[PaisteMage]

Very soon, if stock permits, I will be purchasing lots of reloading supplies.

Background:
I am purchasing a reloading press, and all the necessary equipment (more than likely minus components for a while) to start reloading for the .357 GP100 I am getting in two weeks time.

I have seen the extreme lack of stock everywhere.

Now for the question.

My friend uses Unique in his .45ACP, 9mm, 9mm Mak, etc. Would this be an ok powder for my .357? This is going to be a target gun, no hunting will be used with rounds or the gun.

This may have been covered, and sorry if this is a redundant question. I didn't use the search function.

I want to buy 8 lbs of powder and 5,000 primers, brass, and bullets. I might have to hold the money for a while and buy a box of factory here and there.

Thanks in advance.

[ScratchnDent]

Unique is excellent in .357 Mag. for all but the hottest loads. I use Unique in my favorite general purpose 357 load behind a 158 gr. lswc, pushing it just over 1100 fps out of my 4" Model 19.

[45lcshooter]

Unique is a good all around powder for pistols, i use it in the 3 pistols i currently reload for.

[Josh45]

Unique works well in .357 Mag.
I believe you can use regular primers with that powder.

[cfullgraf]

Unique works well in .357 Mag.
I believe you can use regular primers with that powder.

Just because it says "357 Magnum", it does not mean you automatically use magnum primers.

Use the primer recommended by your loading data which for the most part will be standard primers.

Yes, for Unique, standard primers will be the primer of choice.

Yes, Unique is great for loads up to mid range or so in the 357 Magnum, especially cast bullets. I have loaded a boat load of 158 grain SWC bullets over Unique over the years.

Again, consult reputable reloading data.

[454PB]

Yup, Unique is very versatile.....but you might consider Bluedot, too. You can attain 90% of full power .357 magnum, .44 magnum, and Ruger only .45 Colt velocities. Bluedot also works in 9mm and ,45 ACP.

[Searcher4851]

Unique will be a good choice if your not looking to make high end magnum loads. It's a very good multi purpose pistol powder.

[PaisteMage]

Awesome guys.

I work in the automotive field and have lots of access to wheel weights.

My friend casts his own bullets.

The other day I dropped off 75 pounds of weights for him.

So I just have to get the mold and I will get some cast bullets as well!

I will price out the Blue Dot and see if the price is right.

It is Standard size primers? Does that depend on the LOAD your wanting to make or is it more towards one caliber always uses these primers?

Once my Lymans manual gets here I am sure that will cover it. Just wondering in case I run across any.

[BYJO4]

Unique will work fine.

[tbob38]

Unique would be my first choice, use standard small pistol primers.

[Hondo 60]

There is no way on God's green earth I'd buy 8 lbs of powder without even having the gun yet. (maybe that's just me, but I doubt it)

Because no 2 guns are identical, the results of man-made machinery, no 2 guns will give the same results with the same ammo.

It took me about 4 years & 5 or 6 different powders to find what my gun shoots the best.
Now if you hit it immediately, say Halleluiah, thank you Jesus.
But that probably ain't gonna happen.

By the way, my .357 Magnum (S&W 65-2) LOVES it some 2400.
Very accurate, nice velocity & reasonable recoil.

Good luck & welcome to the high road! :D

It is Standard size primers?

What is standard size?
Primers come in 4 different "sizes", small & large pistol and then lrg & sm rifle.
(Plus a few other variants - but those deal with strength, not size)

Small Pistol Primers are available in standard or magnum.
Which one you choose, depends on the choice of powder.

Please follow load data from REPUTABLE sources & that info will be there.
REPUTABLE = load manuals, powder manufacturers, etc (NOT Joe's web site)

[Walkalong]

Unique is great for loads up to mid range or so in the 357 Magnum, especially cast bullets. Yep. Good stuff.
2400.
Very accurate, nice velocity & reasonable recoil.
Also good advise.

Unique and 2400 can handle anything but really light loads in .357 case, but most folks just shoot .38s in their .357s if they want really light loads. Both powders are available in 1, 4, & 8 pound jugs. 4 pounds of each could keep your gun fed for some time. You can use standard primers with both.

Naturally other powders will work, but it is hard to go wrong with these two in .357.

[Cougar71]

There is no way on God's green earth I'd buy 8 lbs of powder without even having the gun yet. (maybe that's just me, but I doubt it)

Ditto! Your gun just may not like it! Start small, experiment with different powder-bullet combos. It will give you a reason to shoot more!

[Krogen]

8 lbs of powder? I wouldn't do it. If you're like a lot of us you'll want to play with different powders - just for fun. Soon you'll accumulate a pound of this, a pound of that. You'll be trying other bullets. Cast, plated, jacketed; different weights. Don't buy a lot of any one thing or you'll find yourself tied down just when you feel like experimenting.

And then, one gun isn't enough you know. . . . Get another caliber and you'll start accumulating more stuff.

Not that this is experience talking or anything. . . . :what:

[greybeard57]

I see one caveat in what he wants to do. If the 8lbs of powder don't work well for him he has friends that he can mix and trade with. Supplies are so lacking right now that ya almost have to take what's given to ya at the counter like the cheese boxes of days past. I wanted Unique when I went out to buy powder at the gun show because the local stores were all out. All the show venders had was titegroup in 1lb bottles and w231 in 4lb kegs. So I bought one of each just so's I'd have something. I know they will both work even if they aren't as forgiving as Unique is or as accurate as other types. But I spose thats panic buying at it's best. :o

[Krogen]

^^^^ That! And if one's going to stock up on a handgun powder, Unique would one of the first ones to consider. There are good reasons it's been around so long.

[MRH]

I'd get one pound of powder to start. If you use, for example, 8 grains per load, that is 875 rounds from the pound. That is a whole lot more than you need to decide if that is the powder you want to keep using. If it does well for you, then get more of whatever size canister you can find.

Unique works very well for me with both cast and jacketed bullets, but is not the cleanest burning (even the new formula).

[greybeard57]

"Unique works very well for me with both cast and jacketed bullets, but is not the cleanest burning (even the new formula)."

That's a good reason to buy a gun that can be power washed at the car wash... And I happen to have one of that type...;)

How does tightgroup and/or w231 fall in the cleanliness scale?

[horsemen61]

I agree with the other posters who have said it. I would not buy 8lbs of powder before I bought the gun.

[beatledog7]

I load all my .357s with 2400, H110, or #9.

Ok, I recently loaded some test rounds with varying charges of Bullseye, but that was just for fun.

[Ex]

Had to pipe in on this one as I've just recently switched FROM Unique. Unique is truly a great all around powder! It was always my "go to" powder for pistol rounds, excepting TiteGroup in my light 9mm loads.

Unique always gave pretty good performance, but metered poorly and is dirty, even the new stuff. And in my 10mm loads, it was poor so I used 800X there, and had to hand weigh every cartridge due to how 800x meters.

Now I use LongShot. Better low end velocities than TiteGroup, as good or better (and cleaner) than Unique.

Go check stats on LongShot. I can testify that it meters much better than Unique. It has better performance (especially at the high end) than "most" other powders. And in most conditions, has loser case pressure, equaling better safety margin/more forgiving. I find that it holds pretty much to +- 1/10th gn throws on my 550b.

Longshot is replacing my old goto powders.
Check it out...
http://hodgdon.com

[hueyville]

I buy 8 pound kegs of Unique like most people buy gallon jugs of milk. It shoots good in almost any pistol. I find that with 2400 a gun needs correct personality for it. All that.being.said, I bought a.pound of Hogden HP-38 and loaded up some 140 and 148 grain .38 special and .357 magnums. Shot shot so well ordered two kegs. That was 3 months ago. How lucky can a man get sometimes. I bought three other stocking kegs on same order to.spread out the hazmat. Five fresh kegs about a month before Crap hit the fan. I would buy 1 pound Unique, 1 of HP-38, 1 Bullseye and one 2400. Shoot some of each, whichever your pistol likes, order a keg. Then next gun will have powder to see what it likes.

[PaisteMage]

So it is done.

Paid for the following:
1) Gp100 , STNLSS, 6 inch barrel
2) 100 rounds of factory ammo
3) 2000 Winchester small pistol primers
4) One lb of Unique (thanks for advice on not buying 8), and going to try 2400 through the next few months,
5) 500 SNS bullets

I almost feel sick because I spent so much, in one day.

Picking the weapon up Friday. Shooting it Sunday.

[HighExpert]

Bullseye is another oldy but goody you might stock. It will not give full magnum loads but it is one of the most economical powders to use for target and plinking. My favorite load for .357 is as follows.
.357 Magnum
JHP 125gr
6.6 Bullseye (8.6)
1.583 OAL

[PaisteMage]

Thanks for that recipe suggestion!

I waited over a year to buy this revolver. It is kind of surreal that originally the girlfriend said no way, no guns.

Her response now- Well if reloading saves money I say buy in bulk, and get the mold so you can cast.

Time- and ammo prices- utilized to great affect.

[JSmith]

Greybeard57 wanted to know How does tightgroup and/or w231 fall in the cleanliness scale?

I load 231 for light loads in my .357 and .44 mag, and in the laods I use it for it's very clean: 9 gr of 231 and Berry's 220 gr. plated FP in the .44 (S&W M29 6.5"), 4.3 gr. and Berry's 125 gr PFPs in the .357 (Python, 6".). I can shoot those loads all day.

Congratulations on the new revolver, PaisteMage! Let us know how it works with your loads.