UNIQUE-Am I missing something?

[NJM15]

Have some dont like it

Was at the LGS yesterday and they happened to have 4 lbs. of HP-38 on the shelf. I bought all 4 lbs. @ $19.99/lb. I didn't really need it (have 16 lbs. of W231), but at the price, I couldn't leave it. They also had 10-1 lb. bottles of Unique on the shelf for the same price. I've never been a fan, since I only load target/range ammo in standard calibers (38 Spec, 9mm, 40 S&W, 45 auto) and have Bullseye, Red Dot, W231, TiteGroup and 700X on hand.

Honestly, I'd prefer to find more Bullseye, I have good luck with my other powders; but the price keeps me asking myself if I should buy some anyway? Another LGS has primers on sale @ $25/1,000 and that makes more sense to me than buying the Unique. So with 75 lbs. powder on hand, what would you do?

I used Unique for my .45 Colt loads I like loading around start,
dirtiest powder I ever shot. Tap the cases on the bench results in powder residue don't know if burnt or unburnt, stepped up a little on the load , somewhat better but not what I would call clean. I went back to my red dot, cylinder and barrel cleaner now, no residue at all. only problem is now I have about 3lbsof it left

 

[growr]

My Dillon 550 measure seems to dispense Unique without issue. I shoot thousands of .38's per year in SASS and IDPA/ICORE.

Unique is gunpowder, when ignited, burns and leaves a residue just like ALL gunpowders do. No big deal, you are going to clean the gun anyway....get over it!

If you think Unique is dirty, go shoot blackpowder...

Randy

 

[cowboy4evr]

If I had depended on Unique to keep me in powder the past 7 yrs I would of not been able to have hardly any fun . I only could find 2#'s in that time . So I switched to another great powder , about the same burn rate , very very accurate , burns clean and was much more available .
I also found that 8.0 grs of Ramshot Zip performed a lot better than Unique for me in 45 Colt loads using a 255 gr cast bullet . So , with those 2 powders , I'll just say , " Adios Unique " .

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Started using Unique in handgun loads over 40 years ago. Very versatile powder with applications for 9X19, .38 Spl (and +P), .357 mag, .44 Spl, .45ACP. All of those can be loaded for midrange and practice ammo at over 1000 rounds per pound of powder. In my experience (25,000-plus rounds) accuracy is as good as just about anything and better than some others.

As for accuracy of metering, my old Lachmiller powder measure drops Unique with extreme accuracy, much better than several other powders.

As for Unique being "dirty", I have not noticed any significant difference in my pistols or revolvers. Cleaning after shooting is no more of a chore than with any other ammo.

The only other comment I would make is that Unique changed a bit in recent years, and older reloading data should not be relied upon with current production Unique. If your pet loads are more than 4 or 5 years old (as all of mine are) your next purchase of Unique will make it time to work up new loads, preferably starting with Alliance's published data.

 

[glenwolde]

Hello, glenwold when did Walmart sell powder and primers?

Hi, Walmart has never sold primers and powder as far as I know. You may have misread my post.

 

[Triggernosis]

I kwow for a fact that that several Wal-Marts in West Viginia sell reloading supplies. At least they did about 3 yrs ago.

 

[growr]

walmart

Hi, Walmart has never sold primers and powder as far as I know. You may have misread my post.

Well, in Montana Walmart sells all reloading components. Maybe not in your area , but Walmart DOES sell them.

Randy

 

[arjay]

The last time I was in Cody I stocked up on Unique and Bullseye at Walmart

 

[Eddie Southgate]

I have not been without Unique at any time in the last 50 years . Wont be without it as long as I can get it . Hell , it's probably even good on ice cream !

Eddie

 

[zeke]

If you're going to stick with only loading target rounds in those calibers, and have plenty of 231, no real need for unique.

Unique does give the capability for higher velocity lead, and jacketed factory velocity in all those calibers, with excellent accuracy.

Saying the lack of smoothness in throwing charges with unique relates to the rounds accuracy, is kinda like someone telling someone else size doesn't matter. It makes the someone feel better.

 

[Nevada Ed]

I really don't care for any powder.............
just as long as it gets me the fps or accuracy that I am looking for.

I might have four or more powders giving me the fps that I am looking for
with a 158gr lead bullet in a 4" 38 special but it boils down to the top accuracy loads.
Now the small 9mm case might have a problem with the bulky Unique powder
but it will still keep up with a lot of the powders out there for light loads
and not too many can beat it in full load department.

Glad to see you are set for a while with that powder.

 

[silentflyer]

"That keg is named "Hillary"--I bought it Just In Case".

I collected some "Hillary", powder,primers and lead and firearms, just in case my self

 

[rwsmith]

When you get down to it....

I really don't care for any powder.............
just as long as it gets me the fps or accuracy that I am looking for.

I might have four or more powders giving me the fps that I am looking for
with a 158gr lead bullet in a 4" 38 special but it boils down to the top accuracy loads.
Now the small 9mm case might have a problem with the bulky Unique powder
but it will still keep up with a lot of the powders out there for light loads
and not too many can beat it in full load department.

Glad to see you are set for a while with that powder.

Yeah, when you get down to it they all do about the same thing. Go 'Bang' and push a bullet out of the barrel.

 

[fredj338]

Primers, lots of primers. Without them, all the powder is just fertilizer. With 75# of powder, you need at least 100K primers to light it off.

 

[fredj338]

I used Unique for my .45 Colt loads I like loading around start,
dirtiest powder I ever shot. Tap the cases on the bench results in powder residue don't know if burnt or unburnt, stepped up a little on the load , somewhat better but not what I would call clean. I went back to my red dot, cylinder and barrel cleaner now, no residue at all. only problem is now I have about 3lbsof it left

Unique, like other medium burners, does best well above midrange. The claims of Unique being "dirty" come mostly from guys trying to make light target loads. Just keep the pressure up, Unique burns as clean asmost anything in it's burn rate.

 

[Wee Hooker]

It's not my go to powder but I keep a couple of pounds of unique around for experimenting. It's very versitile. I find it particularly useful when powders like Clays , Bullseye or Tightgroup would need to be loaded near max pressure to get the results I want. I actually have found it to work better than most in my 380 range loads.

 

[Ed Fowler]

I believe I read in one of Ken Walters books put out by Dave Wolfe publishing that when you get into hot loads pressure spikes are common. Naturally he wrote this a long time before the new unique came out.

Never the less I always avoid hot loads with 700 X

 

[feelinlucky]

...I actually have found it to work better than most in my 380 range loads.

Interesting. I've never tried that, but it very well might be true. I just can't imagine trying to get a powder measure to deliver two or three grains of that stuff consistently though.

 

[DocB]

I haven't reloaded in a long time; but, if I remember correctly, Unique burns fast. Really good in a handgun. I do remember that with a lot of powders like 2400 you would have unburned powder fly out the barrel with the bullet. Never had that problem with Unique.

 

[Jupiter01]

I've used Unique for years. I do have to wash my hands and clean the gun after a range session, but, so what? I have used a little Pacific pistol powder measure with bushings for about 20 or so of those years. No problems. I don't load to maximum, and the measure throws very accurate charges. Accurate enough for all practical purposes...even close to maximum charges. But, I do check about every 25 loads.
Somewhere in the dim past, a gunzine scribe published an article about his UMAGGB (Universal, make any gun go bang) load of 10 gr. Unique. Not up to Skeeter's famed "medium" load, but perfectly usable in the "hot .38, mild Magnum" loads I like. It worked like a champ with cast bullets in my 257 Roberts, too.

It may have even been the same guy that wrote another article about how small a charge of Unique could you use...Hmmmm..." Take half of your usual load, cut it in half, then do it again". Uhmmmm...lemme see...5.5 divided by 2...2.75 gr...divide it by two again...carry the one...round it off...1.4 gr. "EUREKA!" said I. Tried one and it didn't make it halfway out of the 4"! Drat! Or words of similar meaning! I borrowed the bench vise, a brass rod and a hammer from the range officer. (I think he'd seen that at least once before), and some little kid asked his mom;"Why is that man beating on his gun?"