Unique Powder

[Hasbeen1945]

In my experience the Harrell's works the best for small pistol charges.
The Chargemaster for large charges of rifle powder. Especially the extruded type.
The Lyman 55 is very accurate but very slow to precisely adjust.

 

[dogdoc]

For me it is one of those, "who cares"....



My standard load for a .41 Magnum is 8.0 grains... The Dillon and Lyman measures will throw 7.9-8.1... If you precisely measured out each charge weight, 7.9, 8.0 and 8.1, the extreme spreads would overlap...and the averages would be what 10 fps apart...a difference that doesn't make any difference makes no difference...



Bob

100 percent agree



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[dogdoc]

Just shot this afternoon some 41 mag loads with unique loaded on one of my Dillon's. 6 shot groups 1.5 inch or less off a rest at 25 yards. All that worrying about precise weight is not warranted.What matters is how they shoot. I think I will load a couple hundred more on the Dillon and worry a tenth or two variation[emoji849]


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[BLUEDOT37]

I have one as well and they seem to be good scales. Sometimes I get a little drift with mine but I don't know if any other scales better.

I shoot wayyyy to much volume with handguns to weigh every one as I would have to give up my day job for the time required.

I turn mine off then on & it seems to clear the drift issue for a while.

I hear you. I load 200-300 a week frequently but I'm retired. Speed is not an issue. I'm just a little OCD.

.

 

[petemacmahon]

I gave up trying to "throw" my own powder charges about two years ago. If I'm using the single stage press, I'm using my RCBS ChargeMaster Lite Powder Scale and Dispenser(RCBS #: 98940) It is the single most useful product on my bench since I got my Dillon 550 RLB almost 20 years ago.

Worth the money two times over, IMHO.

That being said, I haven't put Unique through it yet.

 

[df06]

I have been using Unique for 40 plus years and never had a problem with it. I read all the negative posts about it and for the life of me can't figure it out. Almost all of my reloading problems with powder, or anything else, is operator error. I have some old Pacific and RCBS powder measures and they work for me. I do check the powder on a scale and trickle up for rifle loads, but that's a different powder. Unique is a great powder and I use it for shotgun and all of my pistol loads except for some hot .357's and 44 mags. I just can't find anything wrong with Unique powder.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

Agree. I use Unique for multiple handgun loads and shot shell gauges. And have done so for decades.
I have a powder baffle in all my shot shell loaders and my RCBS measure. After I get them set for the right weight, I toss the first 2-3 throws and load. Never had the slightest issue.
Don't over think this stuff.

 

[smoothshooter]

With the #55 powder measure, the shape of the chamber in the drum can be changed; for example, narrow and deep, wide and shallow, and everything in between.
Setting it to where the opening is about as wide as it is deep works well for me with pistol powders.

Find the right drum chamber width/depth ratio, and it'll work fine.

 

[rwsmith]

If I have a batch not worth...

Another option with Unique powder is to use one of the Lee Powder Measure Scoops, (aka Lee Powder Measure Kit). This is a set of the little yellow scoops that you find in the old Lee Loaders.

Decidedly a low-tech approach, they are fast (OK, maybe not progressive press fast) and have good repeatable accuracy, if you're consistent in your technique.



The 1.0cc scoop is one of my old favorites for throwing just the right charge of Unique for 44 Magnum or 45 Colt under a 250 gr. SWC.

Jim

If I have a small batch and don't feel up to setting up the powder measure, out come the Lee scoops. Loading .38 target rounds with that .03 or whatever it is scoop is a breeze. Saves motion.

Two things I advocate with a powder measure is a baffle that puts constant 'head' on the powder that is going in the chamber. Also, as mentioned before, beating and banging on the crank in a way to get the power to settle completely in the chamber and doing that consistently works best.

I think that a sophisticated way would be to put a vibrator on the chamber area with a foot switch.

 

[chiefdave]

I haven't tried it in handgun loads because of lack of published data but I switched from Unique to 20/28 for shotshells because it burns so much cleaner. My rule of thumb is dippers are OK for low velocity plinking loads with cast, swedged or plated bullets but weigh each charge when using jacketed projectiles.

 

[BC38]

I haven't tried it in handgun loads because of lack of published data but I switched from Unique to 20/28 for shotshells because it burns so much cleaner. My rule of thumb is dippers are OK for low velocity plinking loads with cast, swedged or plated bullets but weigh each charge when using jacketed projectiles.

You lost me there.

"Lack of published data"? For what cartridge?

I thought there was published data using Unique for loading pretty much every handgun cartridge in existence and a recipe for just about every bullet type and weight you can think of. There is more published pistol data for Unique than there is for any other powder I am aware of.

I must have misunderstood what you were trying to say.

 

[chiefdave]

You lost me there.

"Lack of published data"? For what cartridge?

I must have misunderstood what you were trying to say.

You did. I ****caned Unique because is burns so dirty and started using 20/28. The last time I looked there was no handgun data for 20/28.

 

[DWalt]

Do you have a baffle in your powder hopper? You could always trickle it, or use a dipper. How accurate do you need? Going to camp Perry?

For a great many years I have used a home-made cardboard baffle in my Lyman 55's powder reservoir. I have no weight inconsistency problem using Unique and Bullseye in it. It gives a constant powder head at the rotor, and that is what you need.

"With the #55 powder measure, the shape of the chamber in the drum can be changed; for example, narrow and deep, wide and shallow, and everything in between.
Setting it to where the opening is about as wide as it is deep works well for me with pistol powders.
Find the right drum chamber width/depth ratio, and it'll work fine."

I also go along with that. That's what I do.

 

[kgpcr]

Unique is cleaner now than in the old days. it is dirty for sure but a truly versatile handgun powder!

 

[stansdds]

I have found that small charges of Unique can be problematic, but with charges of 6 grains or more, it meters reasonably well. The new formula Unique is cleaner than the original, but you still need to load it to at least medium pressure levels for it to burn efficiently. This is true of most powders.

 

[zeke]

Just shot this afternoon some 41 mag loads with unique loaded on one of my Dillon's. 6 shot groups 1.5 inch or less off a rest at 25 yards. All that worrying about precise weight is not warranted.What matters is how they shoot. I think I will load a couple hundred more on the Dillon and worry a tenth or two variation[emoji849]


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

This. Can use unique across wide variety of calibers, and widely varying purposes. While it is not at it's best with low or very high pressures, I could get by with unique for most purposes. Excluding high velocity larg bore loads with heavy bullets.

 

[kimporter]

I use a Redding powder measure with unique and never have any issues just pay attention to what you do and be consistent,I also check every 10th throw just to be on the safe side

 

[Rambler42]

I've used it for years in an RCBS and rapped it twice with the handle up and again with it down.It was pretty consistent.Then I made a baffle for it and just work the handle now-works great

I had some trouble with Unique in an RCBS measure, but after I got a baffle for it I had no more problems.

 

[ddixie884]

My first reloading manual was the Lyman 45th Edition. It was 73 and I was fresh out of the Navy. The guy in the gun store said Unique would load all my handgun calibers from .32 Long to .44Mag and both of my .45s. It was two years before I bought a different powder and that was 2400 for all three magnum calibers. I use a lot of different powder now but I still think in terms of Unique, then decide how much of PP or whatever is appropriate.