Unique replacement?

[Nevada Ed]

As for those burn rate charts.............

I take all of them with a grain of salt.

No one powder will out do another in a 38, 9mm or 357 in all
my years of testing, do to another little factor.

The other chemicals that make up the powder and the amount of..........
Energy, that it gives it.

"Nitro" and other compounds play a big part on how a powder
moves the bullet down a barrel, either fast or slow but steady.

I just break them down into three "General speeds" of a fast powder,
medium burning or a slow powder which will usually take about 2x the amount of a fast powder,
in the manuals, depending on the loads.

Generally the fast powders work well with light target loads and
the slow powders for the high vel. loads but lately with the new
powders coming out, some medium burn powders are doing quite well
in the top fps area for me in my last 9mm test with the 135 and 147gr plated bullets.

I am just glad that powder and bullets are again out there for us............
Have fun.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

And I wound up finding some Bullseye and Power Pistol.

Two good powders. Use the P-P for your moderate to full loads. It's flashy but I like that.

Bullseye will work in almost anything but typically it's for lighter/target loads. Since it's a fast powder be extra carefully when using it in large cases to avoid a double charge.

.

 

[kornax]

Two good powders. Use the P-P for your moderate to full loads. It's flashy but I like that.

Bullseye will work in almost anything but typically it's for lighter/target loads. Since it's a fast powder be extra carefully when using it in large cases to avoid a double charge.

.

Well, for my first bullseye experience, it measured fine. Haven't shot those rounds yet, but i expect that will be fine as well. Only complaint i have, is that the flakes are so tiny, and I use a Lee Perfect Powder measure. Those little flakes, every time i run the lever, 2-3 seemed to escape from the side of the cylinder. I wound up putting paper down so i could gather up all the drops. There was quite a bit after 100 rounds.

Of course, thats not a bullseye problem, its the measure. I had read when i bought this kit, that people didn't favor this measure, but i was after the rest of the stuff, and settled. So i may have to go pick up a better powder measure.

Another thing that I was spoiled with for using only unique, I didn't have to mark all my ammo boxes with what is what. I jotted them down in a notebook and knew what they were. I had to go through all my reloads and label them so i know what is what moving forward.

 

[rsrocket1]

Alliant made 20/28 as an alternative to Unique for 20 and 28 gauge shoshell reloading. It is denser to make the stack height easier to achieve in the narrow shells. If 20/28 was make as an alternate for Unique in shotshell loads, what do you think it will do in metallic loads?

During the Unique drought, I was buying guess what? 20/28!
It worked very well in 9/38/357/40/45. Yes it's denser so you don't get an overflowing case on a double charge, but it performs very well and burns cleaner than Unique. My guess is that it's because there is a higher concentration of nitroglycerin in 20/28 than in Unique (virtually zero). I surmised that with my powder coat test where I found that higher levels of NG caused more powder to stick to PC bullets when left standing upside down for hours/months/a year. Powders with no NG like Red Dot, Clays, Unique had no powder stick to the polymer coated bullet bases while high concentration powders like Titegroup, Bullseye, Power Pistol, 20/28 and BE-86 had lots of powder sticking to the powder coat.

You also need to be sure to empty your powder hopper after each session with 20/28 and BE-86. The Hornady LnL AP measure will get smokey colored after years of loading even if you empty between sessions but at least it won't bubble up or blister which it may if you leave a high NG powder for long periods of time (RCBS is the worst).

But I digress. Use 5-10% less 20/28 in working up from your Unique loads and you'll find it is a very good performing powder. I have not bought any more 20/28 recently because I just picked up an 8# jug of BE-86 and will be using that for the next year of pistol loads.

 

[cowboy4evr]

I have wondered about Nobel Sport Vectan BA-9 . It's supposedly about the same burn rate as Unique , but it's single based . One of my favorite powders for years as IMR 7625 . It was a single based shotgun / handgun powder just a bit faster in burn rate than Unique . Hodgdon's saw fit to discontinue several great powders couple of yrs back and that was one of them .

 

[kornax]

Just following up here.

I reloaded 100 rounds of 357 with bullseye.

I was using 124gr Berrys plated bullets, and 6.5 Grains of bullseye with an OAL of 1.590".

The powder performed well, however the loads were pretty light. Felt more like 38 special. I will try a different powder next time and or increase the bullseye a bit. It was my first time using bullseye, so i figured starting on the low end was better.

While I was at the range, I was talking to another guy about reloading and different models etc. I was shooting my Ruger GP100, but mentioned I had a 19-3. I mentioned the loads felt light, and he commented they sounded light. So I was telling him the specs and he mentioned that I shouldn't shoot those reloads through the 19-3, that he had been reading recently as he had a 19-2, and people had mentioned that you shouldn't use any bullets less than 140 grain in a 19-x as they apparently damage the forcing cone. I was surprised to hear this. Wondering if anyone knows about or has heard anything like this?

 

[Skeet 028]

That admonition was for light bullets at max velocities in the M-19s. Or so I understood it to be. I do know a steady diet of 110s at max velocites is not good. I shoot my 19 so little. And don't shoot light bullets through it anyway. I save them for 38 special loads

 

[BC38]

That admonition was for light bullets at max velocities in the M-19s. Or so I understood it to be. I do know a steady diet of 110s at max velocites is not good. I shoot my 19 so little. And don't shoot light bullets through it anyway. I save them for 38 special loads

My understanding as well. You should avoid shooting a lot of factory loaded ammo with the 125gr and 110gr bullets (and really anything under 140gr or so). Full power magnums with those light bullets are the ones that create the forcing cone issues, and even then you generally have to shoot a LOT of them to create a problem.

If you are reloading your own ammo the lighter bullets should be OK as long as they are loaded at or below the middle of the powder range recommended for that powder and bullet. Personally - I only load the 125gr jacketed bullets at the bottom end of the recommended range - pretty much just above 38 special +P or on the light end of 357 target loads in the 1000-1100 fps range.

 

[BE Mike]

Wow, there are sure a lot of good pistol powders out there! I like American Select for my 12 ga. target loads. I'm also using it for 9mm, .357 Mag. and .45 ACP loads. I have seen where others are using it for .44 Mag and .38 SPL. It burns cleanly. It won't get you your best velocities, but it will get you in the ballpark, somewhat like Unique. I'm an Alliant kind of guy (formerly Hercules). That being said there are other great brands of powders.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

I reloaded 100 rounds of 357 with bullseye.
I was using 124gr Berrys plated bullets, and 6.5 Grains of bullseye with an OAL of 1.590".

Just a suggestion, when you're trying a new (untested to you) load don't load so many to start. If it's wrong for your gun you're stuck with having to break them down.

If you trying to work-up an accuracy load only load about ten of your starting load & work-up in .2gr to .4gr increments (depending on powder/charge weight) to your intended max. charge. If your max. is also the max. charge listed I only load five of them the first time.

It's a little extra work but it's better than having unsatisfactory ammo to deal with.

.

 

[kornax]

Just a suggestion, when you're trying a new (untested to you) load don't load so many to start. If it's wrong for your gun you're stuck with having to break them down.

If you trying to work-up an accuracy load only load about ten of your starting load & work-up in .2gr to .4gr increments (depending on powder/charge weight) to your intended max. charge. If your max. is also the max. charge listed I only load five of them the first time.

It's a little extra work but it's better than having unsatisfactory ammo to deal with.

.

This is good advice. I typically do lots of 100. I don't mind that they are light loads. Luckily I was shooting the Ruger. I just know not to use them in the Model 19 now.

I am still pretty new to this, but 100 rounds of .357 cost me about $9. So i don't mind having them. It wasn't unpleasant to shoot, just wasn't what i expected. I suspect if/when i ever get into developing more intricate/powerful/purposeful rounds, i will do smaller batches as i develop it. At this point, its more like its sub 1/3 the cost to go throw some lead down the range.

Good tip though. I appreciate it!

 

[at_liberty]

This is good advice. I typically do lots of 100. I don't mind that they are light loads. Luckily I was shooting the Ruger. I just know not to use them in the Model 19 now.

I am still pretty new to this, but 100 rounds of .357 cost me about $9. So i don't mind having them. It wasn't unpleasant to shoot, just wasn't what i expected. I suspect if/when i ever get into developing more intricate/powerful/purposeful rounds, i will do smaller batches as i develop it. At this point, its more like its sub 1/3 the cost to go throw some lead down the range.

Good tip though. I appreciate it!

You will take the suggestion to load only a few more seriously when you get a load that is not only unsatisfactory but which cartridges are not usable at all.

 

[Moe Mentum]

I started with Unique, but since it meters like corn flakes, I quickly moved over to w231/hp38. Now I am using BE-86 for all my handgun loads. Meters great, and I get good results with it.

 

[BLUEDOT37]

Unique meters great for me...no complaints.

.

RCBS Charge Master 1500

.

 

[hdwhit]

Bluedot37 wrote:
Just a suggestion, when you're trying a new (untested to you) load don't load so many to start.

Amen!

I was given 32 147gr 0.355 bullets that I wanted to try out. Most of my 9mm rounds are 115gr bullets, so this was somewhat new to me and so I started at the concensus starting load from several reloading manuals. The first two rounds were all I needed to fire to know that the load was too hot, so I had to bring the remaining 30 home and buy a 9mm collet for my bullet puller. I'll try again this summer.

 

[38SPL HV]

I used Unique for nearly 40 years - great powder and I respect it as "Apple Pie." I've replaced it with Power Pistol in 38 Spl high velocity loadings and mid range 357 Magnums. Power Pistol measures great...gives me good velocities with lead and cast bullets and burns cleanly.

2400 is my powder for 357 magnum velocities. If I had a 38 Spl revolver, I would use HP38/231 or Bullseye with 158 gr lead or cast bullets at standard velocity loadings.

Good luck

 

[franzas]

BE-86 and Universal, for sure. I haven't tried AA5 yet. Power Pistol for .38 +P and higher pressure loads (read semi-auto cartridges).

I've had better results with BE-86 than Universal in my 9mm. The two are equal in the .38.

 

[Thomas15]

I must be jaded or something because after reading the OP I thought I knew how this thread would unfold and that's basically what happened although I got a few small points wrong.

Wow, there are sure a lot of good pistol powders out there! I like American Select for my 12 ga. target loads. I'm also using it for 9mm, .357 Mag. and .45 ACP loads. I have seen where others are using it for .44 Mag and .38 SPL. It burns cleanly. It won't get you your best velocities, but it will get you in the ballpark, somewhat like Unique. I'm an Alliant kind of guy (formerly Hercules). That being said there are other great brands of powders.

Mike, there have been scant few sightings of American Select since the beginning of the great powder shortage. I saw some last fall but like a vapor on the horizon it was gone. I like American Select for handgun loads but I have moved on due to availability issues. This is what I think is the good aspect of the shortage, it forced us to look at things that we might never consider using.

 

[cowboy4evr]

For 38spl and 45acp is use WST . Not many people seem to use it as it was more available through the great powder shortage . It gives me respectable velocity for what I call " standard loads " and burns clean . I stumbled onto it when Bullseye and Red Dot was not available , month after month . I haven't looked back . I agree on American Select as it was another one that just disappeared for about 7 yrs , hence I looked elsewhere .

 

[Thomas15]

dupe dupe sorry