Price of black powder

Relocated this summer. Stopped by a local sporting goods store and checked on supplies. Black powder was priced at $29.99/lb. is that what is typical or current?
Been years since I got any and seems high. but If I am going to get back into muzzle loading need to know. Thanks

If it was Swiss Black Powder, while still high in price you need to understand, when small shops order it, they too pay hazmat which all has to be added to the price. Swiss of instance is around $22.00 a pound. Hazmat to ship it is $25.00 for up to fifty pounds. When my friend ran a small sporting goods, he also had black powder, but he could never afford to purchase 50 pounds of it, as it was not a big seller. Plus the storing restrictions were crazy. So he ordered small amounts and sold it with his hazmat costs, plus profit. Which made the price of the powder seem high.

I order mine from Graf's and Sons. I order 25 pounds when I order, so a $14.00 a pound can of Schuetzen with then a $1.00 hazmat add, is only $15.00 a pound to my door.

If there is a dealer of powder in your area, that is where you can really save money. As you can buy direct and go pick it up.

When I shot smokey guns I'd stock up when I had a chance. Always some of the local guys going to Friendship or Back Creek for a shoot or reenactment or such. We'd pitch in and do a group buy and I'd have all the powder needed for a long time, I didn't burn it a lb at a time like the artillery guys do. I'm thinking black is in the $12 to $25 a lb now depending on what you get the 25 lb bulk we'd buy and split was way cheap. Black Powder will keep a long time if properly stored, 100 years easily. I personally have some I purchased in 1972 and it still goes boom every time. Ask around about reenactors and competitive ML shooters and they should know what sources are available to you. I have enough for a long time. I pretty much shoot SML now so the black isn't going away hardly at all. W

In the Chicago land area, Goex is $25.00 a pound. I think 2 pounds cost me $55.65 out the door. :!: :!:

Ray......... :yeah:

You could buy a rock tumbler from harbour freight, AKA a ball mill, and make your own super high quality black powder using garden supplies from lowes. The ball mill is a one time investment of about fifty bucks, but then your cost for each pound of BP is about 6-7 bucks, and that goes mostly towards buying your stump remover (saltpeter). I have two videos in full detail on youtube if your interested. One shows you a method that doesnt involve the ball mill which yields decent black powder, the other is the optimum method. Happy shooting!

751510shooter can you provide a link?

I think there are some laws about making your own powder. It is also dangerous and more than once I have heard about one of the powder companys having a plant blow up. I now buy mine in bulk and split the buy with a friend.

I personally and am sure this site does not, encourage anyone to personally produce black powder. There are too many what if this happened, and if an accident occurs, there is no do overs. Many will tell you that its not dangerous to produce black powder at home. Well its dangerous enough to keep large amounts of black powder at your home. How could the manufacture of it be any less dangerous if not more so?

Cayuga states the situation very well. No one would encourage you to make BP due to the risks associated with the production and storage of inventory and components. On a cost benefit analysis it is unlikely that even with the escalation of finished product prices that if your time, and other overheads were factored into the cost equation home production would be of marginal economic advantage.

However, having said that it is always good to know how the product was made in order to gain an appreciation and understanding of the traditions and challenges faced by our forefathers, especially when we think back to the revolution and the obstacles that stood before those that made a difference.

Please keep in mind that there are may Guests that lurk here and never post but would be reading your posts. While mentioning that you make your own Black powder is not an issue, I do not think you should openly discuss the actual process such as list instructions or ingredients to make it here. Posting such info could make you liable if someone gets hurt or worse. This issue came up a year ago and those that tried to force that discussion are not here. I am not stating that there is anything wrong with You making it as long as you know what you are doing and are safe doing so.

I am not a mod or owner of this site, just one who really loves this site, so please do not take this as any type of warning or threat. I just do not want to see this type of discussion head in the wrong direction. What I would respectfully suggest is that if you wish to delve deeper into the actual art of making Black Powder, you exchange email addresses and do so privately and not on an open forum.

Yeah I already got a message from an Admin about posting links so unfortunately im not going to post any links, or really talk about it anymore haha, I didn't know it was a big deal, its perfectly legal to make it here in Texas, you run into trouble with HOW you make it, as in if you store the materials and equipment in the right area and the right distance from people/places etc etc. Theres plenty of junk on youtube if you just do a little digging, but once again I cannot condone this sort of thing or encourage it, Your on your own. Its not nearly as dangerous to make it as driving your car to and from work everyday but hey what do I know.