Alliant seems to have become especially pricey. Hodgdon not quite so bad.

 

yep Alliant has jumped their prices up to the stupid level.
'stupid level' is based on them outpacing Vita Vhouri.

 

Put Green Dot in your rearview mirror.
High Gun will likely do what GD was doing for you, provided you switch to an appropriate wad with a taller crush section.

 

Yessir, I use high gun and the Claybuster pink wad in my 12 gauge 1 ounce load. Works in AA or STS hulls.

 

As others have said, Green Dot, isn’t the only powder out there. Hodgdon has several.
Actually, if you’re reloading 12 gauge to save money, you’re pretty much on a fool’s errand if you’re buying powder 1 pound at a time.

 

Yep, reloading at current prices of components is insane. Glad, I built an inventory where I can shoot for the next four years or so. That is if the skeet ranges continue to throw enough targets to remain open. My average cost to load a box of 20 gauge shells is about $6.25 based on what I have paid for supplies. That is less than half of what a new box of AA's now cost. For me, it is take the guns out of the safe and lock up the components. It's insane.

 

Vote with your pocketbook; that is, an earlier post suggested using High Gun/Tight Group instead of Green Dot. It will do the same thing Green Dot ever did at a much lower cost. However, because the Hodgdon High Gun/Tight Group is considerably denser, requiring fewer grains to get the performance equivalent to what you would need if you were using Green Dot, a longer wad is needed to give desirable stack height.

 

I don't use Green Dot. Presently using Clays in one reloader and Titewad in my other 12 ga. Just shocked had how much a small bottle of powder was priced. Been shooting for probably 30 yrs. Will continue until the cost is out of my price range and budget. Grade6man

 

I like Green Dot for 44 mag (cast bullet plinking loads) and very flexible with slug loads but I fear might not be for me much longer.

Scrummy

 

I have 3 jugs of Green Dot 8#ers, once my Promo is used up, I will be switching to it. I am going to try some 16 Ga loads with it.


cdb

 

Guys need to “just say No” to Alliant and others powder. Only way these gougers will figure it out.

And Lord knows how much gouging we ve all experienced in everything we buy since the world discovered Covid ….. Time to vote with my wallet is how I m approaching it!

 

I’ve got 16 lbs of GD and an equal amount of international that I bought over 10 years ago when it was reasonable. When that’s gone, I’ll look for something else

 

Saw it in the local shop for $59.99/#. They are high for most everything though. Use very little of it thankfully.

 

I was at Sportsmans Warehouse the other day and found 2lbs of Green Dot, and 2lbs of Red Dot for $39.99ea. I picked up the GD for myself and the RD for a friend. It is the first time I have seen it in nature in a long time.

 

Some Alliant powders in the UK are around 100£/lb!
We were paying 50£ a decade ago!!

 

Scary isn’t it!

 

Powder companies do contribute to higher prices. Your favorite buddy, at the gun store, pays attention to supply and demand. If he can sell his entire inventory of XXX brand powder for 35.00 lb. The next time he gets it, he will try to sell if for 45.00 lb. Contrary to what folks think, astronomical profits are the goal, ACROSS THE BOARD. When expendable income goes down and people stop paying those exorbitant prices, the prices will go down. ACROSS THE BOARD.

Supply and demand is controlled on all levels, from the manufacturer to, multiple distributors, to the retailer.

Financial Capitalism 101.

 

The small shops are paying the HAZMAT fee plus shipping on small lots....Then adding on a bit for their profit.

If you can afford it....Buy all the single HAZMAT charge will allow......This fee really sends the price off into the ozones ...Especially when you are buying a pound......

The big stores get all they can squeeze into an order with the HAZMAT FEE on it....

I would go to one of the big outfits....But the travel time GAS FOR THE RIG really defeats that plan.....

 

I'm buying no more Alliant powder which makes sense. Maybe as their products sit on the shelf they will lower their prices at least a little. Lots of other options out there at this time. Grade6man

 

I loaded nothing but Aliant powders for decades. Two years ago, I switched. Not going back unless the pricing returns to sane levels.

 

What powder are you getting good results with now?

 

I don't think that Alliant prices are going to drop. I don't see them doing anything new. I don't see them producing more powder to sell. IMHO, either they are going to make $$$ selling powder or they are going to get out of the reloading market......or maybe they will sell the rights to Hodgdon like a lot of the other powder companies have.

 

hodgdon doesn't make powder they just distribute the stuff.

remember when someone made red and green and target and unequal for like a week then figured out there was no profit in making powder the old fashioned way.
now we hear 700-X has an issue, you can't get clays,,,
how long until we have no 'bulky' flake powders, then no current wads fit anything because the powder only occupies the bottom 1/8th of an inch of a case, and leaks around all the cups?

 

hodgdon doesn't make powder they just distribute the stuff.

remember when someone made red and green and target and unequal for like a week then figured out there was no profit in making powder the old fashioned way.
now we hear 700-X has an issue, you can't get clays,,,
how long until we have no 'bulky' flake powders, then no current wads fit anything because the powder only occupies the bottom 1/8th of an inch of a case, and leaks around all the cups?

Which was my point about Hodgdon getting the rights to sell the powder, they don't make it but they do like to sell it.

Plenty of wads to fit straight wall hulls, look at Gualandi and Baschieri & Pellagri wads. Claybuster also makes a few.

All the OEM and clone wads made for tapered hulls still work.

Vihtavuori powders are nice and bulky and they are available more often than not.

It's not time to jump off the roof yet, because there is more than 1 way to skin a cat.

 

I agree with Mark. The consumer powder business has to be a small decimal point compared to the total business that probably consumes an inordinant amount of oversight for an unimpressive return. In other words “who needs it?” I would not be surprised at all to see it sold off or at least the rights.

 

who would you keep going?
the 3% or the 97% that paid all the bills for the last 90 years.
it's not even a lets have a meeting about it decision.

i kind of seen this coming a few years back when Alliant [AKA ATK] started operating the lake city equipment after they took it over from winchester.

the majority of all the components we haven't been able to get the last few years isn't because of hoarding or supply chain issues.
it's 100% because reloading components are the very last thing they [the factories] think about, we are about 2 steps behind signing the janitors pay check and making sure the parking lot gets swept.
we've always got the extras or leftovers, it won't change,,,,, ever.

 

Probably a result of lack of testing ,but I do wish there was an available substitute for Green Dot in 16 gauge

 

Vihtavuori N320, makes nice 1 oz. 16 gauge loads.....it's better than Green Dot ever was for that purpose. It is available most of the time. It is a bit pricey (4.4 lbs for $150 - $155) but no more so than Green Dot is now. I used it for dove, sharpies and huns this year. It is bulky enough so that you don't have to reinvent the wheel over wad selection. Burns pretty clean. I bet it will be nice for 7/8 oz. loads also. Gualandi has data for the 1 oz. loads, using Cheddite primers and the SG16 wad.

I am not in love with it, but Winchester 572 will toss 1 oz. loads also. It works best in Remington hulls with CB0100-16 wads, IMO. Hodgdon has data for it.

 

Very early in my shooting carrier I used a lot of Green Dot in 7/8oz 20ga loads. It kicked and I got away from it. Now I am shooting 3/4oz 20ga loads, with green Dot and love them. I have some stashed away, but do not know what I will go to when it runs out.

 

Take a look at BE-86.
Yes it is dense (and expensive and from Alliant), but I had a standard 7/8 oz 20 gauge tested. A little hotter than Unique.
I think it would be great in 3/4 oz. as well. It is available too. It wasn't so expensive when I bought a bunch.

Jim

 

I think WST has the requisite bulk density and burn rate for 7/8 ounce loads with the CB0078 in RGL hulls and 1 ounce loads with the SG16 in straightwalls. A little pressure testing would be necessary.