Unique

[Jeff H]

I keep forgetting to mention one of what I consider to be one of THE most important things about Unique in pistol cartridges. It does not seem to follow with bottleneck rifle cartridges, but I CRIMP the cases.

I've messed with this quite a bit, and even in a single-shot rifle, where there is otherwise no need to crimp, I crimp. If I don't crimp, I get poor accuracy and poor efficiency in burning of the powder. I will go as far as to say - especially with lighter charges.

Nothing extreme, either light or heavy, just a moderate crimp.

 

[RBHarter]

Things everyone should know about Unique.

Load data exists from 25 ACP through 3" 12ga in straight walls and from 22 hornet probably all the way 460 Weatherby but at least through the WMs .

It is a filthy sooty half burned trainwreck up to about 12kpsi where it starts to clean up . 15kpsi is where it really cleans up and shoots about as clean as anything else .

Data exists from 7,500 psi to 40,000 psi .

There are things it doesn't work well with like steel shot .
It appears that it doesn't play well in the 410 which is kind of weird as it works well for standard pressure 45 Colts with a 250 gr WC that has almost no air space. Of course it's not called out for 28s and very limited in 20 ga .

 

[Intel6]

Things everyone should know about Unique.

Load data exists from 25 ACP through 3" 12ga in straight walls and from 22 hornet probably all the way 460 Weatherby but at least through the WMs .

I can confirm that you can use Unique for the .460 Weatherby. I have an extremely old Lyman manual and it lists Unique for the .460 with a 500 gr. bullet. I load and shoot that load, turns it into a 45-70.

 

[RBHarter]

You could probably use it in a 50 BMG but I didn't want push my luck for data in bottle necks .

 

[Jeff H]

Well, last night, I was getting the stew pot all ready to eat some crow regarding what I said about the slide-bar/bushing powder measure seeming to work more consistently with nique than my rotary Uniflow.

I was all set up to charge fifty 357 Mag cases with 4.5 grains of Unique for some further testing of the load. I put the bushing in the Pacific Pistol Powder Measure I used that last time and it was throwing 5.2 to 6.5 grains of Unique! I looked back at my notes, pulled down a couple previous loads, scratched my head and accepted that I'd lost my flippin' mind, or my SCALE! Gave up, went back into the house.

This morning, before the Missuz woke I slipped back out there and poked further. Same blasted results! EVERYTHING was RIGHT, but NOTHING was coming out right!! I got to looking at the powder cans and it hit me! I have about a half-pound of Unique, which was contaminated with WC820, what amount, I don't know, several years ago. I poured some out and sure enough - there it was. Lots of teeny-tiny little black balls in the bottom of the pan! The tape label I had put on it must have fallen off at some point in time.

I got out the RIGHT can of JUST Unique and the powder measure was throwing 4.5 grains, charge after charge.

Now I have to take that half-pound of contaminated powder and put it in a special place when I get back out in the shop, but it's been segregated and won't cause this issue again.

Maybe this should have gone in the "I did something really stupid" thread?

Anyway, it goes to show that it pays to be anal and check, recheck and weigh charges, regardless of what your notes said. It probably saved me some serious aggravation this time.

 

[Rushcreek]

Years ago when I had a .44 Special Hand Ejector and a Rossi Puma 44-40 and a Little Dandy, I found that the bushing that dropped 6 grs of Unique was perfect for both guns with Lee 240 gr TLSWC.
No drama with Unique and the Little Dandy.
It’s still my #1 44-40 powder but I scoop it nowadays.
It’ll make anything go bang.

 

[blackthorn]

Jeff H--just curious---What are you going to use a half pound of contaminated powder for???

 

[Charles Graff]

I have used allot of Unique over the years and have no complaints with it.

I only load it full charge in handgun rounds and never reduced loads.

I have only minimal experience with those Dillon sliding bar powder measure, but enough to know they are ball powder only gizmos at least for me.

I used only rotor measures, fixed and adjustable and have had no issues with Unique.

I don't get the whole "dirty powder" thing. I wash my hands and clean my guns after every use.

 

[Jeff H]

Jeff H--just curious---What are you going to use a half pound of contaminated powder for???

FERTILIZER!

EDIT: If you were questioning why I hadn't thrown it out already, it got et aside for further/closer examination when I suspected it was not quite right and the forgot about it even though I'd marked it.

Thinking back on it, it could have been WC820 or WC844. I have NO idea how it got in there, but I have those two powders and the "bonus granules" in this can look like them. There's not a lot in there, but it sifts to the bottom of the measure's hopper after several charges and the charges get heavier and heavier.

 

[Jeff H]

.....

I don't get the whole "dirty powder" thing. I wash my hands and clean my guns after every use.

Yeah, that one rates right up there with the complaints about Ruger's 22 autos being hard to put back together or complaints about ejectors on break-open rifles. One such complaint was a guy hitting himself in the eye with ejected cases. Well, first of all, never admit to being THAT stupid and secondly, LEARN from it! Don't point the thing at your EYEBALL!

Sorry. COGS (cranky old guy syndrome) episode.

I get it, regarding using debris left in the bore to determine if you're hitting an optimum pressure to get the full use of a given powder, but I've read so many complaints that Unique is a "dirty" powder. So, what?

 

[300BLK]

Lyman #4 CBH lists quite a few loads with Unique in BN cases. Some pressures are listed in CUP, and others PSI, so I did a quick check and see a 30-06 load at 58,300psi, a 308 load at 55,900psi, and a 223 load at 47,300cup.

About 25 years ago a friend handed me his '03 Springfield with his "schuetzen load". I don't recall the bullet, but the load was deadly on chicken silhouettes at 200m, and the powder was Unique. Some years later we were shooting 60 shot silhouette matches with cast, and he reminded me that his chicken load was with Unique. After that match I worked on loads with Unique, and stopped when accuracy deteriorated. The load held accuracy to 500m, and the barrel didn't get blazing hot in a 15 shot string. 170gr+ @ 1850fps were marginal for knocking down rams, BUT, I hit more targets at all distances. I've since worked up loads in the 8x57 with ~175-180gr bullets, and some in the 223. While Unique will not cycle an AR, it can make accurate loads operated as a straight pull bolt......and they aren't god awful loud!

 

[Petrol & Powder]

...............
My problem with Unique is trying to drop less than around 5 grains while loading with my Dillons. The dropped charges are too erratic to trust them.

I don't hesitate using it in with my 45 Colt and 44 Specials. The larger charges seem to drop more consistently.

Building on this insightful post a bit more, I did some experiments.

With a pistol chamber in a Redding, drum type powder measure, I was able to get decent consistency with Unique down to about 5 grains (maybe even as low as 4 grains). This will suffice for small batches that are not loaded on my Dillon 550. It also precludes the potential purchase of more fixed volume rotors for the RCBS Little Dandy.

I don’t think I’ll ever trust Unique in the Dillon. I’ve tried it in the past and just can’t get the confidence I’m comfortable with. The Dillon will drop Bullseye, WW231/HP-38 and WSF to the exact 1/10 of a grain ALL DAY LONG. The measure is entirely capable of consistency with several powders. Unique and I just don’t play well together with small charge weights.

So once again, THANKS for the discussion and insight. There’s a lot of collective knowledge on this forum.

 

[L Ross]

Am I the only guy that hits the drop tube on powder measures when dispensing recalcitrant powders? After you get about 50 grains of 1 1/2 Fg spilled all over the bench from it hanging up in a powder measure or drop tube you get in the habit of whacking the device with a chunk of 1/4" x 5" brass rod or a tooth brush or dowel pretty quick.

 

[richhodg66]

I have a little brass rod I keep handy and always tap the rotor on the Lil Dandy several times before throwing and once it's in the down position out of habit now no matter what powder.

 

[Jeff H]

Am I the only guy that hits the drop tube on powder measures when dispensing recalcitrant powders? After you get about 50 grains of 1 1/2 Fg spilled all over the bench from it hanging up in a powder measure or drop tube you get in the habit of whacking the device with a chunk of 1/4" x 5" brass rod or a tooth brush or dowel pretty quick.

I once had an old Lyman powder measure which came with a little cast-iron "knocker" on the front of it - literally like an old door-knocker. Drop the charge, flip the knocker with your finger, voila!

I didn't warm to the idea, because in my own little mind, one of the paranoid little voices told me it would settle the powder in the hopper a little more each charge, until the cavity in the drum was receiving a denser and denser dose of powder. Untested, unfounded, but I've tried to not disturb the measure any more than my consistent-as-possible "clack-clack" for each charge.

Pure conjecture, superstition, whatever, but those damned paranoid little voices...

 

[Jeff H]

I did once have a problem with bridging in my Uniflow and Unique. I was getting wildly disparate weights - way over, way under, crazy swings and dangerous on the high end.

After some serious doubts about my prowess as a hand-loader, head-scratching and a couple new cuss-words, I discovered that there was a desiccated "stink bug" stuck in the powder measure. Once evicted, all was right with the world again, or at least with Unique and my Uniflow.

 

[popper]

Had trouble with the uniflow yrs ago, turned out powder 'dust' accumulated and caused a hard ring in the cavity. Caused bridging of 4895. Varget was always a problem child for me in the uniflow.

 

[Mitty38]

Even in my Turret press.
Everytime I get to the powder measure. Tap, Tap ,Tap.

 

[358156 hp]

I have used allot of Unique over the years and have no complaints with it.

I only load it full charge in handgun rounds and never reduced loads.

I have only minimal experience with those Dillon sliding bar powder measure, but enough to know they are ball powder only gizmos at least for me.

I used only rotor measures, fixed and adjustable and have had no issues with Unique.

I don't get the whole "dirty powder" thing. I wash my hands and clean my guns after every use.

Charles for the win! This post mirrors my experiences exactly. I even keep an old Pacific drum type measure around because it's graduation marks on the pistol drum matches Unique. It's happenstance of course, but I like it. I use Bullseye for the really light stuff. Why? Because I have it.

 

[richhodg66]

One really would be hard pressed to find something as versatile as Unique. In my experience, Herco and 700X are about the closest but still not quite there. I sure hope nobody ever gets the great idea to discontinue it.

I've got quite a bit of it and am about to try it in a recipe for 12 gauge loads to shoot trap with. I got a ton of the standard WAA12 wads for free, so need to round up some appropriate hulls, but that won't be hard.

Hard to go wrong with Unique.