Rduced loads, .38 Special with Unique, any good ones?

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canoeguy

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I bought some softer cast lead bullets from Missouri Bullet Company, thier #11 Cowboy 158 grain LRN. Marked on the box "Brinnel Hardness 12, optimized for
Cowboy Action Shooting". I called them and they said 800 FPS should be the maximum to prevent leading.

My favorite 158 grain .38 Special load uses 4.3 grains Unique, which my Speer reloading manual shows gives 853 FPS. Anyone have a good reduced load for .38 Special using Unique powder?

I don't shoot Cowboy Action Competition, I'll be using these for general shooting practice, plinking, and will try them in my Marlin .357. Lever Rifle when I get it out of layaway the first of July. So, I'll need a load that won't lead the rifle either....

Thanks,

Canoeguy
 
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BHN of 12?

I beg to differ with their assessment of velocity for those bullets. If everything else is done correctly, size, lube and barrel condition, you should be able to push those bullets up into the 900fps range with no problems. At least that has been my experience. YMMV!

The problem that I have encountered with Unique is that for specific needs it isn't always very unique, pun intended!

In reduced loads you are going to be very dissatisfied with the ammount of unburnt powder and smoke. Unique is ONE of those powders that works much better when loaded at the top of it's data range.

I had one guy that shot a M627PC against me in a plate competiton. He kicked my butt too. I asked him what his load was and he said: "4.5gr Unique and any 158gr lead bullet works for me." When I asked him about the Unique's reputation for being a "dirty" powder he said: "At less than 4.5gr it is. At 4.5gr all of that goes away." There was no big cloud of smoke nor a hardy "Hi Ho Silver" so I just took him at his word.

If it were me and I wanted reduced loads, either Bullseye, AA#2, W231/HP-38, Titegroup or a miriad of other powders would be used. Something much faster in burn rate.

Again, YMMV! ;)
 
Leading

Is not much fun I will admit. But I don't fear it any more since using strands of Chore Boy copper scrubbers and old caliber specific brush. I wish I had that knowledge the first time I experienced leading; I thought my M629 would never be right again lol. I been testing alot of different powders, of late using the SWC version of that bullet your using. 900 FPS is my limit as well with maybe slight leading. Think I eventually just ALOXed my remaining bullets stopped at the 900 fps level.
 
Trying to keep the velocity around 800 fps out of a 357 rifle with Unique powder will be a challenge. I shot some mild 357 mags I had loaded with a close to minimum charge of SR7625 behind a 158 gr LSWC through a Rossi L/A with a 20" barrel and it clocked over 1100 fps. I haven't chrono'd this load through a handgun but I'm guessing around 850 fps fps with 2 1/2" barrel. This is one of my plinking loads not very hot at all.
The longer barrel makes a LOT more velocity. For comparison: Rem Factory 357 Mag 158 gr. JHP through 2 1/2" barrel- 1082 fps, through 6" barrel- 1315, through 20" barrel- 1696 fps!

I agree with Smith Crazy on both counts. You can probably push them a little faster than 800 fps and there are definitely better powders for this application than Unique.
 
canoeguy,
For reduced velocity loads in the straight walled pistol calibers I believe you will achieve better results with a faster burning powder like American Select, WST or my personnal favorite Trail Boss.
 
Another vote here for Trail Boss. It is my go-to powder now for reduced loads in .38, .357, .41 mag, .44 mag and .45 Colt. It works well in all.
 
Bullseye and Trail Boss it is...

I think I'll try some reduced loads with Bullseye to shoot in my revolvers, and buy some Trail Boss powder to try. I won't shoot these soft bullets in the rifle.

I have had such good luck with Unique before with mid range loads, never thought about the unburnt powder issues with reduced loads. Even with 4.3 grains Unique, I occasionally get a little unburnt powder under the extractor of my revolvers, causing binding. More of a problem in some revolvers than in others. I have a Model 64 no dash that can't stand even one flake of unburnt powder under the extractor star, while two other revolvers I shoot a lot, a 64-1 and 10-7 don't mind it a bit.

Can't wait to pick up the Marlin .357 and work up some good loads for it, but that will have to wait till payday, July1.....
 
Marlin in 357.

I just want to make the offer: "If you find you don't like that firearm in that caliber, you can send it to me to take care of for you!"

My wife has one in that caliber and we are waiting to go hunting with it.

I have two Marlins in 44Mag, one with the octagon barrel and one with a round one.

Love those lever guns!
 
Well, I like 4.7gr of unique with the 158 SWC as my go to load. I've loaded up some with 4.0gr of unique and I'll see how it works out for me.
 
I settled on 4.5 gr Unique with the 158gr SWC, 12 BHN bullet you talk about. I shoot it out of a M15, 2" with no leading. I also tried some 5 gr +P loads and didn't see any lead problems. I also shoot the same bullet using 3.4 or 4 (can't remember) grains of Trail Boss for a lighter load. It too shoots well.

I still use strips of copper core boy wrapped around a bore brush with No. 9 for cleaning duties. sometimes, I'll even chuck it up in a drill for cleaning the carbon out of the charge holes. Anyway, with these cleaning methods and loads, no need to worry about lead problems.
 
I find the advice on Unique by "Smith" mirrors my experience with Unique. I've shot it for years in the .41 magnum and some in the .357 magnum. It does very well when you get the pressure up but is "dirty" when you don't. For reduced loads, I think I would try either Bullseye or the newer Trailboss. I just recently shot some loads with Trialboss in the .43 Spanish and I was really inpressed with its accuracy and clean shooting. The reduced recoil was a plus also. Go to IMR's website and you will find some useful loads in several calibers for it. James
 
I have Henry Big Boy in .38/.357 and like to use Bullseye for the .38 spec and Berry's 158 grain flat nose plated bullets. Anyone have a suggested load to move around 900 FPS? Thanks
 
Quality of boolit lube and bore fit have more to do with leading than do boolit hardness. I shoot soft boolits in three different rifles at between 1100 and 1200 fps, without any significant leading. My friend routinely shoots 38 specials in the 1000fps range, with soft boolits in his Marlin 1894 rifle and gets no leading. I would suggest you try bullseye, 231/H38, or red dot. Unique does not work real well in reduced loads for revolvers.
 
so ya wanna slow down a load ....
well you need to understand powders in a more practical sense.
Taking a list of powders say Bullseye, 231, Unique, Blue dot, and 2400 ...
what we have here is kinda akin to gears in a transmission
BE being first gear, 231 second, Unique third, BD fourth, and 2400 fifth.
Like driving a stick shift, if you cannot obey the speed limit while in 3rd gear ... its time to downshift.
the inverse is also true.
if your flattening primers, its the same as bouncing the tach off redline .. grab a gear and save some repair costs.

Unique might be a starting point to feel how things behave a bit ... but at the end of the day I'd settle in on a faster powder
 
I shoot the Missouri Bullet 158gr LSWC 12bhn bullet in a light .357 mag load with no leading in my 28-3.

I don't know exactly what velocity it was, but probably over 1000ft/s and definitely more than anything you'd get out of a .38 spl.
 
I've burn a lot of Unique in .38 Special and found two great truths. First, it will not meter charges under 4.5 grains particularly well. Second 4.5 grains is the sweet spot for accuracy and cleanliness with any 158 grain cast lead projectile.
One of my new reloading manuals made the 4.5 grain charge +P so I loaded 1,000 rounds backed down to 4.3 grains. Big mistake. Soot and high standard velocity deviations. Going back to 4.5 grains. By the 6 grains in a .357 Mag case works very well too.

Bullseye is now my powder of choice for the low end .38 Special loads. Meters better and burns more completely. Alliant has good loads on their website.
 
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