Unique replacement?

[cowboy4evr]

IAhunter , what part of Cochise county are you in ? I'm originally from that county .

 

[BLUEDOT37]

I have been using strictly Unique powder... It seems to be harder to come by lately, and I am looking for another powder that is versatile. I see many others in the manual, and am interested in trying...

Unique IS versatile. If you can't find any locally, & don't want to order on-line then it's going to come down to what you have available to you locally. Pick one that you can readily find recipes for in your cartridges.

I got started on CFE-P when Unique dried up during the powder crisis. Hodgdon has lots of data on-line for it. Similar burn rate. I've tried it in all the cartridges I load for, except the hyper magnums, & it does fine. Also it's flash suppressed if that's meaningful to you. (Not me.)

One point of note with CFE-P, or any of the fine grain ball powders of similar burn rate; possible double charges, especially in the larger cases. Unique is bulky & generally you're far less apt to miss a double charge using it vs. CFE-P.

Green Dot is a little faster but I've had some really good success with it too, even in 41 Mags, plus it's bulky also.

Trying different powders is one of the things that makes (keeps?) handloading interesting. Go explore!

.

 

[BC38]

I have found Accurate Arms #5 to be a good substitute for Unique .
For a faster powder more like Bullseye Accurate Arms #2 can be used .

I also found no Unique on the shelves but Discovered one dealer with a good supply of Accurate (Western ) powders. #5 works well and is accurate ....I am likeing it a lot !
Accurate powders are listed in the Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook and Accurate has a good amount of data on their site.
Gary

Haven't tried AA #5 yet, but I can also endorse AA #2. I've been loading a lot of it in 38 spl, 44 spl, & 9mm and even target loads in 357 mag & 44 mag. I like it a lot.

 

[Nevada Ed]

Some have mentioned that Universal and BE-86 are almost the same as Unique powder.

Almost per grain per grain.
Not so................

I have loaded 12 Ga. 38 snub, 38 6", 357 and 9mm 3" to 5" with Universal, Unique and BE-86 and yes they give close to or near the same fps but............

All three are different powders, with different chemical make ups and should not be used "Grain for grain" in any loads !!

I have yet to have the three "Match" with my chrony, even with a load within .4 grs.

Use proper/correct load data and do not "Guestamate" any loads.............

Later.

 

[kornax]

I appreciate all the information. Keep it coming!

I am in the process of some 357. Actually my first batch of 357 magnum. And with what i have been reading in all the posts, it seems like this is a good place to try something else.

One reason i also have trouble, is I live in NY (Don't pity me too much... ). I have to deal with an FFL which adds a lot to the cost. Frankly, if I am buying one pound, its more than the powder in many cases! So i try to shop local to avoid eating the Hazmat AND FFL cost.

I am going to venture out today and see what i can find. I live very close to PA, so I will see what i can find. BE-86 seems pretty interesting. I have also liked the comments regarding CFE-P and Universal. I guess for the magnum I might also try one of the powders mentioned with a higher burn rate.

Thanks again for all the comments. I really enjoy these forums. I get so much information from them every time I post. Wish I had as much info to give back!

 

[epj]

I appreciate all the information. Keep it coming!

I am in the process of some 357. Actually my first batch of 357 magnum. And with what i have been reading in all the posts, it seems like this is a good place to try something else.

One reason i also have trouble, is I live in NY (Don't pity me too much... ). I have to deal with an FFL which adds a lot to the cost. Frankly, if I am buying one pound, its more than the powder in many cases! So i try to shop local to avoid eating the Hazmat AND FFL cost.

I am going to venture out today and see what i can find. I live very close to PA, so I will see what i can find. BE-86 seems pretty interesting. I have also liked the comments regarding CFE-P and Universal. I guess for the magnum I might also try one of the powders mentioned with a higher burn rate.

Thanks again for all the comments. I really enjoy these forums. I get so much information from them every time I post. Wish I had as much info to give back!

Not sure what you mean by "higher burn rate". Generally for magnum loads you want a powder with a slower burn rate. Unique and Universal are sort of medium burn rate. Bullseye, 231, etc. are faster burning. 2400 is the classic magnum powder and has a much slower burn rate. There are charts that list the relative burn rates. Just Google and there is all sorts of info on line.

 

[M E Morrison]

Not sure what you mean by "higher burn rate". Generally for magnum loads you want a powder with a slower burn rate. Unique and Universal are sort of medium burn rate. Bullseye, 231, etc. are faster burning. 2400 is the classic magnum powder and has a much slower burn rate. There are charts that list the relative burn rates. Just Google and there is all sorts of info on line.

But same as with reloading manuals, it's best to check more than one.

 

[rockquarry]

I've used Unique for decades, but have been trying to get away from it because it doesn't meter uniformly through my Redding measures nearly as well as other powders. I'm down to using it in only one cartridge, .32-20.

I've given Universal a workout in several cartridges. It goes through a measure much better than Unique, but I've found it isn't quite up to the accuracy level of Unique; close though.

 

[epj]

But same as with reloading manuals, it's best to check more than one.

The more info the better. Unfortunately it's sometimes contradictory.

 

[rockquarry]

Reloading data and pressure measurement figures, even from reputable, published, non-Internet sources aren't perfect. Some might call that contradictory, but this is safe data.

As with anything else, there are exceptions, but the only ones I am aware that could be potentially dangerous are some of the very old published sources. Study enough manuals and it will aid in making good judgements.

 

[jeeps]

Hp38

I use hp38 meters well and is same ww231 but a dollar or so cheaper. When you buy 231 you pay Winchester for there name. Both are the same factory and I have seen same lot numbers!

 

[kornax]

I went out for a ride today and hit some spots, one in particular I had never been to before. And I wound up finding some Bullseye and Power Pistol.

I have read good things about both. I am going to try the bullseye in this batch of 357 magnum. See how it goes.

Just to keep with this post as well, this store has a poster board of stuff they "have", although they tell you immediately, we stock what is listed here, but we don't have all of it right now... talk about contradictory...

Of the stuff I had heard, these were the only two available that were mentioned here. Between these two and the unique i have left, I should have enough to work with for a while. I also have a potential source for unique, just have to wait till I am making a trip that way.

I will start with the suggested starting grains of the bullseye. Again I am new. And I am not interested in hot loads or toying around to much. Like to follow the book, and if I can't find it, i look for multiple examples and pick a safe place between them. heh.

 

[Wise_A]

Bullseye will produce low-velocity, low-recoil loads in the .357. It's not quite as good, loaded-up, as some slower powders (Bullseye is among the fastest-burning powders on the market). That's not a bad thing--sometimes you just want an accurate, low-recoil load.

Power Pistol, on the other hand, is just a bit slower than Unique, and should deliver the Magnum velocities you want.

PS--Around here, we get the infamous "notebook on the counter" with all of the powders and sizes they do/don't have. Mostly don't. I can't touch Vihtavouri powders locally, and haven't seen a lot of what's common elsewhere. Funnily-enough, though, all of the powders I see people complaining about not being able to get, are spilling off the shelves in my neck of the woods.

 

[arjay]

I use bullseye more often than unique now in 38 sp and 45 acp target loads.Those two have been my most used pistol powders for years.

 

[Drm50]

I have been using Unique for years, I'm out and it is scarce to
non existent around here. A few months ago I bought $450
worth of powder at Cabelas just to use up gift cards. They had
every thing but Unique and Bullseye and 2400. I bought H-110
to replace 2400. Might have to replace Unique too. Little Gun?
someone said was good for WC target loads in revolvers.

 

[Vulcan Bob]

I started loading for handguns a long time ago using the "Holy Trinity" of Bullseye, Unique and 2400, then along came WW 296 and Hodgens H-110 and they were added to the fold. Now I'm not the type who buys and tries the latest and greatest powder, happy with what works for me. Then along came Brian Pearce in Handloader magazine and upset my apple cart. In his writings on the .44 Special and .45 Colt and seeming to be enthusiastic about a new fangled powder called Power Pistol I gave it a try. Smooth metering with very good performance in standard pressure loads combined with good accuracy with my cast bullets won me over. I also use it in my 9mm cast bullet loads with good results. It is now my go to powder for the .44 Special and .45 Colt. If you would have told me this ten years ago I would have laughed out loud.

As you might surmise I do recommend Power pistol as a substitute for good old Unique.

 

[SLT223]

I have been using Unique for years, I'm out and it is scarce to
non existent around here. A few months ago I bought $450
worth of powder at Cabelas just to use up gift cards. They had
every thing but Unique and Bullseye and 2400. I bought H-110
to replace 2400. Might have to replace Unique too. Little Gun?
someone said was good for WC target loads in revolvers.

Little Gun is actually a bit slower than H110. It seems (from internet research...) to have a reputation for eroding forcing cones.

 

[Rogeronimo]

I like my powders slow ... might look at HS6 or LONGSHOT.

 

[DWalt]

As mentioned already Accurate #5 is a good choice and Accurate #2 is a faster powder both are great metering and clean burners.
Don't overlook 700X it's a great powder and is always on the shelf when other powders are unavailable. Don't let all the bad metering threads scare you off give it a chance. I've never had problems when using my Lyman 55's, give 700X a try.

I find 700-X meters very consistently in the Lyman 55 when a powder baffle is used. You can (more or less) use the same loads as Bullseye, but no need to as there are plenty of reloading recipes for 700-X available. BTW, Unique and Bullseye use exactly the same formulation, but the flakes of Unique are cut thicker, making it more slowly burning. I have been using quite a bit of 700-X recently for .38 Super and .44 Special, and I have less than a pound remaining.

 

[Kframerbluvr]

BE-86 is, I believe, Power Pistol with a flash retardant added. I can make good ammo at service cartridge velocities in the seven calibers l load for. Sells locally for $21/lb.