Hodgdon powder company

[lewmed]

 Hodgdon powder company has bought Ramshot and Accurate powder brands and are now showing load data for them.

[david s]

This type of news always gives me mixed feelings. Hodgdon has always been a good company but seeing multiple companies under a single banner tend to increase prices as the market completion shrinks. On the plus side Hodgdon seem to have the better distribution system in place so hopefully Ramshot and Accurate powders will become more available. If things ever settle down of course.

[painter]

Hodgdon doesn't bother me. They seem to be on our side.

Vista Outdoors bothers me. They're on their side.

[Wobbly]

Hodgdon powder company has bought Ramshot and Accurate powder brands and are now showing load data for them.

I believe this hook up actually happened in October 2020, but maybe due to shortages or work-at-home staffing, it's just now getting to be popular knowledge. (Read here... https://hodgdon.com/hodgdon-acquisitions/ ) However I agree, whatever this date, the greater reloading community is going to suffer. Prices will go higher while free, on-line information services will dry up.

When Hodgdon took over Winchester and IMR marketing , they seemed to cease 95% of all product testing. They merely published Winchester 9x19 Luger data I found in the 1990 Winchester Reloading Guide. This info is easy to spot because it reports no OAL. Even Hodgdon's own powder, CFE Pistol was released with huge marketing 'push' including 2-page ads in every shooting magazine. But, the Hodgdon data center only had 1 single load for 124gr in 9mm. Today they've made a huge improvement and are up to two (2) listed loads !

This is why I continue to push Alliant Powders. If I had to buy a pound of powder this afternoon, it would be Alliant Sport Pistol or BE-86. Even if I had to pay $10 more to get it.

Just my 2 cents.

[skin]

 No matter how it makes me feel, they distribute most of the powder on the market. All I can do is hope things go well.

[armoredman]

Hmm, I use a LOT of Hodgdon products now, all the powders listed, BUT I have a ton of my own data to go by. As ong as they don't change the formula's again, (looking at you, Accurate!), then I should be good. Alliant? Love Reloder #7 and Unique.

[timetofly]

Even before Hodgdon picked up western Powder, my standard pistol powder was Alliant Sport Pistol.  Lately with my Sport Pistol supply going down, I’m using Vihtavuori 3N37 despite having a good supply of CFE Pistol.  I liked the Western Powders quite a bit.  I’m not boycotting Hodgdon completely, I still use IMR Rifle powders and use Superformance in my .243 Winchester. 

What I’m trying to say is that Hodgdon has gobbled up the majority of the market, and I personally feel that is not good for competition.  My eyes are more open to competing products that perform as well or better than Hodgdon Products.But obviously if Hodgdon has the better product, I will gladly use their Products.  I thought after Hodgdon began marketing IMR,that they would kill most of the IMR line, but that hasn’t happen to a large degree.  I personally feel that they will leave the western powder products largely intact, but I also feel that they will not hesitate to discontinue slow moving products as a business decision.  All in all I’m not crazy about the situation, but in my opinion Hodgdon was a better choice over Vista Outdoor.