Good grief!!! I found some H110 at Cabelas and went into cold shakes. Started looking over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching. The sign said, "Two pounds per customer", but I grabbed four! Surely nobody saw me!!

I turned all the labels in towards each other so they couldn't be read, and went looking for my wife. Found her elsewhere in the store and went to the end of the isle she was in. "PSSST!!! ...come here...". She walks over to me. "Here... hold these. DO NOT put them down ANYWHERE." "What is it?" she asks. I placed two pounds in here hands and said, "Pretend it is YOUR LIFE. Lose it, and divorce papers will be waiting on you by the time you get home."

I told her to go to the register first. "Anyone jumps ya, I'm carrying the .45 TRP, so don't worry." She's at the register... now going through the line... now out the door. She's clear! She made it out the store, and is on her way to the truck!! YES! Two pounds out the door successfully! What I have in my hands is now BONUS!

I made it to the cashier line, labels still turned towards each other, and squeezed between my forearm and my body. You can barely tell I have them! I'm surely in the clear, and nobody will see them!! The guy in front of me turns to look at me. I immediately want to give him the hardest right cross I've ever landed, and make a run for the door. He HAS to be eyeballing my H110. "How ya doin? Don't see that stuff often now days do ya?" he says. "No, ya don't. And it better be the last time you look at it." He obviously thought I was rude, but I didn't care.

Finally my turn at the register. I know I have to put the bottles down so they can be scanned by the lady, but I can't bring myself to do it. I held both bottles in my hands, tightly, and turned the bar code towards her so she could scan it. She reaches out to grab one of the bottles. "HEY LADY!!!! Just SCAN it." I get a weird look, she scans the bottles, and tells me my totals. Put both bottles back between my forearm and body, and get my wallet. Paid her, and made a break for the door. She yells, "HEY!! Do you want your change??!!". I was by the door!! 6 more feet and I've successfully gotten FOUR POUNDS of H110 out of the store!! "HELL NO LADY!! You can KEEP IT!!" "But sir! You gave me $100 bill!" "I don't care! Call it a happy birthday!"

There is the last door! One more step and I'm OUT!! Everything is now in slow motion, but at least I'm still moving! Seems like thirty minutes has passed since my last step, but I am FINALLY out the door!!! I sprint to the truck, climb in, and take a deep breath. I hear a knock on the passenger door. Turn to look, and its my wife-- I beat her to the truck!!! I asked her what took so long. She said, "I came straight here, but you RAN right by me!"

Ok....OK... So none of that really happened. Well, I really did get four pounds of H110. And I really did give 2 pounds to my wife because of a 2 pound limit. And she really did go through the register before me. Other than that, the entire story is how I FELT during the whole process!

This powder shortage is making me a junkie!!!

I know what you mean!
Thankfully I still have about 8# of Lil Gun & 5 or so of H-110 so I'm not feeling it too bad but I'm ALWAYS watching! Now I'm looking for a ittle H-4227 to try for the 480. BUT, you can bet if I find some H-110 it's going home with me!!!!!!

At the big Scheels store in Fargo where they advertise everything for the outdoors never H110 when Im around probably gets picked off right away,I bought 2# of AA9 to try.

Yeah the guy at Cabela's said I was the first guy to see the shelf after he just stocked it. It was the first time I've seen that section full of different kinds of powder. Usually, all they have left is 50BMG, and we all know how useful that stuff is in a handgun.

I am now up to about 16# of H110 for my handguns. 10# of IMR4350 for my wife's 270 short mag. And 1# of Tightgroup that I still need to test in the 500JRH before buying more. I'm also going to start looking for Clays for shotgun reloading. I'd think that would be enough, but I do NOT want to be in a "short" position ever again. That was the worst feeling I've ever had. Therefore, I watch for those, and buy them when I find them.

Call me a "hoarder" all you want, but I'm no longer concerned about how long the shortage will last. It's a nice feeling!!

LOL I spit soda all over my keyboard!!!! I just got 5 lbs of that stuff today from UPS. The way I've been buying powder and bullets (2k Cast Performance) I am sure I'm on someone's watch list. I know the UPS guy hates bringing me 60-80 lb boxes of bullets. Got another box coming from underwood next week. Brass is tough to find in 45 colt and 44 spl. I know just how you feel. My buddy was at Wallyworld at 0600 hrs this morning waiting for the feeding frenzy of ammo. And he hit 2 or 3 stores to get whatever he could find to use. These are definitely different times.

And some people wonder why there's a shortage.

I cant find h110 anywhere.I did find some win 296 2400 imr 4227 I never used any of these powders

Nice score RT - Now I know who to hit up when my stash runs low.

16#!....that would load over 4500 240gr 44mags

I was at one of the malls down in Santa Fe last weekend, and had a similar experience, seriously. I was in there with a gal who purchased a Ruger in 22LR a few weeks ago from the gun shop in the mall. They did not have any to sell her at the time, and she only has what I have been able to give her.

We were going to get some coffee, do a little mall strolling, then hit the gun shop. Walking in, we pass by a couple headed out. I glanced at their hands, and each had two 100 round packs of CCI ammo of some type, cupped in receipts. And they were both walking just like Raptor joked, like they were running from someone. I looked at their hands, as they were indeed acting a little wierd.

I told her we are going straight to the gun shop, pronto. She was asking what was going on, what was happening. I told her to just hurry. We got to the 22lr ammo shelf in time to get 400 rounds of CCI green tag. The last 4 of any type. I scored a few boxes of 17hmr, and we did not set them down on the counter while we were shopping.

Not until she was looking over 38's with one of the employees that I know well did we set down the stash, with a firm "this is ours, we are going to buy this". She bought a .38, I added a big handful of 38 ammo to the pile, and she said I can't believe you spent that much money on 22's and 38's. Yup, I did :^(

Used to be condition yellow or red was keeping an eye out for bad guys. Now it includes keeping an eye out for folks with ammo, or apparently even H110..............;^)

Craig

RT,

I understand your feeling. Many years ago when Hercules was going out, I was using both Blue Dot and 2400. I found 16#s of both at a local store and bought it. I am still loading "Hercules" powders. The Alliant Blue Dot & 2400 is a little different, but I also have some of those.

When we went through the previous "shortage," I was not short. After that, I increased my inventory of ammo, powders, primers and bullets. This shortage has not affected me at all. I have enough --- or more and have bought very little in the past year or so, except for shotgun components. However, compared to some of my friends, I do not have very much. LOL

I think the premise of this thread is alarmist and untrue.
I'm pretty sure I could find some crack if I wanted to.

Am I the only one who doesn't store loading components? I like to store ammo. I buy in batches when I can find it, but if I have empty brass, primers, bullets and powder, I'll load it up. Granted, I don't load 7 rounds of .357, I usually wait until I have batches of 100 so I'm only loading primers once.

North of Atlanta, the only powder I'm finding is IMR stuff and shotgun powders. But we have primers now.

db

No wonder I can't find any...

I use 335gr bullets, so it loads even more of my 45 Colts. So lets round UP to 5000.

Nope... I still don't have enough!!

I am glad that it isn't localized to us hoarders in the mountain west. I have 8 pounds of AA7 that i have never used. Time to try it in a few calibers this summer,when i burn up what i have loaded.
Now i know what it was like in the old west days to get ammo.

We brag about our hoards like they are fine vintage wines or expensive artwork. No longer is it " i have a real nice 8" python, nickel, mint in box". It is more like " i have two kegs of bluedot and 1 keg of H110 stored in a safe place". And to really set the hook, i just bought a case, really a case of cartons of Federal 525 packs of .22's at 14 a carton.
Then you say, oh, i can't go shooting, do you know how much this [censored] is worth?

HA! You're about right on! But I do go shoot my stuff all the time. I go at least twice a week, and I thoroughly enjoy it when I do. No regrets. I guess I never thought about the "Oh I can't go shooting, do you know how much this is worth?" aspect. I buy it with every intention to shoot it.

I don't believe there was ever a gun made to sit on a shelf and not be used. I don't believe there was ever a bottle of powder made to sit on a shelf either! Does me no good there! :-)

But yeah, now that ya put it that way, I see where you're coming from!

Just happen to check out a gun shop in NW Oklahoma while on a material delivery the other day. I always keep a list of what I need and some of my buddies are looking for.
I found a 8lb jug of Varget, 4 lbs of 335 and 3 lbs of H110. I made a good haul that day. Can't ever pass up those little shops for this reason.
Mike

Sweet!!! Nice score there! We are limited to two pounds per customer in most stores here, mix or match. Trying to find some Clays powder, and I'll be happy. Just picked up a Mec 9000 reloader for the 12 gauge, but haven't gotten the components yet. Always wanted a reloaded for 12 gauge shells, then came across a smokin deal for this one. Has an automatic primer feeder, and the guy wanted $300 for it, 10 pounds of shot,80 primers, and half a bag of wads! Couldn't resist that one!

I've got some slow burning powder I'll probably be selling a bunch of pretty soon but it's more stuff for magnum rifle calibers. Maybe it's time for me to part with some 45LC and 44spcl brass too from the sounds of things. I've really cut back on my shooting. I only have one rifle in 45 and the only handguns I've been shooting much are my MK III, 454, 45 ACP and once in a while my 500 Linebaugh.

Hey Rod! PM sent.