Can you recommend a powder?

[SunnySlopes]

My favorite powder is Unique but it doesn't meter consistently in my Dillon Square Deal. For example, I just loaded some 45 ACP and according to my Dillon electronic scale, varied from 5.7 grains to 6.0 grains. (These are just plinking/piddling rounds, BTW.)

Anyway, I like Unique because it's so versatile and is fast enough for my semiauto handguns.

Also, it has sufficient volume that I can visually check the cases as I'm positioning the bullet for seating.

Is there another powder that fits the above criteria that will meter more consistently?

thanx

 

[MtnCreek]

Ramshot Silhouette.

 

[DeadFlies]

I load about 6 grains Unique for .45 ACP too. But I use a dipper which always varies a tenth of a grain or two. But as long as you are not in danger of going over max, why worry about such small variations? Seems close enough, IMHO.

If these are just for plinking, does .3 grains (really only .15 grains wither way) really matter?

 

[Steve C]

I think too many hand loaders spend too much time looking for problems that do not exists. The question should be is how well does your ammo that you reload with Unique shoot? If it shoots accurately and if the measured charges are still under maximum load listed in the manuals why worry about how well a powder meters?

Personally I have little problem with metering Unique accurately in the Hornady measures I have, one on the LNLAP and one to use with my single stage. It stays below 1/10 grain variation from throw to throw once the powder is allowed to settle. Try letting the powder settle by running a half dozen throws through the measure before checking for consistency. The vibration of the progressive reloader keeps it settled in the Hornady.

For an optional powder for target loads if the small variation in throw weight just bothers you or the accuracy is poor, try W231 or Hp38. It will not give you top velocity in the .45 acp like Unique will but it makes good target loads and meters well.

 

[highlander 5]

Universal Clays is very close to Unique and meters well in my Dillon powder measures.

 

[rangerphil]

Ditto on Universal Clays

 

[kludge]

Universal.

 

[dragon813gt]

Universal Clays. It meters like water and also burns cleaner on the low end. I have a four pound jug of Unique as a just in case powder. Never found a reason to use it yet.


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[meterman]

Bullseye

Bullseye meters well, shoots well in the .45ACP.

 

[Don McDowell]

231

 

[zxcvbob]

Bullseye or WSF. (good for 9mm too)

 

[RustyFN]

WST

 

[GLOOB]

I'm curious, as well. I haven't used any powder, rifle, pistol, or shotgun, that is as bulky as Unique. Well, aside from Trailboss. All the above recommendations might be great powders for 45ACP that meter well. But of the ones I'm familar with, they are much denser than Unique!

 

[joneb]

Accurate #5 works well in 45acp and meters extremely well.

 

[cpt-t]

Sunny Slopes: My Son and I use a Dillon to load 45acp`s and have never used anything but WIN 231. Drops perfect for us.
ken

 

[MtnCreek]

I'm curious, as well. I haven't used any powder, rifle, pistol, or shotgun, that is as bulky as Unique. Well, aside from Trailboss. All the above recommendations might be great powders for 45ACP that meter well. But of the ones I'm familar with, they are much denser than Unique!

Good point. I think it's bulkiness is why it doesn't meter as well as denser powders. If the OP wants a better metering powder that has good case fill, a slower powder will probably be the way to go.

 

[LiveLife]

45 ACP ...These are just plinking/piddling rounds

I tried to get powder drop consistency with Unique and the best I could get was .2-.3 gr variance.

Funny thing is faster burning Red Dot/Promo is also bulky/bulkier powder that will overflow the case with a double charge but even with .2-.3+ variance, produced acceptable accuracy with target/plinking load charges.

With various 200 gr SWC bullets, I use 4.0 gr of Red Dot/Promo and the loads burn fairly clean and reliably function in all the 45 pistols I have tried.

 

[Lj1941]

W 231/hp 38

 

[BullfrogKen]

I like Accurate No5 as well.

 

[Walkalong]

I'll be different and say N320 or N340, depending on power level.

 

[blarby]

I'll go with 5.0 - 5.3grs of W231- only because I have enough to survive the gunpocalypse of 2013.

I used 6.0 grs of unique until I found w231, thanks mainly to RC and BDS......

 

[Mcinterest]

I use Bullseye in my Dillon for 9mm, 40 S&W and 45 ACP.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

To answer the question as asked, Universal is almost identical to Unique but it meters better and shoots cleaner. It was specifically designed to mimic Unique.

There are plenty of other powders that will do as well or better but Universal is the answer to your question, "Is there another powder that fits the above criteria that will meter more consistently?" I use W231/HP-38 for most of my handgun loading. There are a handful or more powders available today that will do as well or better than Unique.

 

[ljnowell]

Accurate #5 works well in 45acp and meters extremely well.

I like Accurate No5 as well.

^^^What they said!

I like AA#5 or AA#2 for 45acp, leaning towards #2 simply because I use it in 10k+ 38 special wadcutter loads a year so I always have plenty of it on hand.

Both meter beautifully and burn very clean at 45acp pressure levels.

 

[joneb]

I used Unique in various cartridges at or below 18K PSI. This seemed to be the threshold between a sooty burn or a filthy burn, I found that uploading Unique for a cleaner burn put me at the upper end for the cartridge. And then the poor metering comes in, with haft grain variance in my powder throw at the upper end made me nervous.
So I began to look for a Unique alternative, Accurate #5 and VV N340 have been the best I have found so far.