OMG 2400 powder sticker shock!
- Thread starter 41Dude
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gunman42782
Hunter
Yeah, that is beyond ridiculous. I just bought a pound of H110 for $45, which is ridiculous enough, but far better than $71!
I have not reloaded nor bought any components in many years.
And when I see the prices of powder, it's unlikely I will ever reload again.
The Hercules powders of the past were my most-often go-to.
And when I see the prices of powder, it's unlikely I will ever reload again.
The Hercules powders of the past were my most-often go-to.
No kidding. I thought I'd buy a pound of something 'newer' because it was showing up in all the new manuals. UGH, not spending that much on a gamble for better.
FWIW, and I know it's a pain reworking your favorite loads, but I just bought a pound of Ramshot Enforcer for $37, because I wasn't finding 2400 anywhere. Figured "what the heck", it sits next to 2400 on the Hodgdon burn rate chart (just slightly slower), the Hodgdon web site has data, I can find it locally (no shipping/HAZMAT), and at that price I'll play around with it - which I have NOT done yet...
:)
:)
contender
Ruger Guru
I saw it about 1-1/2 years ago,, in 8 lb jugs,, that when I calculated it,, came out to a little over $46 a pound.
Powder prices,, as well as primer prices are all over the place depending upon the retailer.
But in general,, it is becoming available & coming down a little compared to what scalpers were getting for it at gun shows.
I've seen "Trail Boss" in it's 9 oz container,, selling for $125 a bottle.
Point being; Shop around,, be patient, and buy carefully. But also be prepared to pay more than what you did 5-6 years ago.
Powder prices,, as well as primer prices are all over the place depending upon the retailer.
But in general,, it is becoming available & coming down a little compared to what scalpers were getting for it at gun shows.
I've seen "Trail Boss" in it's 9 oz container,, selling for $125 a bottle.
Point being; Shop around,, be patient, and buy carefully. But also be prepared to pay more than what you did 5-6 years ago.
Ho. Lee. Crap. :eek:
Wonder what the unopened 8-pound tub of Green Dot in the basement is worth? I'm not even gonna look it up. o_O
Wonder what the unopened 8-pound tub of Green Dot in the basement is worth? I'm not even gonna look it up. o_O
Well, maybe there's a bright spot in all this though. Maybe Alliant is back.
Alliant had announced in April of '24 that until further notice they wouldn't be shipping any powder for retail sales.
edit, nevermind, few if any has it in stock, but noticed Midway had it priced the same $70.99 if the had it. After checking 4 big places, it doesn't like like there's little to no Alliant in stock.
Alliant had announced in April of '24 that until further notice they wouldn't be shipping any powder for retail sales.
edit, nevermind, few if any has it in stock, but noticed Midway had it priced the same $70.99 if the had it. After checking 4 big places, it doesn't like like there's little to no Alliant in stock.
Last edited:
Ray Newman
Blackhawk
Times have changed.
I remember when my local shop sold a pound of powder at about US$13.00 out the door. Owner told me if wanted to save money, buy it in 5 and 8 lbs. cannisters. He even stocked SR4759!
I remember when my local shop sold a pound of powder at about US$13.00 out the door. Owner told me if wanted to save money, buy it in 5 and 8 lbs. cannisters. He even stocked SR4759!
GasGuzzler
Hawkeye
I have not seen any for sale in years so I did not know the price was that high. How much is Lil'Gun? I like 2400 but LG is slightly better for .357.
Hey, that price for 2400 isn't as bad a rip off as Trail Boss. Useless to me powder in 9 ounce cans for $50 is more than a dollar per ounce more.
I have a few cans I picked up over the years and they all have different artwork.
Hey, that price for 2400 isn't as bad a rip off as Trail Boss. Useless to me powder in 9 ounce cans for $50 is more than a dollar per ounce more.
I have a few cans I picked up over the years and they all have different artwork.
Durango Dave
Single-Sixer
Alliant doesn't want to sell to reloaders. They don't want to deal with selling one pound containers.
They've only been selling to large ammo companies because of the Ukrainian war.
It's been getting a little better. You can find the 8 pound containers. Now that they are selling one pound containers they are priced astronomically.
They've only been selling to large ammo companies because of the Ukrainian war.
It's been getting a little better. You can find the 8 pound containers. Now that they are selling one pound containers they are priced astronomically.
My local reloading shop shows LilGun at $217 for 8lbs.
- Joined
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Same here, I bought 20# ofEnforcer at 25 bucks a pound not long ago. I’m not paying what they want for 2400 at the gun shows around here! Enforcer is now about $38 a pound here.
A few years ago, I purchased new 338 RUM brass. The load is 93 grs of IMR 7828 with Barns (all copper) bullets. Primers were 120 per thousand. I think I figured out the 50 rd box of loaded ammo ended up close to 175 bucks. At the time I think a factory box of 20rds was in the 100 buck range. That was the most expensive box of 50 rds I have ever loaded.
try buying Blackhorn 209 it's about $90 for 8 oz jug
Kind of funny - I can blame Ruger and the cost of ammo for getting started in reloading. About 30 years ago, I bought a revolver I had always wanted - a new Ruger Blackhawk .45 convertible! Up to that point, I had mostly been shooting .22 rimfire and .38 Special, so the cost of feeding the new .45 was pretty shocking to a young guy on a budget! I remember figuring out that I could buy brand new brass cases, Hornady lead SWCs, plus propellant & primers, and load my own on a Lee hand press for less than the cost of factory .45 Colt ammo. How about that! And at the time (IIRC), everything Midway sold shipped free! I was hooked. Been loading my own ever since. I would probably keep doing it even if factory ammo was dirt cheap, just because I enjoy it, and like loading different bullets at different velocities, that maybe aren't even available from the factory...
:)
contender
Ruger Guru
"Lil Gun, H110, or Enforcer will deliver about the same performance as 2400."
I disagree with the short analysis.
H110 has a much narrower window of load volumes than 2400. Top end loudenkickenboomer loads may be ok to try H110 in for come calibers,, but it's been long established that trying reduced loads with H110 isn't recommended. And looking at the loading manuals,, most often, H110 has a shorter window of use where loads are concerned.
Lil-Gun has been getting reports of throat, forcing cone erosion etc and not recommended by many. I stopped trying it shortly after getting some. It may perform in a similar fashion, but at what potential cost to the firearm??
I've never tried Enforcer,, so I can't say anything about it.
What I can say is it can be dangerous SOMETIMES trying to substitute powders for other powders.
ALWAYS study the loading charts, and work up a load from the low end to assure a bigger safety margin.
And lastly,, each firearm is a different machine unto itself. When you find the right balance of a load for that firearm,, you try to stay with it.
And when it comes to accuracy,, you want the best you can find, (or at least you should want that.)
I'm not saying you can't try other powders,, but study the caliber, the published data, and the performance of whatever combo you can try. But stay safe & use published data,,!!!!!!
Just because a powder may have a similar burn rate,, it may not perform the same as a different powder.
I disagree with the short analysis.
H110 has a much narrower window of load volumes than 2400. Top end loudenkickenboomer loads may be ok to try H110 in for come calibers,, but it's been long established that trying reduced loads with H110 isn't recommended. And looking at the loading manuals,, most often, H110 has a shorter window of use where loads are concerned.
Lil-Gun has been getting reports of throat, forcing cone erosion etc and not recommended by many. I stopped trying it shortly after getting some. It may perform in a similar fashion, but at what potential cost to the firearm??
I've never tried Enforcer,, so I can't say anything about it.
What I can say is it can be dangerous SOMETIMES trying to substitute powders for other powders.
ALWAYS study the loading charts, and work up a load from the low end to assure a bigger safety margin.
And lastly,, each firearm is a different machine unto itself. When you find the right balance of a load for that firearm,, you try to stay with it.
And when it comes to accuracy,, you want the best you can find, (or at least you should want that.)
I'm not saying you can't try other powders,, but study the caliber, the published data, and the performance of whatever combo you can try. But stay safe & use published data,,!!!!!!
Just because a powder may have a similar burn rate,, it may not perform the same as a different powder.
contender
Ruger Guru
Performance.
That's exactly what I was referring to.
H110 can't be used in the same performance range due to it's much narrower window of loading ranges.
If all you are concerned about is velocity,, then yes,, many other powders can give similar velocities.
True performance is how accurate any load is in a particular firearm, all while staying safe. And H110 can't be used in "reduced loads" like many other powders can.
And Lil' Gun has been proven to cause problems in throats & forcing cones to where performance can be greatly reduced.
Velocity is but one factor to consider in true performance.
That's exactly what I was referring to.
H110 can't be used in the same performance range due to it's much narrower window of loading ranges.
If all you are concerned about is velocity,, then yes,, many other powders can give similar velocities.
True performance is how accurate any load is in a particular firearm, all while staying safe. And H110 can't be used in "reduced loads" like many other powders can.
And Lil' Gun has been proven to cause problems in throats & forcing cones to where performance can be greatly reduced.
Velocity is but one factor to consider in true performance.
GasGuzzler
Hawkeye
Lil'Gun has not had much proof of damage, generally just stories. Most of the stories were very early on and they died away with exception of being churned back up when the powder is mentioned. Some of the subject guns were shown to be faulty. Many times over has it proven to be the best powder for .357 with no damage whatsoever versus proof of damage. It makes more FPS with less pressure than any of the other options. 2400 is pretty far ahead of H110 in my book just because it's way more versatile and can be loaded down. H110 is great but finicky.
My most accurate .357 loads were 2400. Most bang for the charge is Lil'Gun. Cheapest to load is H110.
Here's a 158 grain cast lead .357 load of 2400 from seven paces. Took three tries. *EDIT TO ADD * Pictures are still failing to appear when hosted.
My most accurate .357 loads were 2400. Most bang for the charge is Lil'Gun. Cheapest to load is H110.
Here's a 158 grain cast lead .357 load of 2400 from seven paces. Took three tries. *EDIT TO ADD * Pictures are still failing to appear when hosted.
I was just going to say I haven't seen any 2400 for sale in a while. Last time i saw some I bought it but I cannot remember how much it was. It was definitely not $70.
I had some Unique on the shelf but when it went AWOL I confiscated it for personal use.
I had some Unique on the shelf but when it went AWOL I confiscated it for personal use.
GasGuzzler
Hawkeye
I am a documented non-fan of Unique but I still have a pound and a half.
Last 2400 I bought was in May of 2019. I have them labeled by date and price. I bought two one pounders for $15 each. They are sealed. I have a couple sealed one pounders from 2002 with the the green circle logo and one from who knows when with the turquoise, red, and silver label.
H335 wins for most stored in my collection.
Last 2400 I bought was in May of 2019. I have them labeled by date and price. I bought two one pounders for $15 each. They are sealed. I have a couple sealed one pounders from 2002 with the the green circle logo and one from who knows when with the turquoise, red, and silver label.
H335 wins for most stored in my collection.
contender
Ruger Guru
I won't argue the points about Lil' Gun,, because I never used enough of it to have any direct damage. It is because a few other folks whom & respect warned me,, and I'd prefer to NOT be the one who uses it & suffer damage to my revolvers.
Besides,, I have enough 2400 AND the excellent loads it has produced for me,, so why take chances?
I've often sad & truly believe that each firearm is a machine unto itself. And when it comes to loads,, each gun has "preferences" to give top performance. In my humble opinion, that means it loads well, stays within the safe load limits, and produces the best accuracy with the chosen bullet. And a bonus is when you can use different types or weights of bullets with the same powder, and keep that top level performance.
In my nearly 50 years of handloading,, I've settled into using Unique, HS-6, 2400, 4227, for the majority of my handgun ammo. But I also have Bullseye, H110, TrailBoss, Longshot, TiteGroup, that are used in some loads. I also have a shelf full of other powders that I purchased to test in various guns/calibers,, but they didn't quite perform as I hoped. But I tried them.
And when I get a new gun, and start loading ammo for it,, I first try some of my "tried & true" loads,, to see how it likes them. Sometimes I discover they really like the same load,, and other times,, not so much. When they don't I go to experimenting.
In short,, I let the target be the final arbitrator of what works the best. Quite often,, it's loads that are not "top tier" in velocity that balance the best & give me the best accuracy.
And to quote a gun writer,, (I think it was Townsen Whelen) "Only accurate guns are interesting!
I hunt with handguns. I shoot competition with handguns. I want the most accurate ammo I can build for that gun, so that if I screw up,, I can't blame the ammo.
Just a few years back,, David Bradshaw & Lee Martin developed a cast bullet just for the .357 Maximum. They tested it extensively prior to telling folks about it. Once I got my mold, and cast my own bullets,, I studied David's test results. But I still used my same methods of testing MY gun using different powders & loads & did not automatically trust his load to be the best in my gun. In fact,, I truly tried to build a more accurate load. Yet,, all that shooting just proved that his load was the best in MY gun,, as well as his gun. But at least I had done my own testing, and my results were the same as his.
So it became the load I use in my Maxi.
If I were to get another Maxi,, I'd check it with the same load,, but I'd also try & see if I could get a little better performance with other loads.
Each gun is a machine unto itself.
So,, everybody has their own preferences in powders, primers, calibers & even the parameters of performance. It's great to have so many choices to test & use.
Besides,, I have enough 2400 AND the excellent loads it has produced for me,, so why take chances?
I've often sad & truly believe that each firearm is a machine unto itself. And when it comes to loads,, each gun has "preferences" to give top performance. In my humble opinion, that means it loads well, stays within the safe load limits, and produces the best accuracy with the chosen bullet. And a bonus is when you can use different types or weights of bullets with the same powder, and keep that top level performance.
In my nearly 50 years of handloading,, I've settled into using Unique, HS-6, 2400, 4227, for the majority of my handgun ammo. But I also have Bullseye, H110, TrailBoss, Longshot, TiteGroup, that are used in some loads. I also have a shelf full of other powders that I purchased to test in various guns/calibers,, but they didn't quite perform as I hoped. But I tried them.
And when I get a new gun, and start loading ammo for it,, I first try some of my "tried & true" loads,, to see how it likes them. Sometimes I discover they really like the same load,, and other times,, not so much. When they don't I go to experimenting.
In short,, I let the target be the final arbitrator of what works the best. Quite often,, it's loads that are not "top tier" in velocity that balance the best & give me the best accuracy.
And to quote a gun writer,, (I think it was Townsen Whelen) "Only accurate guns are interesting!
I hunt with handguns. I shoot competition with handguns. I want the most accurate ammo I can build for that gun, so that if I screw up,, I can't blame the ammo.
Just a few years back,, David Bradshaw & Lee Martin developed a cast bullet just for the .357 Maximum. They tested it extensively prior to telling folks about it. Once I got my mold, and cast my own bullets,, I studied David's test results. But I still used my same methods of testing MY gun using different powders & loads & did not automatically trust his load to be the best in my gun. In fact,, I truly tried to build a more accurate load. Yet,, all that shooting just proved that his load was the best in MY gun,, as well as his gun. But at least I had done my own testing, and my results were the same as his.
So it became the load I use in my Maxi.
If I were to get another Maxi,, I'd check it with the same load,, but I'd also try & see if I could get a little better performance with other loads.
Each gun is a machine unto itself.
So,, everybody has their own preferences in powders, primers, calibers & even the parameters of performance. It's great to have so many choices to test & use.
Still working my way thru a few of these before getting into the newer stuff.
I believe that square can of 2400 has a $2.95 price tag.
I believe that square can of 2400 has a $2.95 price tag.
Larryburford
Blackhawk
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- Jul 13, 2024
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- City & State/Province
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I love those old cans!
Larryburford
Blackhawk
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2024
- Messages
- 512
- City & State/Province
- LA - Lower Arkansas, USA I use to be Crazy Horse
I saw a pound of H4350 at Academy in Louisiana, and it was $74.99 + $7.49 tax. It's still setting there.
Thinking you may need to shoot more often.... ;)
