Can anyone tell me what, if any, IMR, Hogdon, or Winchester powder would be equivalent to Alliant Unique?

Can anyone tell me what, if any, IMR, Hogdon, or Winchester powder would be equivalent to Alliant Unique?

tg,
On the Hodgdon burn rate chart, their Universal powder is right next to Unique in burn rate.

I have never used that powder. I have used several that are a little slower than Unique with good results, great in fact in some instances.

SR4756, HS-6 and Longshot are all right there as far as performance and may work as a replacement for Unique in some calibers.

What caliber are you looking to load with the substitute?

I've used Universal almost interchangeably with Unique for my 44 mag loads. Really hard to tell the difference in the mid-upper range, ie 9-10 grains driving a 250 Keith lswc. Not sure how it would compare at the light or heavy ends, but it's pretty close in the mid-range.

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ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

I plan on using Unique for 9mm and .45 acp in target loads with a 115 grain 9mm bullet and a 200 or 230 grain bullet in .45 acp.

Can anyone tell me what, if any, IMR, Hogdon, or Winchester powder would be equivalent to Alliant Unique?
Ok you got me confused. You’re looking for an equivalent for Unique? The 45ACP and 9mm Luger for the bullet weights specified W231 would be a good selection as an alternate in place of Unique. I am not saying that W231 is an equivalent of Unique.

I think there isn't an equivalent to Unique. However, there are several similar powders available and some have already been named.

My particular favorite for a versatile powder is SR 4756, which I'm ordering another 8# of today.

Usually, there are better choices than Unique for what you intend, mainly due to the poor metering characteristics of Unique.

I also have a can of 700-X, which is listed. I will use that until I can find a chart listing Unique. Should I drop down a grain when using magnum primers? Those are all I can find in stock at the moment.

IMHO 231 is excellent for 9mm and 45acp. I would stay away from the max loads if using mag primers. 700-X will also work in both.

Hodgdon Universal Clays is EXTREMELY close to Unique in versatility and APPROXIMATE charge weights, but they are not interchangeable. I haven't used Universal Clays as much as I have Unique. If I couldn't get Unique, I'd use Universal Clays for the same TYPE of loads.

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SWCA 2379

It's called "unique" for a reason...

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-Chris

Universal is great stuff. I switched from Unique to Universal back in the early '90s for IPSC/USPSA loads in 45acp and 40S&W, and have never looked back. It is very similar but cleaner burning than Unique IMHO.

Another vote here for Universal Clays. I was unable to find famous Unique and bought Universal Clays at the recommendation of a Savvy shooter/gun shop owner. I'm very happy with the results. See ".44 Special Accuracy tests" topic somewhere below. It's right next to Unique on the powder burning rate tables for what that's worth.

That's what I was thinking.

It is probably the most universally used and versatile powder there is. If it ain't broke...don't try to fix it.

Oh, I have never had any problems metering it, especially with my new Chargemaster.

Why do you even want to use Unique? I ask because it is a dirty powder, long since eclipsed in efficiency by newer formulations. The best things I can say about Unique are that it's usually one of the cheapest powders per pound, and it is almost impossible to double-charge a pistol case using it. Beginners and commercial reloaders like it for those reasons.

I suggest you look at Winchester 231 or my new favorite, WST. Red Dot is also readily available, versatile and cheap. I burned up a lot of it in .38 Special, .40 and .45.

Start low, work your way up and good shooting!

I appreciate all of the suggestions. I think I will toss my remaining Unique and use up what I have of 700-X. Then I will purchase some Universal.

If I can only find magnum primers, am I safe in reducing starting load by one grain?

I'd just hold on to the Unique. Sooner or later you'll find a use for it... or a home for it. It's a great powder, very versatile and still extremely popular.

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Andy

In switching to magnum primers drop your load 10% and work it back up. I've heard this "dropping a grain" thing but, depending on powder, this could be three percent or thirty percent. Ten percent is usually a safe number when changing any component.

All the Best,
D. White

I absolutely love Unique, it just plains works for me in the 32H&R, 357, 44Mag, 45ACP, and the 45 Colt. It is Uniquely flexible 8^).

"Why do you even want to use Unique? I ask because it is a dirty powder, long since eclipsed in efficiency by newer formulations."



This is only opinion.

It's become quite fashionable to denigrate Unique in recent years on forums.

I don't mind dabbling with other powders but I still really love Unique and don't see how it is truly eclipsed. Newer isn't always necessarily better.

I fired up a pile of Unique fueled cartridges this past Friday and Saturday and am loading up more batches this evening using it. The revolvers fired on Saturday didn't malfunction or corrode into dust from evil, dirty Unique and they cleaned up nicely in a jiffy.

Unique works extremely well for me in all straight walled pistol and revolver cartridges. It gives excellent performance in mid-range revolver rounds and frequently turns in top performance in auto pistol rounds. I know it well and trust it's characteristics. There may be other propellant powders and some could be better but I'm not "reinventing the wheel" after recognizing great performance when I see it...in using Unique.

Well, There you have it bmc! Who wants to clean their guns?

With folks being as lazy as they are nowadays and the latest in ultra-tactical shooting equipment, do we still have to clean our firearms after we shoot them?

You're being kind of "old fashioned" aren't you? I mean, come on already!

Two things are true about Unique. It is dirty. Do you know why? Because it burns. Ever seen anything that burns be really clean afterward? Not me. I don't expect to see a clean firearm after I let loose with a gazillion bullets either, especially if they are lead, which is another story all together.

I personally am not a big fan of Unique. Something designed to fit most really fits few best. Does it have a purpose even among the "newer formulations?" You bet, and it will until it is made illegal to reload or it is taken off of the market by Alliant.

If you are going to make "mouse f**t" loads Unique isn't the powder for you. It will leave unburnt powder behind. Us the current load data for most calibers and you will find the same thing. Load towards the top or use older data and you will be much better off.

bmc is right in the fact that Unique is maligned on many forums today. Seems funny though, it's been around ever since Methuselah with no sign of slowing down!

And I said all of that and I don't even like Unique!

Hi Skip;

Just posted this article by Mike Cumpston on another thread.

http://findarticles.com/p/arti...s_10_54/ai_n28027445

I'm a pretty dyed-in-the-wool Unique user but am "really branching out" lately! I've got a can of Herco on the shelf and some ideas for use in some favorite handguns. It's been 30 years since I last tried Herco.

You are right Skip, Unique can stand in for very light loads but this does seem to compound it's "dirtiness." Once a medium load in the .38 Special, my old favorite 4.8 grains of Unique behind a 158 grain lead SWC is now off the charts in some current publications. No matter, I've shot tens of thousands of this load in a host of .38 Special guns old and new and am not changing now. Besides, I don't much like dropping back to 4.5 grains or less due to the issue of partially burned powder and smoked cases from not completely sealing upon firing.

I enjoy using Bullseye for the light stuff.

Another vote for Universal Clays. I switched from Unique to Universal many years ago and use it for almost everything. Similar burn rates, but Universal burns much cleaner. Why toss the Unique? Use it or keep it around "just in case".

Guess I'll end up pushing my loads past the max before it's over then if current data is too weak. I'm simply using unique because I have it around and plan on switching to other powders once I've used up my supply of it. I have a few 38 loads that I need to try out as soon as I make it to the range again.

1. Of course it was an opinion. Just as yours was.

2. It was an opinion based upon years of seeing shooters using it being readily identified by the clouds of smoke they left behind at every stage they shot.

3. See above. When I said "dirty," I meant smoke; not that Unique fouled the guns. This is particularly true when shooting lead bullets, which I do (now poly-coated and vastly improved thereby).

That Unique is old is a fact. That it is dirty is not really in dispute; only how dirty and in what way(s).

Also not in dispute is that it works and, in certain applications, still works quite well.

Which is not to say that newer powders don't do the same job better.

Smoke is more often a result of the lube on lead bullets fired in a revolver than of the powder. If Unique is used at something other than starting loads then it really isn't any smokier than most other powders.

Even back when I was shooting the cheap, wax-lubed bullets, I never got the smoke from Red Dot or 231 that I saw Unique produce. It was almost like black powder by comparison, and I shoot that, too.

I don't know any USPSA competitors shooting Unique - we can't afford to have the target occluded that long. I'll stick with WST, TiteGroup and N350 and leave Unique to the cowboy and bullseye brigades.

Hah, ha...we wouldn't want our target occluded now would we.

You say that you've seen excessive smoke and I say I've not.

Unique is still worthy of consideration when one is trying new hand load combinations.

Can't you just FEEL the sneer down that long pointy nose?


WOW!

I wish I could buy folks like this for what they are really worth, about a buck worth of minerals, and sell them for what they think they are worth. I'd be a millionaire until I got caught for fraud!

Did I say, WOW!



While not a sterling performance by me, notice the smoke while I am shooting. Do you know what it is? Bullet lube. Do you know what powder I am using? W231/HP-38! What caused the smoke wasn't Unique, it was the combination of too small of a bullet that was too hard and driven too lightly.

I guess I will just go climb back on ole Trigger and ride off into the sunset!

Perhaps I'm just too easy to please.During the past 40 years (plus),I've loaded and fired many tens of thousands of rounds loaded with Unique and it never(not even once)occured to me that I was using a dirty,smokey,hard to meter powder.

I guess I'm just too unrefined to notice.

I wouldn't use magnum primers in either the 9 or 45, unless you can find some data published by a recognized source that specifies them. Neither of those cartridges seem like a good candidate for burning up magnum primers.

I agree with others who use Unique. Yes, it is not the most modern, but I have shot a bunch of it and always gotten acceptable results in the 45 ACP. I have no experience with it in the 9x19. I do agree with others who have said 231 is probably a better powder for both of these rounds, but I prefer HS-6 for the 9x19.

Did I ever show you my other pictures.

This was about 60 pounds ago!



This not near that long ago!



Oh, I even have some of a horse I broke for my daughter. If I were you though, don't talk about her. (My daughter that is!)





YEEEEEEEHAAAAAWWWWWWW!

The next time I use Unique,I will try to remember to wear my overalls and puff on a corn cob pipe.

50 rounds of 200gr SWC loaded over, yep you guessed it........Unique, this from my SA Loaded Model in 45 ACP fired at 25 yards, think I'll keep using it.

Different shooting sports have different requirements. Some of us can acknowledge that; apparently, some cannot.


Actually, I'd guess you should learn how to conduct a comparison competently.

The smoke in the above photo is minimal. The propellant, by your own admission, is NOT Unique, the powder in question.

Other than failing in your attempt at a false comparison, just what have you achieved?

"...best things I can say about Unique are that it's usually one of the cheapest powders per pound."

"Beginners and commercial reloaders like it for those reasons."

"...leave Unique to the cowboy and bullseye brigades."

"This is particularly true when shooting lead bullets, which I do (now poly-coated and vastly improved thereby)"-"Even back when I was shooting the cheap, wax-lubed bullets..."

"I don't know any USPSA competitors shooting Unique - we can't afford to have the target occluded that long."

"Actually, I'd guess you should learn how to conduct a comparison competently."

"Other than failing in your attempt at a false comparison, just what have you achieved?"



Your achievement is how you've managed to show us just how special you really are.

Anyone care for some milk and cookies??
Geeze

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Still Running Against the Wind

Skip,

When I watched that video, everyone did know that's a viewable video he posted, I noticed some fire/flash from the W231. Does it get worse, i.e. more noticeable, in lower light?

No brag; just fact.

- "Will Sonnett"

A friend of mine's father used to tell him he was "special" too, usually after he did something stupid. He would say: "Your special, special ed, that is."

Didn't do much for the young man's self esteem but I don't think he ever repeated the same mistake twice.

Right answer, wrong method!


As to the comparison, watch the video. It get's real smokey and the point being made was that there are other factors that contribute to the problem. I think others got that.

Paul,
The "flash" in the video with W231/HP-38 is noticeable. At this point, I can't tell you if it was because of the other factors mentioned in my previous post or not. I never revisited it. I simply switched to plated bullets when shooting 9mm. I can tell you this though, that took care of two problems I was having, smoke and leading!

All you guys who don't like Unique, or think you don't like Unique, DON'T BUY IT AND DON'T USE IT! Then maybe I can find some at the store when I'm looking for it. I don't mind making the sacrifice of using that nasty dirty smokey old stuff so others don't have to! When I was younger, I tried to drink up all the beer as a public service to others. People said beer made people do stupid things. I figured if I drank it all up, nobody else would do stupid things any more. I imagine my offer to use all the Unique will have similar success.

All I've ever used is the "old" Unique. I still have several pounds that I've bought, or have been given to me over the years. I've heard the "New" Unique isn't as dirty and smokey (the manufacturer claims it anyway). Has anyone used the "New" stuff to see if the claims are true?

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SWCA 2379

A noble gesture. I'll reciprocate the courtesy.

I promise to buy only those radical new powders like WST, TiteGroup and 3N38, so they won't be able to temp those Unique individuals over to The Dark Side.

Everybody happy now?

Hah, works for me! I'm just sittin' here dribbling the ol' nasty stuff into .45 ACP cases and listening to the Beatles "Abbey Road" as we speak. Guess I'm a "molded oldie".

Something else I found that was special about our friend.
It seems that others have a tad of a problem with his postings!

Skip;
All that occulating smoke must have dampened out the sound of some of those poppers getting hit. You didn't actually miss that many did you?

Tongue firmly in cheek,
Steve

Some were bowling pins so there isn't the resounding TWANG every time.

Truth be told though, yes, I did miss a time or two!

I always listen to the Beatles reloading song when I'm working at the reloading bench. I figure it is fitting... At least I think it is a reloading song... I have a hard time telling what the words are some times. I think it goes, "Eight grains Unique, I la ah ah ah ove you, Eight Grains Unique, are not enough to blow you up..."

Well, maybe those aren't the words. I was singing it while typing this, and my wife gave me a dirty look and said the words are, "Eight days a week."

Oh well, I'll shut up now.

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SWCA 2379

You are messed up DUDE!

From my experience Ive found universal cleaner and usually more accurate than Unique, I dont use Unique anymore, its been replaced by Universal Clays

Hey whelenshooter, so you get the subliminal messages too!

Besides the overt "Happiness Is a Warm Gun," the gun play in "Rocky Raccoon," the hunting theme in "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill," and a whole album titled "Revolver," there's:

Blue Dot Way
Yer Blue Dot
Hey Bulls Eye
And I Love Herco
Across the Universal
Leverlution
Revolution No. 9
When I'm (Loading Forty)Sixty Four
Why Don't We Do It With "The Load"
The Long and Winding Load
Fixing a Hole (The Lock on My New S&W)
Lucy In the Sky With Diamond Grips

I think Hercules was paying Apple a retainer by the late '60s at the very least.