mark5pt56
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8 grains with 240 LSWC, mild and accurate in both 29/629
44 mag load with Unique
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gregintenn
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I now have a box of them I'm dying to try out....Maybe tomorrow.
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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.
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.
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
derek45auto
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10grs. UNIQUE and a 240 SWC is the classic mid-range 44 mag load.
MichiganScott
Member
^^^^^^^^
What he said.
The lower maximum loads given in some manuals are most likely because of concerns about leading with soft swaged bullets
fredj338
Member
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.
scattershot
Member
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.
fredj338
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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.
Jdavis
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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.
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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
Snapping Twig
Member
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.
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.
Vortec MAX
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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
Mike
cowboy4evr
Member
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 .
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 .
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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.
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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.
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.
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.
samnev
Member
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.
cowboy4evr
Member
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 .
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 .
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