I have to agree that it's a very versatile powder. For pistol loads and cast-bullet rifle loads, it's hard to find an application for which Unique isn't suitable. The Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook lists Unique as a suitable powder for hundreds of loads, in calibers from the diminutive .25 ACP to the rather serious .460 Weatherby Magnum. It may not be the very best powder for those applications, but it works in lots of calibers.
Unique was probably the first powder I bought for pistol work, back in the early '90s. I use it these days for .38 special and .44 special. I use enough of it that I buy it in 4 lb jugs. My favorite .38 special load uses 4.3 grains of Unique under a 158 grain semi-wadcutter bullet. It's a load that we've been using for years and is very pleasant to shoot. It's also very accurate in the revolvers we use. Unique is a frugal powder, in that I can get over 1600 of those loads from a pound of powder. That's a lot of shooting.
If I were limited to one powder on my bench, it would probably be Unique.
6 comments:
Ah PawPaw,
I saw the title of this post and thought it was about your good lady. I am disappointed. (grin)
Back 30 *mumblemumble* years ago, I complained (ok whined) to the friend that got me started in reloading that unique was dirty. He got a can of 800x off his shelf, said try this, and I never went back. Wish it metered as well as Unique but I've figured out how to get meters to drop it consistently. I've used it for 9mm to 454 Casull.
There really are a lot of powders in Unique's burn range. That's the problem with those charts, there winds up being a whole bunch of powders in near the same range because it does work very well. They split hairs between, say, No. 5 Accurate and No. 7 Accurate with 40 powders in there (by my chart), including Unique. To be honest, ANY of those will work just as well for that kind of application.
I've also had smoke and dirt issues with Unique, but all I've used are the older formulations (Hercules, not Alliant); I've heard its cleaner now.
I've yet to come up with even a mild Unique cast load I can use at the nearby indoor range; their ventilation is a tad weak and just me and my .38 Special can choke up the firing line pretty quick. Even plated bullet loads still generate quite a bit of smoke.
I like it better outside, but those ranges are 2+ hours away so its rare to go there.
My go-to handgun powder has been Winchester 231, but VV 3N37 and a couple other VV powders are the winners for clean and accurate in the two wheelguns.
I just used up an eight pound container of Unique this winter. (It took me several years.) I'd bought another one so loading .45 ACPs, .38s, .41 Magnums and a couple other cartridges will continue as before.
I keep meaning to make some reduced rifle loads with it but I haven't gotten to it yet.
I started reloading with a pound of Bullseye and still use that powder for .45 ACP target loads. Unique suits me for almost every other handgun round I load.
The new Unique is a lot cleaner.
.38 spl, and .45acp it works great.
I am going to try it in trap loads next. Changing from Red Dot.
Another thing I like about Unique is there seems to be load data for pretty much every caliber known to man. I bet in the future there will even be a load for Ray Guns. ;^)
Works very well in rifles. I probably shoot more Unique in 30-30 and now 38-55 than other powders. Good stuff.
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