Unique Users

Hondo,

I can't trust Unique in any of my 3 powder measures. I just loaded 100 327 fed mag today with unique and always measure unique on my digitol scale, after running the measure about 10 cycles or so I started weighing and measuring.

The first 8 or so were exceptable at .2 +or- , then I get a .5 which is .4 over my target max. I wound't use it without measuring every load as I have been doing. I am using an RCBS Uni-flow and set it for 2-3 tenths under my target weight and still end up dumping a lot of them back in the hopper for being over. It does the same in my Hornady and my Lee measures.

I like Unique but won't use it with out weighing every charge, and I'm not paying over $200.00 + for a Redding 10x to get it down to +or_ 1 tenths with variences.

Their are to many other powders out their that meter really well and work as good as Unique.

I use Unique through a Lee PPM for 90% of my handgun loads, and am perfectly happy.
I have run umpteen 20 shot comparison strings versus factory ammo, and the extreme spreads and standard deviations of my handloads are right in line with the mass produced stuff.

Yes, when I weigh the charges, they vary a bit. .1 to .2 grains, usually. My guns don't seem to care.

I'm not sure, but I assume that the factories are loading by volume, rather than weight, just like all of us whom use measures.

I use a Lee Auto-disk in my Hornady LNL. It meters Unique very well. It will even meter Green Dot within .2 grain.

I've noticed I can load up pistol ammo that performs better than I can shoot with a very inexpensive powder measure.

Unique

I have a close friend who is an excellent gun smith and has reloaded for over 66 years. He continues to use Unique powder in MANY MANY different rounds and finds it very reliable. He has had some containers of that powder stored for over a decade. He uses RCBS powder drops and has never complained about anything. He has a good supply of many differenct powders and still falls back on Unique. It and he has been around a long time.

I've used it with both LEE and Lyman powder throws to great success. Now I put it in a trickle over my manual scale, and it seems to dribble out pretty easy. When I was throwing it, variation seemed to be in the .1-..2 range, not enough to worry about for published data (I don't "tease the dragon" as my mentor describes it).

Of course I am not loading zillions of my 44 mag's here, just a box of 50 now and then.

Using Unique 6.1 gn for 45 ACP 230 gn RN hard cast lead in Dillon 650XL, +/- 0.1 gn typical with rare +/- 0.2 gn.

Blue68f100 said:

I quit using Unique for that very reason. A ±0.2+gr variation is not acceptable in my book. I can detect the difference when shooting. If your loading at or near the top end you are more than likely going over the published charge. I can get a consistent drop doing the tap dance but you can't do this on a progressive. I only use ball powders on progressives.

Unique meters like Corn Flakes. It works well in a lot of calibers but I don't use it in small volume cases where a ±0.2+gr (0.4gr) variation is equal to 10% swing or the workable range.

Click to expand...

Well, so do Red Dot, Green Dot, Blue Dot, Herco...

RCBS Chargemaster dispenses Unique well for me. It will occasionally go over 0.1 grain.

Click to expand...

^ What P5 Guys said. ^

It meters consistently in my RCBS Uniflow dispenser. I've never bothered to weigh the consistency of the loads it throws - my chronograph tells me its consistent. I use it for 9mm 124gr.

Good luck!

Chronograph your loads. I have chronographed many of my Unique loads and compared the SD's and ES against AA#5, a ball powder, and Unique is as good or better. Bullseye always beats AA#5 even though the ball powders throw better.

One other thing to add. Since I load on a loading block, I have the chance to grossly verify my drops.

Knowing, as I do, the variation that I get from Unique, I have tried removing and rethrowing the 9mm charges that look high or low. Each time I did this, the new drop always looked the same. I gather that the ones that look slightly off are generally due to internal volume issues of the case, rather than a problem with the throw. The small variation in weight appears to be because of the powder density, itself. Not because it's messing up or clogging my powder measure. I can live with this small variation in charge weight. I have no plans to stop using Unique. It's my go-to powder for many of my pistol calibers, and it's my second-in-line for just about all of the others.

No problems with Unique -- the variations are within my shooting accuracy limits (not saying much there, so your results may require a tighter tolerance!).

After having variation with Unique in my Lee Perfect
Powder Measure I took someones advice and made
a dipper with a trimmed down 9mm case and a length
of bamboo skewer super glued on the side in the
extractor groove for a handle.

This thing drops +/- 0.1 all day long. Finally made
dippers for all my favorite loads. Don't have to worry
about keeping a hopper full. Guaranteed always on the
same setting you used previously. When you start
a new lot of powder though you need to "recalibrate"
it.

All the Best,
D. White

I've had pretty good consistency with my Lee auto disk. However, I live in Colorado and dry air can cause big problems with static electricity - the powder measures poorly and sticks to everything. A humidifier really helped.

Patocazador said:

I weigh each charge. I only use a dispenser with spherical powders.

Click to expand...

this is what I do as well

I've had no problems with Unique through my Pacific (a Division of Hornady) powder measure since the early '70s. It also does fine through my Dillon powder measures on my RL 550B and XL 650. As others do, I adjust, throw 8 - 10 and return them to the original container, adjust again, and check-weigh every 10th or so. I keep the resevoir around half-full.

As mentioned before with many powders volume is as important as weight. Been using high volumes of Unique for years. (+8 lbs year) It works great for me in all my meters. I found a really good deal on a huge lot of HP-38 so may be switching when the 1.3 kegs I have left in Unique run dry.

I user a LEE auto disc on my single stage press.

9mm, .38 Special and bigger I have no problems with. Loading up .32 Auto the charges are too small to get any consistancy so I use a LEE dipper that is very consistant.

I am going to try the pistol rotor in my Hornady LnL to see how that goes.

Meters fine in my Uniflow II.

now IMR4831 :banghead::banghead: it's a pain, until you get the hang of it.

On my RCBS uniflow I HAVE to make sure the measure is set up with the steel drum that has the smaller diameter hole when throwing small charges of flake pistol powder.

The large hole drum has caused problem when using small charges of pistol powder, wild fluctuations in powder weight (+/- .5 gr) and has even cause problems with powder bridging (no powder 1st round, double charge second round)