Testing 38spl p+ loads (unique)

[Forrest r]

No big surprises here. Unique is a sold performer and is pretty consistent from different bullets. In the past I could pretty much count on 5.1gr (standard load for a 158gr bullet) to get around:
800fps in a 2" bbl
900fps in a 4" bbl
With 5.5gr/158gr bullets (p+ levels) unique would do:
850 in a 2" bbl
950 in a 4" bbl

Yes every firearm is different and yes different bullets behave differently. There will be a +/- but it shouldn't be +/- 100fps.

For this test I used 5.5gr of unique.

h&g #51 146gr swchp 828fps
Cramer #25 (hunter) 158gr rnfphp 830fps
Cramer #26 150gr swchp 846fps
358439 156gr swchp 818fps
358156 148gr gc swchp 847fps
Mihec 640 158gr rnfphp 838fps
Mihec 148gr hbwc loaded backwards/crimped in top lube groove 845fps
150gr jacketed hp made from 380acp cases 835fps
358431 145gr hbswchp 814fps
Raphine 145gr hbrnfphp 827fps

Put it all together and 5.5gr of unique did a 100-shot string using 10 different bullets and averaged 833fps for that 100-shot string in my 2" bbl'd charter arms revolver.

These loads could be pushed harder/tuned to the specific bullet being used. But I wouldn't expect to see any huge gain in velocity by doing so. Might gain 20fps/30fps with any of those 145gr/158gr bullets by tweaking the loads.

I do like unique in 38spl p+ loads, as anyone can see it's pretty consistent from bullet to bullet and more importantly. It isn't real snappy!!! Unique has always had more of a roll/push for recoil which actually makes it 1 of my go to powders for snubnosed 38spl's with p+ loads.

 

[Redford]

This is good to know I just got a pound of unique and one of universal to try out I hear they are close to the same

Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk

 

[Warren Sear]

Unique has long been my favorite powder, and for good reason.

Someone will be along shortly to say it burns dirty and meters poorly.

 

[Amp]

I like Unique, also used Blue Dot a long while back. Yep still have some.
Loaded at 5.1 it is a fun 38 special round to kill plastic bottles.
EDIT: 5.3 was my load with cheap 125gr hollow points

 

[cowboy4evr]

I have one big complaint about unique ? I haven't seen any for almost 8 yrs , till now . Alliant 2400 is still " MIA " . I asked Alliant if they had quit making it in favor of their new MP-300 . They assured me they were still making 2400 , as much as ever . Unique is great in 38 spl's . Skeeter Skelton said that 5.0 with a 158 gr bullet was " the working mans " load . Have never tried Universal . When unique was not available , I switched to WSF and never looked back .

 

[Nevada Ed]

I have found that Unique works well in the 38 and 9mm for top velocity in my weapons.
However I usually get my best accuracy a few grains less than the +P or NATO loadings.

As mentioned , Blue Dot works in my 2" 38 special loads for +P loads, also.
Other powders worked but they also had flash, heavier recoil and poor accuracy but would work In a close SD case.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I posted this in the Bullseye thread but it fits here too so I complied it over.

I have not tried anything faster than W231 for the .38 Special +P and it's not really slow.

The best results I've gotten has been with HS-6 with a 158gr LSWC/HP bullet. I did generate more velocity with Longshot but several factors pushed me to HS-6 instead especially accuracy.

Myself and a handful of others bounced the numbers around from several sources and we came up with a GUESS my 7.0gr load would generate 19,800 PSI. (including Quick Load software) This load is over most current published load data so if you use it don't blame anyone if things go bad lol.

Here's the load:
Winchester .38 Special +P case
158gr Hornady LSWC/HP
CCI 550 Primer (Magnum primer on this load)
7.0gr HS-6
COL 1.475"
4" M686 ---- 2" M640
927.0 -- AV --- 888.9
955.1 --- H --- 897.1
905.4 --- L --- 876.6
49.7 ---- ES --- 20.5
20.7 ---- SD ---- 7.9
17.0 ---- AD ---- 5.9

 

[USSR]

Yes every firearm is different and yes different bullets behave differently. There will be a +/- but it shouldn't be +/- 100fps.

For this test I used 5.5gr of unique.

h&g #51 146gr swchp 828fps
Cramer #25 (hunter) 158gr rnfphp 830fps
Cramer #26 150gr swchp 846fps
358439 156gr swchp 818fps
358156 148gr gc swchp 847fps
Mihec 640 158gr rnfphp 838fps
Mihec 148gr hbwc loaded backwards/crimped in top lube groove 845fps
150gr jacketed hp made from 380acp cases 835fps
358431 145gr hbswchp 814fps
Raphine 145gr hbrnfphp 827fps

Put it all together and 5.5gr of unique did a 100-shot string using 10 different bullets and averaged 833fps for that 100-shot string in my 2" bbl'd charter arms revolver.

These loads could be pushed harder/tuned to the specific bullet being used. But I wouldn't expect to see any huge gain in velocity by doing so. Might gain 20fps/30fps with any of those 145gr/158gr bullets by tweaking the loads.

Forrest,

Your numbers are what I would expect to see coming out of a 2" barrel. That is why I questioned the velocity numbers of 950+fps coming out of a 2" barrel using 5.4gr of Unique in a different thread. As you said, "There will be a +/- but it shouldn't be +/- 100fps." coming out of a different 2" barrel, and I don't care if it's a hot day or not.

Don

 

[Qc Pistolero]

A .38SPL. 158gr bullet coming out of a 2'' tube at over 800fps is serious business in my book.
Qc

 

[ArchAngelCD]

A .38SPL. 158gr bullet coming out of a 2'' tube at over 800fps is serious business in my book.
Qc

Those numbers used to be normal before the factory ammo companies started to dumb down this once great cartridge. It's a shame a whole generation doesn't know how good a SD round the .38 Special really is. Now days to get a real .38 Special you have to load it yourself or buy from a designer company at $1.50 to over $2 a round!

 

[rwsmith]

If they are different guns....

Forrest,

Your numbers are what I would expect to see coming out of a 2" barrel. That is why I questioned the velocity numbers of 950+fps coming out of a 2" barrel using 5.4gr of Unique in a different thread. As you said, "There will be a +/- but it shouldn't be +/- 100fps." coming out of a different 2" barrel, and I don't care if it's a hot day or not.

Don

If they are different guns I'd believe it. In Speer #9's "Why Ballisticians Get Grey" they compile a long list of similar guns and the differences are substantial.

 

[rwsmith]

I guess I'm old enough......

Those numbers used to be normal before the factory ammo companies started to dumb down this once great cartridge. It's a shame a whole generation doesn't know how good a SD round the .38 Special really is. Now days to get a real .38 Special you have to load it yourself or buy from a designer company at $1.50 to over $2 a round!

I have an old Sierra book with a max of 7 grains of Unique with a 125 gr jhp. I started using but never approached max on this load. Didn't feel like I needed to.

I had a model 10 snub that was plenty strong and I was confident If I had wanted to go higher, I could do it safely.
6 grains max for the same bullet is about all you see in books nowadays.

 

[Nevada Ed]

With my all steel M49 snub nose, I was able to get a 158 gr LswHP as high as 971 fps with a slow powder.

I had five shells loaded for my chrony test but only shot three.
I dismantled the other two, since I thought that 850 fps was plenty with this weight of bullet.

Most factory loads are around 800 fps today.

 

[BB57]

Alliant, (125 gr Gold Dot), Speer (125 gr Gold Dot) and Hornady (125 gr XTP) all show a 6.0 gr max load for Unique.

Speer and Alliant both show max load of 5.2 gr of Unique for a Speer 158 gr LSWC.

----

My preferred short barrel +P load is a 125 gr XTP with 7.5 gr of IMR 800X. It gives me an average of 930 to 950 fps in a 1 7/8 to 2 1/8" barrel, 1,030 fps in a 3" barrel. In a longer barrel it gives 1,100 fps in a 4" barrel and 1,185 fps in a 6" barrel. Standard deviation isn't stellar but it's not bad either, staying around 20-24 fps and the load is accurate in all my short barrel revolvers.