doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Polywad website useless

Problems at Polywad?

I hope they're OK.

Only 3 products seem available, and no spred-r inserts.

In the past six months Jay Menafee sold the business. He has stayed on as a consultant. I received an order after placing a call last week. See if you can get someone on the phone. I ordered Spred-R loads in 20 and 28 gauges. There is a 4 box minimum and I was able to order two of each to satisfy the 4 box limit. Gil

I have had some issues with them lately - stuck wad on a faulty load (IMO) and then they couldn't get replacements shipped as promised in the middle of a trip. Always good experiences prior to this. Might switch to RST for a while.

I hope they can pull it together. I placed my order by phone last Monday and the info was taken down by whomever answered the phone. Delivery was scheduled for last Thursday and I saw the UPS truck pull up in front of the house about 7 pm. I then saw it drive off into the dark. WTF? #$@$ I checked the computer and saw where they had an address issue which was entered by the guy in the truck just before he drove off. I had to drive to the depot the next day to pick up. Not a fun trip during the holiday season. The room was filled with disgruntled customers reminding me of the barroom scene from the original Star Wars. The employee had entered 285 rather than 205 as my street address. I know where I live. Most of the time...

Speciality products need to be able to deliver super service to make it these days. I hope they get everything straightened out. It would be a sad day to loose a supplier in such a small market. If RST had a problem many would be putting their old guns back into the closet. Guess the wise man would load up on Polywad inserts if he used them. I don't after hearing a few weird stories about extreme fliers using them. No shooters hurt but one or two very untrusting dogs.

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Maybe there isn't enough room in the low pressure, specialty cartridge market for 2 companies to survive?

RST is everywhere I am, so I wouldn't be surprised if there just isn't any volume left for Pol-Wad.

Buying 10$ cartridges when I'm on a weekend shooting/spending vacation is NBD for me, and great for their margins, and freezes out Poly-Wad.

On the other side of the coin CZ, I'd think if a market had only one supplier, they may provide customer service based on that circumstance. Always good to see a company go the extra mile for their customer, but it probably comes at a cost that's past on. As you mentioned no big deal, if the right product shows up at the right place at the right time.

I just took delivery of 250 rds of Vintager 16ga #7-1/2 I ordered a week ago. In the the past they were always next day (GA to JAX, FL). Most of the wait was UPS not making delivery after it was on the truck. I also hope the product quality is maintained. I have shot Polywad and WIN AA LOW RECOIL so far. RST's have been a hold out.

PS, what Gil said about the UPS bar room scene is true.

Yes two maybe one too many but God help us if that just one has a hiccup. I've taken steps to make sure I have low pressure loads for a long time. I now have over 30 pounds of PB and less of a couple IMR favorites so my long term low pressure needs are set. In fact I hope I live long enough to us it all up. Hulls, wads, primers and a nice pile of shot goes a long way to making me a happy reloaded. I know I'll have decent and safe shells to shoot for the next decade. That's shooting security to me.

I love what options the internet gives you to find both information and a wide range of components to reload with. In my golden years I could be very happy loading with a MEC 600jr, that is if I could force myself to sell the Spolar and those MEC 9000hns. Options, options, options. 😀

Don't misunderstand me. I want them to survive and thrive.
Based on my observations at myriad SXS shoots (the epicenter of low pressure loads and tight chokes) the actual volumes are pretty low.
I doubt very many people shoot $1,000.00 worth of their products/yr. You can't stay in business selling two boxes of cartridges mail order. I am shocked people even ask for less than a full carton. It just shows that most vintage/collectable gunners don't shoot much.

CZ, don't be shocked and don't get the impression that's all I've ordered from Polywad is 2 boxes. I'm sitting on 4-5 flats of Polywad 16's. Two of which were ordered before the dove season and I suspect will be re-ordered next year. The two boxes were spreader loads to shoot through a newly acquired gun. Gil

It is what it is Gil.
There have been several specialty reloaders here in MI that have come and gone.
250 cartridges isn't a great deal of shooting.

I swear I see old codgers trying to get the guy from RST to sell them one cartridge at a time, and then beg him to buy back the hull, at vintage shoots.

Not to steer the thread away from Polywad, but since everyone mentioned RST, I'll give it a go, are they going to offer their 'Nice' shot shells again?

Anyone hear anything?

CZ, who said anything about shooting only 250 rounds which is a "flat" or half of what used to be a "case"? 500-750 rounds shot at wild birds is a lot of shooting for most folks in the USA, not so much at clays or Argentina.
Gil

I've had luck by always calling my orders in. Even lately. Hope they stay around.

Polywads are great shells. Bobby

Jay Menafee knows his craft. He was the original loader of the Hevi-shot loads for Environmental Metal. In the beginning, production of the shot was low and he would receive a five gallon bucket of newly minted shot to load every so often. It flew off the shelf like hotcakes. Jay is a real innovator. Gil

Both Polywad and RST make excellent products and have given great service. I hope both continue doing so for many years to come. Perhaps Polywads website problems can be fixed quickly. When any business changes hands there are bound to be lumps and bumps. Maybe the new owner is not that website friendly and will need to hire a 14 year old IT expert to get it running again at top speed. Time will tell and there is always the phone as a back up or go old school and send a letter. Yeah, that will date you in a minute. Send a letter. I remember 40 years ago having to write for information.

I reload 10-12K a year for myself and buy about 1K specialty loads. I could do it all but don't mind paying for factory loads that suit my needs and like to support the small market shell makers. Having two sources is such a luxury in today's world.

Years ago there were many more options. Like when my father was a young man he could order his 12 Ga. shells needs from Remington or Winchester/Western, two cases,(500 each), of #3 shot for ducks and geese and three cases of #7 shot for everything else. Neither shot size was a catalog item but they would load them for you if you ordered them. They would ship them directly to you right on the rail freight. How I wish he had saved a few of those wooden crates.

I run the shotgun venue at our local club and we're open three days a week. All I shoot are old SxS's with my low pressure, low recoiling reloads. Let's see, four to six boxes each day adds up to quite a few in a years time. I just don't understand how anyone who shoots very much could not reload. My 12ga 3/4oz shells cost me about 3.45/box - 10ga with 1oz about 4.20/box. To each their own, but I find reloading for my old guns are half the fun of owning them .

Time is money, Paul.
Not being retired, I won't trade field and shooting time for reloading savings.
I don't have enough leisure time now as it is.
Everyone's MMV of course.

I was able order without a problem today.

I figured I may as well stock up as I don�t have very many boxes on hand