First experience with Powder Valley

[orionengnr]

I have been handloading for going on four years now, but have always bought powder and primers locally.

A friend (whom I got into reloading a bit over a year ago) decided to give it a try. Each of us got 5k Winchester LP primers, he bought a 4-lb jug of 231, and I bought a one-pound bottle of three different powders.

Order was placed the 29th, and it showed up today. Everything was there, good packaging, but it had so many ominous-looking stickers on it that I'm pretty sure the UPS guy felt like he was driving around with a hydrogen bomb in his truck. Powder Valley said that it would require a signature for delivery, but it did not. More likely, he tiptoed up to the porch, set it down gently and ran like Hell. Dogs alerted me to the fact that someone was here, but by the time I got to the door, the truck was out of sight.

Including HazMat fee, shipping and insurance, I was still ahead compared to buying at the Gun Show or the local gun shops.

More importantly, they had everything we wanted, one-stop shopping. I think I will be doing this again.

If this is in the wrong place, I apologize. Feel free to move.

 

[5R milspec]

they are a great group to work with.When its their its at your place in a few days.But it needs to be their first,buying today can get hard in todays world.

 

[Misssissippi Dave]

I think I always come out ahead with Powder Valley when I order at least 5k in primers and 4 lb of powder per order. Normally I will get 10 k or more primers and 12 lb of powder to last for a while. I know I can't beat those prices even with HAZ-MAT and shipping added locally or at the gun shows. When ever I am interested in trying a different brand of primer or powder I just add what I want to try to my next order. I have been able to pick up those things at a much lower price than I can locally. Also locally it is hit or miss to find what I might want to get.

Buying bulk amounts of bullets on line is also providing me some savings.

 

[jepp2]

They are my go to place for powder, primers and bullets. Why?

- they will ship primers and powder together
- they will hold in stock items until backorders come in to make it one shipment
- inventory
- and my #1, price, price, price

It doesn't take a very big order to save you $ over buying locally.

 

[Jerry45]

I've dealt with Powder Valley and had no complaints. I tried to order powder Saturday and they were out of what I needed so I started searching. Seems almost everyone is out of 8 # cans of Varget except Midsouth Shooters Supply. They had it in stock and at a better price. There primers are also cheaper. I checked this afternoon and my order has shipped.

 

[Crashbox]

I've purchased from PV in the past and I've also had very good experiences with them, and will likely shop there again when my supply runs low.

 

[browninghunter86]

PV is my first place to look for something when I am out. Usually have everything in stock and prices are about the best I have been able to find. Heck my local prices are so high if I order 2# powder and a box of primers I come out ahead!!!

 

[hounddawg]

store down by house selling primers at 5.50 a sleeve and they wonder why I never buy anything there

 

[oldpapps]

Placed an order, I drove down and picked the order up. Nice people in person and on the phone.
Pleasurably drive there, nice lunch, pleasurably drive back. Was it cost effective, no. But it was a nice day out of the shop and no one could complain.

I think I'll worm another order pickup soon

Enjoy,

OSOK

 

[2ndtimer]

Powder Valley is awesome! I have ordered big on some of their old specials (like Ramshot TAC for $79.99 per 8 lb. keg a couple of years ago. Wish I had ordered 4 instead of just 2) Their prices are very good, service is excellent. Back when .224 bullets were hard to come by, I ordered 1000 of the Hornady 50 gr SX bullets, they called me to aologize, having run out after my order was placed, and offered to ship me the standard 50 gr SP instead as they were almost gone, too. I jumped at the chance and am glad I did since I can use those in the AR's my son and I shoot while the SX bullets I had planned on might not have worked. (We picked up our AR's after I ordered the bullets). They are super nice people and do a great job!

 

[serf 'rett]

Powder Valley ...

The name that stands proud on the Discover Card statement!

"I see you ordered more reloading stuff...again," the wife says while giving me "the look!"

 

[schmellba99]

Glad to hear such good feedback. I've been able to avoid ordering components for the most part, but will finally have to break down and start ordering online as my local shop apparently wants to recover hazmat shipping on each and every item sold. I about fell over when I walked in and saw their pricing - 40% more on 8lb kegs of powder and near double on 1k primers than what I can order through the various websites - and that is including shipping and hazmat.

I figure I'll start saving up and making what amounts to an annual order for powder and primers to maximize savings and spread as much of the shipping and hazmat costs around as possible.

I generally expect a slightly higher price at a local shop, but when that price exceeds the convenience factor by an order of magnitude, time to start looking elsewhere. Sucks, because eventually I know I'm going to lose that local resource. At least my projos are local and very well priced (Friendswood Bullet Company).

 

[browninghunter86]

Sounds like my local place. Guy told me prices are high because of Hazmat fee and all. But they order boxes and boxes at a time so like your shop no way am I covering their hazmat on each and every item

 

[Jerry45]

I bought primers at the local Cabala's for the first time. They were a few dollars more than the "base" online price but pretty much = to what I've been paying after shipping and HASMAT on a powder and primer order. Had I realized I was going to order powder and find a better deal on both powder and primers at Midsouth I would have waited on the primers. I would have saves some $$.

 

[schmellba99]

Yep browninghunter - it sucks.

For example, I can buy 8 lb kegs of H335 from Powder Valley for $135, plus the $27.50 hazmat and about $10 shipping. Comes out to $172.50 or so. My local shop wants $170. They were asking $42/k for Winchester primers - I just picked up 10k wolf small rifle primers for $23/1k and that is including hazmat (free shipping).

Sorry bud, that isn't happening. I'll save up and wait and put in a larger order and spread that hazmat and shipping out (or wait until they have solid sales or good offers going) over several items and save myself some money, not to mention the time it takes to go to the shop and back.

If they dropped their price to even $150 a keg, odds are I'd just buy there. But not at the prices they want. I really would much rather support local small business, but there comes a breaking point where I cannot justify it anymore and have to go elsewhere.

 

[tkglazie]

I spend about 1/2 of my component dollars online, primarily PV. About 1/4 I spend on various LGS to do my part to ensure that these supplies continue to be offered locally. The remaining 1/4 I spend at reloadsnmore, a bullet maker that is local to me. Ralph makes good hardcast bullets.

 

[dickttx]

A couple of months ago I ordered only 10K of primers (I usually order 10K of primers and 8# of HP38). I could have added the HP38 and still paid less than anywhere in Fort Worth for the primers alone.

 

[tul9033]

I've found on the large orders it's cheaper to pay shipping than pay sales tax for us border states.

 

[4runnerman]

Question--- I have looked at them also. I am at a loss here. When you say you save even with haz mat fee?. My question is how much are you paying locally for your powder?
If i add haz mat fee and powder cost for-say one powder i use H4895. I would have to buy at least 10 lbs plus just to break even with my local store cost.

Just the haz mat fee buys me 1 more lb of powder plus

The bullets- I would have to buy at least 500 to break even.

Oops- I did not take tax in to account- But you still pay taxes at powder valley to-Right?.

 

[Magnum Mike]

No sales tax to Minnesota! I bought 2- 8 lb, 1 -1 , 2000 LP, 1000 LR,2000 SP, 1000 209 primers and saved a bunch. The shipping and Haz fees pretty much wiped the sales tax here, alone.I would make a rough guess that I saved over $100.
Great people to deal with!