Best way to meter Unique

[WVRJ]

I get along good with a Lyman 57.I don't use a knocker at all.I do lift the handle and count to 3 before throwing the charge.It's always within .1 grain on the load I use for the 45 ACP.I've found that variance in the time the handle is lifted and the drum is being filled will cause some fluctuation in the charge weight.I load close to max,but not so close that a heavier than normal throw will cause problems.

 

[Conservidave]

I use a home made powder scoop made from an old .380 case trimmed to hold 5.4 grn of Unique. It's not perfect everytime but for plinking loads it works just fine. Life got a whole lot easier after i figured this out because i love shooting with Unique.

I stand with Phil

 

[TroyUT]

I was thinking of trying something along those lines (using a case trimmed down to hold a certain amount). Can you tell me how you attached the handle to the case and where to find a cheap case trimmer?

 

[cfullgraf]

Just solder a piece of stiff wire to the case to make a handle.

Bare welding wire, coat hanger wire if you still have any metal coat hangers, piano wire, or the like. 3/32" or 1/8" in diameter should do nicely. It is not rocket science.

For trimming the case to make a dipper, a file is all you need although you may want something that cuts faster until you get the size close. A hack saw or a Dremel with an abrasive cut off wheel works to get the dipper close to the right length. Then square up the mouth and make small adjustments with a file.

 

[Zeke/PA]

I use Unique in my .44 Mag & .44 Special loads in an ancient (50 years old) R.C.B.S. measure with no problems. Actually it kinda surprising that this powder is troublesome.

 

[Vodoun da Vinci]

+1 on the powder dipper. Made one like this only a little classier:

http://www.castbullet.com/makeit/dipper.htm

Works really well but throws will still vary unless you develop a routine that includes a dip, some vibration like a couple of taps to settle it, then a consistent scrape of what's over the top.

I have a dipper and routine that throw a killer accurate 2.7 gr. Unique charge but it takes me just as long to dip, tap, tap, tap, scrape and dump as it does to trickle it right onto the pan on the scale.

VooDoo

 

[germ]

I see many have referred to the op's Perfect Powder Measure. Problem is he said "adjustable charge bar" which is not used with the ppm but is used in the auto/pro disk measure.

Here is an easy fix which will make use of the acb more livable, but still may not solve the Unique issue.
How to make the adjustable charge bar more useful with small powder charges.

 

[atblis]

What do you mean by varies too greatly? Have you tested the performance of your rounds? I load Unique on a progressive for 9x19, and have chronoed my loads. The velocity is consistent enough for my purposes.

 

[Potatohead]

I stand with Phil

HELL YEA me too!

 

[Maj Dad]

I used a Lyman #55 measure for 40 years with Unique and every other powder I used (flake, stick, and spherical) before getting a Dillon 550 with the Dillon measure. It works great, is very suitably accurate, and after weighing charges for the initial several months, I no longer weigh them after initial set and occasional re-check to make sure the adjustment held. I've been using it for close to 15 years, and am very happy with it (I do use the 55 or an RCBS Uniflow for stick powders in rifles - even if loading on the Dillon).

 

[Moreno]

I use a Lyman 55 powder measure. It throws them pretty close.

How much variance are you seeing? One tenth grain is nothing to worry about.

Consistency of operation is important. I raise the handle, let it settle then cut it. Never use the knocker when the handle is up. Try to move the same speed every time.

 

[Flashkayak]

what are you loading with wsf? I got 4 lbs when I bought a reloading setup
from a neighbor. I'm loading 38 special, 3.2 g with hbwc bullets for practice.
Couldn't find any info on it for pistols other than it is supposed to be a good pistol powder.
Dick

 

[TroyUT]

Thanks for the tip Germ, I may have to give that a shot. I know that one tenth of a grain +/- is nothing major but sometimes my charge bar is throwing +/- three tenths. I have gained some valuable insight from everyone here, thanks guys.

 

[Blue68f100]

what are you loading with wsf? I got 4 lbs when I bought a reloading setup
from a neighbor. I'm loading 38 special, 3.2 g with hbwc bullets for practice.
Couldn't find any info on it for pistols other than it is supposed to be a good pistol powder.
Dick

I use WSF for 9mm (124gr), 45acp and 40cal. Though I prefer WST in the 45acp. It's slightly slower than Unique but since it's a ball powder it meters accurately. There is also +P data with it. A very good universal powder in my book.

 

[Potatohead]

The charge bar just wont work well with some powders. Also some weights give it trouble.



Unique must be a heckuva powder if you guys won't just sub something else for it.

 

[Steve H]

Any tricks or secrets for Unique going through a Dillon 650 loading 45 ACP? I get results from 5.3 to 5.7 while trying to get 5.5

 

[Blue68f100]

Unique is a very good universal powder but does not meter well. You can get it close enough using SS but a AP you can't do the tap dance to get a consistent charge. Then if your loading the top end it's very easy to go over due to it's inconsistency in charges. I look at the spread and see what that is in relation to the load range of the charge. A ±0.2gr = 0.4gr which is quite a spread. You will notice this much charge change on small loads. On small case volume it can equal or exceed the load range.

I switched over to WSF which is pretty close in burn speed (slightly slower) but a ball powder. Have never looked back and no longer have Unique on the shelf.

 

[cfullgraf]

Unique must be a heckuva powder if you guys won't just sub something else for it.

It is called Unique for a reason.

Some folks seem to have nothing but trouble metering Unique and other flake powders, others do not have any troubles.

I have used Unique since 1980 in both handgun and 20 and 28 gauge shot shells. Drum style powder measures such as Redding 10-X and slide style powder measures like on the MEC 600jr and Dillon SDB all give me good results metering Unique.

 

[Vodoun da Vinci]

I ain't giving up my Unique. It's "pretty good" in everything I load and I'm finding it outstanding in 9mm. Eventually I'll probably get tired of weighing every charge or be shooting so much (now that my Wife is really going gung ho) that I just need more rounds and I'll look into something that meters faster but I'll always have a few pounds of Unique and my notebook.

It's just too good at too many things/calibers to give up on no matter how it measures.

VooDoo

 

[Katitmail]

Any tricks or secrets for Unique going through a Dillon 650 loading 45 ACP? I get results from 5.3 to 5.7 while trying to get 5.5

Steve, I too loaded with Unique on 650 (9mm though). Take powder measure and polish bottom aluminum part and hole where powder goes through. Probably I do get variations but I quit weighting each drop. I do 4 and devide. On 4 drops it's accurate to 0.1gr for me but what's most important - I do get constant velocities. So, I don't really care how much it differ on each drop anymore.

 

[Steve H]

Thank you......next time I have it apart I'll polish things up.

 

[sexybeast]

My experience with measuring Unique, Red Dot, 700x, 800x, and other flake powders is not measuring large amounts. Example 5gr+, its measuring small amounts, less the 5gr. In the Lee Powder disc I can't have any confidence in the accuracy of the drop. Some powder measures are better and more consistent than others. I have been told that the Dillon powder measure is one of the best for flake powders but someone mentioned his difficulty with it.
I used quite a bit of unique in .45 where my load was 5.0gr behind a 230gr LRN. The Lee powder disc does a "good" job with consistency, but not so good with some powders.

 

[Potatohead]

Drum style powder measures such as Redding 10-X and slide style powder measures like on the MEC 600jr and Dillon SDB all give me good results metering Unique.

How are the drum style measures different from say my Lee Pro Auto Disk? How do they work? Is that the kind I see with the little handle that looks like you would kind of reel it like a fishing pole?