Unique Powder
- Thread starter jimmyj
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2012
- Messages
- 4,538
- Reaction score
- 7,695
I have quite a bit of W231/HP38 and it's very useful but not quite Unique. I've been using CFE Pistol in addition to HP38.
gwpercle
Member
Give Accurate Arms #5 a try ... also shown as AA #5 and
AA No. 5 .
I find it just a tad slower burning than Unique so you use just a few grains more to reach Unique velocities ... But in mid-range , and upper velocity loadings ... it behaves a lot like Unique except it burns clean and measures easily ... it measures like a ball powder ... I have been loading it in mid-range and upper handgun loads under cast bullets ... 38 Special , 357 magnum , 41 magnum 9mm luger and 45 acp ... Liking it !
Loading data is available for AA #5 online and in the Western Powders Reloading Guides and Reloading Manual .
It may not be any better than good old Unique but people don't call it "Flaming Dirt" either ... Give it a try !
Gary
Yendor357
Member
I use Accurate No.5 instead of Unique now. No.5 meters better, and burns a lot cleaner than Unique.
Get a reloading manual. That’ll get you in the ballpark.
But also get a Garmin Xero. I switched powders in my 357 Magnum rifles the other day. The max charge listed in my reloading manual was 200+ FPS slower than what the Garmin said.
Get a reloading manual. That’ll get you in the ballpark.
But also get a Garmin Xero. I switched powders in my 357 Magnum rifles the other day. The max charge listed in my reloading manual was 200+ FPS slower than what the Garmin said.
Attachments
Last edited:
I am finishing a keg of AA#5, it does well in all the pistol calibers that I used Unique. I am going to miss that keg. Universal looks to be a version of Unique. It shot well in my 45 ACP with 230 grain bullets. Only shot one pound, but it appears to closely follow Unique grain for grain. And W231 is probably the closest to a Unique replacement that I used. I shot kegs of W231. Very flexible powder.
They ARE the same.....
Chris Hodgdon says so.
And Alliant BE-86 is pretty close but they seemed to have ditched us consumers. I vote also for HP-38/W231. And Hodgdon Universal is right next to Unique on the burn rate chart.
Chris Hodgdon says so.
And Alliant BE-86 is pretty close but they seemed to have ditched us consumers. I vote also for HP-38/W231. And Hodgdon Universal is right next to Unique on the burn rate chart.
CactusCapt
Member
In an attempt to conserve my last 4 lbs of Unique I use a lot of HP38. I just started playing with 244- no serious load workup so far but it seems promising and both (relatively) affordable and available these days. Hmmm... I also need to load with Green Dot given I still have 16 lbs of the stuff I 'bought right' in 2020.
There are several threads on this forum about replacements for Unique. My own choice is BE-86, I've got about two pounds of it left in one jug and another eight-pound jug when that's gone.
Unique was great because for decades, it was the most versatile powder available, and there are reams of data for it in pistol, rifle, and shotgun. There were also few other powders around its burn rate for much of its life. Now we have an embarrassment of riches in that range of burn rate, and most of them are at least as good as Unique and meter better.
Unique was great because for decades, it was the most versatile powder available, and there are reams of data for it in pistol, rifle, and shotgun. There were also few other powders around its burn rate for much of its life. Now we have an embarrassment of riches in that range of burn rate, and most of them are at least as good as Unique and meter better.
I got a good deal on an 8# jug of AA5 a couple of years back and have been pretty happy with it for a mid-range burning rate powder. AA7 is also good, probably closer to the actual urn rate of Unique.
W231 is my usual backup for Unique. Pretty easy to find.
shil
Member
I, too, miss Unique but.......... W231 has served well, as have BE-86 and A#5. I liked 2400 as well for magnum loads. W296 and H110 are somewhat violent. A#9 shows promise.
A number of folks mentioned Hodgdon Universal as a decent sub for Unique. I jumped on the Universal bandwagon a number of years ago when Unique was nowhere to be seen. It is a great sub. However, now we can't get either Unique or Universal. While Universal is a good alternative, recommending it doesn't do OP any good until Hodgdon gets around to selling it again.
rockquarry
Member
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2005
- Messages
- 8,675
- Reaction score
- 10,672
I use some W296/H110 only because I have it, but "violent" is a good way to describe this powder. I've developed good accurate loads with it but much prefer #2400.
DWalt
Member
Hodgdon Universal and AA#5 are close to Unique. If you can find any.
I believe Alliant Powder, the maker of Bullseye and Unique, is allocating most of its production capacity to military contracts. That’s what I’ve heard. I’ve also heard that Alliant is suspending sales to consumers.
Alliant is just a brand name owned by Vista Outdoor. They sold Federal, which was part of Alliant, to a Czech company, including the Alliant trademark.
I’m not sure if this information is entirely accurate—it’s mostly what I’ve read on online forums. Many Alliant powders are out of stock, but BE-86 and a few others are still available. Maybe it’s just the remnants of a large stockpile?
There's no official announcement from Alliant so this is pretty much all speculation.
Powder valley posted this on Facebook awhile back:
FYI – we have just received the following message from Vista Outdoors (the parent company of Alliant Powders):
“Due to the worldwide shortage of nitrocellulose, the Vista Outdoor supply agreement for the sale of Alliant Powder canisters has been suspended for an unknown period. At this time, we have no timeline for the fulfillment and will be canceling outstanding Alliant orders in our system.
Representatives will provide updates and coordinate new orders based on availability.”
We have heard mixed messages from various powder suppliers about the availability of nitrocellulose, and therefore powder, over the past several months. This is one Manufacturer’s analysis of the situation. We are posting this so you can have all the information we have and draw whatever conclusions are right for you.
Alliant is just a brand name owned by Vista Outdoor. They sold Federal, which was part of Alliant, to a Czech company, including the Alliant trademark.
I’m not sure if this information is entirely accurate—it’s mostly what I’ve read on online forums. Many Alliant powders are out of stock, but BE-86 and a few others are still available. Maybe it’s just the remnants of a large stockpile?
There's no official announcement from Alliant so this is pretty much all speculation.
Powder valley posted this on Facebook awhile back:
FYI – we have just received the following message from Vista Outdoors (the parent company of Alliant Powders):
“Due to the worldwide shortage of nitrocellulose, the Vista Outdoor supply agreement for the sale of Alliant Powder canisters has been suspended for an unknown period. At this time, we have no timeline for the fulfillment and will be canceling outstanding Alliant orders in our system.
Representatives will provide updates and coordinate new orders based on availability.”
We have heard mixed messages from various powder suppliers about the availability of nitrocellulose, and therefore powder, over the past several months. This is one Manufacturer’s analysis of the situation. We are posting this so you can have all the information we have and draw whatever conclusions are right for you.
Last edited:
DWalt
Member
At present, I gather that smokeless powder sold to reloaders is mostly, if not entirely, imported. So import tariffs will take their toll on the market.
GypsmJim
Member
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2009
- Messages
- 4,010
- Reaction score
- 6,962
W231 and HP 38 have been referenced in this thread many, many times. The containers that I have in my inventory (all within the last few years) all say "Made in USA".
OTOH, all my containers of IMR say "made in Canada and Packaged in the USA."
My older cans of Bullseye and Unique say "Made in the USA"
That's all I use, so I don't know about the rest. What I DO know is after doing the research I know what I'll buy in the future.
AA#9 and Enforcer are my 2400 stand in’s. #9 is a little faster, Enforcer is a little slower. For Unique I’ve been really liking Herco. Little slower but works well in heavy 45acp and “Skeeter” 44 Specials. Otherwise I’m a Win244 and HP-38/231 fan. Titegroup is my “fast” powder.
Right now my “three powder - load any pistol round” list is:
Titegroup
Win 244
AA#9
That’ll take care of me from 380’s to 44 Magnum.
DWalt
Member
Unless things have changed recently, the sole source of nitrocellulose in the USA is at the Army’s Radford Ammunition Plant in Virginia. They also manufacture smokeless powder for artillery. At one time, part of the Radford facility was used by Hercules and later, ATK to make small arms propellant. That is no longer done. Radford also supplies Nitrocellulose to St. Marks Powder in Florida which makes ball powder. I have understood that 100% of St. Marks small arms propellant powder goes to the U. S. Military. Every other producer of small arms powder I know about is located outside the USA. If anyone disputes this, I am sure we all would like to know who another U.S. smokeless powder manufacturer is.
Last edited:
