In late July we reported was being restocked in Walmart stores in the Eastern US in time for hunting season. At the time, some Walmart stores were stocking Blackhorn 209 bottles, now weighing 8oz instead of 10oz, at the 2021 price of $36.86 per bottle. We’re now getting reports of those same stores charging $36.86 increasing the price to ~$55.00 per 8oz bottle, in line with Hodgdon’s online store price.

The change has largely frustrated muzzleloading enthusiasts, many of which have had a hard time finding the performance powder for the last two years. Some customers are reporting seeing Blackhorn 209 priced at $36.86 one day only to find the price increased that same evening or the next day.

Why is the price Blackhorn 209 going up?

Having watched the supply of Blackhorn for a while now, I think Walmart was meant to price Blackhorn 209 at the new price of $55 for this year’s launch, but was delayed or otherwise held up for some reason. It’s easy to see Walmart overlooking the price change of one SKU in various regions, they carry thousands if not tens of thousands of SKUs. By their own admission, the hunting/shooting section continues to shrink - Blackhorn was likely lost in the shuffle of seasonal changes.

Hodgdon has had a select number of Blackhorn 209 8oz bottles for sale online for nearly a month at the “new” $55 price range (limit two per person, price doesn’t include the haz-mat shipping fee"). Hodgdon has stated that the demand for Blackhorn 209 is beginning to outpace the currently available supply, the new price of $55 could be here to stay.

Alternatives to Blackhorn 209

Unfortunately for many performance muzzleloading enthusiasts there isn’t a good alternative to Blackhorn 209 at the moment. Hodgdon has mentioned they are working on ensuring a larger supply of Blackhorn 209 for next year, but with continued global supply chain issues many are waiting to see.

Many muzzleloading hunters will return to Triple 7 or Pydrodex for their modern muzzleloaders in 2022. Those looking to hunt with a CVA Paramount series rifle will want to keep looking for Blackhorn. The company’s official statement on the Paramount line is that they cannot recommend another powder because the Paramounts were designed specifically FOR Blackhorn 209. Some shooters are experimenting with Triple 7 in the Paramount rifles with some success, but it comes down to spending time on the range with your muzzleloader to know for sure.

Blackhorn 209 Updates

We’re hoping to see continued restocking of Blackhorn 209 across the country, just as we have seen for percussion caps and other blackpowder substitutes. Hodgdon and other manufacturers seem to be following a seasonal release schedule for their products, releasing them near hunting season to keep product on shelves and supply as many hunters as possible.

I Love Muzzleloading will continue to update with news as it happens. If you’d like to contribute, please send any local updates you see to our email, we’d love your contributions to help us keep the community informed.