For decades, reloading has been both a necessity and a passion for firearm enthusiasts, hunters, and competitive shooters. By tailoring loads to specific firearms, reloaders often achieve better performance, cost savings, and self-sufficiency. But in recent years, one of the most critical components of the process—gunpowder—has become increasingly difficult to acquire. Shortages that began during the COVID-19 pandemic have yet to fully subside, and the effects continue to ripple through the reloading community and industry alike.
Gunpowder shortages are not entirely new. Historically, reloading supplies have ebbed and flowed in response to political climates, spikes in firearm sales, and surges in ammunition demand. However, the shortages that began in 2020 were unprecedented in scope and duration.
Several factors converged to create the “perfect storm” for scarcity:
-
Pandemic Disruptions: COVID-19 slowed manufacturing around the globe, from raw materials to final packaging. Factories that produce powder in the U.S. and abroad reduced capacity or shut down temporarily.
-
Soaring Ammunition Demand: Record firearm purchases in 2020–2021 drove manufacturers to allocate powder toward producing factory ammunition rather than releasing it to the consumer reloading market.
-
Supply Chain Breakdowns: Shipping delays, labor shortages, and nitrocellulose supplies are limited.
-
Geopolitical Factors: Much of the smokeless powder available to U.S. reloaders is imported from countries like Australia, Canada, and Europe. Political instability, trade restrictions, and logistical challenges limited imports.
The result was bare shelves across the country. Reloaders who were accustomed to choosing from dozens of powder options for specific cartridges suddenly found themselves paying inflated prices—if they could find powder at all.
The Current Landscape
As of 2025, the gunpowder shortage has improved slightly compared to the height of the pandemic, but supplies are still inconsistent. Retailers may receive sporadic shipments, often selling out within hours. Online stores are forced to impose strict purchase limits to spread the availability among more customers. Prices, meanwhile, remain well above pre-2020 levels.
For example, a pound of smokeless powder that once retailed for $25–30 often fetches $45–60 today. Specialty powders or popular all-purpose blends like Hodgdon’s H4350 or Varget are can sometimes be hard to find in stock. Bulk orders, once a reliable way for high-volume shooters to save money, have become more rare luxuries.
Hodgdon 4350 is a good all-purpose blend
Impact on Reloaders
The scarcity has deeply affected the reloading community on multiple fronts:
1. Cost of Shooting
Reloaders traditionally save money by producing their own ammunition. Rising powder prices, however, have eroded much of that advantage. In some cases, the cost of reloading certain calibers now exceeds the cost of purchasing factory ammunition—if that ammo is available in bulk.
2. Experimentation and Custom Loads
Many reloaders take pride in crafting highly specific loads tailored to their firearms. With limited access to powders, experimentation has become difficult. Instead of trying new combinations, reloaders are forced to conserve supplies and stick with what they already know works—if they even have the powder to maintain those loads.
3. Competition and Hunting
Competitive shooters often burn through thousands of rounds per season. Without reliable powder access, many competitors have been forced to scale back their schedules, limit practice, or pay exorbitant prices for factory ammo. Hunters, too, have faced challenges working up new loads for different rifles or calibers.
4. Knowledge and Tradition
Reloading is more than a practical skill; it is a tradition passed down through generations. Many new shooters who took up firearms during the pandemic have shown interest in reloading, only to find that supplies are nearly impossible to secure. This has slowed the growth of the reloading hobby and industry, potentially stifling its long-term future.
The Industry Response
Manufacturers and retailers have scrambled to adapt. Major powder brands such as Hodgdon, Alliant, Accurate, and Winchester have all reported working at or near maximum capacity to meet demand. Some companies have expanded production facilities, while others have sought to diversify their supply chains.
Still, there are limits. Powder manufacturing is a highly specialized, heavily regulated process that cannot be scaled overnight. Building new plants requires significant investment, time, and government approval. Many companies prioritize supplying large ammunition manufacturers first, leaving reloaders as secondary customers.
Retailers, meanwhile, have tried to ensure fairness. Purchase limits, membership-only sales, and lottery-style systems are common. Some have implemented notification lists, where reloaders can sign up to be alerted when powder is back in stock. While these measures help, they do little to address the underlying issue of inadequate supply.
Secondary Market Challenges
With scarcity comes opportunism. The secondary market for powders has exploded, with scalpers buying up supplies and reselling them at extreme markups. Online auction sites and gun forums often list popular powders at double or triple retail prices. While some reloaders are willing to pay these premiums to continue shooting, many view it as price gouging that hurts the community as a whole.
The Bigger Picture
The ongoing powder shortage highlights a larger issue within the firearms and shooting industry: dependence on fragile supply chains. Much of the powder used in America originates overseas. When global events disrupt production or shipping, U.S. reloaders feel the impact almost immediately.
This has spurred conversations about the need for greater domestic powder production. While the U.S. has a strong ammunition manufacturing sector, domestic powder plants are relatively few. Expanding this capacity could help buffer future shortages, though such initiatives face regulatory, financial, and logistical hurdles.
Coping Strategies for Reloaders
Despite the challenges, many reloaders have adapted in creative ways:
-
Powder Substitution: By consulting reliable load data, reloaders have explored alternative powders for their cartridges, even if those choices are not their first preference.
-
Pooling Resources: Reloading clubs and groups have coordinated bulk purchases or swapped powders to ensure members can keep shooting.
-
Conservation: Some shooters limit practice sessions, focus on dry-fire training, or use rimfire alternatives to stretch their centerfire supplies.
-
Stockpiling When Possible: Whenever powder becomes available, reloaders often buy the maximum allowed, creating personal reserves for the future.
Looking Ahead
Will the shortages ever end? Industry experts are cautiously optimistic. While supply chains have stabilized compared to the chaos of 2020–2021, demand remains historically high. It may take years for production to catch up, particularly if global instability or political pressures persist.
In the long term, greater domestic investment in powder production could reduce dependency on imports. Until then, reloaders will likely face a cycle of temporary relief followed by renewed scarcity.
The gunpowder shortage is more than a temporary inconvenience; it is a defining challenge for today’s reloading community. By driving up costs, limiting experimentation, and dampening the growth of the hobby, it has reshaped the way reloaders approach their craft. The industry has responded with increased production and creative distribution methods, but structural limitations remain.
For reloaders, patience, adaptability, and resourcefulness have become as essential as primers, brass, and bullets. The shortages have underscored a hard truth: in a world of fragile supply chains and surging demand, the freedom and independence that reloading represents can no longer be taken for granted.
Stock up at Midsouth Shooters Supply today!
