Asked this question on another forum but didn't get the kind of answers I was looking for so I will rephrase it here. I am looking for load data for 240 gr bullets using Unique in a 44 mag. My Lyman 49th edition shows a starting load of 10.0 and a max load of 11.7 grains. The Alliant website shows a max of 10.3 grains. Before checking the Alliant website I had tried up to 11.4 grains in my Model 29 with no pressure problems noted. What do other manuals show or what is other people's personal experience with Unique in the 44 mag? Thanks

My Alliant book from 1988 shows 11.8 gr Unique for a 240gr lead bullet as max.

For a 240 gr jacketed it shows 10.3 gr Unique

as max load

edit to add:

My 1978 Lyman book shows even stouter loads than these for both bullets.

Among the many reasons for different data from different sources is the difference in components as well as firearms used. For example Alliant lists the maximum charge of Unique with a cast bullet at 7 gr. Oregon Trail, which casts a harder bullet, lists a starting load of 10.8 and a maximum of 11.7 gr. In addition to the harder bullet, OTB tested the load in a Ruger Super Red Hawk. In my M29-2 I used a charge of 10 grains of Unique under an Oregon Trail 240 gr LCSWC and measured velocity at 1180 fps @ 10 feet.

The differences are even more significant if you look at some of the older manuals like Speer No. 8 which was printed before we became such a litigious society.

I hope that helps,

Frank

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sona si latine loqueris .

What bullet?240 grains is the weight but is it swaged,cast or jacketed?Naming the specific bullet is preferable(brand,mold number,etc)Also,what will it be used for(light plinking,etc)?

I think Unique makes a good stand-in propellant for decent full power .44 Magnum loads if it is all that is available to the hand loader but there are several other powders that will achieve significantly higher velocities, even at less than maximum charges. These propellants being: 2400, H 110, and Win 296.

My notes show that I have experimented with up to 12.0 grains of Unique with the Sierra 240 grain JHP in my Model 29 with 8 3/8-inch barrel. The load clocked 1246 fps from the long barrel with an extreme spread of 32 fps. Extraction was normal but primers were somewhat flattened.

A far better use for Unique in my long barreled Model 29 is 8.0 grains under a 245 grain lead SWC bullet. This very pleasant shooting load travels 949 fps, with an extreme spread of 39 fps and gives wonderful accuracy.

The bullet is from Bear Creek Supply. It is a 240 gr lead round nose that is moly coated. The intended application is for range shooting when I want a little more oomph behind the bullet. I know there are better powder choices (I'll have to get some 2400) but Unique is the most appropriate of what I have on hand. I normally shoot a lighter bullet with a light charge of Bullseye but some times I'm just looking for fun. Also, I just purchased a 629 power port with heavier loads in mind. I wanted to make sure I wasn't crazy for trying 11.4 grains of Unique but you guys have confirmed that it is a reasonable load.

My everyday .44 Magnum load is 250 grain casr #429421 bullet over 10.0 grains of Unique. Out of my 4-inch barreled M29-2 I average about 1050-1065 fps.

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Vaya con Dios

I use Unique extensively in .44 magnum but I very seldom load for maximum velocity. Somebody wiser than me (Mel Tappan?) once observed, "If you are loading maximum handloads for your pistol, what you need is a larger caliber pistol".

10.0 grains with a 240 grain cast SWC will give around 1100 fps in most of my revolvers.

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Big bang, much smash'em.

Here is the Alliant website page for this powder/bullet combination Unique/250gr Kieth Style Bullet:

http://www.alliantpowder.com/r...ellid=33&bulletid=47

And here is the Page for the 240gr Jacketed bullets using Unique:

http://www.alliantpowder.com/r...ellid=33&bulletid=57

This is my everyday load for my Smiths also, hits plenty hard, and will not shoot your old smith & wessons loose. Been shooting the same load for years without problems. For anything heavier that that I use my Rugers.

Thanks all for the responses. I loaded up a few rounds in 9.1, 10.1, 10.8 and 11.4 grains of Unique. I will give them a try as soon as I pick up my new 629. Perhaps when the powder situation is not so bad,I can pick up some 2400.

I used to load the 240 grain Hornady XTP bullet ahead of 12.0 Unique. It was an accurate load, and did 1200 FPS through the chronograph. If I still shot mag power loads, that would be it. Standard large Pistol primers, BTW.

One footnote on H110 and 296, you really don't want to go below 3% of max load.

Mark

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He who dies with the most toys is still dead!

If that was 97% I'd entertain your cautionary advice.

I load 8.5gr of Unique with lead 240gr SWC or if I want lighter load I use 7.9gr.

Well-put, Bryan!

I just checked my Lyman No 49 and I'm surprised at the 10.0 starting load for Unique with the 240gr cast bullet.

As others have stated, I use 8.5 gr Unique (old) with a 240gr cast bullet for a nice medium load. I forget which manuals has this load, maybe a Hornady.

The Hornady 7th Edition lists a starting load of 5.7 gr of unique and a maximum of 7.6 (1,000 fps). As was mentioned before, all of these are different due to differences in the bullets used. The Lyman starting load of 10.0 gr of Unique is based on a cast bullet made using Linotype which is harder than the swagged lead bullet used in the Hornady example.

I hope that helps,

Frank

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sona si latine loqueris .

Only in the last few years have I begun to cast my own lead bullets. I'm never very sure of the actual hardness. I do know the 8.5gr of Unique works really nice for a mid range load on the 240gr LSWC bullets that I do cast, what I call my Gila cast bullets.

I tried 7 grains of Unique with 240 gr swc bullets. They got out of the barrel and were very pleasant to shoot, but shot high. I suppose I'll bump that up to 8 or 8.5 grains and try again. To my surprise, this was a very clean load. In the 38 Special, Unique leaves a dirty, sooty mess.

8 grains with 240 LSWC, mild and accurate in both 29/629

I now have a box of them I'm dying to try out....Maybe tomorrow.

How old is the manual? I got some Unique a few months back (with the new canister color scheme) and it says "cleaner burning." That tells me that something has changed, and it's possible the manual you have is for the older powder.

I use 9 gr Unique with a Silver State 240 LSWC and CCI L.P. magnum primer and it runs fine through the M629 6.5" and M94 Trapper rifle.

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Slow down and look around... you'll be suprised at what you've been missing.

I agree 100%. The Hodgdon site has a note on H110 that warns of getting a bullet stuck in the bore if you load it too lightly, due to incomplete ignition. I loaded two grains light and ended up with a stuck bullet. Only the primer went, but it was enough to put the bullet fully into the barrel. The powder was still there in a big unfired wad, and it wasn't wet powder. I was lucky it was my last bullet in the cylinder; maybe I would have tried to fire another bullet. So do be careful.
Sonny

10grs. UNIQUE and a 240 SWC is the classic mid-range 44 mag load.

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NRA Life
USPSA/IPSC

^^^^^^^^
What he said.

The lower maximum loads given in some manuals are most likely because of concerns about leading with soft swaged bullets

Not all 240gr lead bullets are identical, so approach max with caution. Unique is a great performer in 44mag w/ lead bullets, but IMO, pushing much past 11gr is running the edge. If you want more vel, switch to a slower powder.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

Noting that this thread is four years old now, if you're still looking, I have gotten good results with a 240 Hornady JHP and 12.0 grains, for 1200 fps.

I always love when someone comes into a thread that has been brought to current, just let us know it's an old thread. Someone brought it back to life, thus it is now a current thread.

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NRA Cert. Inst. IDPA CSO

Odd that I was thinking about this very subject today. The variation found in today's manuals is somewhat confusing when using Unique and 240 grain LSWC bullets. I was glad to read the first hand information from actual user experiences.

Iv only started reloading for my .44mag. The first 2 loads I did were 8.5gr of unique with a 180gr cast lead bullet. And 9grs of unique same bullet. We chronographed the second load at 1150fps out of my model 29-3 with a 6" barrel. It's a very light recoiling load and fun to shoot. Great for practice and forme just getting used to shooting handguns. The next load I loaded with 9.5grs unique with 240gr swc. Haven't chronographed that one yet but it's also not a punishing load, I feel it's on the low end but would make a good deer hunting load for close range

I use it exclusively for 45 Colt and 38Spl.

In the 44, I prefer other powders, be it for mid range or magnum.

That said, flammable dirt is an excellent all around powder and if I was to have only one powder choice, Unique might just be the one.

My favorite plinking load is 10.0 grains of Unique under a 240 grain pill. I use magnum primers with this load. It settles down the velocity spread and gives a little boost to the velocity as well. In my experience, this is an accurate load that is not punishing to your hand.

Mike

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NRA Certified Pistol Inst.

It was mentioned in a previous post above about " Speer #8 " reloading manual . I have that manual , I bought it so I could see for myself if it was so " outlandish " in it's load data . Well , it's NOT ! ! !
Many loads in there are LESS than what is current load data . In the 44 magnum , 250 gr swc they show a max charge of 9.5 grs of unique . In the 45 LC , 250 gr swc , they list 8.5 grs max . Alliant today shows 9.5 as max .
Elmer Keiths unique load was 8.5 grs . That was his " standard carry all the time load " . He actually rarely used his full magnum load of Hercules 2400 . I have read quite a few posts claiming 9.3 is their most accurate load using a std 240 gr cast bullet .
I have never tried that load as I use WSF exclusively in place of Unique .

My everyday 44 mag load for the past 40 years has been the Lyman 429421 SWC over 8.5 of Unique in my 4" 29. I have also loaded 10gr's of Unique with the same bullet when building hunting loads. I prefer Unique in big bore loads in 4" or shorter barrels.

I suggest learning to write with your weak hand before using loads recommended in forum thread.

Unique is a fast powder which I would use with great caution in hotter loads. Powders of this sort can spike pressures with minor load variations close to either end of the loading range.

*sigh*

Unique is a perfectly acceptable powder to use in .44 Magnum with bullets of a normal weight. Quite popular in many cartridges running that sort of pressure, in fact.

It's also a medium-burner, not a fast powder. On any burn rate chart, you'll find it occupies a spot dead center between the fastest handgun powders, and the slowest. Which is precisely how Alliant designed it, falling in between its siblings Bullseye, and 2400.

The advantage of Unique is that it pushes a 240/255-grain LSWC--the most popular .44 Magnum bullet by far--to a respectable velocity, all while metering well, being much more resistant to squibbing than 2400 or H110, and taking 1/3rd to 1/2 the charge of a slower powder.

If you want to push a jacketed bullet, or use a 300-grain thumper, you'd probably be better off looking at something like H110 or 2400. But by then, the advantages of Unique likely no longer interest you.

Bought a life time supply of Unique which i used for lead cast 240 grain bullets about 20 years ago. i've always used 11 gains of Unique with out any signs of pressure. But powder formulation may have changed over the years accounting for the variation in the newer manuals having lighter loads. So if buying new Unique I would start at 9 gains and work up from there. Just to on the safe side.

The formulation doesn't change too often, the testing methods used to measure pressure get better.

I use 11.4 gr under a 240. Comfortably under max from my data.

I had a lengthy conversation with a company official at Alliant . He told me there is a great difference between reformulation and changing the burn rate . They can change the formula , make it burn cleaner but not the burn rate if they still want to call it " unique , red dot , 2400 etc " .
I switched from Unique a couple of years back to WSF when I could no longer get unique . I started reloading years ago with the old tried and proven powder trinity , Bullseye - Unique - 2400 . Unique is a favorite yet today and rightfully so , esp in all the magnum calibers for midrange loads . It is not a fast burning powder . Bullseye is a fast burning powder .