357 mag 158gr LSWC Unique loads DUMB Mistake!!

[dave from mesa]

In my other thread (http://www.thehighroad.org//showthread.php?t=574058) I asked about loads for Unique. Went out just now and was going to load more powder and I looked and the only powder (least I got this right) on my bench was Bullseye. I have been asking for info on the wrong powder.
All the years I have been reloading and I make a STUPID mistake like this!
My shop is out back so I didn't have the powder sitting in front of me and I had Unique stuck in my mind.

Now I know Unique is supposed to be dirty but Bullseye was filthy also.
Going to go buy a couple of different powders to try in a while.

Sorry to all who gave me data on what turned out to be the wrong powder.

thanks

 

[smurf hunter]

That's not dumb if you caught the mistake before any harm was done. What would have been an epic failure is if you double charged a load, blew up your gun or worse.

I usually keep hard copy print outs of my favorite recipes organized by caliber, then powder. For me, I often list various bullets for a given powder on the same sheet:

357mag Powder X

125gr JHP min-max gr.
158gr LSWC min-max gr.
180gr RNFP min-max gr.

Due to setup of the powder measure, and dies - I find this system works well for me.

 

[Jesse Heywood]

I haven't found bullseye to be any dirtier than unique. With lead bullets the culprit is usually lube and over-application. Accurate #2 is about the same for residue.

There are many good powders to be used with 357 and 158 gr. lswc. Your choice will be by what you are expecting out of your loads. As a rule, faster burn powders for lighter loads, slower burn for heavy loads. My favorite is 15.0-15.5 gr. 4227, which fills the case. Bullseye I have loaded from 4.8 to 6.4 gr. (Lee & Alliant data.)

 

[joneb]

Unique is fairly clean at higher pressures.

I like Bullseye for 357 mag. with cast bullets and short barrels, it's very well behaved.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

Dave,
Please give W231/HP-38 a try. One of my 2 favorite .38 Special loads is a 158gr LSWC over 4.0gr W231. You won't be sorry!

 

[ColtPythonElite]

In 2 decades of reloading, I have used 1 lb. of Bullseye. In .38 loads, I found it to be really dirty and was glad when that pound was gone. I also found the same thing with the old formula of Unique. However, I certainly believe the new formula is cleaner like Alliant says it is. Once I discovered the new stuff, I started using a lot of Unique...As pointed out above, once you bring the pressure up to magnum levels it shoots really clean.

 

[Bigdog57]

Bullseye is my primary powder for handgun loading. I tried Unique in both .38Special and .45ACP, and was seriously unimpressed. The 'flammable dirt' gunked both guns to the point of failure, in just a few magazine/cylinder loads.
I consigned the remainder of that powder to the garden.
I don't find Bullseye too dirty at all, certainly no worse than my older standby Red Dot.

 

[Sport45]

It's not the best powder for .357, but at mag pressures Bullseye should burn pretty clean.

 

[soloban]

One thing I do is when I buy a jug of powder, I apply a label to it with the caliber(s) I intend to use it for. That way its a mental backup to make sure I have the right powder on the table.

 

[zxcvbob]

Bullseye will work just fine with .357 Magnum, it will just top out at a little slower velocity than Unique.