Say Hallelujah. These are pallets of Hodgdon H4350, something that’s been very hard to find recently. Check with Bruno’s, Graf’s, Midsouth and Powder Valley very soon.
Hodgdon H4350 has been the Holy Grail of reloading powders — highly desired but near impossible to find. For many popular cartridges such as 6XC, 6.5×47, 6.5 Creedmoor, and .260 Remington, H4350 has been the powder to beat — the “gold standard” for accuracy, low ES/SD, and temp stability. Unfortunately, H4350 has been in very short supply for the last couple of years. Major vendors such as Grafs.com, Midsouth and Powder Valley have been back-ordered for a long, long time.
But now that may change. Hodgdon has received a very large supply of H4350, and has started shipping pallets of the popular powder this week. The photo above was taken May 9, 2017. Hodgdon announced: “We have a lot of powder going out the door most days, but we have some special powder going out again this week. This should be on your local reloading shops’ shelves in the next couple weeks. Reloaders, rejoice!” If you’re in need of H4350, we recommend you contact your favorite shooting shop or online distributors soon. And guys — buy what you need, but don’t horde. Leave some for other shooters.
Following the success of CFE 223, Hodgdon Powder Company has released a new addition to the CFE (“Copper Fouling Eraser”) line of propellants. Hodgdon’s new CFE™ Pistol, a general purpose handgun powder, is designed to deliver less copper fouling. CFE Pistol is a spherical (ball) powder that meters very well. Hodgdon hopes to have CFE Pistol available in January 2014.
When CFE 223 rifle powder was first introduced, people were skeptical about claims that CFE reduced copper fouling in barrels. In fact, field reports from our Forum members indicate that CFE 223 does deliver on the promise of reduced copper fouling. Our readers also found CFE 223 to be very accurate in a variety of cartridge types. Hopefully CFE PISTOL will perform as well in handguns.
The secret to CFE products’ reduced copper fouling is a proprietary “Copper Fouling Eraser” chemistry developed for U.S. rapid-fire military systems. Better living (and less cleaning) through chemistry, as they say. Hodgdon states: “Whatever your game is… you will benefit significantly with longer periods of top accuracy with less barrel cleaning time and minimal muzzle flash.”
Load data for CFE Pistol should be available on Hodgdon’s Reloading Data Center starting in December 2013. Hodgdon plans to provide over 100 available loads for 15 pistol cartridges, and 37 bullet weights. Load data will be offered for 9mm Luger, 38 Super, 40 S&W, .45 ACP and many other cartridge types. To find out more, visit Hodgdon.com, see Hodgdon’s upcoming 2014 Annual Manual, or call Hodgdon at 913-362-9455.
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If you’ve tried to buy powder lately, you know that many of the most popular propellants are in short supply. To find out when we can expect powder supplies to catch up with the increased consumer demand, we headed to the Hodgdon Powder Company booth at SHOT Show. There we met up with Chris Hodgdon.
Chris understands that people are frustrated with the current shortages. But Chris assured us that his company is moving aggressively to get more powder on store shelves. Production is being stepped up and Chris said his employees are working “nights and weekends” to increase propellant shipments. But there is no “quick fix”. Chris reports: “We are trying to fill as much of the demand as we can right now, but we have got way more demand than supply obviously right now…”
Try Alternative Powders with Similar Burn Rates
For those customers who can’t find their favorite powder (such as Varget or H4350) right now, Chris suggests trying similar-burn-rate IMR- and Hodgdon-brand powders that are currently available in ample quantities. For example, Chris suggested that Varget users try IMR 4064. This powder offers excellent accuracy and a very similar burn rate. Likewise, if you can’t find H4350 you can try IMR 4350 or H414. Fans of H335 powder will find that Benchmark and CFE 223 are suitable replacement powders.
Of course, when changing to a different powder you can’t simply substitute loads. That’s a big no-no. You need to consult a good load manual or find a safe starting load on the Hodgdon Reloading Data Center. But you may find that, with a little load development effort, your “second choice” or “third choice” powder options shoot just as well as a previous favorite. We know guys who switched from Varget to IMR 8208 XBR in the .308 Win and they liked the 8208 XBR so well they never looked back.
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The new 2013 Annual Hodgdon Reloading Manual (the 10th Annual Edition) has just been released. The manual now contains over 5000 loads, with updates for 37 rifle and pistol cartridges. You’ll also find data for Hodgdon’s popular, new CFE-223 reduced-fouling powder — CFE-223 load info has been added for 19 more cartridges. Varmint hunters will be pleased to see the addition of complete data for the popular 17 Hornet. Along with comprehensive load data, the 2013 Annual Manual offers authoritative articles by top gun and outdoor industry writers working with the editors of Shooting Times magazine.
You’ll find the 2013 Hodgdon manual at newsstands and gun stores in early 2013, priced at $8.99. (Some stores already have the 2013 Manual on the shelves.) You can also order direct by visiting Hodgdon.com or calling (913) 362-9455. (Direct sales price is $11.99 including postage.)
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Here’s an interesting factoid from Hodgdon Powder’s new Facebook Page:
The story of Hodgdon Powders begins with one number: 4895. Founder Bruce Hodgdon, a handloader and U.S. Navy veteran, knew that after WWI tons of surplus powder were dumped at sea. After WWII, rather than let it all go to waste, Bruce borrowed against his life insurance and bought 25 tons of 4895 from the U.S. Government. It was the perfect powder for the flood of surplus M1903 Springfield rifles chambered in .30-06. The rest is reloading history.
Shown below is the life insurance loan contract that funded Bruce Hodgdon’s Purchase of 25 Tons of 4895 Surplus Powder:
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Hodgdon Powder Company, Inc. launched a Facebook Page earlier this month. The new page, launched September 10, gives Hodgdon customers an outlet to discuss reloading, hunting, target shooting and other powder-related topics. “We envision this page as a community for our friends, fans, and experts to get together and talk shop. If you have a question, a great hunting story to tell, or just want to brag about a nice tight group this is the place for you”, said Chris Hodgdon, the company’s Public Relations Manager. “While so much of handloading is in the data and details, we also know there’s a huge social component to it as well.”
We’re pleased to see that Hodgdon’s Facebook page is regularly updated. Much to our amazement, Chris Hodgdon himself is answering user reloading and product questions. How many companies let you communicate directly with a top company decision-maker?
New Content Daily
Unlike some companies that roll out a Facebook page with much hooplah but then let it languish, Hodgdon has been adding new, interesting content daily, including cartridge histories, product release info, hunting stories, and even match reports. Just today, Hodgdon posted an informational diagram for the .30-06 cartridge:
After 65 years in the same Merriam, Kansas location, Hodgdon Powder Company, Inc., a leading provider of smokeless and muzzleloading powders, has moved into new corporate headquarters on Vista Drive in Shawnee, Kansas.
In 1947 Company founder Bruce Hodgdon originally established his powder business in Merriam, Kansas. This same location had served as the company headquarters for the past six and a half decades. However, Hodgdon’s operations have outgrown the original facility. So, a new, larger facility has been established just eight miles from the old location. The new Corporate Headquarters in Shawnee, KS offers a museum, first class reloading training facilities, conference rooms, guest lobby, and modern office space for staff.
Commenting on the move, CEO Tom Shepherd said, “This is a new era and exciting time for Hodgdon, after months of preparation we are delighted to have secured this facility for future growth opportunities.” To find out more about Hodgdon visit hodgdon.com, write to 6430 Vista Drive, Shawnee, KS 66218 or call 913-362-9455.
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If you’re looking for hard to find reloading components, Darrell Holland reports that Holland Shooters Supplies has just received large shipments of powder, bullets, brass, and yes, primers.
Primer inventories now include: Remington, Winchester, and Wolf (small and large rifle; small and large pistol; plus Win shotgun primers). Popular powders in stock include: Hodgdon Varget (plenty), H335, H4895, H4350, H4831sc, H-1000, Retumbo; and Alliant Reloder 22
Holland’s has received substantial supplies of Lapua cartridge brass including: 223 Rem, 6mmBR, 6.5×47, 6.5-284, 308 Win, and 338 Lapua. In addition Hollands has Winchester brass for 223 Rem, 22-250, 243 Win, 6mm Rem, 308 Win, and 30-06. Nosler brass is available in 280 Rem, 280 Ackly, and 7mm STW
Darrell says he’s also got good supplies of Berger, Nosler, and Sierra Bullets: “lots of 308 caliber 168s, 175s, and 210s, plus 50-80gr 224s.” Holland’s also has 70-107gr 6mms in stock, plus 6.5mm and 7mm bullets.
For these reloading components at Holland’s, there is no limit on quantity — first come, first served. A $25.00 Hazmat will cover up to 50 lbs of powder and primers. To order, call Holland’s, (541) 439-5155, 9am to 3:00 pm Pacific Time.
While you’re visiting Holland’s website, check out the new $30 Tactical Shooter’s Pouch on the products page. This unique, ballistic nylon bag holds ammo in elastic loops, plus it’s big enough to carry range cards, a mildot master, spare parts, or even a PDA with a ballistics program.
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