Unique Powder: What is it good for?

[Wheelgunner840]

Howdy all.
Before anyone jumps all over me, let me say that I have done a search on this site and others as well, for the answers that I am seeking.

Now. Here is what I have going on. I remember reading somewhere, either on one of the reloading forums or in a magazine, that every reloader should have a pound or so of Unique on hand, because it is so versatile. I happened to run into a pound of the "new cleaner burning" unique for a good price, and I bought it.

I have never used this powder to load anything in the last 20 years. I have used W-231/HP-38, AA powders #5, 7,and 9, VV N-350, Alliant 2400, and a host of others to load my handgun rounds. I have looked through my reloading guides, and see it used with a variety of bullet weights and calibers, but not with what I am currently loading.

Is this stuff good for the calibers I load, which are currently:
.38 special
.357mag.
.44-40
.44special
.44mag.
.45Colt
.45ACP

I am especially interested to see if it is any good with the 45 ACP cartridge. I am looking for a medium loading for a 230 gr. LRN and Plated RN.

Can anyone direct me to a guide for loading this powder. The Alliant site does not have a page dedicated to this powder that I could find.

Thanks,
WG840

 

[danski]

Unique is good for all the calibers you list and I loaded it .45 ACP, .45 Colt, .44 Special, .357 and .38 Special.

I don't like to post loads on the Internet but I suggest you buy a current Speer loading manual or one from Lyman or Hornady.

 

[Ron H.]

Sir, FWIW, I've used Unique in .44 special and magnum, .45 ACP, and .45 Colt. It's not a good choice for "powder-puff" loads, but does very well in medium to medium-hot loads.

Alliant lists Unique under shotgun powders. Click here for the Unique page on Alliant's Web site. There's a link there to all their Unique data, listed by cartridge.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

 

[gizamo]

Think that if only two powders were available for all my handloading of handgun cartridges...Unique would be number one, followed by Bullseye.


giz

 

[J. Galt]

Unique Powder: What is it good for?

Everything.

 

[leas327]

Unique is a great universal powder. You usually can get more power/velocity with another more specialized powder but most loading manuals list a moderate unique load for all the calibers you listed. I have a Lee and a Hornady manual and the both show loads for those calibers.

I also have Loadbook that you see for around $7 for the 45acp. It is basically just the 45acp section out of every bullet and gunpowder manufactuer reloading manual copied and bound into one book. I think that they are very handy and recommend them. I will list a couple of those loads.

I will also say that I have not personally shot all of these loads and this is coming out of the loadbook manual. I will list which company the information came from. These loads are for the 45acp using Unique powder.

Lyman Bullets
Mold #452374 225gr. RN sized to .451(#2alloy) CCI #300 primer 1.272"OAL
5.5gr. start 695 vel. 10,100c.u.p. ------7.3gr.max(this sounds hot to me) 905 vel. 17,300c.u.p.

Alliant Powders
230gr FMC .451dia 1.190"OAl Fed#150 primer
6.0gr 895vel. 16,000PSI
230gr lead .451dia. 1.190"OAL Fed#150 primer
5.0gr 790vel. 11,800PSI

Speer Bullets
230gr LRN .452dia speer part #4690 1.270"OAL
5.3gr start 764vel. -------5.8gr max 849vel.
230gr TMJ .451dia speer part #4480 1.260"OAL
5.5gr start 728vel. -------6.5gr max 832vel.

Again this is for Unique powder. Use this information at your own risk.

The loadbook has a lot more loads listed but this post seems long enough already and I get nervous and check the loads while typing them to try not to make a dangerous typo.

Hope this helps.
Ryan

 

[Rick R]

+1 on the Loadbooks, I get one for every caliber.

I use Unique in .38, .45acp, .44 Mag, .405 Winchester, .45-70 and 12ga. I've even made up powderpuff loads for my .458 Lott and 9mm jhp loads just because.

 

[flat top]

After all the bad things I have heard about Unique on this forum (dirty, hard to throw, sensitive), I cant understand why anybody would use it..............But I always have (50 years worth), and always will and consider it to be one of the most versatile handgun powders ever made available to reloaders.....I guess thats why they called it "Unique"....because it is!

 

[sourdough44]

Yes I agree Unique is a good powder. That said I use Hodgdon Universal as my most common handgun powder,38,357,40s&w,45acp,44spcl,& 44 mag. Of course they are lighter loads in the 357 & 44 mag.

 

[acl864]

Unique is one of the most versatile powders out there. I recently picked up some 38/357 shot capsules. Opened the box and the enclosed instructions had five different powders listed for load data- at the top of the list... Unique. I tried a couple today. Unique works good for that too.

 

[btruman]

I personally only use Unique in .45 Colt where it does an excellent job, but some of my friends use in most all calibers with good results. It needs a good firm crimp and is not a good powder for lighter loads. That just might be the causes of some of the dirty burning complaints.

 

[Wheelgunner840]

Ron H. and J. Galt, thank you for that link. It is exactly what I was trying to find, but couldn't.

danski, your advice is very well taken, but I have more load books (including the ones you mentioned), binders full of powder company dowloads listed on theweb sites, and 75,287,639 of those powder manufacturer pamphlets that they give away free at the gunshops! What I couldn't find was a link to loads specific to Unique. I do appreciate your imput and it is great advice to newer reloaders.

From seeing the loads listed, it appears that Unique is not as fast a burning powder as W-231. It seems to have a burn rate closer to AA#7. I know that the data is not interchangeable, just making an observation. I was surprised to see it as a powder for the .44mag.

I will be printing out the load data from that link to put into my reloading data binder, and give it a real good looking over! Thanks again all for taking the time to reply.

WG840

 

[Ron H.]

Ron H. and J. Galt, thank you for that link. It is exactly what I was trying to find, but couldn't.

danski, your advice is very well taken, but I have more load books (including the ones you mentioned), binders full of powder company dowloads listed on theweb sites, and 7,5287,639 of those powder manufacturer pamphlets that they give away free at the gunshops! What I couldn't find was a link to loads specific to Unique. I do appreciate your imput and it is great advice to newer reloaders.

From seeing the loads listed, it appears that Unique is not as fast a burning powder as W-231. It seems to have a burn rate closer to AA#7. I know that the data is not interchangeable, just making an observation. I was surprised to see it as a powder for the .44mag.

I will be printing out the load data from that link to put into my reloading data binder, and give it a real good looking over! Thanks again all for taking the time to reply.

WG840

Sir, glad to help. BTW, Unique is very close to AA#5 in burn rate, falling about halfway between 231 and Herco. It's nowhere close to AA#7, which is considerably slower. So says Sierra Edition V, anyway.

Hope this helps, and Semper Fi.

Ron H.

 

[J. Galt]

You're welcome, but I hadn't noticed Ron had already posted it.

Mostly all I reload is .45 ACP w/230 gr ball and Unique. I see no reason to change.

 

[scattershot]

Yep, it's good for everything, including shotgun and centerfire rifle plinking loads. Classic in .45ACP and .45 Colt.

 

[arizona98tj]

Unique is one of the most versatile powders out there. I recently picked up some 38/357 shot capsules. Opened the box and the enclosed instructions had five different powders listed for load data- at the top of the list... Unique. I tried a couple today. Unique works good for that too.

Agreed....back in '81, I started loading .357 Mag cases with Speer shot capsules containing 3 rounds of #1 buck over a charge of Unique. Slip one of those into the cylinder and have your buddy explain how you managed to get 8 holes on your target with just 6 shots.

 

[zeke]

Win 45 acp case, Fed 150 primer, 5.5 grains unique under a .452 230 lrn. About 800 fps and very good accuracy.

Win 45 acp case, Fed 150 primer, 6.4 grains unique under a Win 230 fmj. About 850 fps and very good accuarcy. Win 230 fmj's seem to like stiffer charges for accuracy. May have to do with smaller dia and lead base.

 

[G2240]

From seeing the loads listed, it appears that Unique is not as fast a burning powder as W-231. It seems to have a burn rate closer to AA#7.

The Hodgdon site has a relative burn rate chart for most commonly used powders-- including competitive brands. Use the link below to access it.
Burn Rate

 

[dg101win]

For me Unique is good for 20ga,28ga,38,357,44spec,44mag,45colt and 45acp and when I had a 9mm I used it there also.
Most of my shooting is killing paper with light to maybe mid range loads. If I want to step up the 357 and 44mag for something larger I have 296 on hand for that purpose.
I have a load for the 45 colt with Unique that is suitable for deer and this year I will have one for the 44 special also,probably 7.5 grains under a Keith swc.
Many years ago $$ for components was a bit thin,so I started using cast bullets. Also back then there were not as many powders available as there is now. So to me it seemed cheaper(more frugal) to find one powder that could do most of it for me.
By using Unique I keep my inventory of powder to just a few and I buy it in 8lb cans. Yes in light loads with cast bullets it is a bit sooty,dirty,smokey. But I have to clean the handgun anyway.

 

[R Cubed]

I have a recipe for 30-30 loads - used it couple of times for 170gn LRN loads. I did not gather bgallists - next time I will. Anyone else have rifle loads for Unique?