fine, shoots fine.

In the fall of 2020, just as the Great Craziness was getting wound up. I bought a 308, a new cartridge to me. I was unprepared in the way of components and dies to load for the cartridge. Bought the rifle in Wyoming.

As I made my way to SW Colorado I took the scenic route (actually it’s the only route) and stopped at every hardware store and small pawn/gun shop I could remember or find.

Picked up several lbs of H4895 ($32), 8 boxes of 150g TTTXSs ($28), 4 boxes 150g NBT’s ($23) added 2 bricks of Fed 210’s to my stash ($31), plus other powder, bullets, and primers at old prices. All of them had dust on them.

Unlike back east where in many places there are small towns every 10 miles, there is not the population densities or number of small towns here in the rural west. Out here, those small out of the way sources of components have been well marauded during the Great Craziness of the past few years……

That’s the spirit!

While basements aren't a thing in these parts I do check my old stock and am often pleasantly surprised. Some of it has "Gibsons Discount" tags on it still..... (many southern boys will smile at that one) There are only two of those stores left to my knowledge , both in Texas ......

Ive found some good deals on gun stuff in some of those small Wva towns. Few years ago I picked up 2 boxes of 3 " magnum 12 gauge copper plated lead BBs for $18 a box. They had been on the shelf a while.

Family owned small businesses seem more willing to haggle on guns/etc. if they have been sitting on them a while.

Many of my favorite rifles have been purchased used or new from our local Ace Hardware.

There’s an Ace in nearby VA that’s a major player in the local gun market, but they’ve never been accused of offering any bargains. If I’m down that way I might pick up a flat of 12ga target loads, which they seem to have pretty often @$100.

I didn't realize that most small town hardware stores specifically have 2400 powder..

this one did .plus they had other powders , bullets and reloading supplies...

lmao I was gigging you for specifically saying 2400. Lots of hardware stores carry the stuff. So do some Walmarts. You just never know. I hate shopping. Would rather order stuff. But when I'm forced to shop I always head to the gun part or wander around all of most any kind of store. Local lumber yard used to carry stuff too.

W.C. Banks Hardware in Superior, AZ - long since gone, but it holds great memories as where my grandpa took me to buy 22 LR ammo and 410 shot shells when I was a kid. Mr. Banks was a Remington dealer and always had those great Remington calendars with the great art work. I still have some of those calendars. Great memories of a era gone by. DD62

When Gibson's shut doen in our town, my dad went in, bought a Rem 700 22-250, and LOADS of ammo to fit it, and whatever we boys were shooting.
I bought a lot of ammo from Gibson's back in the day!

My daddy had some something with a Gibson's
branded scope on it. It dissapeared with whatever
rifle that it was mounted on some years ago.

I always wondered what company made those.
( yeah, I miss the Gibson's stores. )