So far the local prices for powder in MN have not caught up with the online prices. I'm able to find most powders for around $50. Lately I have been buying extra powder seeing an increase in price is unavoidable. Primers are scarce especially for large rifle magnums. I have a few hundred of those yet but would be nice to pick up a brick. I went to a gun show last week and a guy wanted $200 for a brick of large rifle. I think he could read my lips as I walked away, lol. Drove over to the store and picked the same ones up $130 which is still high priced. lol. It's a little windy today but what the heck I'm going to shoot anyways.
Actually, a price decrease is unavoidable. The current price of powder doesn't reflect its cost of manufacture and distribution. Once hoarders stop snapping up every canister of powder that hits the shelves then the manufacturing capacity will exceed the market absorption, at which time powder prices will fall to their normal competitive level. I'm not saying we'll go back to the days when hopper car loads of military surplus powders were available at give-away prices, but the current market has all of the characteristics of a bubble which will eventually pop.
A series of armed conflicts around the world (Afghanistan, Iraq, Ukraine, and now Israel) has stoked military demand for nitro/cellulose/glycerin products which is reflected in the reduced volume of those products available to civilians. Combined with hoarding in the civilian market this has naturally escalated the price of canister-grade gunpowder. But assuming (which is not a foregone conclusion) that wars, or at least their size and intensity, will eventually abate, then civilian gunpowder prices will abate also.
The longest kill I have ever made on a Deer was with 200 grain Nosler Accubonds a friend gave me. He did not sell the loads with the SAKO he had. I think he dumped the SAKO as quick as he did because it was misfiring. I found-out fairly quickly he had acted too soon. The guy who bought-it never had a hitch but the ammo he gave me from-it would not go-off; even after several strikes. All of his primers were too high and never seated properly! I guess his priming tool was out of adjustment. After all the primers were seated correctly with my Lee hand-prime while I was watching TV; everyone went-off, first-try with no hangfires.
Too much Caffeine.?!
I don't know if this helps at alle, but my Sako l61r 338wm really really likes the Federal TBBC factory loads. If someone knows what might be the recipe I would be very interested. Just bought the last ones I could find from Europe. The bullet closest to 338 TBBC 225gr I could find from here is Rhino Solid Shank but it is either 210gr or 250gr...
I have a friend that works for federal in Anoka MN. I will have to ask him to find out what the formula is the next time I see him. I was going to try and get my kids 338 going this weekend but my case trimmer broke. Then I might as well break out my sako 300 rum and soften up my shoulder a little bit.
You may or may not get a usable formula. A lot of factory ammo is loaded with bulk powders that are not available in consumer packaging. However, if your friend has sufficient technical knowledge, he might be able to suggest a comparable canister powder.
Especially since he works with the powder.
That improves your odds considerably!
