Good places to buy powder?

[O.T. Powell]

Can I get some recommendations as to a good site to order powder and primers at reasonable prices? I am reloading 30-06 & 45 ACP.. I ordered all my reloading equipment from bass pro shops and they have kind of a limited selection.. I am starting with H4350 with 168 gr matchking for 30-06 and 185 gr with P38 for 45 ACP.. that sound like some accurate combos? Do I really need a case trimmer and a tumbler? I can get away with just using some small brushes for cleaning right? And as for case trimming, can't I just use the dies?

 

[[email protected]]

For the 30-06 you will need some type of case trimmer. The lee hand trimmer works fine and will get you started. Trim after you resize the brass

 

[CZ57]

Powder Valley, Graf & Sons and Midway USA are all suppliers of powder and primers.

 

[smartshooter.45]

I found that buying powder and primers locally is the way to go for me. That way you dont have to pay that rediculous $20 "hazardous materials" handling fee and no shipping. Just a thought.

 

[GLOOB]

If you just want to try out 1 lb of powder, then yeah. Local is hard to beat. But I'm not even going to leave the house and drive 10 minutes for 1 lb of powder.

I have given Powder Valley most of my business. Heard about them from the forum. Good prices and good selection. When you can get so much of your shopping done from one store, it's not hard to make up the hazmat and the shipping.

 

[TheCracker]

Powder Valley, Graf & Sons and Midway USA are all suppliers of powder and primers.

+1 and also add Natchez.

 

[Canuck-IL]

Do I really need a case trimmer and a tumbler? I can get away with just using some small brushes for cleaning right? And as for case trimming, can't I just use the dies?

You need to read a basic reloading book - and get your starting loads from the same.
/Bryan

 

[Funshooter45]

The last couple times I checked, Powder Valley was the best source of powder. In my case, the breakeven point for buying powder from them compared to buying locally was about 6 lbs. Less than 6 lb, I was better off buying local.

http://www.powdervalleyinc.com/

H-4350 is a good all around powder for a lot of rifles and would make a good choice to start. You might also want to try Alliant RL-19 when you get around to it.

 

[MtnCreek]

Do I really need a case trimmer and a tumbler? I can get away with just using some small brushes for cleaning right?

Tumbler is not required, but you do need to get them clean. Polishing is optional.

 

[Old krow]

Midsouth Shooting Supply has a deal on primers right now. If you order 5k they'll eat the hazmat costs. Their prices look only slightly higher than Powder Valley at the moment.

I save up my orders until I have enough to justify the shipping.

 

[leadchucker]

I assume you have called around to all the local gun shops or sporting goods places within reasonable driving distance. Walmart even usually has some reloading supplies. I found a gun place an hour away that would order what I wanted if they didn't have it in stock. His prices weren't the lowest, but that was still way cheaper than paying hazmat charges.

 

[lightman]

I use and like powder valley.I usually get a group buy up with friends,and order the max amount(50# total wt I think) and split the fees.Thats about 50 cents a pound.Powder Valley is good to deal with. Lightman

 

[Rokman]

Powder Valley is hard to beat. I have bought powder and primers from Recob's Target Shop, Midsouth and Gamalliel's back in the dark ages of primers the last couple of years. I buy from Cabela's sometimes and they are opening a new store next week in Allen, TX that makes me very happy. I have a Bass Pro pretty close to me, but buying powder from them is very painful to the wallet.

 

[amlevin]

The "secret" to getting good prices on powder and primers is to buy in quantity. Not necessarily ridiculous quantities but more than a pound or box at a time.

If you anticipate using several pounds of powder in a given period of time than order it all at once from a good online source. The more powder and primers in the box the less effect that "hazmat fee" has.

Beware of certain online sources. One that comes to mind is Midway. They ship powder from one source and primers from another. This results in your order for both being split and you have to pay two hazmat fees. OK if all you're ordering is powder or primers. Before ordering, call ahead and ask if they can ship powder and primers in the same box.

I like Powder Valley. Good prices and great customer service. My last order from them saved me over $300 from prices I would have paid from my best local supplier and that was even factoring in the freight and hazmat fee.

If you only shoot a pound or two of powder and a box of primers a year then local purchase makes sense. For reloaders like myself that go through several pounds per month and associated primers, then it makes no sense to pay the "stick-up" prices that some local dealers want for their product.

(a local example of "stick-up" prices are what one dealer is charging for Benchrest Primers. He wants $62 for a box of 1,000 CCI BR-2's. Powder valley charged me $34 for the same primers. One box more than offset the hazmat fee for the rest of my 45# order.)

 

[crimsoncomet]

Powder valley is the way to go. Like everyone said, you need to buy in bulk to save money. 8# of varget runs me 168 (with tax included) at the local gun shop. Not a bad price. I can order 8# for about the same price from powder valley. Buuuuut, start adding another keg of powder and a bunch of primers, and you are putting money back in your pocket. Your next bet is trying to find powder at the gun shows.

 

[soloban]

Midway is good. I'm putting together an order with a co-worker. Locally IMR Rifle Powder runs about $29.99+8% sales tax. IMR Rifle Powder on Midway runs $23 and change. Tack on a $25 Hazmat and $9 Shipping, it only takes 4 Lbs of Powder to break even with buying locally.

 

[BoilerUP]

I have a Bass Pro pretty close to me, but buying powder from them is very painful to the wallet.

+1...H4831SC, Varget, H4350, etc. are all $29.99+tax at the local Bass Pro; Reloader powders are generally a buck or two less expensive.

 

[Rokman]

If Powder Valley has what you want in stock, it is almost impossible to beat them if you purchase larger quantities. If you can find places that will eat the hazmat fee, they are probably still priced higher than the same item at PV and if you puchase enough, you can beat the rebate. Local stores around me want as much as $30-35 a pound of powder and that is not going to get purchased by me. Cabela's at $22-24 a pound has a better chance. Powder Valley in bulk and split with a buddy is a better deal.

 

[Captaingyro]

Discount code at MidSouth is 5HAZ.

 

[helotaxi]

I assume you have called around to all the local gun shops or sporting goods places within reasonable driving distance. Walmart even usually has some reloading supplies. I found a gun place an hour away that would order what I wanted if they didn't have it in stock. His prices weren't the lowest, but that was still way cheaper than paying hazmat charges.

With current gas prices, no driving distance outside my small town (with only one shop that stocks reloading supplies) is reasonable. A 1hr each way drive costs me more than the HAZMAT fee in gas. Anymore, prices would have to be stellar for me to drive anywhere to get anything.

 

[ljnowell]

Every single local place around here seems to think that a pound of alliant powder is worth 26.99. I order mine through Powder Valley. As a plus you can now purchase Missouri Bullets through them also. I believe they are even cheaper than from Missouri Bullet directly.

 

[MarkDozier]

powder valley is about 4 bucks cheaper the MBC on the bullet i use.

 

[FROGO207]

Yep if you are going to buy more than 3 pounds of propellant and the primers with it you will save a fair amount by buying on line. I usually use the phone to order an this will enable me to actually talk to a human and interact with questions I might have. On many occasions I have found a deal or promo that was not advertised by asking and saved even more $$. YMMV Even amounted to saving the cost of the Has Mat fee one time when buying a load of primers. Do your research and get your deal for your particular combo of components.