Ball Powder Replacement for Unique?

[spencerhut]

My current powder of choice for light lead loads in 9mm, .38 Super, 40S&W and .45ACP is Unique. Here again I'd like to know if there is an equivalent ball powder to make loading in my progressive powder measure more precise. Right now I'm getting up to a .3g variation with Unique. Power Pistol and HS6 are usually dead on whatever I set the measure to.

I am using a RCBS Pro2000 if it matters.

What BALL powder would you replace Unique with?

The lead bullets I use with Unique:
9mm 120g Lead
.38 120g Lead
.40 170g Lead
.45 200g Lead

 

[steve4102]

Zip, Silhouette, True Blue

 

[byf43]

What BALL powder would you replace Unique with?

The lead bullets I use with Unique:
9mm 120g Lead
.38 120g Lead
.40 170g Lead
.45 200g Lead

.38 and .40. . . I have NO idea!


.45 200g LSWC, I use with GREAT results:


5.7 gr. of Winchester 231.
Incredible accuracy from my Gold Cup NM out to 50+ yds.

908 fps. from my pistol.

IHTH.

 

[specwar451]

Winchester 231, any of the Accurate pistol powders

 

[spencerhut]

Funny, this is the direction I was heading in.

Okay, couple of votes for 231

Which AA / Ramshot would be the closest equivalent to Unique?

Is this just a preference thing or is one really better than the other?

 

[Jim Watson]

I have loaded all manner of .38, 9mm, and .45 with Win 231 (and HP38 off the same production line.) I don't own a .40, but moderate loads with cast bullets should do as well.

AA #5 has been promoted as the Ball process equivalent of Unique. It has also been said to have blown up more Glock .40s than any other powder.

Were it me, I'd load .45 with 231 and get some WSF for the other, higher pressure, calibers. This one powder for all guns dodge sounds convenient but gives up some flexibility.

 

[jfh]

when I loaded .40 S&W some ten years ago,

I was using 231 exactly as Jim Watson describes.

I'll look for some of those .40 loads and see what the recipe was.

Jim--if you look at the Handloads.com / handguns forums or the S&W reloading forum, you'll see I have a topic running on using 231 (and titegroup)in .38 / .357 loads with light bullets for a practice ammo in my 640 / 340 j-frames.

Any observations you can add would be fine--I've found little data for cast bullets at 110gr in either cartridge, specifically with 231. (I have lots on hand from my 1911 production days.)

Jim H.

 

[spencerhut]

AA#5 Blows up Glocks?

Where does this statement come from? Is the powder really to blame? Why would AA#5 be any more or less likely to grenade a pistol?

 

[fecmech]

What BALL powder would you replace Unique with?

WSF

 

[cherryriver]

WSF

I like WSF a lot; it's given me the most consistent velocities I've ever had, used in 147gr 9mm loads. But Winchester's not giving any data for .38 and .357 that I can see, so I'm not sure it'd be good for that.
Since I'm still searching for the perfect full-power 158gr .38 load powder, if WSF could be used, I'd sure try it.
Meanwhile, VV320 has done great for .38 like that, high velocities and exceptionally clean in the gun. .357 doesn't care for it, though, with fast-rising pressures that are hard to keep track of.
WSF seems to be more for small-capacity cases, just looking at the available data tables.
Bill

 

[Jim Watson]

Where does this statement come from? Is the powder really to blame? Why would AA#5 be any more or less likely to grenade a pistol?

Hey, man, I got it off the internet. Doesn't that make it right?

And if you read the AA and Laser Cast manuals they will scare you to death about "unsupported" .40 chambers which everybody knows means Glocks.

 

[rdhood]

I've been using 4.3gr of W231 for my .40 S&W with Ranier/Berry plated 180gr RNFP bullets in a 5" barrel. With W231, I think the range is 4.2gr to 5.x? gr. You can also google "IPSC .40 S&W" to get various recipes that others have used. I believe that W231 (&HP38) will work for all of OP's calibers.

 

[spencerhut]

AA#5 Blows up Glocks?

Where does this statement come from? Is the powder really to blame? Why would AA#5 be any more or less likely to grenade a pistol?

 

[strat81]

Titegroup.

 

[Slamfire]

I gave AA#5 a try in 45LC and it shot great. Should work equally as well in a 45 ACP. Accurate Arms use to recommend it for the 45 ACP. It is a ball powder. Unlike 231. I thought titegroup was a flake powder.

You will find that .3 grain variation in throwing pistol loads to be inconsequential on target. Unless you are loading maximum loads, which a case, primer, or bullet change will blow a primer. And that is why I don't like maximum loads.

 

[Sistema1927]

W231/HP38

Same powder under different labels, buy whichever is cheaper at your favorite toy store.

 

[the pistolero]

any of the Accurate pistol powders

Those with more knowledge and experience please feel free to correct me if I am wrong here, but I would think Accurate No. 9 would produce pressures a bit too high for .45acp, no? No. 5 and No. 7 should be pretty good, from what I can tell.

 

[Walkalong]

I gave AA#5 a try in 45LC and it shot great. Should work equally as well in a 45 ACP. Accurate Arms use to recommend it for the 45 ACP.

It does shoot great in the .45

but I would think Accurate No. 9 would produce pressures a bit too high for .45acp, no?

#9 is to slow for the .45. Accurate does not even show loads with it.

I like WSF a lot; it's given me the most consistent velocities I've ever had, used in 147gr 9mm loads

I just tried some WSF in the 9MM with 115 Gr. bullets and it is great stuff for that. As good or better than #5 that I was using. I have not tried it in the .45 yet, but it should do very well.

 

[redneck2]

Those with more knowledge and experience please feel free to correct me if I am wrong here, but I would think Accurate No. 9 would produce pressures a bit too high for .45acp, no?

AA#2 is the fastest, #9 is a LOT slower. This would be a good place to refer to a burn rate chart. Hodgden has a pretty good one at their site. There's also one at Benchrest Central or Centerfire Central.

 

[trueblue1776]

Gold Bond Medicated is an excellent ball powder.

 

[tbtrout]

Win 231

 

[nitesite]

I gave AA#5 a try in 45LC and it shot great. Should work equally as well in a 45 ACP. Accurate Arms use to recommend it for the 45 ACP. It is a ball powder.

I thought titegroup was a flake powder.

You're correct on both counts!

 

[CMcDermott]

Unique burns well in a wide range of pressures (8,000 psi shotgun loads to 35,000 psi loads for 9mm, 40 S&W and magnum cartridges), no ball powder has this capability. W231/HP38 comes closest and you will be able to find loads for all of the cartridge/bullets that you listed but you may give up some performance.

 

[Jim Watson]

I thought titegroup was a flake powder.

You're correct on both counts!

Actually not.
Win 231 and Titegroup are Ball powders. They have just been rolled flat to change the geometry and get the burning rate wanted. But the manufacturing process is Olin-Winchester Ball Powder.

 

[nitesite]

Thank you for the correction, Jim.