Everything you need to know about Estes Energetics buying GOEX
Thankfully, the wait is over and we have what looks like some good news for fans of muzzleloading and American made products. Estes Energetics announced on January 31, 2022 they have officially purchased GOEX and will be continuing all aspects of their blackpowder production legacy.
I’ve received a lot of questions since the news broke and I wanted to answer them to the best of my ability. I’ve been talking to model rocket and black powder production veterans for a few weeks now and I hope this helps give some insight into this news.
First up, YES Estes will be making blackpowder for “sporting” use- meaning muzzleloaders and other antique arms. ESTES has informed GOEX Distributors that there will be no change in product distribution under new ownership. Timelines expect GOEX powder distribution to begin in 2023. I have it on good authority that GOEX will continue to make American made sporting powder for muzzleloading and Blackpowder enthusiasts.
What does a model rocket company want with GOEX?
When this purchase was a rumor, I started to chat with powder and model rocketry veterans to get a better understanding of this. I’m not fully versed in all of this but I’m going to do the best I can to explain it. If you want to learn more, I encourage you to check out the model rocket forums or find a local model rocket club and see what it’s all about.
In short, just about every model rocket launched from 1965 to 2022 has used a little bit of blackpowder. Without an American blackpowder supply, enthusiasts would have to look at substitutes or European powder for their flights. Without blackpowder, model rocketry would be in a world of hurt.
In model rockets, it’s not the black powder that is used for launch, that is done with an ammonium composite material, the black powder is used for a couple of smaller controlled burns.
The first is to launch a parachute. In model rockets, controlling the descent of the rocket after launch is like keeping the muzzle of your rifle in a safe direction - it’s a high priority in terms of safety. Each model rocket launched uses a tiny tiny amount of black powder to pop that chute out and ensure a safe, controlled landing.
The other use for black powder is very similar but is commonly used in larger rockets and that is state separation. That’s right, there are model rockets that are large enough, and cool enough, to have separate stages like a real rocket that need to disconnect in flight. Like the parachute, a small amount of black powder is used by the rocketeers to separate their stages.
Both of these uses are dominated by 4F powder, the same powder used in flintlock pans. The fine grains lend themselves to rockets.
How much powder is used by model rocket enthusiasts?
I’ve asked around for a while now, but there isn’t really a consensus. Model rockets as a community are small kind of like muzzleloading, there’s not a lot of data and the data that is out there is guarded by the companies doing the selling, which is understandable. The enthusiasts I’ve talked to said that there is a range. Someone who enjoys smaller rockets could take an entire lifetime to use a single pound of blackpowder, while others with more or larger rockets can go through a pound in a single year. It kind of sounds like muzzleloading enthusiasts doesn’t it?
How much powder is used in a single rocket launch?
From what I’ve heard, most of the rockets measure their powder in grams. Smaller rockets could use around 1/2 a gram per launch, larger rockets could use 20 grams.
1 Gram is equal to 15.43 Grains
Will Estes focus on supplying rockets FIRST?
While it could look that way, being that Rockets and Firearms are different, there is a lot of cross over in the community and in production. Sources tell me that the financials of the GOEX Plant don’t work out if you just produce enough powder for the model rocket industry - rocket enthusiasts just don’t burn enough to keep it open. Sources tell me that when a facility like the GOEX plant is up and running, it can cost more money to shut it down than to keep it running, so financially speaking it doesn’t really make sense to halt your profit margin by just producing for the rockets, or for the government and the rockets. Blackpowder for sporting use is icing on the cake.
Even without that, Estes pledged to keep the GOEX distribution network in place and to continue supplying sporting powder for muzzleloader and black powder cartridge use. Will this be the case forever? I can’t say, but I’m going into this @era of GOEX and rockets and muzzleloading with a positive attitude. If I’m wrong, feel free to tell me when we know.
Why is it going to take a full year to sell powder?
It feels like a long time, especially in the shortage we have been dealing with. Thankfully there are other powder options like Swiss/Schuetzen. There are two key factors into this timeline according to my sources.
The first being the transfer/registration of licenses under Estes Energetics. While they are keeping the GOEX brand and name, it’s likely that this change in ownership means a lot of paperwork both internally and externally with the local, state, and federal governments. When you factor in the estimated DOD contract work as the possible bread and butter for the operation, there are likely mountains of forms to fill out.
Second, we have to consider the state of the facility. We know the fire in June 2021 knocked out production and ultimately led to the closing and sale under Hodgdon, but we don’t know what repairs are needed if they have been done, or how long it will take to get them done. If you’ve done anything that requires a special part, from your toaster oven to your car, it’s likely you’ve run into limited supply and long wait times. I’m almost certain repair and maintenance-related delays are a factor in this year-long estimated delivery date.
Will the timeline hold up? Time will tell. I’ve been an optimist this whole time and I truly hope we can see GOEX back on shelves in this amount of time but it’s important to be patient and ultimately wait and see. Until then we are expecting several shipments of European blackpowder from Schuetzen Energetics that I encourage everyone to try to find to continue to enjoy your muzzleloaders.
Check out your local rocket club - they may have a powder source
Much like muzzle loading enthusiasts, the rocket clubs and groups around the country usually have a powder supplier. If you don’t have a distributor near you, try checking in with the rocket clubs. You might find a source and a new hobby. I know I’m stuck down the rocket rabbit hole now and will likely have to play with one come spring.
How did this happen? GOEX Sale Timeline:
June 18 2021 there was a fire at the Goex black powder plant at Camp Minden La.
September 27, 2021 Hodgdon announced they are stopping production of GOEX Blackpowder immediately.
September 30, 2021, my interview with Hodgdon VP of Sales and Marketing Aaron Oelger was published, detailing the reasons for the sale and the dedication to finding a buyer
From October through January 2022 there was a rumor of a new buyer each week, but it wasn’t until late January when the discovery of a job posting began to solidify the last rumor.
On January 31, 2022, a full 126 days after the announcement of the sale, we had final confirmation of Estes Energetics as the buyer.