At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Sunday afternoon or Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
The Remington 700 is the most popular modern bolt-action system in America. If you’re like most hunters and shooters you’d never complain about adding another Rem 700 rifle to your collection. We found an amazing deal on the Remington 700 ADL Tactical FDE in .308 Winchester. Get this fine .308 Win rifle for just $399.99 at Sportsman’s Warehouse. Act soon — we expect this deal to sell out.
2. Powder Valley — Lapua Brass Deals
Lapua brass is top-of-the-line and that’s why we’re always on the hunt for a deal. This week we found Powder Valley has a great selection of Lapua brass and many of the sizes are marked down so grab some and start prepping for the next match. For example, .223 Rem is just $56.93/100 while .308 Win is $76.27/100. Both 6mm Creedmoor and 6.5 Creedmoor are both $85.67 per hundred.
3. Midsouth — Nikon X1000 and FX1000 Sale, Free Tactical Bag
Nikon has produced some excellent tactical scopes with great features and rock-solid warranties. Now these Nikon Black Force X1000 and FX1000 scopes are being offered at close-out prices by Midsouth Shooters. The X1000 has a second focal plane reticle while the FX1000 models are First Focal Plane (FFP). Special Bonus — with each Nikon Black Force scope you get a Free Tactical Range Bag.
4. Midway USA — Factory Seconds Bullet Sale
Bullets aren’t getting any cheaper and for most of us we can’t tell a perfect bullet from one that is 99% as good so why pay full price if you don’t have to. Head over to MidwayUSA for their huge factory seconds bullet sale for some crazy savings. We can’t tell you the brands, but you’ll probably recognize them from caliber/weight, so take advantage of this sale.
5. EuroOptic — Nightforce Competition Demo Sale, $1,999
The Nightforce Competition scopes are favored by top F-Class and Long Range competitors, including the the U.S. Rifle Team. These high-end 15-55X power optics normally cost $2400. However, for a limited time, you can pick up a demo model Nightforce 15-55x52mm Competition for $1999.00. You know you’re going to get any scope dirty the first time you use it so why not buy a demo model and save $400. That $400 can buy a nice custom barrel and more.
6. Bruno’s — RCBS Match Master Powder Dispenser, $849.00
RCBS promised to shake up the reloading world by recently releasing their newest powder dispenser. The Match Master promises to drop all types of powder using a two-tube system with an accuracy up to .04 grain. Choose speed mode or precision mode. Most vendors, such as MidwayUSA, are charging $899.00 or more. But you can save $50 at Bruno’s which sells the RCBS Match Master powder dispenser for $849.00, the best price we’ve found.
7. Amazon — Vinca Digital Caliper, $21.98
Every handloader needs a set of calipers, and this Vinca unit offers some great features for a very afforcable price. Do you ever wish you could take measurements and record them easily for review later? Grab this Vinca Digital Caliper for only $21.98 and you can upload data as you measure. The unit features a RS232 data transfer port that can communicate to a windows laptop or computer with an accessory cable (sold separately).
NOTE: The RS232 Data transfer port must connect with “VINCA DTCR-03″ Cable to make data transfer to PC. DO NOT CONNECT WITH REGULAR USB CABLE. This unit comes with one extra battery, and the maker offers a satisfaction guarantee.
8. Amazon — ProCase Tactical Range Bag, $49.99
This ProCase Tactical Range Bag offers great capacity, plenty of pockets, and an adjustable interior. Here is an actual owner’s review: “This bag is holds everything I need to go to the range and/or competition. I was able to place my ammo, 2 pistols, 2 x eye glasses and ear protection, shot timer, 6 speed loaders for the revolvers, a small pistol cleaning kit, my concealment vest, shooting diary, 2 x pens and a water bottle. It is very well padded for protection, and it even had rubber feet on the bottom.”
9. Amazon — Jialitte Scope Bubble Level, $10.99
All serious rifle shooters need a scope level. This nicely designed Jialitte Scope Bubble Level features a 30mm milled inside diameter, plus an inner insert ring so it will also fit 1″-diameter main tubes — that dual-diameter versatility is a nice feature. We also like the way the unit is nicely radiused, and has a low profile in the middle. Price is just $10.99 with free shipping. User reviews have been very positive. You could easily pay $35.00 or more for a 30mm scope level.
If you look at that 5-round group you might think it was shot with a 6 PPC or maybe a 6mmBR. But no, this was done with heavy 180gr Berger Hybrid bullets and the .284 Shehane, an improved version of the .284 Winchester. In fact, this impressive sub-quarter MOA group was shot while fire-forming with a very well-worn barrel! Gun builder Ryan Pierce of Piercision Rifles explains:
Here’s a 5-shot 0.191″ group at 100 yards with my .284 Shehane fire-forming loads. This barrel has 2200 rounds through it. It had 2000 as a straight .284 Win and then I set it back to .284 Shehane to form brass with. This was the first five rounds through it after I cleaned it after the last match. [The load was] 180 Hybrids with 54.0 grains of H4831 SC.
Ya, I figured why not I had some old barrels laying around so I just chopped 2″ off the back and 1″ off the front and chambered it up as a Shehane. Had 1000 pieces to fireform and didn’t want to do all that on a brand new barrel.
My fireform loads are going 2765 FPS. I have a 29″ barrel also though since it’s a setback. Once you get it formed I would push it faster than that or I wouldn’t even bother with the Shehane. My old straight .284 load at 2890 fps had ES spread in single digits for 10 shots. I figured if I get it up to 2935-2950 fps that will be a point or two saved in a several day match.
Our friend Erik Cortina notes that the .284 Shehane has a velocity edge over the straight .284 Win because it holds more powder: “The Shehane has more capacity than the .284 Winchester. Ryan is using 54.0 grains simply as a fire-forming load. Typical load for a Shehane is around 57.0 grains of Hodgdon H4831 SC.” By blowing the sidewalls out 0.010″, the .284 Shehane picks up about 3.3 grains of extra case capacity. That enhancement makes a BIG difference. The extra boiler room is enough to drive the 180s at 2900-2950 fps with H4831sc, with long barrels.
Forum member Jim Hardy has shot the .284 with great success. He tells us: “In my humble opinion, the .284 Shehane is the best balanced long-range round there is — bar none. Here is why:
You have to shoot a 30 Cal Magnum with a 240gr bullet to equal the performance of most 7mm chamberings with the 180 Berger VLD. With the .284 Shehane, you have a .308 bolt face, medium action, and Lapua brass. You use less powder than the 7 mags, and have great accuracy and ballistics even while fire-forming. The .284 Shehane shoots inside the 6.5 AND the straight .284, the .300 WSM, and the .300 Win Mag with less recoil. What is not to love about the 284 Shehane? It is a no-brainer for long range — F-Class or Prone or 1000-yard Benchrest.”
Scotland’s Grant Taylor. who used the .284 Shehane to finish third at the 2009 F-Class Worlds in England says the .284 Shehane is “very accurate with superb vertical spreads at 1000 yards. [This] caliber… has awesome accuracy. I’m getting 2930-2950 fps with spreads in the 3-5 fps range. I use Hodgdon H4831sc powder, CCI BR2 primers, and pointed 180gr Bergers.”
Brownells is running a huge St. Patrick’s Day Sale right now. There are over 1000 items on sale, with big discounts on reloading tools, AR uppers/lowers, ammunition, triggers, optics and much more. Six notable sale items are previewed above, but that’s just a small sample — there are 1020 products on sale now through March 17 at 11:59 pm CDT. CLICK HERE to shop all 1020 Sale items.
Other sale items include Lapua Brass, Federal Primers, Vortex Scopes, RCBS Chargemasters, Rem 700 Actions, Howa Barreled Actions, Redding Dies, Redding Reloading Presses, CCI and SK Rimfire Ammo, 9mm Pistol Ammo (many brands), Winchester Powder, Lyman Case Prep Centers, and much more. TIP: When you get to the SALE Page, set the “Per Page” display to show 96 Items. That will speed up your shopping.
Many shooters, particular those who shoot vintage military rifle matches, reload once-fired military cartridge brass. This brass may be high-quality and stout, but you may encounter a primer crimp* that interferes with the seating of a new primer. There are a variety of dedicated, military-crimp tools on the market, such as Dillon’s excellent Super Swage 600 tool that “rolls the crimp away”. But the Dillon tool costs $114.99 and takes quite a bit of room on your reloading bench. If you don’t want to drop a C-note and give up valuable bench space — here’s another (much cheaper) solution.
If you already have a Wilson case trimmer set-up, you can ream away those military crimps using an affordable Wilson accessory — the Primer Pocket Reamer (large #PPR210, small #PPR175). This $32.65 accessory is used in conjunction with a Wilson case trimmer and case-holder as shown above.
In the respected Riflemans Journal website, the Editor, “GS Arizona”, showed how to use the Wilson primer pocket reamer to remove military crimps on Lake City .30-06 cartridge brass. He explains: “The case goes into the Wilson case-holder, the same one used for case trimming, and the reamer replaces the trimmer head in the tool base. The threaded rod on the left side, which is normally used to regulate trim length has no use for this operation and it is simply backed out. Hold the case-holder as you turn the reamer into the primer pocket, it cuts easily and quickly. The reamer will stop cutting when the proper depth is reached.”
Do you really need to do this operation with military-crimped brass? Yes, and here’s why: “Any attempt to prime the case without removing the crimp will simply result in a mangled primer that cannot be expected to fire and certainly won’t fire reliably.”
Vintage Military Rifle shooters often utilize surplus military brass with primer pocket crimps.
*Why does military brass has a primer crimp? GS Arizona answers: “The crimp is nothing more than an intentional deformation of the case around the primer pocket, the purpose of which is to retain the primer in the case despite high pressure situations in machine guns and other automatic weapons where a loose primer may cause a malfunction. As reloaders, our task is to get rid of the remnants of the crimp in order to allow re-priming the case.”
Probably the most popular centerfire rifle round in the Western Hemisphere is the .223 Remington and its metric match, the 5.56x45mm. Though many folks use “.223 Rem” and “5.56×45″ interchangeably, there are some meaningful differences in specifications for the original .223 Rem and the 5.56x45mm cartridge, as adopted by the U.S. military and NATO armies. The default chamber throats are slightly different and the .223 Rem is rated at 55,000 PSI vs. 62,366 PSI for the 5.56x45mm.*
.223 Rem vs 5.56x45mm — Key Differences
There is a truly outstanding, very thorough article on the subject, published by LuckyGunner.com.** This involved extensive testing, with pressure monitors, of 5.56x45mm ammo in .223 Rem chambers. Those tests revealed the peak pressures. Here is one of the ammo test charts:
NOTE: “The observed chamber pressure for Federal XM855 5.56mm ammunition in a .223 Rem chamber exceeded .223 maximum pressures, but not by a massive amount. The ninth shot (the red line) was an underpowered cartridge which exhibited significantly lower velocity and pressure than the other rounds, so it was excluded from the average velocity and pressure numbers for this chamber.”
And if you’re curious, LuckyGunner also fired .223 Rem ammo in a 5.56x45mm NATO-chambered AR15 rifle. As you would expect, the peak pressures were significantly lower, but the .223 Rem ammo still cycled the semi-auto AR-platform rifle perfectly well:
UltimateReloader.com Explains .223 Rem vs. 5.56x45mm
To explain the key differences between the .223 Rem and 5.56x45mm cartridges our friend Gavin Gear of UltimateReloader.com has created a very thorough 12-minute video. This covers the cartridge specifications and explains key considerations for hand-loaders. Gavin also addresses the oft-asked question “Can I shoot 5.56x45mm ammo in my .223 Rem chamber?” Gavin’s video is definitely worth watching. In fact, this is one of the most popular videos Gavin has ever created — it has been watched over 300,000 times on YouTube.
What Exactly Is the 5.56x45mm NATO Cartridge?
The 5.56×45mm NATO is a rimless bottle-necked intermediate cartridge family standardized by NATO with development work by FN Herstal. It consists of the SS109, SS110, and SS111 cartridges. Under STANAG 4172, it is a standard cartridge for NATO forces as well as many non-NATO countries.
Bullet diameter: 5.70 mm (0.224 in)
Maximum pressure (EPVAT): 430.00 MPa (62,366 psi)
Maximum pressure (SCATP 5.56): 380.00 MPa (55,114 psi)
Case length: 44.70 mm (1.760 in)
Rifling twist: 178 mm or 229 mm (1 in 7 in)
Parent case: .223 Remington (M193)
Ammo-Maker Federal Premium Compares .223 Rem and 5.56x45mm
Here is a video from ammo-maker Federal Premium explaining the difference between .223 Remington and 5.56x45mm NATO. Federal states that you may experience excessive pressures when firing a 5.56x45mm in a standard .223 Remington chamber:
One leading gunwriter has addressed the question of shooting 5.56x45mm ammo in .223 Rem chambers. He advocates caution (for more info, SEE pressure tests by LuckyGunner.com):
“I have received a slew of questions — many from first time AR-type rifle buyers — about the .223 Rem and the 5.56×45 mm NATO cartridges. Can I shoot 5.56×45 mm NATO in my .223 and vice-versa? Are these the same cartridge?
Externally, the two cartridge cases are identical. The main differences are that 5.56×45 mm NATO operates at a higher chamber pressure (about 60,000 PSI versus 55,000 PSI on the .223 Rem.) and the 5.56’s chamber is slightly larger than that of the .223 Rem. Also, the throat or leade is longer in the 5.56×45 mm chamber. What does this mean? You should not shoot 5.56×45 mm NATO out of a rifle that is chambered in .223 Rem. And be aware that some .223 Rem. ammunition will not reliably cycle through some AR-style .223 Rem. rifles, but it usually does. As a matter of fact, I have not encountered any difficulty with current .223 Rem. loads cycling through a 5.56 mm AR-style rifle.” – Mark Keefe, Editor, American Rifleman
* According to the official NATO proofing guidelines, the 5.56×45mm NATO case can handle up to 430.0 MPa (62,366 psi) piezo service pressure. The U.S. SAAMI lists Maximum Average Pressure (MAP) for the .223 Remington cartridge as 55,000 psi (379.2 MPa) piezo pressure with deviation of up to 58,000 psi (399.9 MPa). The chamber for military 5.56×45mm NATO has a longer throat prior to the bullet contacting the rifling which results in lower pressures when firing 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition. If 5.56×45mm NATO is used in rifles chambered for .223 Remington the bullet will be engraving the rifling when chambered. which can increase pressures past SAAMI Max levels. NOTE: The C.I.P. standards for the C.I.P. civilian .223 Remington chamber are much closer to the military 5.56×45mm NATO chamber.
** The full-length LuckyGunner article is well worth reading. It even provides specifications for a number of .223 Rem reamer types, and compares the original .223 Rem, the 5.56x45mm NATO, and the modern .223 Wylde chamberings.
Tired of spending $15-$25 for a can of spray lube that doesn’t last that long? For about the same price as a single 10 oz. can you can make your own effective spray lube that should last for multiple seasons and lube thousands of cases quickly and easily.
In the YouTube video embedded below, our friend Gavin Gear of UltimateReloader.com shows how to make your own case lube using simple, inexpensive ingredients. As recommended by the 6.5 Guys, this Liquid Lanolin + Isopropyl Alchohol mix works well and is very cost-effective. You can make a pint of this home-brew Lanolin case lube that will lube thousands of cases — many more than a typical commercial aerosol spray can (that’s mostly compressed air).
Gavin describes the exact mixing process on his Ultimate Reloader website. Gavin says this lube mix is a good complement to the Hornady One-Shot (pistol) and Dillon DCL (rifle) lubes he has used for pistol and rifle reloading sessions. CLICK HERE to read more.
The new generation Berger LRHT Match bullets come with Meplat Reduction Technology™ (MRT) for more consistent BCs. Essentially they are “pointed” at the factory. Likewise, many of Sierra’s most popular MatchKing bullets are now factory-pointed in a final production stage. However, for most other bullet types, you can benefit from using a bullet pointing system to make the meplats more consistent.
Gear Review by GS Arizona
This article originally appeared in the Rifleman’s Journal website.
Many of you have doubtlessly read Bryan Litz’s articles in our Daily Bulletin and on his Applied Ballistics website about various current long-range bullets. Bryan’s work carries a great deal of weight in the world of ballistics, so his comments (and mathematical proofs) regarding the benefits of bullet pointing certainly caught my attention. Bullet pointing, like meplat trimming, is an effort to reduce the ballistic inconsistency created by the somewhat jagged tip of the jacket where the bullet forming dies bring it to a point in the manufacturing process. Of course, we could eliminate this problem altogether by shooting closed-tip, open-base bullets like the Lapua D46, but that merely shifts the jacket problem to the other end of the bullet.
In any event, hollow point bullets rule the accuracy world today, so John Whidden, multi-time National Long Range Champion and a talented gunsmith to boot, came up with a very handy tool to let us make those hollow points pointier. Let’s have a look at John’s tool and see how it works.
The Whidden Bullet Pointing Die System uses a Forster bullet seating die body as its basic structure and that’s a good choice given the quality machining Forster does on these. The real heart of the tool comes in two parts: the caliber sleeve and the pointing die that fits inside the sleeve. In fact, to point up different caliber bullets, you only need to change the caliber sleeve, everything else remains the same. The last item is the bullet base that slips into a standard .308 shellholder and supports the bullet as it goes into the die body.
It took me less than five minutes to get everything set up, including changing the caliber sleeve from 6mm to .30 caliber. John’s instruction sheets are well illustrated and clearly written; you should have no problem getting up and running.
Pointing the bullets is as easy as sizing a piece of brass. You can see in the second photo above the difference between a few pointed bullets and a few un-pointed ones. The innermost pointed bullet in the picture was my first attempt and I adjusted the die a little after that, you can see that the others are closed a little more. John even includes a couple of sample bullets so that you can see one done right and one done wrong. That is a nice addition that can help you achieve the desired results.
This YouTube Video Shows the Whidden Bullet Pointing Die in Action
I think Bryan’s work supports the validity of this concept and John’s tool puts it into practice in a simple-to-use manner that makes it just about impossible to do any damage to the bullet. I have shot pointed bullets in various calibers at many matches now. Pointing is not a “miracle cure”, but I believe that pointing bullet tips can produce long-range accuracy gains, through reduced vertical dispersion, for many popular types of match bullets. The Whidden Bullet Pointing Die System retails for $220.00 (with one insert). Additional die inserts are $42.00 each. Extra caliber sleeves are also $42.00. You can purchase directly from Whidden Gunworks, or from Sinclair International.
Sooner or later, every hand-loader will get a cartridge case stuck in a die. Perhaps you forgot to lube a case, or maybe you even ran the wrong cartridge into the die. Thankfully, there are affordable solutions to the problem. Lyman offers a very handy Stuck Case Remover Kit. This compact Kit ($23.95 MSRP) contains ALL the tools you’ll need to remove most stuck rifle cases and pistol cases. (No separate tap holder is required.) Basically you drill and tap the stuck case, insert a cap screw, then use the wrench to remove the case from the die through a camming action. The Lyman kit, part #7680350, includes a unique, dual-purpose threaded cap that screws over the end of the die. This cap acts as both a drill guide and a guide for the pulling screw. An extra-long hex wrench is included which provides plenty of leverage when removing stuck cases and also doubles as a handle for the tap wrench.
How Stuck Case Removers Work — Video Shows Process
The new Lyman Kit isn’t the first stuck case remover device on the market. RCBS also offers a Stuck Case Remover Kit that costs just $16.14 on Amazon.com. The RCBS unit works fine, but you will need a separate tool handle to hold the tap. This video shows how to remove stuck cases with the RCBS tool. The operation is similar with the new Lyman tool.
Product Tip from EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
At the request of our readers, we provide select “Deals of the Week”. Every Sunday afternoon or Monday morning we offer our Best Bargain selections. Here are some of the best deals on firearms, hardware, reloading components, optics, and shooting accessories. Be aware that sale prices are subject to change, and once clearance inventory is sold, it’s gone for good. You snooze you lose.
1. Cabela’s — Big Second Amendment Sale
Now through March 11, 2020, Cabela’s is running a great Second Amendment Sale, with big discounts on firearms, ammo, optics, hunting gear, and other accessories. Many items are being offered at discounts up to 33%. For example, Frankford Arsenal products are now 20% OFF. Hundreds of items are on sale — a small sample is shown above. CLICK for SALE.
2. Midsouth Shooters — Berger Bullet Sale
In a wide variety of competitive shooting disciplines, Berger bullets are a top choice. Bergers are well-made and consistent. They win matches and have set many records. Plus Berger has just released a line of Long Range Hybrid Target (LRHT) bullets. Right now, Midsouth has a big Berger bullet sale including the new Long Range Hybrid Target Bullets at the lowest prices we’ve seen this year.
3. A&A Optics — Refurb Vortex Golden Eagle 10-60x52mm, $900
The 10-60X Vortex Golden Eagle is, justifiably, very popular among top benchrest and F-Class shooters. Ian Klemm won back-to-back USA F-TR Championships with this scope. Right now you can snag either the Refurbished Golden Eagle 10-60x52m w/ SCR-1 reticle for a crazy low price of $900 or the Refurbished Golden Eagle 10-60x52m w/ ECR-1 reticle for $1100. NOTE: These Refurb Golden Eagles still come with the Vortex Lifetime guarantee so you can buy with confidence.
4. Bruno Shooters Supply — Alliant Powder Sale
Alliant powders are popular for good reason. Many modern Alliant powders work great over a large temperature range and boast very consistent performance from lot to lot. Reloder 16 is a great option for H4350 users. Right now Bruno’s is running site-wide Alliant sale with every Alliant powder in stock on sale at some of the lowest prices we’ve seen in a while.
5. Sportsman’s Warehouse — Sig Kilo Rangefinder Sale
Successful hunters and competitive shooters know the key to accurate shots is accurate ranging of a target. You can pick up one of the Sig Kilo Laser Rangefinders models 1000, 1200, 1400 or 1800 at up to 25% off and always know your distance so you can take a safe and accurate shot at any target.
6. Amazon — Mac Folding Cart, starting at $56.99
Heading to the range or a match always requires transporting gear from your vehicle to the firing line. Most shooters use a cart, but many have small or narrow wheels and are tough to drag across sand, grass or rocks when fully loaded. We like Mac Sports Folding Carts which fold flat yet offer plenty of cargo space for your gear. Amazon offers 35″x20″ Mac Carts starting at $56.99 for Camo and $57.69 for Red, with many other colors. We do recommend spending $23 more for the $79.99 heavy-duty Mac Cart available at Costco. This larger (37″x22″) gray Costco cart boasts much WIDER WHEELS so it rolls way better in sand or gravel. The Costco Mac cart also has a 300-lb carrying capacity.
Whether hunting or target shooting, spotting scopes help you get on target faster and easier than using bare eyes or scope. If you’re in need of good all-purpose spotter check out the Vortex Diamondback 20-60x60mm angled spotting scope. It offers great clarity, a compact form design and an unconditional lifetime guarantee.
8. Keen — Men’s Gypsum II Waterproof Shoe, $69.99
Whether shooting at a match or out in the forest having good footwear is critical to your comfort and safety. If you attend any regional or national match and look at what people are wearing, you’ll see quite a few people wearing Keen shoes and for good reason. They’re rugged, durable and probably the most comfortable outdoor shoe this editor has worn for days on end. If you’ve been looking for an extra pair or maybe want to try them for yourself, head over to the Keen website where the Gypsum II waterproof hiking shoe is 47% off. They also have some great sales on other men’s and women’s shoes right now.
9. Grizzly — High-Quality Range Bag Clearance, $13 to $24
Every shooter needs a good range bag. Grizzly is near the end of its clearance on range gear and the clearance range bags are now just $13 to $24. Your Editor uses this range bag to carry spotting scopes and camera gear (see photo below).
These quality bags have high-density foam sidewalls and internal padded “shelves” that make these much better than typical floppy range bags. These are more like a premium camera case that holds its shape. There are nice front and side pockets with quality zippers. FYI the $12.97 bag really is a hot pink, though it may look red on your monitor. The photo above is a 20″ bag in original red (sold out).
10. Amazon — Anti-Fog Safety Glasses, $16.94
All recreational and competitive shooters should have quality Z87-rated protective eyewear. Folks, you only have one set of eyes. Without eye protection, a single blown primer could seriously damage your eyesight. Right now you can grab this 3 pack of anti-fog safety glasses and always have an extra pair when you need them.
Many of Hodgdon’s most popular powders, such as Varget and H4350, have become very hard to find. Shipments sell out as soon as they reach retailers’ shelves. We know our readers and Forum members are concerned about these supply shortages. Why are these powders in such short supply, and what is the prospect for more Varget, H4350, and other Hodgdon powders in the months ahead?
Hodgdon answered these (and other) questions recently in a Q&A post on the Hodgdon Facebook Page. Here are highlights of those Questions and Answers.
HODGDON POWDER UPDATE Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to your questions straight from Hodgdon, 1/31/2020:
Q: Why can’t I find Hodgdon powders like H4350, Varget, Retumbo, and H1000?
As you have seen, Hodgdon powders, especially rifle powders for long-range and precision shooting, can be difficult to find. Dealer shelves that were formerly filled with cans of powder now have empty spots. [Hodgdon added: “Dealer shelves are empty because powder is purchased as soon as it arrives at the dealers’ stores.”]
Q: Is Hodgdon still making powder?
A: Yes, we continue shipping powder as quickly as possible. In fact, we will ship more powder in 2020 than last year. The real problem behind empty dealer shelves is complicated, but is related to shifting supply and demand challenges. As supply decreased in 2019, demand only increased. No one wants to ship more powder than Hodgdon.
Q: What is causing the supply challenges?
A: Quite simply, our manufacturing facilities have not kept up with our orders. Additionally, military contracts began specifying Hodgdon powders in the last few years for military ammunition, impacting our supply. With expanded government regulation, shipping explosive and energetic materials has become more challenging, which also impacts available supply. Lastly, rapidly changing consumer preferences for different powder types has impacted both demand and supply. We worked with all Hodgdon providers to resolve open issues and expect powder supply to improve in 2020 as a result.
Varget, H4350, H4831SC, and other ‘Extreme Series’ powders are in very high demand.
Q: Is the shortage of reloading powder being caused by Hodgdon shipping their powder to the ammunition manufacturing companies?
A: While Hodgdon does sell powder to ammunition manufacturing companies, more than 80% of our powder is sold to our core market – handloaders just like you. Hodgdon has always been committed to the individual handloader.
Q: When will I start to see more powder on dealer shelves?
A: While Hodgdon will continue to ship powder as rapidly as possible, we have a significant backlog in demand. Some powders will be in stock more quickly, but we believe it will take much of 2020 to improve availability for all powders. [Editor: In a separate post, Hodgdon stated “We will be sending out large amounts of H4350 starting mid-March.”]
Every handloader needs a set of calipers, and this Vinca unit offers some great features for a very afforcable price. Do you ever wish you could take measurements and record them easily for review later? Grab this Vinca Digital Caliper for only $21.98 and you can upload data as you measure. The unit features a RS232 data transfer port that can communicate to a windows laptop or computer with an accessory cable (sold separately).
In the respected Riflemans Journal website, the Editor, “GS Arizona”, showed how to use the 
