Unobtanium

[Brad]

Not as rare as spotting a unicorn but pretty close.

25.99 at Cabelas. They had one, now they have none.

I am seeing a fair amount of the Alliant rifle powders locally but this is the first shotgun/handgun powder I have seen in the area.

I am hoping that over the winter these powders will get out in more locations and I can buy an 8 pounder of a couple.

 

[Rick]

Well you said you were staying overnight in this area, assuming they still have it in 2 weeks just buy it at Bob's on Monday. Two 8 pounders sitting there right now.

 

[Ben]

Brad,

The powder situation here has GREATLY improved in the past 6 months.
Hopefully your area will follow soon.

Ben

 

[Brad]

I can get most of the Hodgdon and IMR powders all day long. Alliant is the odd man out in this. It is getting better bit I'm impatient at times.
At least I have plenty of powder to keep me shooting while I wait for more.

 

[Ian]

We had a bunch of Alliant powders show up in our local hardware/gun store back in the spring. Took about a week for word to get out and they sold quick even at 1lb day limit and scalper's prices. I bought a pound of RX7 a day for four days and on the fifth bought their last, they sold nearly 20 lbs the day I bought the fourth one. In a way I was glad because it was $33 something pound out the door. They had a good bit of Alliant pistol powders too but by the time I got stocked on RX7 the rest were gone.

Brad, if I were you I'd send Rick a check for one of those 8-pounders and a dozen roses along with a note asking to pretty-please buy one and hold it for you, you just never know what's going to happen and if the supply doesn't come back before summer the next election panic might put supply out for another three or four years. I can't shooting cast without a goodly supply of Unique on hand.

Wasn't there some sort of plant accident in the past couple of months that might be affecting the Alliant powder production?

 

[smokeywolf]

You think Unique is hard to find? Try finding a Cabela's or any major sporting goods outlet that sells guns or reloading components in SoCal.

 

[Rick]

You think Unique is hard to find? Try finding a Cabela's or any major sporting goods outlet that sells guns or reloading components in SoCal.

Actually pretty easy to find reloading components. As I've told you many times the Angeles Shooting Ranges has a reloading store that carries not only components but also a huge selection of reloading tools from all major manufacturers.

 

[williamwaco]

Unique began to show up at gun shows here about three months ago. There was plenty last time but that was a month ago. Prices around 25 bucks.

 

[fiver]

the plant that had the major issue was in Australia and was where the clay's line was made. [it's back up and running again and I have seen universal on the shelves recently]
more recently there was a fire at the St. Marks plant.

unique has been available here off and on throughout the whole mess, and the newer powders like 20/28 and the MR-AR series has also been available. [I traded off some unique a while back and at my usage level I still got enough]
green-dot has been spotty so has red-dot.
2400 and RL-19 have been unobtanium the whole time.
I have a guy down in SLC that has some 2400 he wants to sell me, I just haven't had time to get down after it. [I have about 12 pounds and some AA-4100 to supplement it with]
I'm really after red-dot right now, I have a bunch [in the pistol world but not the shot shell world] on hand but I'd feel a lot better with double the amount.
and I'd like another 5-10 lbs of rl-19.
once I get those 3 powders up to where I want them I think I'm done buying powder for the rest of my life.

 

[waco]

No unique in my neck of the woods. I'm still flush with almost 8lbs so I'm good for now.

 

[Brad]

Fiver, I have 8-10 pounds of RE19 on hand along with 5 pounds of RE17.
I'm set pretty well for a while largely because I don't buy by the pound anymore. I like buying 8 pounders, or 5 pounders for Allant rifle powders. Nothing worse than working up a load and being out of powder.
A one pounder is like buying 100 primers, what is the point?

 

[fiver]

I'm sure if I just used what I have for serious stuff like hunting, I have enough for 4-5 lifetimes per caliber.
I will buy one pound containers, that way I have something to pour the 8 pounder in and set on the shelf behind the powder dump.
but once I have one then it's all 8 lb containers from that point forth.

recently I have just been stocking up on rifle powders 3031/4895/4064/4831 all have been available and I have taken advantage of that when I have the money.
when primers were scarce I bought Brass.
when one thing is not available I buy something else, it all adds up eventually into a little pile of stuff I can use.
just adding something useful to the pile makes it grow bigger.
so what if I have to shoot my 45's/9mm's with bulls-eye, green-dot, or 700-x powder for the next 10 years.
or if my groups are 1/4" bigger cause I use 4831 instead of RL-19 at least I got groups, or can hunt, or have ammo for my handgun calibers and shotguns.

I refuse to cave in and chase the new hot thing, i'll just get ahead a little bit in another area and ride it out.

 

[Blaster]

It is good to see powder available. Still a few missing from the list.

http://www.gunbot.net/reloading/Powder/

 

[KHornet]

Like the word unobtanium , sort of goes along with Haintgotnomo!

 

[Rick]

Brad, if I were you I'd send Rick a check for one of those 8-pounders and a dozen roses along with a note asking to pretty-please buy one and hold it for you,

Nothing in my mailbox yesterday? Guess he doesn't really want it huh?

 

[Brad]

I'm Not in dire need of Unique. Not at all.
176 for 8 pounds isn't a bad price but isn't great either.

And a dozen roses? Ummmm, Rick has a girlfriend. Winelovers dog would just get jealous and we don't need that.

 

[Rick]

Bob's has been high on powders, primers & such since I've lived here but of late his prices have been coming down with better availability. But in reality it's $191 for an 8 pounder because both the city and the state want their share of the sale.

Bob get's kind of annoyed when I tell him I have more powder and primers than he does.

On a sad note Bob hasn't been working for the last couple of months, his wife and son are running the place. Bob has lung cancer.

 

[Brad]

And that is how the old, independent gun shops go out of business. Hopefully the son is interested in keeping the shop open.
I have plenty of powder and primers on hand. Probably enough to shoot for a couple years with no problem. If I shoot more 45 and less 9 mm/ 38s I could likely to closer to 5 years.

 

[Rick]

Both the son and Bob's wife have worked in the store for many years and both are very competent, the store will go on. IMHO it's the best store in the area and by a good margin.

There is another store just up the street from Bob's that opened just about the time I moved here. That store caters to and stocks mostly for the black gun crowd and almost nothing for reloading. Drove by there last week (after leaving Bob's) and there is a for sale sign out front. I've only been in it a couple of times, didn't like the inventory and liked the employees even less, seems if ya didn't want to talk 600 rounds a minute they had no time for you. Saw no reason to ever go back, the for sale sign tells me I'm not the only one.

 

[smokeywolf]

Actually pretty easy to find reloading components. As I've told you many times the Angeles Shooting Ranges has a reloading store that carries not only components but also a huge selection of reloading tools from all major manufacturers.

Now you see Rick, because my short term memory is fading and my long term memory is getting keener, it's going to take another 20 years before I can remember what you told me last month.