Anyone use Unique powder very often?

Status
Not open for further replies.
I guess a dirty powder is a relative thing for most folks. I never considered if one powder was "cleaner" than another. I never planned to use my guns as eating utensils. Ed's Red does a fine job of cleaning my firearms.

From what I have read, "cleaner" burning requires higher pressures and higher temperatures. That is not a direction I want to go. Recently shot a 2700 Bullseye match, when wind conditions are right, everyone's 1911 leaves a plume in front of the muzzle.

I think the clean burning crowd are really looking for something that will allow them not to clean their weapon.
 
WST is what I use in 45acp. Burns 10x cleaner than most powders at reduced loads. I used to shoot at an Indoor range. I was shooting one time a the fellow next to me was smoking up the air in front of him as the ventilation system carried the smoke away and out. He noticed my loads had very little smoke. We started taking because it was wondering what I was shooting. My SS 1911 had very little soot on it after shooting 100 rounds. His after 1 mag was dirtier than mine.
 
WST is what I use in 45acp.

I'm trying to work up a 200grn .45ACP load with WST... I really like that powder, I used it for my AA equivalent 12ga load when I used to load shotgun. My experiments with it and the 230grn .45 were not very good... you have to max out the load to meet factory velocity specs. I'm hoping for better results with the lighter bullet. It IS a very clean powder...
 
I stopped trying to push Unique hard, because to me the perceived recoil was worse than with a real magnum powder, especially IMR4227. I presumed there was a pressure spike involved, because the powder was too fast burning for the application. I get better results with BE-86 or AA7. I see that Ultimate Pistol by Shootersworld is compared to Unique and may be worth a try.
 
I stopped trying to push Unique hard, because to me the perceived recoil was worse than with a real magnum powder, especially IMR4227. I presumed there was a pressure spike involved, because the powder was too fast burning for the application. I get better results with BE-86 or AA7. I see that Ultimate Pistol by Shootersworld is compared to Unique and may be worth a try.
Ultimate Pistol has worked well for me in 9mm and 115g FMJ bullets. The load information leaves some to be desired. For a short time, I saw it at gun shows in the Dallas area at $15/lb so it was a very good value. However, have not seen it recently and the on-line ads show it priced the same as other well known powders. So, at the same price point, I will use Tite Group, Win244 and CFE Pistol. If forced into one powder, CFE is the clear winner for me.
 
I'm trying to work up a 200grn .45ACP load with WST... I really like that powder, I used it for my AA equivalent 12ga load when I used to load shotgun. My experiments with it and the 230grn .45 were not very good... you have to max out the load to meet factory velocity specs. I'm hoping for better results with the lighter bullet. It IS a very clean powder...

If your looking for full power, WSF may be a better option. I use WST for reduced BE loads. I have used if for full power on the 185gr but not 200 gr.
 
I followed the sage advice of the many ole time gun rag writers and used Unique when I started reloading.

Filthy stuff at plinking load levels that doesn't meter well. However allowing for those problems it works well in many calibers.

One of the few good pieces of advice I ever received at a gun store was to switch to WW231. I did and have never looked back. 231 does all I need for .38, 9mm, and .45acp.
 
I am always amazed at how many people say Unique meters so poorly. With my Pro Auto Disk I am 90% of the time plus or minus .1 and at worst .2 and my ammo is very accurate. My minimum accuracy for my revolvers is 1.5" at 25 yards. Unique proved to be more accurate than Universal so Unique is all I use for handgun unless I want to load up some full magnum loads which is rarely. I have no trouble cleaning my guns after a range session and don't understand all the complaints about Unique being filthy either however I do realize some people don't clean their guns after using them. Any powder can make your gun filthy if you don't clean it.
 
I am always amazed at how many people say Unique meters so well.
My Redding M-3 powder measure does not meter large flake powders well, the aperture of the charge bar is about .30" I guess some powder measures do better.
Aside from poor metering Unique is a filthy powder.
Its called flammable dirt for a reason.
 
I started reloading my 38spl revolver loads in 1977 or so, and I've had a container of Unique on the bench every day since. I've started using a few others, but I still use it. Just looking, I have 3.5 pounds at the moment.
 
Unique is a great powder for reduced loads in 480 Ruger . 355gr. bullet with 9.0 grs of Unique makes for easy shooting loads. POI very close to full house loads at 50 yds.
 
I have no trouble cleaning my guns after a range session and don't understand all the complaints about Unique being filthy either
When I first started using Unique and was working up loads, I noticed the low end stuff left the cases sooty, and the ejection port dirty, and the muzzle of my 1911 pretty dirty. Once I worked up to a warmer load that was accurate, I noticed everything was noticeably cleaner.

Low level loads of a lot of powders can result in incomplete brass expansion and dirty up a gun faster. I'm guessing people who thinks it's a dirty powder are loading low level, soft shooting loads.
 
OTOH, the 24.0 gr. loads of Unique I tried in some old R-P Blue Magic hulls I picked up blew two CCI209's out of the hulls, and the rest started to back out, from my 1100 last night. They sailed right through the shell catcher, too. The gun was fine, though I pulled the barrel and looked down it when the first happened, as one of the kids had had a couple wads stick with factory Federals in his Citori earlier. I think I'll stick to less than 1200 fps with Unique from now on.
 
Unique's dirty? Never noticed until the internet was invented, and all the new loaders said so..... Dirty?......a diesel pickup is dirty......I believe Unique has enough genuine pluses for many to make that a moot point.....sorta like what diesel lovers find.

Perfect metering? Just load it and shoot it.....see if it makes any difference......if won't unless you screw up and double load.....one of the genuine pluses. Another plus? A smooth recoil versus the sharp recoil you get with many newer powders. I shoot better with smooth....how about you?

Clean your guns no matter what you use.

BTW, there's hundreds of articles in Handloader Magazine on Unique over the years.....latest one this month.....wonder why is that?;) Popular for a reason.
 
Last edited:
Interesting that they named it Unique........they did that because it is unique.....few if any powders are so versatile........maybe they shoulda named it "Versatile".;)

Quite a few years ago, there was an article in Handloader Magazine with a title similar to........"If I had to get by with only two powders, one for Rifle and one for Pistol/Shotgun". I can't remember who wrote it........but I do remember one of the two powders he chose.......Unique..... I think the other might have been either 4895 or 4350. Anyone else remember?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top